SPECIAL CALLED MEETING of the PLANNING COMMISSION TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 2025, 6:00 PM AUSTIN CITY HALL, COUNCIL CHAMBERS, ROOM 1001 301 WEST 2ND STREET AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the Planning 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. Registration no later than 2 PM the day of the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. For more information on public comment, please see the agenda section “Speaker Registration.” Please contact Ella Garcia, Staff Liaison, for questions regarding speaker registration at LandUseLiaison@austintexas.gov or by phone at 512-978-0821. CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS/COMMISSIONERS: Awais Azhar, Chair (Mayor’s Representative) Alice Woods, Vice Chair (District 2) Felicity Maxwell, Secretary (District 5) Casey Haney, Parliamentarian (Mayor’s Representative) Claire Hempel (District 8) Anna Lan (Mayor’s Representative) Patrick Howard (District 1) Nadia Barrera-Ramirez (District 3) Greg Anderson (District 4) Imad Ahmed (District 6) Adam Powell (District 7) Danielle Skidmore (District 9) Joshua Hiller (District 10) EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS: Jessica Cohen, Chair of Board of Adjustment Candace Hunter, AISD Board of Trustees TC Broadnax, City Manager Richard Mendoza – Director of Transportation and Public Works EXECUTIVE SESSION (No public discussion) The Planning Commission will announce it will go into Executive Session, if necessary, according to Chapter 551 of the Texas Government Code, to receive advice from Legal Counsel on matters specifically listed on the agenda. The Commission may not conduct a closed meeting without the approval of the city attorney. Private Consultation with Attorney – Section 551.071. Staff Liaison: Ella Garcia, 512-978-0821 Attorney: AJ Urteaga, 512-974-2386 AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first four 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 Planning Commission regular meeting on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. PUBLIC HEARINGS 2. LDC Amendment: C20-2023-037 - SMART Housing Updates Phase 2 Request: Staff Rec.: Staff: Amend City Code Title 25 (Land Development) to modify requirements, including fee waivers and affordability period, for the City’s S.M.A.R.T. Housing Program Recommend Brendan Kennedy, 512-978-1594, brendan.kennedy@austintexas.gov Housing Department STAFF BRIEFING 3. Staff briefing regarding the Integrated Bond Program Development and Delivery Plan. Presentation by Eric Bailey, 512-974-7713, eric.bailey@austintexas.gov 4. …
PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR CALLED MEETING TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2025 The Planning Commission convened in a regular meeting on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at Austin City Hall, Council Chambers, Room 1001, 301 W. Second Street, in Austin, Texas. Chair Hempel called the Planning Commission Meeting to order at 6:04 p.m. Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance: Claire Hempel Awais Azhar Greg Anderson Alice Woods Nadia Barrera-Ramirez Felicity Maxwell Imad Ahmed Adam Powell Danielle Skidmore Joshua Hiller Anna Lan Casey Haney Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Patrick Howard Ex-Officio Members in Attendance: Jessica Cohen Ex-Officio Members in Attendance Remotely: Candance Hunter Ex-Officio Members Absent: TC Broadnax Richard Mendoza 1 PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Stuart Harry Hersh: Made comments regarding the affordability of Safe, Mixed- Income, Accessible, Reasonably- priced, Transit (SMART) Housing. Philip Wiley: Made comments regarding supply chain management (SCM), specifically in reference to Mobility-Oriented Development (MOD) and Transit- Oriented Development (TOD). APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Planning Commission regular meeting on March 11, 2025, and March 25, 2025. The minutes from the meeting of March 11, 2025, and March 25, 2025, were approved on the consent agenda on Commissioner Maxwell’s motion, Commissioner Haney’s second, on a 13-0 vote. PUBLIC HEARINGS 2. Plan Amendment: NPA-2023-0014.04 - 4302 Nuckols Crossing; District 2 Location: 4302, 4304 1/2, & 4316 Nuckols Crossing Road, Williamson Creek Watershed; Southeast Combined (Franklin Park) Neighborhood Plan Owner/Applicant: Katherine Barnidge Agent: Request: Staff Rec.: Staff: LOC Consultants Civil Division (Sergio Lozano-Sanchez, P.E.) Single Family to Multifamily Residential land use Staff Postponement Request to May 27, 2025 Maureen Meredith, 512-974-2695, maureen.meredith@austintexas.gov Planning Department The motion to approve Staff’s postponement request to May 27, 2025, was approved on the consent agenda on Commissioner Maxwell’s motion, Commissioner Haney’s second, on a 13-0 vote. C14-2025-0028.SH - The Bloom at Lamar Square; District 9 1326 - 1328 Lamar Square Drive, Lady Bird Lake Watershed 3. Rezoning: Location: Owner/Applicant: FC Austin Fifteen Housing Corporation (Walter Moreau) Agent: Request: Staff Rec.: Staff: Foundation Communities (Kyle Russell) MF-4 & MF-5 to CS Staff Recommends CS-CO Marcelle Boudreaux, 512-974-8094, marcelle.boudreaux@austintexas.gov Planning Department The motion to approve Staff’s recommendation of CS-CO for C14-2025-0028.SH - The Bloom at Lamar Square, located at 1326 - 1328 Lamar Square Drive, was approved on the consent agenda on Commissioner Maxwell’s motion, Commissioner Haney’s second, on a 13-0 vote. 2 4. Rezoning: Location: C14-2024-0163 - 1700 South Lamar; District 9 1700 S. Lamar Blvd., 1401 …
