1 / 19

DOWNTOWN INCENTIVE ZONING

DOWNTOWN INCENTIVE ZONING. Julie Fitch – Downtown Austin Alliance – 09/26/2012. Public Improvement District Formed in 1993 Mission – To preserve and enhance the value and vitality of downtown Austin Philosophical Approach – We represent the property owners. WHO WE ARE.

ayita
Download Presentation

DOWNTOWN INCENTIVE ZONING

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. DOWNTOWN INCENTIVE ZONING Julie Fitch – Downtown Austin Alliance – 09/26/2012

  2. Public Improvement District Formed in 1993 Mission – To preserve and enhance the value and vitality of downtown Austin Philosophical Approach – We represent the property owners WHO WE ARE

  3. Photo Credit: Michael Knox Downtown Austin 2012 Many of these buildings were constructed after 2000 and used City of Austin programs created to encourage development in the urban core.

  4. PREVIOUS PROGRAM • Smart Growth Program (1999 – 2003) • Downtown Projects given points for locating along transit corridors, complying with design guidelines, etc., and qualified for fee waivers/reimbursements • Approximately 15 projects • Approximately $6 million in fee waivers and infrastructure reimbursements • Died due to negative public perception and because it was erroneously linked with a huge public failure:

  5. THE INTEL SHELL 2001 Dotcom Bust 2007 Implosion

  6. WHICH BECOMES Photo Credit: Michael Knox

  7. CURE ZONING • CURE - Central Urban Redevelopment Combining District (1999 – 2013?) • Allows cases within a geographic boundary, including all of downtown, to seek additional FAR through zoning change • Subject to Planning Commission and City Council approval • Can take months and payment of significant consultant fees to navigate the public process • Theoretically unpredictable, but historical support

  8. CURE CRITICISMS • Unpredictable • Developers get to build more square footage “for free” • Downtown residential not affordable

  9. Downtown Austin Development 2000-2010 10+ Projects used CURE to attain additional height or density • A Decade of Downtown Development

  10. Downtown Austin Development 2000-2010 10+ Projects used CURE to attain additional height or density

  11. DENSITY BONUS System in which development projects can earn density above base entitlements by providing designated community benefits

  12. DENSITY BONUS – HOW IT WORKS Theory • Base FAR Entitlements • Sale Price of Land • Incremental SF profit shared by developer and community Austin • CBD = 8:1 FAR • ~$30/developable SF • DAA Position: Increased tax base IS the community benefit

  13. 2008 INTERIM DENSITY BONUS • Result of CoA Affordable Housing Incentives Task Force • Downtown Projects can choose to achieve additional density by seeking CURE, or may go through interim density bonus program • 10% of the incremental square footage above base entitlements must be dedicated to affordable housing, OR • May pay a fee in lieu of $10/Bonus SF • All development fees except parkland dedication waived • Out of approximately 10 higher density projects proposed since this interim ordinance passed, all chose to seek CURE

  14. CONCLUSIONS Housing Advocates Downtown Austin Alliance CURE is a loophole CURE works

  15. DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN • Density Bonus Program created by HR&A • Few options to concentrate benefits • Intent = Incentivize Density • Results = ? • City Council Adopted DAP policy document December 2011 Final Version to Change

  16. POTENTIAL DOWNTOWN BUILD-OUT

  17. AREAS FOR DENSITY

  18. NEXT STEPS • City of Austin recalibration and codification process • Land Development Code Amendments • Test the Theory

  19. JULIE FITCH Downtown Austin Alliance julief@downtownaustin.com 512-381-6268

More Related