Land Development Code Rewrite Draft 2
(this is the fifth iteration of rewriting the land development code)

Introduction

The City of Austin is rewriting its 30-year old Land Development Code, in a profound and potentially historic experiment to reshape the city by zoning. Watch this independent investigative half-hour documentary that explores the economic and political forces driving the process as told through the lives of current residents. From writer, director, cinematographer, and editor Steve Mims.

The process is now in its fifth iteration. The latest draft was released 31 Jan 2020. The first three iterations were known as CodeNext, but after their failure, the City rebranded the name and dropped the CodeNext moniker. It is now known simply as the Land Development Code Rewrite. Refer to one of the following four links to see previous drafts and the comments provided by ZNA and others:

Here is the City's most current information:

City of Austin Land Development Code Revision webpage (external link)

City Council Hearings

Council Second Reading (11, 12, & 13 Feb 2020)

The City Council accepted comments from the public and deliberated the LDC Rewrite based on the second draft. It passed on second reading 7-4, with Councilmembers Kitchen (D5), Pool (D7), Tovo (D9), and Alter (D10) voting no.

Here are some related documents:

Council First Reading (09, 10, & 11 Jan 2020)

The City Council deliberated the LDC Rewrite (based on the first draft) and passed it on first reading with amendments.

ZNA Comments to the City

The ZNA Zoning Committee is currenly evaluating the most recent draft released 31 Jan 2020.

Second Draft (31 Jan 2020) of the Latest LDC Rewrite

This is the most recent draft which was released on 31 Jan 2020:

Draft Code (complete) (62.8 MB PDF)
Draft Code (by chapter)
- Chapter 1: Introduction (PDF)
- Chapter 2: Administration and Procedures (2.0 MB PDF)
- Chapter 3: Zoning Code (51.2 MB PDF)
- Chapter 4: General Planning Requirements (6.6 MB PDF)
- Chapter 5: Subdivision (PDF)
- Chapter 6: Permits and Special Approvals (PDF)
- Chapter 7: Signage (5.2 MB PDF)
- Chapter 8: Transportation (PDF)
- Chapter 9: Infrastructure (1.3 MB PDF)
- Chapter 10: Technical Codes (PDF)
- Chapter 11: Airport Hazard and Compatible Land Use (PDF)
- Chapter 12: Definitions and Measurements (PDF)

These are staff-proposed corrections/revisions associated with the second draft:

Supplemental Staff Report #3 [31 Jan 2020] (<1 MB PDF)

Maps

The following maps were prepared by the ZNA Executive Committee. If you open both of the last two maps, you can compare the proposed zoning to the current zoning by alternately clicking on the browser tabs in which they open:

Map of Proposed Zoning Showing Where Bars & Nightclubs Will Be Allowed (<1 MB PDF)
Map of Proposed Zilker Neighborhood Zoning by CoA platted lot [revised 31 Jan 2030] (6.7 MB PDF)
Map of Proposed Zilker Neighborhood Zoning by TCAD parcel [revised 31 Jan 2030] (3.3 MB PDF)
Map of Current Zilker Neighborhood Zoning under Existing City Code (1.8 MB PDF)

Zilker-Related Code Information and Analysis

The ZNA Zoning Committee is just beginning analysis of the second draft of the newest code rewrite released on January 31, 2020. However, one of the most significant changes affecting some homeowners in the Zilker neighborhood is the conversion of current SF-3 zoning to the proposed R4 and RM1 zoning (see map of R4+RM4 zoning) which will prohibit single-family homes. Almost the entire neighborhood (any property within 1/2-mile of the South Lamar Blvd or Barton Springs Rd corridor) will be affected by the reduction in on-site parking requirements. This will ultimately lead to more parking on the streets. The front, side, and rear setbacks are being reduced in all residential zones in the neighborhood except R2A. See this map of corridor distances and residential zoning.