Affordability Impact Statement S.M.A.R.T. Housing Updates Phase 2 Case number: C20-2023-037 Initiated by: Resolution No. 20230720-129 Date: 3/15/2025 Proposed Regulation The proposed amendments include: • • Lowering the median family income (MFI) eligibility for rental properties from 80% to 60% while allowing income averaging to meet affordability requirements. Standardizing program administration by requiring affordability restrictions to be executed before certification. • Removing exceptions for community land trust units—an underutilized and administratively infeasible provision. • Eliminating outdated or inconsistent provisions to align with these amendments. Land Use/Zoning Impacts on Housing Costs The proposed changes would have a positive impact on housing costs. The proposed amendments will lower the eligible MFI level for rental properties from 80 percent to 60 percent and allow for income averaging to achieve the required MFI. This will improve consistency and clarity across programs and is responsive to recommendations recently made from the Comprehensive Density Bonus Study conducted by the Planning Department, the Strategic Housing Blueprint and the Displacement Mitigation Strategy. Impact on Development Cost The proposed changes would have a neutral impact on development cost. The SMART Housing program provides fee waivers for certain development permits. As noted in the staff report, SMART Housing is almost always paired with other affordable housing programs for either funding or 02 C20-2023-037 - SMART Housing Updates Phase 2 1 of 2 density bonuses, such as the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit or Affordability Unlocked, which means deeper affordability requirements are required in almost all cases. Staff have found that fewer than 10% of applications within the last five years have provided exclusively 80% MFI units for rental. The amendments to MFI may mean that certain developments which are considered "workforce housing" may see fewer fee waivers. However, the amendments to allow income averaging ensures that full fee waivers will still be available to workforce housing, but will encourage additional units at deeper 50% and 60% MFI levels in alignment with the City's Strategic Housing Blueprint goals. Impact on Affordable Housing The proposed changes would have a positive impact on affordable housing. These amendments will strengthen affordable housing outcomes by increasing the number of deeply affordable units available. By aligning incentives with the City’s strategic goals, these updates ensure that more housing is accessible at 50% and 60% MFI levels. Streamlining administrative processes will also enhance the program’s effectiveness, making it easier to implement affordability requirements efficiently. S.M.A.R.T. Housing remains a …
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 ORDINANCE NO. _________________ AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ARTICLE 15 (S.M.A.R.T. HOUSING PROGRAM) OF CITY CODE CHAPTER 25-1 (GENERAL REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES) RELATED TO PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND PROVISIONS THAT APPLY TO OTHER AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN: PART 1. City Code Section 25-1-701 (Definitions) is amended to amend the definition of “Director” to read: (1) DIRECTOR means the director of the City's [Neighborhood] Housing [and Community Development] Department. PART 2. City Code Section 25-1-702 (Administration) is repealed and replaced to read: § 25-1-702 ADMINISTRATION. (A) The director administers, implements, and enforces the S.M.A.R.T. Housing program. (B) The director is authorized to adopt, administer, and implement program guidelines and establish requirements for an application under the program. PART 3. City Code Section 25-1-703 (Program Requirements) is amended to amend Subsection (C), to delete Subsection (D), and to re-letter the remaining subsection to read: § 25-1-703 PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. (C) Except as provided in Subsection (D), a reasonably-priced dwelling unit is one that is affordable for purchase or rental by a household that meets the housing costs and income qualifications of this subsection. (1) This paragraph provides qualifications on the amount of household income spent on housing costs. (a) Except as provided by Subparagraphs (b) and (c), housing costs of a household may not exceed 30 percent of its gross income. (b) A household may spend up to 35 percent of its gross income on housing costs if a household member receives City-approved homebuyer counseling. (c) A household that complies with other federal, state, or local income eligibility standards is not subject to the expenditure qualifications of Paragraphs (a) and (b). (2) This paragraph provides qualifications on household income. 