We have tried to put together a very basic guide to what the new Land Development Code and the transition zones map for Western Trails means for our neighborhood.
LDC Criteria and Western Trails
On May 2nd, 2019, City Council provided policy guidance on elements to include within the revision of the land development code. One of the directives was for staff to provide for more missing middle housing opportunity through the mapping of transition areas.
Scope of work, Housing Capacity, Missing Middle Housing, Compatibility, and Parking. Mapping transition areas is included as a way to implement the goals within these topic areas.
The first step to applying transition areas is to identify where they are appropriate. Council listed 4 criteria to identify where to map transition areas:
"The LDC Revisions should map properties for missing middle housing in transition areas that meet some or all of the following criteria. Entitlements and length of transition areas should be relatively more or less intense for areas that meet more or fewer of the criteria listed below, respectively:
i. Located on Transit Priority Network, or Imagine Austin Centers or Corridors
ii. Located within the Urban Core as defined by the Residential Design and Compatibility Standards Area (McMansion Ordinance)
iii. Has a well-connected street grid
iv. Located in a high opportunity area as defined in the Enterprise Opportunity360 Index
An additional context sensitive directive was be sensitive to areas considered Vulnerable per the UT's Uprooted report. "The length and level of entitlement in transition zones should be substantially reduced in “Vulnerable” areas identified in the UT Gentrification Study, regardless of the number of criteria met above."
Corridors and Centers
Corridors and centers are where growth should be concentrated, making new development “accessible by walking, bicycling, and transit, as well as by car.”
Transit Priority Network
A Transit Priority Network is described as “The Transit Priority Network includes Capital Metro's high-frequency service and planned expansions identified in Connections 2025 and Project Connect. These corridors would carry the largest share of transit riders.” This linkage should reduce per capita car use and increase walking, bicycling, and transit use.”
Urban Core
The urban core boundary is used in the current land development code to delineate Austin’s central, urban area.
Well Connected Streets and Transit Connectivity
Council criterion of a “well-connected street grid” staff examined the development patterns adjacent and connected to centers and corridors (including Transit Priority Networks). As a metric for walkability, areas within a ¼ mile (about a 5 minute walk) of transit.
High Opportunity Areas
Council directed staff to use “high opportunity area as defined in the Enterprise Opportunity360 Index” as one criterion for identifying where to map transition zones. The Opportunity360 Index measures opportunity for housing stability, education, health & well-being, economic security, and mobility. It has identified census tracts where there is more access to these opportunities.
Vulnerability to Displacement
Areas identified as “vulnerable” in the UT Gentrification Study Uprooted and reduce the length and level of entitlement of the transition application in these areas. These areas “have a concentration of residents who are the most vulnerable to displacement in the face of rising housing costs.”
Criteria Comparison
Where more of these criteria overlap, the higher likely hood transition area were mapped and maximized. Unless the area was identified by Uprooted, then the transition area was minimized.
Criteria Applied to Western Trails
According to the criteria Western Trails would, first and foremost, be identified as “vulnerable” in the UT Gentrification Study Uprooted and should reduce the level of transition zones in our neighborhood.
We are located on Transit Priority Network.
We are not considered as urban core.
It could be argued that we have a well-connected street-grid.
It could also be argued that we are in a high opportunity area as defined in the Enterprise Opportunity360 Index.
Council Member Kitchen has argued, and will continue to argue, that we are “vulnerable” and only meet the one element of the criteria in which is proximity to a transit priority network.
Why Should We Be Concerned?
Austin's population is growing and the current Austin mayor and city council want to manage that growth by emphasizing density in housing. Revising Austin's current land development code (LDC) is one important way the mayor and council are trying to ensure their housing density goals are met. Western Trails predominantly consists of single-family homes on large lots with deed restriction designed by the original developer to limit housing density in the subdivision. If designated as a transition area, WT stands in jeopardy of losing the character vision the residents defined in their work on the South Austin Combined Neighborhood Plan.