As we noted in an earlier email, CodeNEXT has up-zoned Heritage to T4.IS allowing all single-family lots to have 4-unit multiplexes while leaving adjacent neighborhoods zoned single-family. The Board of Friends of Heritage believes that CodeNEXT should apply this zoning evenly to all central Austin neighborhoods, not just Heritage. However since that was not done in CodeNEXT, we would like to propose the following change to Heritage’s CodeNEXT mapping:
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The interior of Heritage will remain single-family, with less intensive T3 (single-family homes, duplexes, and ADUs) zoning rather than the proposed T4.
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The corridors on our perimeter (Lamar, Guadalupe, and 38th) as well as 34th Street will be given zero parking minimums for residential units under T4.MS (Main Street) zoning, making it possible to build more housing along those streets than under the existing proposed CodeNEXT zoning. Adding residential units simply requires building a second story without needing space for additional surface parking.
The deadline for comments on the text of CodeNEXT is Tuesday June 6. Friends of Heritage will submit a proposal and meet with city staff to ensure our voice is heard. Join the discussion on our forums to share your thoughts and question, and see our CodeNEXT page for background and to get involved. Read below for detailed information on our proposal.
Density on the corridors
This spring Mayor Adler said in his State of the City speech: “For starters, let’s agree we will not force density in the middle of neighborhoods… and in exchange, let’s also agree that we will adopt a code rewrite that will give us the housing supply we need by focusing along our major corridors.”
In addition he said “I would also urge that neighborhoods be given significant influence in deciding how these transition areas are done in those neighborhoods, so long as each accommodates an appropriate share of the city’s needed housing supply.”
Friends of Heritage is taking Mayor Adler up on his offer and providing an alternative that meets those criteria.
Why eliminate parking parking minimums along our corridors?
A key reason we have not seen much mixed-use development along Lamar and Guadalupe is that the parking requirement of one space per residential unit makes it infeasible on the smaller shallower parcels on those streets. Parking garages are not allowed in T4.MS zoning, requiring all parking to be on the ground and reducing the space available for the building.
Eliminating minimum parking requirements for residential units in T4.MS zoning makes retail + residential possible on every lot. A new retail development can add two more stories of residential with only the incremental cost of building the housing.
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Balance: It gives the city the additional housing needed to meet Austin’s explosive growth while maintaining Heritage’s residential core. The proposed CodeNEXT T4.MS (Main Street) zoning along our corridors allows three-story developments with retail/office on the ground floor and housing above.
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Sustainable: It discourages car use and encourages biking, walking, and mass transit. As one of the most walkable neighborhoods in Austin, Heritage is a desirable place for people who do not own a car.
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Winnable: By meeting the goal the city has set for accommodating additional housing, Heritage has a strong argument for preserving our residential core. Simply saying “No” to the city’s density increase without offering an alternative ignores that Austin’s population has been doubling every 20-25 years. Saying “No” also ignores the political reality that the proposed CodeNEXT T4 zoning for Heritage could be approved by our 10-1 council, most of whose districts are not affected by T4 zoning.
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Residential Permit Parking (RPP) ensures that parking will still be available for residents along our neighborhood streets. RPP is not provided for multi-family housing units so if we find zero-parking housing causes parking problems on our interior streets, we can implement RPP in those blocks. Several streets in Heritage already have RPP to limit parking only to residents during posted times. In addition people who own cars are not likely choose an apartment without parking when most other apartments in Austin do have it.
What is the next step?
The above proposal was drafted by the board of Friends of Heritage after discussion and consultation with neighbors, but we want the entire membership to participate. Share your thoughts and ask questions on this forum.
There are several important dates in the coming weeks:
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Saturday June 3: District 9 CodeNEXT map open house. The Map Open Houses offer a broad overview of how zoning was applied across the city and in each particular Council District, and staff will be present to answer questions. Be aware that this open house is for all of district 9, not just Heritage.
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Tuesday June 6: Last date for comments on the text to be incorporated in the final staff recommendation provided to the Planning Commission and Zoning & Platting Commission. This is less than two weeks away and it is important that Friends of Heritage has its proposal included as comment.
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Friday July 7: Last date for comments on the map to be incorporated in the final staff recommendation provided to the Planning Commission and Zoning & Platting Commission.