[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":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,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6615980,"mediaKeyId","2857658-a1e204842f8360f9167418db80e3d2aa","parentId",2857658,"title","City planning staff outline major University Neighborhood Overlay changes that would raise heights near UT; commissioners voice preservation concerns","audioSeconds",1172,"startMs",926000,"endMs",2098000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2857658-a1e204842f8360f9167418db80e3d2aa&start=926&end=2098","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2857658-a1e204842f8360f9167418db80e3d2aa/thumbnail_926000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6615980/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/City-planning-staff-outline-major-University-Neighborhood-Overlay-changes-that-would-raise-heights-near-UT-commissioners-voice-preservation-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6615980-e7836923fec4c4c7177f2b2bf4abd13b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770453003&Signature=imNoupc~ey9vfYrm6caFlpEu~3jXcnq0J8siZUnBVTBRmvqO9vRUQg6EYfNb9-mQfcGBihgHWC3NyxSLQrLkUGqhpDZ1khPORKn1N3msDjfAfpphhRyI6~sg~0yBVEvfBIYQl0uPDvSGtLeEKVo6mO9n8iXTblqWXEpZrZqIqutuXp6QJeDz6ZBlt3XO-1tbtcIfITF-UPy8J5wxouVlEHnusuLCcFWyvtDY8Ligttg0GyK9SBUtf3v6sWZbaUp1R1FvFzaMp6MeqJtBCAKFw073Wmzkrsko0d0uKX0IVH6F3rxTRLXQucavJnRYv~7aHLmjD6303tCde8Yb07aJWg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Austin","date","2025-04-02T00:00:00Z","article","City planning staff on April 2 briefed the Historic Landmark Commission on proposed Land Development Code amendments to the University Neighborhood Overlay, a voluntary zoning incentive aimed at increasing housing capacity around the University of Texas at Austin.

Alan Piney, principal planner with the Planning Department, told the commission the UNO program -- established in 2004 -- is being updated to expand boundaries and create three new subdistricts with larger height limits to support higher-density, transit-oriented development. “For background on UNO, it was established in 02/2004. It's the University Neighborhood Overlay,” Piney said.

The changes are intended to increase housing supply and quality, support light rail investments and add tenant protections, city staff said. The Planning Department presented proposed new zoning standards, a draft menu of community benefits, altered parking rules and affordability requirements intended to apply to developments that opt into the voluntary overlay.

Staff said the proposal would create three subdistricts with different maximum heights: Transit Core (up to 600 feet), Inner West (up to 420 feet) and Outer West (up to 90 feet). The proposal would expand UNO boundaries to include adjacent commercial and multifamily parcels, and would make participation voluntary; property owners would have to opt in through a rezoning process that includes Planning Commission and City Council hearings.

Key proposed changes described by staff
- Height and subdistricts: Transit Core (600 ft), Inner West (420 ft), Outer West (90 ft). Transit Core would be closest to the proposed light-rail alignment and intended for highest-density residential development.
- Parking: a maximum of 40% of the parking otherwise required by Appendix A; projects may provide up to 60% if at least half of the parking is underground; bicycle parking minimums would increase to match Transportation Criteria Manual requirements.
- Design: stepback/tower-spacing standards (for example, 40-foot spacing above 120 feet in some cases, with allowances for small lots), and increased minimum energy-efficiency requirements (from one-star to a two-star Austin Energy Green Building rating).
- Affordability and tenant protections: staff proposed limiting deeper discounts to units at 50% of Median Family Income (MFI) and expanding lease and redevelopment protections that would restrict preleasing windows and set a baseline for replacement housing accommodations in redevelopment scenarios.
- Community benefits: projects in the Transit Core and Inner West would be required to provide one item from a menu that includes pedestrian-oriented commercial space, an on-site grocery, transit-supportive infrastructure, green roofs or on-site water reuse systems, in addition to the affordable-unit commitments.

Staff emphasized UNO is voluntary and that a rezoning would require individual property notice and public hearings. Piney outlined the public outreach and timeline for adoption: earlier committee briefings in March, an open house and a Planning Commission hearing April 22, and City Council consideration scheduled for May 8.

Commissioner and public concerns
Commissioners and neighborhood representatives used the briefing to press staff on historic-preservation impacts, the effect on churches and the interaction between incentives and potential transfer-of-development-rights programs. Commissioner Cook asked about surveys of historic resources in the area: “Was there any review of do we have surveys in this area? Is there a survey done for this area?”

