2024: The FAR, Federal Acquisition Regulations, Part 30
An Overview of CodeNext
1. An Overview of
CodeNEXT: Draft 3
Presentation to the Lost Creek Civic Organization,
March 1, 2018
2. Quick Review of CodeNEXT:
CodeNEXT is the current proposed rewrite to the City’s Land
Development Code
Land DevelopmentCode addresses:
Zoning (what can be built)
Subdvisions (how many lots can be created)
Environmental Protectionts (how do we protect our trees, water
quality, creeks, etc.)
Parkland Dedication and Open Space (whether developers should
contribute towards parkland resources and preserve open space)
Affordable Housing (what kind of housing is developed and
whether units must be set aside for lower-income households)
Public Input Process (how residents can offer input into changes
within their neighborhoods)
Meant to implement the City’s comprehensive plan
3. Wait. What is the Comprehensive Plan?
In 2012, the City Council adopted our latest comprehensive plan
known as “Imagine Austin”
Imagine Austin formally adopts the City’s overall policies and
provides guidance to the City Council and City Manager on how
they should (ps., it’s about more than just land use!)
It incorporates the city’s adopted master plans (e.g., Strategic
Mobility Plan) and neighborhood plans (e.g., Oak Hill Combined
Neighborhood Plan)
Growth Concept Map is an overall guide
6. Draft 2 was incomplete, inadequate and
poorly drafted.
Entire sections of the draft code were missing (e.g., Chapter
23-8 (Signage), Chapter 23-11 (Technical Codes), and
Chapter 23-4D-8090 (Former Title 25 (F25) Zone standards)
Terminology was muddled (e.g., the newly proposed zoning
category RM4A allows the development of “Rowhouse:
Large”, but no such building form is defined
Standards were inconsistent from one section to the next
(e.g., ADUs appear to be capped at 1100 sq. ft. in some
sections and 1150 sq. ft. in others)
No resource tracking changes from the current code to what
was proposed
After 5 years and $8+ million, the public deserves a better
product
Draft 3 is getting better, but we’re struggling to know what
is an error and what is intentional
7. General Topic Overview
Residential Zoning
Changes for Lost Creek
Compatibility Standards
Overall Growth
Dark Skies
Wildfire Risks
Bars / Liquor Stores
Parking
Flooding
8. Residential Zones
Currently, there are 8 existing “single-family” zoning districts, ranging from
RR (Rural Residence) to SF-6 (Highest Density Single-Family)
Under CNv3, there are 17 different “R” zoning categories
Lot sizes have generally been reduced
SF-2 (50’ min lot width)R1B (45’ min lot width)
SF-3 (50’ min lot width)R2B (25’ min lot width
Extra provisions to narrow lots
10. What is changing in Lost Creek?
Generally:
I-SF-2R1B (lot sizes reduced
to 5,000 sq ft; would allow a
house and an accessory
dwelling unit (“ADU”) on a lot
greater than 15,000 sq. ft.)
I-RRRM1A (multi-family up
to 12 units/acre as base; 30
units/acre with affordable
housing bonus)
LOMU2A-A (multi-family up
to 18 units/acre as base; 36
units/acre with affordable
housing bonus)
Anticipated Answer to Question: City does not enforce private deed restrictions.
11. Compatibility Standards
CodeNEXT Draft 3 would eliminate all
compatibility standards beyond 100 ft
from a single-family residence
Under current compatibility standards, a
120 ft. tall building would have to be 540
ft. from a single-family residence
In some cases, CodeNEXT Draft 3 would
allow an 80 ft (7-8 stories tall) tower up
to 50 ft from a single-family home (see,
e.g., RM4A)
Massive increases in entitlements without
any exchange of community benefit
Current Compatibility Standards
40’ height at 100’
CodeNEXT V3
Compatibility
Unlimited height at 100’;
shown 120’ tall
13. Are Dark Skies Addressed?
23-4E-2: Outdoor Lighting addresses some outdoor lighting issues
Only applies to developments that trigger a site plan
Light fixtures are required to be fully shielded and have full cut off
Flood-lighting allowed through alternative compliance
Illuminations of flag poles and signs allowed if not aimed “excessively” at the
sky or onto neighboring properties
No specific “Dark Skies” overlay
14. What about wildfire mitigation?
There have been some tweaks included in CNv3 to include modifications for
wildfire risks:
Adds wildfire hazards as consideration for right-of-way configuration (23-9B-1080 )
Subdivisions in wildfire risk areas will require two access points (23-9H-1030)
Additional conversation needed on Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Code
No currently part of CodeNEXT; being considered as a technical code
Addresses building standards and permitting review
Up to 60% of the City would fall under its purview
15. Bars / Nightclubs
Under current code, bars / nightclubs outside CBD would need both
CS-1 zoning and get a conditional use permit (CUP) approved by the
Land Use Commission
Under CodeNEXT Draft 2, Bars / Nightclubs split into two categories:
Level 1: No outdoor seating; No late-hours permits
Level 2: Outdoor Seating; Open until 2am
16. Parking
Residential. On-site parking requirement is cut to one parking space per
dwelling unit - half of what is required today for single family homes.
Commercial. At the same time that CodeNEXT is increasing the volume of
commercial traffic generated by zoning districts in and around
neighborhoods, it is reducing the parking requirement for those uses.
*These reduced parking requirements
will be eligible for additional
cumulative reductions of up to 40%
for a variety of reasons such as
proximity to a corridor (e.g. a major
arterial), or bike racks or off-site
parking 1,000 feet away.
17. Flooding
Some improvements:
requiring redevelopment to address drainage
Must match peak flow for undeveloped conditions (does not address volume)
Green infrastructure (beneficial use of stormwater)
Engineer certification required to prove new single-family wouldn’t “flood your
neighbor”
Some areas of disagreement:
Impervious cover (no reductions; location placed; and functional equivalencies)
Review/standards applicable to 3-6 units
Should standards vary depending on known localized flooding conditions?
18. Questions?
Additional resources at: http://www.communitynotcommodity.com/
Please feel free to contact me:
Bobby Levinski, 512-636-7649 or bobby.levinski@gmail.com
Please contact with your comments:
Council Member Ellen Troxclair (District 8): 512-978-2108 or
Ellen.Troxclair@austintexas.gov
Mayor Steve Adler (At-Large): 512-978-2100 or Steve.Adler@austintexas.gov
Planning Commission & Zoning and Platting Commission: Staff Liaison Andrew
Rivera at Andrew.Rivera@austintexas.gov