Austin's city planners are pushing to swiftly amend the land development code (LDC), seeking to expand housing options and bolster the Project Connect transit system. In the pipeline are changes aimed at creating walkable neighborhoods and integrating affordable housing across the city. A mix of in-person and virtual open houses are slated for April, offering Austinites a chance to weigh in before the City Council casts its deciding votes in May, according to a statement from the city.
Lauren Middleton-Pratt, the city's Planning Department Director, told the public, "Planning staff have been working around the clock on these draft code amendments ever since Council gave us direction to do so last year." She continued, "These changes will create more opportunities to make housing more attainable for Austin residents along our transit lines and throughout the city. We’re excited to hear from our community before we bring the final ordinances to Council."
In a move to ensure widespread awareness, the city dispatched a purple postcard to every property owner, and also to all customers of Austin Energy. Two separate notifications outline three code amendments being proposed citywide, and additional regulations focused on the ETOD Overlay, a zone encompassing roughly 40,000 addresses within a half-mile radius of the Project Connect Light Rail corridor. The latter includes a list of land uses potentially facing prohibition, like gas stations and car washes, intended to foster a pedestrian-friendly environment along the transit corridor.
Annick Beaudet, director of the City’s Project Connect Office, highlighted the broader vision, stating, "These amendments are not only important to addressing our housing challenges but also to tackling our mobility challenges." She added, "The changes will support our overall goal of providing the infrastructure needed to allow more people to get around town by train, bus, bike, scooter, or walking, and they will also improve Austin’s competitiveness when it comes to securing the federal funding vital to building our light rail system."
Details of the proposed changes will be presented at a joint meeting of the City Council and the Planning Commission on April 11, complete with a public hearing. The following week's open houses will allow hands-on exploration of the plans. Scheduled are a Wednesday meeting at the Austin Central Library and a Saturday virtual event, information for which can be found on the LDC Updates website. Among the amendments up for discussion are a reduced land requirement for building homes, revised building height regulations near single-family homes, and a new policy for Electric Vehicle Charging Use locations.
The city has made provisions for Spanish interpretation at the open houses and offers additional language assistance upon early request. Further information, including how to make language requests, is detailed on the aforementioned website.