4/22/25 SMART Housing Program Update Page 1 of 4 COA Law Department 02 C20-2023-037 - SMART Housing Updates Phase 2 1 of 4 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 (a) (b) If an applicant develops dwelling units for sale, reasonably-priced dwelling units must serve households whose incomes average 80 percent of the median family …
Planning Commission S.M.A.R.T. Housing Amendments Phase 2 Brendan Kennedy, Program Manager Housing Department S.M.A.R.T. Housing S.M.A.R.T. Housing Incentives Fee waivers Permit review benefits Gatekeeper requirement for new construction seeking most City affordable housing approvals 3 S.M.A.R.T. Housing Requirements Affordable units at or below 80% MFI (both rental and sale) – Minimum of 10% of units affordable = 25% fee waiver – Scales up to 40% of units affordable = 100% fee waiver Requires AEGB 1-Star certification and additional accessibility/visitability standards Requires transit proximity, with options for waiver set in Code 4 S.M.A.R.T. Housing is usually paired with other affordable housing programs, such as a density bonus, financing, or a tax exemption for feasibility. 94% of applications within the last 5 years paired S.M.A.R.T. with another affordable housing tool 93% of applications within the last 5 years provided affordable units at MFI levels of 60% MFI or below 5 Initiation – Resolution No. 20230720-129 Phase 1: Amend Section 25-1-704 so that fees eligible for a waiver under the S.M.A.R.T. Housing program would be identified as part of the annual fee ordinance (DSD - completed Feb. 2024) Phase 2: Amend Title 25 as needed to improve the operation and functionality of the S.M.A.R.T. Housing program. 6 Proposed Amendments Amendment #1 – Land Restriction Process Amend § 25-1-705 (D) to require affordability restrictions to be executed prior to certification – Establishes consistency between programs – Ensures applicants are aware of and bound to requirements at an earlier stage 8 Amendment #2 – CLT exemption Amend § 25-1-704 (B)(2)(a-b) to remove exemption for land dedicated to City-approved CLT. – Presents significant administrative burdens and infeasible to implement – Underutilized by dedicated CLT entities – City has additional tools for CLT housing available 9 Proposed Amendment #3 – Rental MFI Amend § 25-1-703 (C)(2)(a) to lower affordable rental MFI from 80% MFI to an average 60% MFI – Establishes consistency between programs by requiring 60% MFI rental – Reduces confusion on affordability from permit reviewers – Meets Department’s programmatic goals to target 60% MFI and below – Income averaging still accommodates "workforce housing" when deeper affordability levels are provided 10 Amendment #4 – Remove Outdated Provisions Remove in their entirety: – § 25-1-702 (B), a requirement to notify TPW of all S.M.A.R.T. developments – § 25-1-703 (D),§ 25-1-704 (B)(2)(c), and § 25-1-705 (A)(4), …
ORDINANCE AMENDMENT REVIEW SHEET Amendment: C20-2023-037 S.M.A.R.T. Housing Updates Phase 2 Description: Amend the City’s S.M.A.R.T. Housing Program and City Code Title 25 (Land Development) to improve the functionality of the program. Background: Initiated by City Council Resolution 20230720-129. On July 20, 2023, City Council approved Resolution No. 20230720-129 that directed staff to make amendments to S.M.A.R.T. Housing. Staff with the Development Services Department initiated amendments related to Phase 1, which amended Section 25-1-704 so that fees eligible for a waiver under the S.M.A.R.T. Housing program would be identified as part of the annual fee ordinance. On February 1, 2024, City Council approved Ordinance No. 20240201-053 to adopt these amendments. Phase 2 directs staff to amend the S.M.A.R.T. Housing program to improve the functionality of the program. Summary of Proposed Code Amendment: Amendments to § 25-1-703 (C)(2) will lower the eligible median family income (MFI) level for rental properties from 80 percent to 60 percent MFI. Amendments to this section will also allow for income averaging to achieve the required MFI for both rental and ownership. This will improve consistency and clarity across programs, and is responsive to recommendations recently made from a comprehensive density bonus study conducted by the Planning Department. Amendments to § 25-1-705 (D) will improve program administration and consistency across programs by requiring affordability restrictions to be executed prior to certification. § 25-1-704 (B)(2)(a-b) will be removed in its entirety to eliminate a provision related to exceptions for certain