Statesman article on CodeNext and specifically how it could apply to Heritage

#1

The Statesman has an article on CodeNext and how it might apply to central Austin neighborhoods. They used Heritage as an example to see how it might apply.

#2

The proposed residential zoning categories that match the single-family homes in Heritage would not allow for the two-story apartment complexes that are also in the neighborhood.

On the other hand, Bradford said, if officials applied a different zoning category that permits such apartments, those rules would allow buildings up to six stories tall — changing the feel of the neighborhood and likely guaranteeing a nasty fight.

So the gist is, Heritage couldn’t get any 2-story row houses or condos that aren’t on Lamar of Guad if we are zoned T3.

The City would have to go with T4 zoning for all of Heritage to get those types of housing, which at it’s max allows up to 6-story buildings - we’re in an all-or-nothing kind of place.

#3

I’m against T4 zoning. Don’t want the area to have 6-story buildings.

#4

I don’t think many folks want 6 story buildings off of the major corridors Jeff but Heritage wouldn’t even be allowed to have 2-story row houses or condos with T3 zoning in CodeNEXT.

The point of the original article is that there’s still a lot of contradictions in the new zoning transects for CodeNEXT.

#5

@Jeff_Squires I agree, I don’t want six story buildings next to houses. The problem is that the draft of CodeNext doesn’t give us anything between single-family homes or big buildings like that.

The T3 zoning is like our current SF3, allowing duplexes at most. If you want to allow a row house, like the limestone ones on 31st & King that I think fit nicely with homes (https://goo.gl/maps/D9xL1We6Wtm), you would have to go up to T4 zoning which means you could also build 6 stories - crazy!

I wish we could pick from a menu of options, but at the very least there should be several levels between T3 and T4.

#6

And besides even the number of stories, the draft code only allows things like front/back duplexes in one transect zone (T4N.SS), yet the current code allows front/back duplexes in SF-3. These types of houses can definitely be visually appealing since most of it isn’t even visible from the front - garages are usually on the sides. If you have a deep lot you’re basically only allowed to build in the front portion of the lot with the draft version.

#7

One of the subjects interviewed for the Statesman article has his own blog and did a further analysis of the n’hood based on the available transects in the draft now:

http://www.austincontrarian.com/austincontrarian/2017/02/heritage.html

T4 should be a transition zone. It should permit the low-rise, two- to three-story apartment buildings that are the stuff of Heritage’s interior. But T4 allows minimal multi-family. T4.IS allows a four-plex. T4.SS allows an 8-plex. And that’s it. No low-rise apartment buildings. No courtyard buildings. No rowhouses. Not even any “large” muti-plexes with 9-12 units. Much of the multi-family in the Heritage interior would be explicitly illegal under T4. (The T4.MS (main street) zone allows a bit more missing middle but is reserved for commercial corridors.)

#8

Thank you so much for sharing this article! It really is fascinating to see that awkward jump between T4 and T5. It is so cool to see our fair neighborhood zoned out.