An Austin for Everyone
MEDIA ALERTFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 20, 2020AURA members identify priorities for November transportationmeasure AURA members overwhelmingly approved a set of policy preferences aimed at shaping Austin City Council’s crafting of a new transportation ballot measure for this November’s election. The specific policy planks approved by AURA members are: AURA supports the 11 cent property tax …
Continue reading “Project Connect Media Release (2020-07-20)”
Who should determine what housing can be built in Austin? Austin’s democratically elected city council or an archaic process that only gives power to property owners? Groups opposed to a new land development code are suing to only include property owners and exclude renters from the discussion. A local judge ruled in their favor and …
The 2016 Mobility Bond provided the City of Austin with funding “to address implementation of Corridora large street or thoroughfare like Lamar and Guadalupe. Corridors will often be zoned for higher density housing like tall apartments. Mobility Reports, which identify short-, medium-, and long-term transportation improvements.” The Corridora large street or thoroughfare like Lamar and Guadalupe. Corridors will often be zoned for higher density housing like tall apartments. Mobility Report for Burnet Road proposes for …
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 …
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 …
Continue reading “AURA Statement on the Land Development Code Ruling”
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 …
Continue reading “Project Connect Media Release (2020-03-09)”
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. …
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 …
Continue reading “Proposed Compromise for a Better Land Development Code”
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 …
Continue reading “How Deed Restrictions Can Impact Our Land Development”
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 …
Continue reading “Land Development Code Rewrite Proposed Amendments”