SPECIAL CALLED MEETING OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION MONDAY, MAY 4th, 2026, 6:00 P.M. PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER, ROOM 1406 6310 WILHELMINA DELCO DRIVE AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the Design Commission may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live. Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once, either in-person or remotely, and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, call or email Chad Sharrard at 512- 974-8033 or chad.sharrard@austintexas.gov. CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Marissa McKinney, Chair Kevin Howard, Vice Chair Ramachandra “Rao” Aradhyula David Carroll Nkiru Gelles Saira Khan CALL TO ORDER AGENDA Conners Ladner Josue Meiners Evgenia “Jenny” Murkes Jon Salinas Brendan Wittstruck PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first five speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Design Commission Design regular meeting on April 27th, 2026. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 2. Discussion and possible action on recommendations to the proposed Downtown Density Bonus Phase I Urban Design Standards. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS City Code requires at least two board members sponsor an item to be included on an agenda. This section of the agenda provides members an opportunity to request items for future agendas. Staff should assume that if there is no objection from other members expressed at the meeting, the members’ silence indicates approval for staff to include on the next agenda. ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. For assistance, please contact the Liaison or TTY users’ route through 711. A person may request language access accommodations no later than 48 hours before the scheduled meeting. Please call or email Chad Sharrard at Austin Planning at 512-974-8033 or chad.sharrard@austintexas.gov to request service or for additional information. For more information on the Design Commission, please contact Chad Sharrard at 512-974-8033 or chad.sharrard@austintexas.gov.
Downtown Density Bonus Phase 1 – Proposal Austin Planning | Design Commission | 04/27/2026 Agenda • • • Background Existing Program & Process Proposed Changes • Urban Design Standards • Community Benefits | • Downtown Density Bonus Process • Stakeholder Engagement and Timeline 2 Background City Council Resolution Downtown Density Bonus Update Resolution No. 20240718-185 in July 2024 directed staff to update the Downtown Density Bonus (DDB) program Requested: Updates to gatekeeper requirements Integration of Rainey subdistrict Creation of new subdistricts Prioritization of accessibility and shade opportunities Simplification of the affordability program Alignment of the program with the Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD) overlay. Downtown Density Bonus – Phase 1 In response to Senate Bill 840, Council adopted Ordinance No. 20251023-063, which amended the Central Business District Zone and directed staff to update the DDB program by June 2026 for three DDB subdistricts 4 Existing Program & Process Phase 1 - Existing Height & FAR Map After the recent adoption of the Central Business District Zone amendments and updates to the DDB, the three subdistricts in Phase 1 have the following entitlements available via the DDB program: Core Subdistrict – 350ft of height and 25:1 FAR* Rainey Subdistrict – 350ft of height and 15:1 FAR* Convention Center Subdistrict – 350ft of height and 15:1 FAR* Applicants can request Council approval to exceed these entitlements *FAR limits are only applicable to commercial developments 6 Proposed Changes Phase I – Proposed Applicability Revised to remove the Red River Cultural District from Phase I To be updated and included in Phase II of the DDB Update DDB is a voluntary program Supersedes the following overlays: Capitol Dominance Overlay Equitable Transit-Oriented Development Density Bonus Waterfront Overlay 8 Phase I – Combining Districts Each combining district will have different entitlements/requirements. Phase I will create 2 combining districts: DDB400 has +400 ft DDB850 has +850 ft Additional height is additive to the property’s base zoning height limit E.g., a CBD-DDB400 site could build up to 750 ft (350 ft base height + 400 bonus ft) Sites will be rezoned into DDB400 in Phase I. Sites will be eligible to request rezoning into DDB850 through the standard rezoning process. Max height cannot be exceeded by Council approval. …