units dedicated to a community land trust, which has been underutilized and is administratively infeasible. Additional provisions will be removed to eliminate outdated provisions or provisions which are inconsistent with the amendments listed above. Proposed Text Amendment(s): Amend § 25-1-703 (C)(2)(a) to read, or amend with comparable language: “ dwelling units must serve households whose incomes average 80 percent of the median family income or below as determined by the director of the Housing Department. (a) If an applicant develops dwelling units for sale, reasonably-priced (b) If an applicant develops dwelling units for lease, reasonably-priced dwelling units must serve households whose incomes average 60 percent of the median family income or below as determined by the director of the Housing Department.” Amend § 25-1-705 (D) to read, or amend with comparable language: 02 C20-2023-037 - SMART Housing Updates Phase 2 1 of 2 “(D) Before the director may certify a proposed development, the applicant shall comply with …
Capital Delivery Services Public Improvement Bond Program Integrated Bond Program Development and Delivery Plan Planning Commission Update Eric Bailey Deputy Director Capital Delivery Services “Effectively and Efficiently Deliver Quality Projects with the Concept of Speed” 1 AGENDA • CDS Overview • What is a General Obligation Bond Program? • Improved Bond Development Process • Staff Work Completed to Date • Guiding Principles, Technical Criteria, & Scoring Matrices • Progress to Date & Upcoming Milestones “Effectively and Efficiently Deliver Quality Projects with the Concept of Speed” 2 Created in 2023 with the goal of reducing project delivery time Who we are • Engineers • Architects • Project managers • Community Engagement Our partners • Consultants • Contracting teams • City asset owners • Community members • Mayor & Council Role in 2026 Bond Program One City – One Team – One Approach to effectively and efficiently deliver quality public projects. • Convene asset owner departments to develop needs assessment • Guide the process to ensure projects are vetted and scopes/schedules/budgets are accurate and realistic • Coordinate projects across departments to achieve mutual benefits What is a General Obligation Bond Program? Typical Bond Projects: • Flood and Erosion Control Improvements • New or Replacement City Facilities • Rehabilitation of Existing Facilities • Housing Infrastructure/Housing Projects • Street and Thoroughfare Improvements o Sidewalks o Traffic Signals • Park and Recreation Facilities • Public Safety Facilities (Fire/EMS/Police) • Land Purchase 4 What is a General Obligation Bond Program? Types of work NOT included: • Routine operations and maintenance activities o Potholes o Minor street repair o Landscaping maintenance o General building maintenance Improvements for short term leased space • • Code enforcement initiatives • Employee salaries (including police & fire) • AE/AW Capital Projects typically funded by using debt are funded via AE and AW revenue bonds, not General Obligation debt and thus are not for the 2026 GO Bond Program City of Austin | Capital Delivery Services Department | One City, One Team, One Approach to Capital Delivery 5 Improved Bond Delivery Process for 2026 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Council calls for Bond Election (Aug) Bond Election (Nov) BEATF Meetings, Council, and Public Engagement HOW WE’VE DONE BONDS IN THE PAST: Project Proposals RFP’s/RFQ’s Project Planning to develop scope, schedule, budget Design Construction WHAT WE’RE DOING NOW: Needs Assessment and Project Evaluation Project Planning to develop scope, schedule, …
LEAD TEAM PLANNING ACTIVITIES JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC 2025 2026 PLANNING DEPARTMENT PLANNING INITIATIVES APRIL 2025 ETOD SMALL AREA NORTH LAMAR TC STATION AREA VISION PLAN ETOD SMALL AREA SOUTH CONGRESS TC STATION AREA VISION PLAN SMALL AREA AGRICULTURALLY FOCUSED NEIGHBORHOODS HIST. PRESERVATION DOWNTOWN HISTORIC RESOURCES SURVEY CODE AMENDS EQUITY OVERLAY STUDY COMP. PLAN. INDUSTRIAL STUDY URBAN DESIGN URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES UPDATE URBAN DESIGN GREAT STREETS PLAN AND STANDARDS UPDATE ETOD SMALL AREA EAST RIVERSIDE CORRIDOR VISION PLAN UPDATE DISTRICT PLAN. NORTHEAST DISTRICT PLAN COMP. PLAN. IMAGINE AUSTIN UPDATE DISTRICT PLAN. GREATER 78702 INITIATIVE (NORTH RIVER/EAST) DISTRICT PLAN. DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN “DAP” (CENTER CITY/CENTRAL) HIST. PRESERVATION TRANSFER OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS ANALYSIS TIMELINE TBD TIMELINE TBD TIMELINE TBD DISTRICT PLAN. DISTRICT PLANNING FRAMEWORK ETOD SYSTEMWIDE CRESTVIEW TOD PLAN UPDATE TIMELINE TBD TIMELINE TBD CHART KEY PLANNING PROCESS SCOPING AND COST ESTIMATING DEVELOPMENT AND/OR ENGAGEMENT REVIEW AND/OR ADOPTION DATES FOR REVIEW AND/OR ADOPTION CITY COUNCIL Updated 4/10/25 04 Staff briefing regarding the timeline for Planning Department planning initiatives1 of 1
