Austin commission approves MF‑1 rezoning at Buckner Road with 2‑unit conditional cap

The Austin Zoning and Planning Commission on Tuesday approved rezoning for a vacant 2.54‑acre site at 12015 Buckner Road from Development Reserve (DR) to Multifamily Residence — Limited Density (MF‑1), with a conditional overlay limiting the site to two principal residential units.

Staff recommended MF‑1 zoning. Sherry Serwatus of the Planning Department told commissioners the site lies within the Lake Travis watershed and that watershed and impervious‑cover rules limit what can be built on the property. “The staff's recommendation is to grant MF‑1 multifamily residence limited density district zoning,” Serwatus said, describing surrounding uses and the need for a transition from more intense uses along Buckner Road to the single‑family areas west of the site.

The applicant, represented by Jim Whitliff, said watershed rules and a recent code change drove the choice to request MF‑1 rather than single‑family zoning. “We would have been happy with SF‑1, but the comprehensive watershed ordinance does not allow us to build one house unless we have two acres of net site area,” Whitliff said, adding the site’s gross area is about 2.5389 acres and the net site area is roughly 1.31 acres. He told the commission the code permits approximately 20% impervious cover under MF‑1 — roughly 11,400 square feet — which is necessary to provide driveways and small structures the owner seeks to build.

Commissioners asked whether outstanding code violations on the property had been resolved; planning staff said violations had been addressed in 2024 but remain “open” in the department’s permitting system and are routinely placed on hold while a rezoning application is pending. Commissioners also discussed how a recent “HOME amendment” to the city code changed residential use categories: a three‑unit residential use is now its own category and is not permitted in multifamily zoning districts, while MF districts allow four or more units. A department staff member summarized: the code now allows one‑ and two‑unit residential uses in some districts but reserves three‑unit as a separate use, with multifamily applying at four or more units.

The applicant offered a conditional overlay to limit the property to no more than two principal residential units; that overlay did not appear in the staff backup but was offered during the hearing and accepted by commissioners. Commissioner Lonnie Stern moved to approve MF‑1 zoning with a conditional overlay limiting the site to two units; Vice Chair Betsy Greenberg seconded. After discussion, the motion passed.

The public hearing was closed prior to the vote; no members of the public spoke on this item. The commission did not record a roll‑call tally on the record for this motion in the transcript excerpt provided; the chair announced the motion passed. The conditional overlay was agreed to during the meeting but was not included in the published backup materials and will need to be added to the ordinance language and final staff recommendation before the item goes to the City Council.

Because the site is in a water‑supply watershed and the applicant relied on MF‑1 impervious cover allowances to make redevelopment feasible, the zoning approval is contingent on the overlay and the existing watershed code constraints described by staff.

Commission action

• Motion: Approve rezoning for 12015 Buckner Road from DR to MF‑1 with a conditional overlay limiting the site to two principal residential units. • Mover: Commissioner Lonnie Stern. • Second: Vice Chair Betsy Greenberg. • Outcome: Approved (motion passed; roll‑call tally not specified in transcript excerpt). • Notes: Conditional overlay was offered orally during the hearing and is not in the backup; code violations were described as addressed in 2024 but remain open in the permitting system; a recent “HOME amendment” changed the classification for three‑unit residential uses.

Why this matters: The parcel sits at the transition between single‑family neighborhoods and higher‑intensity uses along Buckner Road and within the Lake Travis watershed. The commission's decision relies on watershed impervious‑cover rules and recent code changes that affect the number and type of units a property owner may legally build.

What’s next: The conditional overlay language must be added to the rezoning ordinance and staff’s final recommendation before the case advances to City Council.