Several commissioners said larger heights and denser towers immediately adjacent to low-rise historic properties and longstanding churches could place pressure on preservation. One commissioner urged staff to coordinate UNO changes with any transfer-of-development-rights (TDR) market study, noting TDRs can create a market mechanism that allows owners of smaller historic properties to sell development value to sites that will redevelop.

Staff responses and next steps
Planning staff said they had removed some parcels from the proposed Outer West boundary that fell within critical environmental feature buffers in response to early outreach, and that they are coordinating on TDR feasibility work with other city divisions. Piney reminded the commission that changes to UNO will require a rezoning and neighborhood plan amendment and will be considered by Planning Commission and City Council in public hearings.

Commission action and commission follow-up
The commission voted unanimously to take staff’s UNO briefing out of order on the agenda so the item could be heard (procedural vote). Commissioners did not take final action on the Land Development Code amendments at the April 2 meeting; several asked staff to provide additional materials, including an updated survey of historic resources and parcel-level information identifying likely redevelopment sites so the commission could flag priorities for preservation or possible tools to reduce demolition pressure.

The Planning Department is scheduled to brief the Planning Commission on April 22 and City Council on May 8. Members of the Historic Landmark Commission said they will consider drafting recommendations for council or asking staff to allow more time for preservation review before the council vote.

Why this matters
The UNO changes would reshape development capacity near the University of Texas, affecting housing supply, transit-oriented development and the character of older neighborhoods. The proposal’s interplay of larger height allowances, new parking limits and a menu of community benefits is meant to steer higher-density development toward transit and add tenant protections, but commissioners warned the changes could produce increased pressure on churches and older properties that are not presently landmarked.

What’s next
Planning Commission public hearing: April 22, 2025. City Council consideration: May 8, 2025. The Historic Landmark Commission requested more parcel-level survey data and said it will consider forwarding preservation-focused recommendations to Council prior to final action.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Austin - Historic Landmark - Apr 02, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City planning staff on April 2 briefed the Historic Landmark Commission on proposed Land Development Code amendments to the voluntary University Neighborhood Overlay (UNO), including expanded boundaries and three subdistricts with maximum heights of 90, 420 and 600 feet; commissioners pressed staff about risks to churches and other historic properties.","taxTitle","Austin, Travis County, Texas","taxId",2819,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6615975,"Historic Landmark Commission delays two demolition cases for more research; releases one demolition permit pending documentation",3080,3320000,6400000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2857658-a1e204842f8360f9167418db80e3d2aa&start=3320&end=6400","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2857658-a1e204842f8360f9167418db80e3d2aa/thumbnail_3320000.jpg","/articles/6615975/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Historic-Landmark-Commission-delays-two-demolition-cases-for-more-research-releases-one-demolition-permit-pending-documentation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6615975-70be949819a548c99a434e260ff5471b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770453003&Signature=JSREuZ3eG21IwrQkywTtxHhGhTcFpE4OEvzhvIBBLyD~tiMFZpirMyYvn6AxAIgF4oa2RQMy3pZb8MTQc6Kn8UKGrlmZj9bcjekVXVulHm~gxu9EzJCQ6HIKx3HBpcJ8GYEVfpFEdHRflDSey~iUyqgJ-b4oRd4VFj7B6Hr401PnF~rb-UDGnFrAEM2c~siSGTM3-jD6zw8F80RMYE-LynMuC8SO5TIrCv~OE3-MreY~U50JPGcAdyIb6PM7lKnwX3SGcC-YiJg6aKGS9vlUFkyhmNjLGLCt-8-tLpZvh1g1Ti8I3XRIFg8PvHFUVcmnpCkQ~fRn3UMHqx5OwkZiPg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Historic Landmark Commission on April 2 heard three separate demolition and historic-significance cases affecting properties in West Austin and the University-adjacent hillside. Commissioners postponed two cases to allow more research and community engagement and approved one demolition permit contingent on a documentation package for the Austin History Center.

705 West Linn Street (West Line National Register Historic District)
Staff described 705 West Linn as a c.1895 center-passage, side-gabled house that contributes to the West Line National Register Historic District but that staff had concluded did not meet the two criteria required for individual local landmark designation. The property’s owners and neighborhood representatives discussed possible rehabilitation strategies and constraints created by heritage oak trees and the lot’s topography.

Applicant Scott Turner described the site as “severely constrained by 2 large heritage trees,” and said one additional tree had already been approved for removal to permit vehicular access. Neighbors and the Old West Austin Neighborhood Association urged the commission to require the applicant to pursue alternatives within the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) process and asked the commission to allow more time for neighborhood and ARC engagement.