DRAFT C20-2024-018 DDB Phase I Downtown Density Bonus Urban Design Standards These standards would apply only to projects seeking Downtown Density Bonus entitlements and are intended to implement public realm and pedestrian environment objectives that currently apply under §25-2-586. In order to participate in the proposed Downtown Density Bonus (DDB) program, projects would be required to adhere to all mandatory design standards and a minimum number of additional urban design standards from a menu of options. For Phase I of the Downtown Density Bonus update, the proposed requirements would be: - Projects zoned –DDB400 must adhere to all mandatory standards and at least 7 out of the 14 menu standards to participate in the DDB program - Projects zoned –DDB850 must adhere to all mandatory standards and least 10 out of the 14 menu standards to participate in the DDB program In future phases of the Downtown Density Bonus program update, additional combining districts may be created that have different requirements for the minimum number of urban design standards that must be met. Additionally, subdistricts may be created that provide additional urban design standards or requirements based on the unique character of specific areas (such as the Red River Cultural District). Additional design standards may be added in the future. If additional design standards are added to the menu, the minimum number of standards that must be met may be modified. The Urban Design team in Austin Planning will review site plans and determine compliance with the urban design standards. Mandatory Urban Design Standards Screening Requirements (A) Utility equipment, mechanical equipment, and solid waste collection areas, including loading docks, truck parking, outdoor storage, trash collection, trash compaction, and other service functions: a. are prohibited in the area between a building and a street; b. must not be visible from a street, adjacent property lines, or the property lines across adjacent public streets; and c. must be screened or located in a public alley. (B) This subsection applies to a site with frontage on an alley 20 feet or more wide. DRAFT C20-2024-018 DDB Phase I a. A transformer room or utility vault must be adjacent to and accessible from the alley, unless Austin Energy determines placement is required in another location. b. A pump room, sprinkler room, or other utility or mechanical room must be adjacent to and accessible from the alley unless the Fire Chief determines that placing the …
DESIGN COMMISSION MINUTES REGULAR MEETING Monday, April 27, 2026 The Design Commission convened in a Regular meeting on Monday, April 27, 2026, at the Permitting and Development Center, Room 1405, located at 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive in Austin, Texas. Chair Jon Salinas called the Design Commission meeting to order at 6:05 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Salinas, Jon (Chair) Aradhyula, Ramachandra Gelles, Nkiru Howard, Kevin Murkes, Jenny Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Meiners, Josue (Vice Chair) Ladner, Conners Khan, Saira Mckinney, Melissa (arrived at 7:20) PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Ryan Saunders, East Cesar Chavez Contact Team-Neighborhood Association Seeking to propose two future agenda items regarding Plaza Saltillo and activating public alleyways. Ryan is a local public space activist looking to reengage Plaza Saltillo as a community space as well as speak on bringing improvements to an alley that runs parallel to East Cesar Chavez Street. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Approve the minutes of the Design Commission Regular Meeting on. The minutes from the Design Commission regular meeting on March 23rd, 2026, were approved on Vice Chair Josue Meiners’s motion, Chair Jon Salinas’s second on an 8-0. STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. Staff briefing regarding the Barton Springs Road Bridge. Presented by Eric Bailey, Austin Capital Delivery Services. Sponsors: Chair Salinas and Commissioner Carroll. Postponed to Design Commission Regular Meeting on May 18, 2026. 1 3. 4. Staff briefing regarding Downtown Density Bonus Phase I Updates. Presented by Alan Pani, Austin Planning. Sponsors: Vice Chair Meiners and Commissioner Howard. Item was discussed. Staff briefing regarding the inclusion of West Campus into the Downtown area. Presented by Shanisha Johnson, Austin Planning. Sponsors: Chair Salinas and Vice Chair Meiners. Postponed to Design Commission Regular Meeting on May 18, 2026. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 5. Discussion and action to recommend to City Council whether the project Fiesta Gardens, located at 2101 Jesse E. Segovia St., complies with the City Design and Sustainability Standards. Presented by Clayton Korte and Travis Greig of Clayton Korte. Postponed to Design Commission Regular Meeting on May 18, 2026. 6. Conduct officer elections for Design Commission Chair and Vice Chair. Kevin Howard was nominated for Vice Chair by Vice Chair Meiners and seconded by Chair Jon Salinas in a vote of 8-0. Marissa Mckinney was nominated for Chair by Nkiru Gelles and seconded by Chair Jon Salinas in a vote of 8-0. 7. Discussion and action to appoint a member of the Design Commission to serve …
