06. Draft Recommendation on Completion of Updates to Urban Design Guidelines — original pdf

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RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Design Commission Recommendation Number: 20260126-006: Completion of Updates to the City of Austin Urban Design Guidelines WHEREAS, the City of Austin Urban Design Guidelines, created in 2000 as a set of recommendations that promote urban design standards reflective of Austin’s planning goals and policies and shared values, have not been revised since 2009 and are in need of a substantive update to address today’s development context, support current best practices in urban design, provide more clarity and predictability for applicants, improve objectivity and consistency in interpreting design guidelines, and broader applicability across the city’s urban corridors and centers, and WHEREAS, the Design Commission is chartered to offer policy recommendations regarding specific issues on urban design and participate in developing design guidelines, and WHEREAS, to receive density bonus area, the director must determine that projects seeking to participate in the Density Bonus Program substantially comply with the Urban Design Guidelines; and the Design Commission shall evaluate and make recommendations regarding whether the project complies with the Urban Design Guidelines; and the director shall consider comments and recommendations of the Design Commission, and WHEREAS, City Council Resolution No. 20210902-046 directed the City Manager to “initiate an inclusive and robust multi-phased stakeholder process for updating the Urban Design Guidelines” and to “provide the necessary support and resources to the Commission to achieve the multiple phases of the update, including preparation, creation and finalization of the guidelines and ensure appropriate review by relevant City departments and boards and commission before returning to city council for approval upon completion of this work” in September 2021. WHEREAS, the Planning Department provided a memo to Council extending the response deadline for Resolution No 20210902-046 to November 21, 2024, following initial Commission-led stakeholder meetings with subject-matter experts, and . WHEREAS, the Urban Design Guidelines Working Group of the Design Commission responded to staff comments from relevant city departments and delivered a working draft of the updated guidelines to the Design Commission liaison staff in May 2025 and was not informed until December 2025 that staff had concerns over the draft language. WHEREAS, the Design Commission has requested but has not received these new written comments on the working draft of the updated guidelines from staff and thus has not had the opportunity to refine the draft to address staff comments. WHEREAS, Council Resolution No. 20210902-046 cites the needs for design recommendations for architecture, site design, and open space for the purpose of cultivating design excellent in both private and public development; setting expectations for and incentivizing high-quality design and placemaking; providing clear and consistent guidance for applicants and design teams; broadening the guidelines beyond the Central Business District to help shape the urban environment throughout the city; and aligning with council priorities in affordability, connectivity, equity and environmental initiatives, and WHEREAS, Council Resolution No, 20210902-046 neither directly mentions the Density Bonus Program nor predicates the update of the Urban Design Guidelines in any way upon the Density Bonus Program or any updates thereof, and WHEREAS, Council’s adopted interim approach for implementing Senate Bill 840 with respect to the Downtown Density Bonus Program directs bonus projects seeking additional height to proceed directly to the City Council, rather than presenting to the Design Commission and being reviewed for compliance with the City’s Urban Design Guidelines, and WHEREAS, The Comprehensive Density Bonuses Update program would directly benefit from the involvement of the Design Commission because no other stakeholder is specifically chartered to provide professional feedback on the quality and experience of the public realm resulting from Density Bonus Program projects individually and collectively, and WHEREAS, the Design Commission was informed by staff at its December 2025 meeting that the Urban Design Guidelines update was being placed on indefinite hold throughout and potentially following the City’s Density Bonuses Update project. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Design Commission encourages the Austin City Council to recognize the Design Commission as a critical stakeholder in the Comprehensive Density Bonuses Update project and direct the City Manager to involve the Commission early and regularly throughout the update process. . BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Design Commission encourages the Austin City Council to reaffirm the importance of completing updates to the Urban Design Guidelines, regardless of the outcomes of the Density Bonus Program, and direct the City Manager to provide sufficient staff resources to provide an updated Urban Design Guidelines draft document for public comment and final Urban Design Guidelines update document for City Council approval. Seconded By: Date of Approval: Motioned By: Vote: For: Against: Abstain: Off the dais: Absent: Attest: (Staff or commissioner can sign)