Item #8 Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association (DANA) Letter in Opposition to CDB Height Limits — original pdf

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SOCIAL KNOWLEDGEABLE INFLUENTIAL Philip Wiley President Cyrus Tehrani Vice President Maria Wiley Treasurer Marshall Geyer Secretary Bob Bellin Roger L. Cauvin Megan Dude Kimberly Levinson Preston Salce October 3, 2025 Honorable City Council, Commissioners, and Staff: (DANA) The Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association opposes height limits and other exclusionary zoning downtown, and we specifically oppose the base height limit proposed in the C20-2025-010 Central Business District (CBD) amendments. We recognize that the proposed CBD base height limit is an attempt to restore the incentive to participate in the Downtown Density Bonus Program (DDBP), given that SB 840 removed the floor area ratio (FAR) limits on which the program depends. As we noted in a March 2024 letter, density bonus programs rely on exclusionary zoning to "work" and produce less housing relative to granting the same entitlements by right. (TOC) program Indeed, a 2024 Terner Center and UCLA study of Los Angeles’ that Transit Oriented Communities removing the affordability requirements, and granting the "bonus" entitlements by right, would produce 38% more housing over a decade. The report confirmed that calibration is futile; housing production suffers dramatically no matter how lenient the affordability requirements (short of eliminating them entirely). found We thus reiterate our March 2024 proposal to replace the DDBP with a mechanism that (1) captures the extra property tax revenue resulting from having no FAR caps or height limits and (2) dedicates a portion of it to affordable housing and other community benefits. This alternative will produce more housing overall, and provide a larger and steadier funding stream for these community benefits, than would downzoning the CBD to restore the incentive to participate in the DDBP. Sincerely, Board of Directors Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association (DANA) info@downtownaustin.org (512) 593-2621 DOWNTOWN AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION P.O. Box 997 Austin, TX 78767 • downtownaustin.org