People say houses have gotten expensive in Austin. That’s wrong. The houses haven’t gotten expensive — the land has. And it’s mostly due to our laws. Building a house is not expensive. While the cost of building a house went up 13% between 2014 and 2019, the average salary went up 15% over that same …
AURA Statement on the Land Development Code Ruling
The recent decision by the Travis County District Court ruling that policy changes such as the land development code rewrite are subject to zoning petition protests by homeowners is disappointing. Unless overturned, the ruling effectively requires a super-majority of City Council members to pass many of the meaningful reforms that are desperately needed in Austin …
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Project Connect Media Release (2020-03-09)
Press StatementFor Immediate Release3/9/2020 AURA is enthusiastic about Project Connect’s recommended Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA). The proposed light rail lines will run through dense neighborhoods — where lots of people live — and run to downtown, the Capitol, and UT — where lots of people want to go. In 2014, AURA argued for rail on …
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I Moved from Houston and My Rent Doubled
Last May, I moved from Houston to Austin for work. I lived in Houston’s Heights neighborhood, one that shares a lota piece of land. Specifically, the smallest division of land that is tracked by the government. of similarities with many of the neighborhoods in central Austin under intense discussion with the land development code rewrite. …
Proposed Compromise for a Better Land Development Code
Much of conflict over Austin Land Development Code rewrite occurs over the “Transition Zones”. During the city council meeting on February 12th, Mayor Adler and Council Member Tovo discussed the possibility of reducing the size of these Transition Zones to two-lots off the corridora large street or thoroughfare like Lamar and Guadalupe. Corridors will often …
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How Deed Restrictions Can Impact Our Land Development
Most of Austin’s zoning regulations prevent the construction of missing-middle housing like townhouses, duplexesa building with 2 housing units., and fourplexes. In fact, according to the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan land inventory about 80% of Austin’s land zoned for residentiala zonean area of land covered by particular building rules. Common zones are residential, commercial, and industrial. for housing. use is zoned single-family. But zoning regulations aren’t the only obstacle to these types of housing, especially …
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Land Development Code Rewrite Proposed Amendments
Since the beginning of the Land Development Code rewrite process, AURA has supported a code rewrite to create an Austin that’s affordably and environmentally sustainable with opportunities open to everyone. The first draft of the rewrite was a promising step towards that aim. However, the second draft was backpedaled on that progress. For the Land …
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Land Development Code Draft 2 Release Statement
AURA is a grassroots, all-volunteer organization that advocates for an Austin that is inclusive, open to change, and welcoming to everyone. Unfortunately, the second draft of the new Land Development Code rewrite is a significant step backward from the first. Despite council passing many important pro-housing amendments, significant resolutions and goals were either not incorporated, …
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How Upzoning Affects or Doesn’t Affect Taxes
TX law prohibits the tax assessor from appraising a residence homestead as any other use, regardless of zoning Recently changed TX law requires a tax election if the City raises rates more than 3.5%, down from 8% The broader the upzoning, the more distributed the demand It’s 2019, the city is entering its 5th (plus) …
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What Would Obama Think of Austin’s Land Development Code?
How Obama’s housing recommendations are implemented in Austin’s Land Development Code