Dear Neighbors,
This week you should receive a notice about pending changes to the Land Development Code and upcoming public hearings. I am writing to provide you with some additional background and resources so that you can be an informed participant in this process.
Over the last several months my council colleagues have initiated many amendments to the land development code. As I noted in my newsletter last week, and in a previous newsletter in May, I voted against initiating amendments which would significantly reduce our minimum lot sizes, change the number of units allowed in existing single-family lots, and significantly erode compatibility requirements. These proposed changes appear to be supported by a supermajority of Council members and are now beginning to return to Council for adoption. The next step in this process is a joint-public hearing with the Council and the Planning Commission on October 26, where three code amendments will be discussed:
Increasing the number of units allowed on existing single-family lots. Allowing tiny homes and RVs in single-family zoning districts. Eliminating occupancy limits for housing units in the city.
Council is scheduled to take final action on these three changes on Dec. 7. These items are just a few of the amendments the majority of Council have initiated, and the others will be the focus of separate hearings in 2024. For instance, the proposed reduction to the minimum lot size will be considered next year.
Public Hearing Dates The public hearings on these initial proposed amendments will be held at Austin City Hall, 301 W. 2nd St., on:
Thursday, October 26 at 2 p.m. - Joint Planning Commission and City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 14 at 6 p.m. - Planning Commission Meeting Thursday, December 7 at 10 a.m. - City Council Meeting
You must register in advance to speak at any of the public hearings. To learn more, including when speaker registration opens and closes, visit the How to Participate tab of the webpage. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR YOUR AWARENESS:
Notice: A postcard is being mailed to over 725,000 property owners and utility account holders in the city, with essential information also in the next five most spoken languages in Austin (Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic, Korean and Burmese). A copy of the postcard is available on the SpeakUp Austin webpage.
Protest Rights: A property owner may protest the changes by delivering or mailing a written petition, signed by the property owner, to the Planning Department. To ensure that a petition is submitted with all the necessary information, property owners are encouraged to use the petition form provided by the City and follow the steps to complete and submit the form. More information is available on the Protest Rights tab of the webpage. Sending an email to my office is not a method to submit a constitutionally protected protest to this proposed zoning change. Please follow the process outlined above.
Review Proposed Changes: Before the public hearings, Austinites will be able to review a summary of the changes by visiting the SpeakUp Austin webpage or through the City Council meeting information page. A direct link to the summary can be found here. After the Joint Public Hearing and the Planning Commission meeting, draft code amendment language will be made available to the public.
If you would like to contact departmental staff with questions about these amendments, you may email LDCupdates@austintexas.gov or call 512-974-7220. This email address and phone number are not associated with my office. They are monitored by the Planning Department staff who are drafting these amendments in response to the Council supermajority that initiated these changes. To contact my office, please email District10@austintexas.gov or call 512-978-2110. Please share this information with your neighbors and engage with the Mayor and Council to make your voices heard. I hope to see you at the hearing on October 26.
Regards, | 