DRAFT C20-2024-018 DDB Phase I Downtown Density Bonus Urban Design Standards These standards would apply only to projects seeking Downtown Density Bonus entitlements and are intended to implement public realm and pedestrian environment objectives that currently apply under §25-2-586. In order to participate in the proposed Downtown Density Bonus (DDB) program, projects would be required to adhere to all mandatory design standards and a minimum number of additional urban design standards from a menu of options. For Phase I of the Downtown Density Bonus update, the proposed requirements would be: - - Projects zoned –DDB400 must adhere to all mandatory standards and at least 7 out of the 14 menu standards to participate in the DDB program Projects zoned –DDB850 must adhere to all mandatory standards and least 10 out of the 14 menu standards to participate in the DDB program In future phases of the Downtown Density Bonus program update, additional combining districts may be created that have different requirements for the minimum number of urban design standards that must be met. Additionally, subdistricts may be created that provide additional urban design standards or requirements based on the unique character of specific areas (such as the Red River Cultural District). Additional design standards may be added in the future. If additional design standards are added to the menu, the minimum number of standards that must be met may be modified. The Urban Design team in Austin Planning will review site plans and determine compliance with the urban design standards. Mandatory Urban Design Standards Screening Requirements (A) Utility equipment, mechanical equipment, and solid waste collection areas, including loading docks, truck parking, outdoor storage, trash collection, trash compaction, and other service functions: a. are prohibited in the area between a building and a street; b. must not be visible from a street, adjacent property lines, or the property lines across adjacent public streets; and c. must be screened or located in a public alley. (B) This subsection applies to a site with frontage on an alley 20 feet or more wide. 15 - C20-2024-018 - Downtown Density Bonus Update Phase 1 1 of 7 DRAFT C20-2024-018 DDB Phase I a. A transformer room or utility vault must be adjacent to and accessible from the alley, unless Austin Energy determines placement is required in another location. b. A pump room, sprinkler room, or other utility or mechanical room must be adjacent to …
DRAFT C20-2024-018 DDB Phase I Downtown Density Bonus Urban Design Standards These standards would apply only to projects seeking Downtown Density Bonus entitlements and are intended to implement public realm and pedestrian environment objectives that currently apply under §25-2-586. In order to participate in the proposed Downtown Density Bonus (DDB) program, projects would be required to adhere to all mandatory design standards and a minimum number of additional urban design standards from a menu of options. For Phase I of the Downtown Density Bonus update, the proposed requirements would be: - Projects zoned –DDB400 must adhere to all mandatory standards and at least 7 out of the 14 menu standards to participate in the DDB program - Projects zoned –DDB850 must adhere to all mandatory standards and least 10 out of the 14 menu standards to participate in the DDB program In future phases of the Downtown Density Bonus program update, additional combining districts may be created that have different requirements for the minimum number of urban design standards that must be met. Additionally, subdistricts may be created that provide additional urban design standards or requirements based on the unique character of specific areas (such as the Red River Cultural District). Additional design standards may be added in the future. If additional design standards are added to the menu, the minimum number of standards that must be met may be modified. The Urban Design team in Austin Planning will review site plans and determine compliance with the urban design standards. Mandatory Urban Design Standards Screening Requirements (A) Utility equipment, mechanical equipment, and solid waste collection areas, including loading docks, truck parking, outdoor storage, trash collection, trash compaction, and other service functions: a. are prohibited in the area between a building and a street; b. must not be visible from a street, adjacent property lines, or the property lines across adjacent public streets; and c. must be screened or located in a public alley. (B) This subsection applies to a site with frontage on an alley 20 feet or more wide. DRAFT C20-2024-018 DDB Phase I a. A transformer room or utility vault must be adjacent to and accessible from the alley, unless Austin Energy determines placement is required in another location. b. A pump room, sprinkler room, or other utility or mechanical room must be adjacent to and accessible from the alley unless the Fire Chief determines that placing the …
