Lost Creek Civic Organization

Jenn Todd, Planning and Zoning June 2, 2016

Main Takeaways

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• CodeNEXT implements Imagine Austin

• CodeNEXT seeks to promote people-friendly places

• CodeNEXT seeks to promote affordability for residential and commercial uses

• Opportunities for involvement

Imagine Austin Direction

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A City of Complete Communities

Imagine Austin + CodeNEXT

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Workforce & Education

Healthy Austin

Household Affordability

Green Infrastructure

Compact & Connected

Sustainable Water

Creative Economy

Integration of all Priority Programs

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One implementation tool of Imagine Austin…

Priority Program 8: “Revise Austin’s development regulations and processes to promote a compact and connected city.”

Imagine Austin + CodeNEXT

What is a Land Development Code?

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Guides how land is used

WHAT can be built

WHERE it can be built

HOW MUCH can be built

Promoting Places for People

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“First life, then spaces, then buildings- the other way around never works”-- Jan Gehl

Fix What is Wrong, Keep What is Working

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Balance Competing Values

Where We’ve Been

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March Natural & Built Environment

May Household Affordability

July Mobility

September Fiscal Health

January Draft Code Released

2017 2016

Where We’re Going: Code Prescriptions

Why a Code Prescription?

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• Frame discussion of complex topics and tradeoffs before Code draft debuts (January 2017)

• Prescription topics derived from Code Diagnosis and frequently cited questions and concerns from public

• Prioritize tradeoffs → align the code with community values:

o Are we achieving Imagine Austin goals? o Is the Prescription too strong? Too weak? o How do priorities change based on context?

Who Writes a Prescription?

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• Planning and Zoning Staff o Lead authors o Coordinate outreach and engagement

• CAG, Mayor, Council, public, city departments and organizations

o Review feedback and evaluate for influence on code

• Code Advisory Group

o Review Prescription o Offer and collect feedback o Outreach

Feedback: How? What happens?

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• Frame the Conversation o How does/can Code solve this issue? o Where does a solution work best? o Is something missing?

• Prioritize tradeoffs → align the code with community values:

o Are we achieving Imagine Austin goals? o Is the Prescription too strong? Too weak? Too vague? o How do priorities change based on context?

• Staff CodeNEXT team and Opticos review, use to refine Code

Household Affordability Prescription

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• Goal: Increase housing supply and diversity while preserving what makes Austin unique

• Prescriptions o Allow diverse building types, unit and lot sizes o Address concerns about flooding, parking, and mobility through

design o Promote “Missing Middle” housing near mass transit and bike

facilities o Increase supply of housing

Household Affordability Prescription

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• Goal: Promote mobility choices while enhancing and preserving neighborhood character

• Prescriptions o More and diverse housing near transit o Safe, consistent sidewalks and bike lanes o Adding density and diversity through a mix of housing, retail, and

office o Reduced parking minimums in some areas

Household Affordability Prescription

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• Goal: Create efficient development process while ensuring compliance with Code requirements

• Prescriptions o Re-format the Land Development Code to be clear and

understandable o Eliminate, consolidate, or restructure conflicting Code provisions o Provide a more refined set of zoning districts (form-based and

conventional) to replace the opt-in, opt-out process

Household Affordability Prescription

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• Goal: Create affordability while supporting environmental regulations

• Prescriptions o Maintain context-sensitive regulations (ex: Watershed Protection

Ordinance, Save Our Springs Ordinance, Heritage Tree Ordinance) o Increase park and open space types, and access to them

Household Affordability Prescription

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• Goal: Promote affordable venues for small businesses and cultural arts

• Prescriptions o Allow for retail and commercial uses (including culture and creative

uses) by right in form-based zones o Revise Density Bonus Program in targeted areas, adding preservation

of cultural venue or business as a Community Benefit o Expand opportunity for live-work units in form-based districts

Want to Learn More?

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• Visit us online

o www.austintexas.gov/codenext

o facebook.com/austincodenext

o @AustinCodeNEXT

• Attend a Code Advisory Group meeting

• Attend an event

o Community Walk

o Reddit AMA

Questions?

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