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Council just passed Draft 2 of Austin’s revised Land Development Code. There’s still one more vote – to be held in late March or early April — to go. Here’s what happens to single-family housing in North Shoal Creek:
- 26 homes on Rockwood, Boxdale, Firwood and Steck are rezoned to R4.
- R4 is the least intense transition zoning and allows for up to 8 units per lot.
- All other single-family homes in North Shoal Creek are rezoned to R2A. R2A allows up to 2 units per lot: a single-family home, a duplex, or a single-family home plus an ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit — e.g., garage apartment or “granny flat”)
- An R2A home that qualifies for a preservation bonus qualifies for 3 units: a single family home plus a duplex, or a duplex and an ADU.
Why this matters:
- R4 rezoning violates our North Shoal Creek neighborhood plan, approved by City Council in Aug. 2018, which was designed to maximize density while protecting our core of single family homes.
- District 7 Council Member Leslie Poole, our North Shoal Creek City Council representative, does not agree with the R4 rezoning.
- Rezoning opens our neighborhood up to safety concerns – R4 doesn’t require additional off street parking, which means our streets could potentially have more parked cars, endangering bicyclists and pedestrians.
- Rezoning lowers impervious cover requirements leading to greater flooding concerns, especially for neighbors adjacent to the recently expanded Shoal Creek flood plain on the west side of Rockwood.
Don’t want your home rezoned to R2A or R4? Take action:
- A lawsuit has been filed against this citywide rezoning via the land development code.
- Texas law allows property owners to protest rezoning their property. If the plaintiffs win, a super-majority of council members will be required to pass a zoning change that has been protested.
- Visit http://FileYourProtest.com for an easy, convenient way to protest your rezoning online.
- Read the FAQ at http://FileYourProtest.comfor additional information on your right to protest a rezoning.
- For more information, email development@nscna.org.
File Your Rezoning Protest by March 1 at FileYourProtest.com
These six slides are from a staff presentation given at Council’s February 5th worksession. The first four show examples of R2 zoning, (the closest match to existing single family zoning). Most single-family lots in Austin are 7,000 square feet or larger. In the proposed code, a standard lot is 5,000 square feet.
The last two slides show the R4 zoning applied to Rockwood south of Steck. R4 is the least intense multifamily zoning and has a base of 4 units up to a maximum of 8 units on a 5,000 square foot lot.
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From Leslie Pool, Council Member, District 7
February 14 at 5:59 PM ·At Second Reading last night, I voted against the Land Development Code rewrite, along with my colleagues CMs Alter, Kitchen and Tovo, because it remains unclear that the code will do what is intended and needed.
Austin must get this right. The new code, with all its parts, must work together.
My three colleagues and I urge an approach to the Code rewrite that includes planning to inform how and where the city of Austin will grow.
Because of the intense market pressure that Austinites are experiencing, planning and thoughtful decision-making consistent with Austin’s values are more crucial than ever.
I believe the city needs to build community consensus and better ensure that shared goals are achieved while reducing the risks of unintended harm.
I agree with the rest of Council that …
– Austin needs an updated land development code that includes better tools to address growth.
– Increasing housing along major corridors makes sense because new development can be more easily served by robust transit.
– Imagine Austin regional centers are opportunities to create more housing and complete communities.
– Our city needs more affordable housing and housing types across the city and council has agreed upon target goals to meet.However, I remain concerned that …
– The proposed code and map will not provide new development where we want and need it or at the right price.
– Some council actions may have unintended consequences, accelerating the loss of older, more affordable housing for renters and families.
– The draft proposal and amendments triggering increases in size, number of units, and reliance on street parking, without planning for necessary sidewalks, street improvements, drainage, and other infrastructure will unnecessarily degrade quality of life, public safety, and potentially increase cost burdens to residents to remedy the deficiencies.
– Applying dramatic increases in entitlements instead of phasing increases over time could destabilize neighborhoods and accelerate loss of affordable housing.
– Mapping without sensitive consideration of the location or context and without involvement by the people who live in the areas impacted risks loss of public trust.In the next several weeks, the four of us will bring forward a proposal we have been working on for a while. We will propose an approach that builds on the District Level Planning amendment adopted at First Reading. This approach will offer a path to build broader, citywide consensus on the code. We hope our colleagues will consider this approach on Third Reading.
I will continue to urge my colleagues to develop a community-driven, data-based, and context-sensitive planning process that will ultimately serve the evolving needs and future growth of communities in and around Activity Centers and Corridors.
Issues surrounding the rewrite of Austin’s Land Development Code continue to cause deep concern in most parts of town. Thank you for all you’re doing on behalf of our beloved city.
Best,
Leslie
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The North Shoal Creek Neighborhood Plan (NSCNP) Contact Team will meet:
• Thursday, February 13, 6:30 pm to 7:55 pm at
• First Texas Honda Dealership Conference Room, 3400 Steck Avenue.Agenda for the meeting will include the following:
• Election of officers for unexpired terms.
• Property at 8703/7703 N. MoPac.
• Draft Land Development Code.
• Priorities of Neighborhood Plan actions.You can become a member of the contact team if you:
• Own neighborhood property,
• Rent a neighborhood residence,
• Own a neighborhood business, or
• You are a member of a neighborhood organization and own or rent property within the neighborhood.To become a member, just attend a meeting and sign up.
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The 3M Half Marathon is Sunday, January 19, and the route includes Shoal Creek Boulevard. So, expect it to be closed for the runners from about 6 am to noon that Sunday morning. For more info (or to register) go to 3mhalfmarathon.com
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JUDGES NEEDED! Contact Victoria Finnegan at 512-773-7876 to sign up to be a judge