After public comment the commission voted unanimously to reopen the public hearing and postpone the case to the commission’s next meeting, encouraging additional work with the neighborhood and ARC to explore options that would retain more of the existing house or otherwise reduce the impact of new construction.

2307 Windsor Road No. 2 (Old West Austin National Register District)
Staff presented new findings of possible historic significance for the midcentury modern house at 2307 Windsor Road No. 2, built in 1950 and associated in the record with Judge Truman O'Quinn and later occupants who used the property as a private gathering place for members of Austin’s LGBTQ community in the 1970s and 1980s. Staff told commissioners that information surfaced during public comment after an earlier 2024 hearing and that the building may meet two criteria for landmark designation; staff recommended postponement to allow time for additional research into the property’s associations during the period of potential significance.

Staff recommended postponing the item to the May 7 hearing to allow more time for research and community feedback; the commission voted to postpone the case to the May 7 meeting and asked staff and community researchers to assemble additional documentation.

4901 Ridge Oak Drive (Midcentury house, possible Barton Riley association)
The commission also considered a demolition request for 4901 Ridge Oak Drive, a c.1951 midcentury house that staff said appears to meet two criteria for local landmark designation (architectural significance and historical association with former council member Edgar Perry III). The property’s buyers told the commission the house is in poor condition and said their goal is to build a family home that preserves significant trees on the lot.

Owner Mary Margaret Era said the property was purchased as a long-term family house and that “our whole intent was to take this house down,” then explained her team’s plan to design a new house sympathetic to neighborhood scale and trees. Architect Jay Quarter and a builder brought structural and construction assessments and told commissioners the existing roof and painted stone have caused deterioration that would require extensive reconstruction.

After discussion the commission voted to release the demolition permit conditioned on completion and submittal of a City of Austin documentation package for the Austin History Center. The roll call on the final action recorded six votes in favor and one abstention (Commissioner McWhorter abstained); the motion required and received a majority vote.

Why commissioners postponed two cases
Commissioners cited the need for more historical research and community feedback, concerns about the adequacy of existing survey data for West Campus and surrounding neighborhoods, and the potential historic or cultural significance of the properties and their associations (including possible LGBTQ-related community use in the 1970s–1980s at 2307 Windsor Road No. 2).

What owners and neighbors said
Neighbors and neighborhood groups urged preservation-minded alternatives, including retaining the front facades, working with the ARC and exploring lot-development alternatives that preserve trees and contributing features. The applicant for 705 West Linn acknowledged constraints posed by the lot and trees. The owner of 4901 Ridge Oak asked the commission to allow demolition so the family could design an accessible, livable home for children while retaining mature trees.

Actions at a glance (votes and next steps)
- Item 5 (705 West Linn Street): Motion to reopen public hearing and postpone to next regular meeting (one month) — outcome: postponed to next meeting (unanimous).
- Item 7 (2307 Windsor Road No. 2): Staff recommended postponement to May 7 to allow additional research into possible historic associations; outcome: postponed to May 7, 2025 (unanimous).
- Item 10 (4901 Ridge Oak Drive): Motion to release demolition permit pending submission of a City of Austin documentation package for the Austin History Center — outcome: approved; tally yes 6, abstain 1 (Commissioner McWhorter abstained). The commission noted the applicant will return with new-construction plans for review before a demolition permit is released.

Why this matters
These decisions show how the Historic Landmark Commission balances property-owner development plans with preservation review and community research. Postponements give staff and community groups time to assemble documentation that could affect future landmark eligibility determinations; conditioned permit releases require archival documentation when the commission determines demolition should proceed.

Provenance and evidence
Commission decisions and the public record cite staff reports, neighborhood association comments and architectural assessments provided by applicants and consultants. The commission’s calendar limits for National Register districts and the need for documentation were discussed at the hearing; the commission repeatedly cited the 180-day timing window that applies to National Register demolition reviews and the option to request further research prior to final action.

","At its April 2 meeting the Historic Landmark Commission postponed review of a proposed demolition at 705 West Linn Street and a contested case at 2307 Windsor Road No. 2 for additional study; the commission approved release of a demolition permit for 4901 Ridge Oak Drive on condition that the owner provide a City of Austin documentation package.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City planning staff outline major University Neighborhood Overlay changes that would raise heights near UT; commissioners voice preservation concerns

Historic Landmark Commission delays two demolition cases for more research; releases one demolition permit pending documentation