Design Commission Alternative Draft DRAFT 5/4/2026 Downtown Density Bonus Program- Urban Design Standards Downtown Density Bonus Program urban design standards apply only to projects participating in the Downtown Density Bonus Program and are intended to implement public realm and pedestrian environment objectives that currently apply under §25-2-586. 1. Windows reflectance of 20% or less to be considered transparent. facade area: i. ii. iii. Mandatory Standards All projects participating in the Downtown Density Bonus (DDB) program must comply with each of the following mandatory standards: b. Glazing must have a visible light transmittance of 60% or higher and an external a. Ground story facades must include transparent windows for a minimum portion of the Primary streets: 65% (min) Side streets: 45% (min) Alley: 0% (min) DRAFT a. Entrances must be provided at the following minimum frequencies (*NOTE: Consider designing in accordance with “Provide a main street frontage” enhanced standard) i. ii. iii. d. All required entrances must be provided within 5 vertical feet of adjacent sidewalk grade and have a direct pedestrian route to the adjacent sidewalk. A direct route must be located within 25’ of the street-facing entrance. Primary street: 1 per 75’ of street frontage Side street: 1 per 100’ of street frontages Alleys: not required c. Doors exclusively designed for fire stair egress, utilities, or service entrances do not b. Doors separated by less than 25’ accessing the same tenant space do not count as count as required street-facing entrances. separate entrances. 2. Doors e. Required entrances must be sheltered. Sheltering structures must have a depth no less than 40% of their clear height and a width no less than 60% their clear height. (*NOTE: Consider designing in accordance with “Human Scale Sheltering Structures” optional standard) Downtown Density Bonus- Urban Design Standards 1 Design Commission Alternative Draft DRAFT 5/4/2026 3. Active Uses a. Ground floor pedestrian-oriented commercial spaces must comprise at least 75% of the street facing linear building frontage for a depth of no less than 24 feet. b. Pedestrian-oriented commercial spaces must have 12’ min. ceiling height for their required depth. 4. Gutters and Driplines 5. Screening i. ii. entrances. a. Building drip lines must not be located over the pedestrian clear zone or access routes to b. Gutter or downspout outlets must not direct water onto the sidewalk clear zone. a. Utility equipment, mechanical equipment, solid waste collection areas, and motor vehicle use areas except …
DESIGN COMMISSION MINUTES SPECIAL CALLED MEETING Monday May 4, 2026 The Design Commission convened in a Special Called meeting on Monday May 4, 2026, at the Permitting and Development Center, Room 1405, located at 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive in Austin, Texas. Chair Marissa McKinney called the Design Commission meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Marissa McKinney (Chair) Kevin Howard (Vice Chair) Ramachandra “Rao” Aradhyula (arrived 6:05) David Carroll Nkiru Gelles Evgenia “Jenny” Murkes (arrived 6:09) Jon Salinas Brendan Wittstruck Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: None PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None present. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Design Commission Regular Meeting on April 27th, 2026. The minutes from the Design Commission regular meeting on April 27th, 2026, were approved on Vice Chair Kevin Howard’s motion, Jon Salinas’ second on a vote of 6-0. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 2. Discussion and possible action on recommendations regarding the proposed Downtown Density Bonus Phase I Urban Design Standards. Motion to recommend that the Design Commission forward the alternative draft, as amended, to the Planning Commission. Sponsors Howard and Wittstruck. Vote 8-0. DESIGN COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES [Day, Month Date, Year] FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Working group update from a representative from the urban design guideline working group that will update the design commission about ongoing coordination with the planning commission regarding the downtown density bonus standards document and process. Sponsors: Howard and Gelles. ADJOURNMENT Chair Marissa McKinney adjourned the meeting at 6:36 p.m. without objection. The minutes were approved at the May 18, 2026 meeting on Chair McKinney’s motion, Commissioner Gelles’ second on a 8-0 vote. 2 3
