City of Austin Housing and Planning Committee met Sept. 6.
Here are the minutes provided by the committee:
Committee Members Present:
1. CM Natasha Harper-Madison, Chair
2. CM Ryan Alter, Vice Chair
3. CM Paige Ellis
4. CM Zohaib “Zo” Qadri
Committee Members Absent:
1. CM José Velásquez
Council Members in Attendance:
1. CM José “Chito” Velá
Call to Order
Chair Natasha Harper-Madison called the committee meeting to order at 2:02 p.m.
Public Communication: General
There were six speakers.
Approval of Minutes
1. Approve the minutes of the Housing and Planning Committee meeting on June 13, 2023. The minutes of the June 13, 2023 Housing and Planning Committee meeting were approved on Council Member Qadri’s motion, and Council Member Ryan Alter’s second, on a 4-0 vote, with Council Member Velásquez off the dais.
Discussion
2. Status of the Housing Department’s review of the City’s density bonus programs. Staff will provide a full presentation on density bonus programs at the October 25, 2023 Housing and Planning meeting.
3. Discuss regulations to applicable windowless apartments.
Council Member Qadri provided details on a resolution that will be brought forward on September 14, 2023, providing a process to close the windowless bedroom loophole. Todd Wilcox, Building Official (City of Austin), provided comments on the process for the resolution and the amendments to the International Building Code, which will go through the normal amendment process, including stakeholder engagement, and then present a staff recommendation with all the changes.
Discussion and Possible Action
4. Discussion and possible action regarding the status and timeline of amendments to the Land Development Code.
The Committee received a briefing from Stevie Greathouse, Division Manager, (Planning Department).
5. Discussion and possible action regarding fee waivers under the S.M.A.R.T. Housing Program.
City Staff developed the code changes in response to a resolution initiated by CM Velasquez. Staff updated the committee that code changes would be ready to be presented to full Council and ACM Veronica Briseño confirmed that Staff appreciated the direction from the committee to bring them forward to the full Council.
Council Member Qadri made the following motion: Recommend the code changes be adopted by the full Council and staff can initiate the broader working group on S.M.A.R.T. housing. Council Member Ryan Alter seconded the motion.
The motion passed on a 4-0 vote, with Council Member Velásquez off the dais.
6. Discussion and possible action regarding the next steps for the Compatibility Study.
The Committee received a briefing from Erica Leak, Development Officer (Planning Department) and Rachel Tepper, Principal Planner (Housing Department).
7. Discussion and possible action regarding the HealthSouth redevelopment. The Committee received a briefing from Mandy DeMayo, Deputy Director (Housing Department) along with Darin Smith, Principal (Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.), Jeff Coddington, Managing Director - JLL Capital Markets (JLL), Steve Garven, Senior Director – Public Institutions & Higher Education (JLL).
Future Items
8. Identify items to discuss at future meetings.
• Density Bonus Programs
• Fee Waivers
• HealthSouth
• Reducing Construction Costs/Alternative Building Materials
ADDENDUM
Discussion
9. Discuss expansion of Residential in Commercial voluntary incentive program that allows residential uses in commercial zoning districts.
Council Member Ryan Alter provided details on an update to a resolution that was passed by the full Council on September 14, 2023.
Discussion and Possible Action
10. Amend the 2023 Housing and Planning committee calendar.
The next Housing and Planning Committee meeting will be held on October 25th, 2023 at 1pm. Motion made by Council Member Ryan Alter and Council Member Ellis’s second, on a 4-0 vote (with Council Member Velásquez off the dais)
Chair Harper-Madison adjourned the meeting at 4:15 p.m.
https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=417394