NSCNA Blog Archive

NSCNA’s Development Committee is fighting to keep our North Shoal Creek neighborhood plan intact in the revised Land Development Code. So far, our efforts haven’t paid off. Now, we’re asking that all North Shoal Creek residents email the Austin City Council, asking them to reinstate our neighborhood plan’s zoning for two areas: Buell Ave. Live/Work District and Rockwood south of Steck. Here’s an explanation of why we’re asking this and a sample letter you can use if you don’t want to write your own. Questions? Email development@nscna.org.

FORM LETTER TO THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL REQUESTING RESTORATION OF NORTH SHOAL CREEK’S FUTURE LAND USE MAP:
Austin City Council unanimously approved North Shoal Creek’s Neighborhood Plan and Future Land Use Map (FLUM) in August 2018. A lot of careful thought went into our FLUM, maximizing housing density and business space while protecting our core of family homes as well as parks and other neighborhood spaces. Our FLUM ensures our neighborhood can grow and thrive with the rest of Austin and gives special consideration to issues such as flooding and impervious cover, traffic and parking concerns, and pedestrian safety.

If you agree that our FLUM is what’s best for North Shoal Creek, please let Austin City Council members know you support it and want to see any future rezoning efforts honor our Neighborhood Plan.

Follow this link to send an email to all Austin City Council members: https://www.austintexas.gov/email/all-council-members. If you’re not sure what to say, consider pasting in the sample text below. Name and email are required to use the contact form.

SAMPLE TEXT:
Subject: Zoning in North Shoal Creek – Use Our Neighborhood Plan and FLUM
Austin City Council unanimously approved the North Shoal Creek Neighborhood Plan and Future Land Use Map (FLUM) on Aug. 23, 2018, with the understanding that our plan is what is best for our neighborhood to ensure it can grow and thrive with the rest of Austin.

In rezoning North Shoal Creek for the revised Land Development Code, City staff made two changes to our Neighborhood Plan:
1. Staff rezoned six lots of our 11 lot Buell Live/Work District from LI (Light Industrial) to MU5B-Q, leaving too little of our Buell Live/Work District for it to remain viable.
2. Staff rezoned 26 houses on Rockwood Lane south of Steck Avenue from R2A to R4.

Please instruct staff to correct the MU5B-Q zoning back to LI zoning, and the R4 zoning on Rockwood back to R2A to match our Neighborhood Plan and FLUM.

1. Here’s why we’re asking this:
1) Our plan is based on Mayor Adler’s “Austin Bargain.” It aims both to protect our neighborhoods and to deliver the increased housing supply we need to make Austin more affordable.
2) Our plan makes 151 acres in our neighborhood eligible for multi-family and mixed use zoning.
3) According to City staff, this additional acreage has the potential for 3,802 new housing units. Currently, North Shoal Creek has 2,155 housing units.
4) In addition to the 3,802 new housing units, our current Neighborhood Plan and FLUM allows ADUs and duplexes throughout our neighborhood, which has the potential to double density in our residential core.

2. City staff said during our plan’s public hearing before the Planning Commission that any additional housing gained by changing the zoning on Buell was unnecessary, given the huge increase in housing potential that the rest of the plan provides.

3. The homes on Rockwood back up to the newly expanded flood plain. Rezoning this particular area to allow for more density would lower impervious cover requirements, putting this area of our neighborhood in greater danger of flooding.

4. The bus route on Rockwood Lane (#19 Bull Creek) that helps to define it as a transition zone is slated to be discontinued by CapMetro. Additionally, Rockwood lacks sidewalks on both sides of the street and has issues with speeding drivers. Greater density than our Neighborhood Plan allows could create parking and pedestrian safety issues.

Thank you for your help and consideration.