City sets 350‑foot by‑right limit for downtown base height; larger projects will need council approval

Austin Planning Principal Planner Alan Panney briefed the commission on a recent City Council decision to set a new by‑right maximum building height within the Central Business District (CBD).

Panney said the change was prompted by Texas Senate Bill 840, which took effect Sept. 1 and removes local limits on floor‑area ratio (FAR) for multifamily and mixed‑use developments in commercial zones. “Generally speaking, the state bill allows for multifamily or mixed use in any commercial zone in the city,” Panney said, and it prevents the city from regulating FAR for developments that qualify under the state law.

Why it matters: CBD was previously regulated by FAR (8:1) and had no formal height cap. With FAR no longer available as a control for some residential and mixed uses under the state law, staff proposed — and Council approved — a new by‑right height…