The following table gives code requirements for the various categories and individual zones within those categories, but only for those categories and zones that exist within the Zilker neighborhood. Two new catergories (R1 & R2C) were added to the Zilker neighborhood since the first draft. You can compare the maps from draft 1 and draft2. The comments are not all encompassing, and there may be some exceptions, so refer to the actual language in the code. The term "corridors" refers to South Lamar Blvd and Barton Springs Road.

Category	Category Comments	Zone	R2*	R1*	Zone Comments and Changes from SF-3
Residential House-Scale Allowed Uses, Parking, General View Residential Zoning Map	parking reduced from 2 to 1 space per unit; further reduced by 100% within 1/4 mile of corridors and by 50% within 1/2 mile of corridors	R1	map	dne	front setback reduced from 25' to 15' side setback reduced from 5' to 3' rear setback reduced from 10' to 5' minimum lot size reduced from 5,750 sf from 2,500 sf FAR increased from 0.4 to 0.5 impervious cover increased from 45% to 65%
		R2A	map	nc	minimum lot size reduced from 5,750 sf from 5,000 sf FAR increased from 0.4 to greater of 0.4 or 1,300 sf per unit impervious cover decreased from 45% to 40% if one unit
		R2B	map	map	front setback reduced from 25' to 15' side setback reduced from 5' to 3' rear setback reduced from 10' to 5' minimum lot size reduced fro 5,750 sf from 5,000 sf FAR increased from 0.4 to greater of 0.4 or 1,300 sf per unit impervious cover decreased from 45% to 40% if one unit
		R2C	map	dne	front setback reduced from 25' to 15' rear setback reduced from 10' to 5' minimum lot size reduced from 5,750 sf to 3,500 sf FAR increased from 0.4 to 0.6 impervious cover increased from 45% to 65%
		R4	map	map	front setback reduced from 25' to 15' side setback reduced from 5' to 3' rear setback reduced from 10' to 5' single-family use no longer allowed minimum lot size reduced from 5,750 sf to 5,000 sf FAR increased from 0.4 to up to 0.6+ impervious cover increased from 45% to up to 55%
Residential Multi-Unit Allowed Uses, Parking, General		RM1	map	map	front setback reduced from 25' to 10' in current SF-3 single-family use no longer allowed in current SF-3
		RM2	map	map
		RM3	map	nc
		RM4	map	nc
		RM5	map	nc
Mixed-Use Allowed Uses, Parking, General		MU1	map	nc
		MU2	map	map
		MU3	map	nc
		MU5A	map	nc
		MU5B	map	nc
Main Street Allowed Uses, Parking, General		MS2B	map	nc
Main Street Allowed Uses, Parking, General		MS3	map	nc
Other Allowed Uses, Parking, General		P (public)	map	nc
		PR (park)	map	nc
		PUD	map	nc
		F25 (legacy)	map	nc

* R2 is the map from the current draft 2; R1 is the map from superceded draft1; dne=did not exist in draft 1; nc=no change (draft 2 is same as draft 1)

The following charts give the proposed and current allowable uses by zone in the Zilker neighborhood:

The following are other important sections of the code relevant to the zoning in Zilker and comments above:

23-3C-2030 (land use definitions) (PDF)
23-3D-1 (requirements specific to use) (PDF)
23-3D-1030 (accessory dwelling unit) (PDF)
23-3D-2050 (parking reductions) (PDF)
23-4E (affordable housing) (PDF)

City Council Policy Guidance

The City Council provided policy guidance for rewriting the Land Develpment at their special called meeting on May 2, 2019. If you click on the preceding link, you will find additional links related to the meeting including the agenda, videos of the meeting, and a closed-caption transcript of the meeting as well as work papers and other backup documentation. The meeting was about 8-1/2 hours long. Or you can read a summary of that guidance.

City Council guidance was supposedly based on the following previously approved plans:

Land Development Code Rewrite Draft 2 (this is the fifth iteration of rewriting the land development code)