Learn & Ask
Rewriting Austin’s Land Development Code opens the doorway to becoming the Austin we’ve imagined. Whether you’re an expert or just learning about the project, stay — we’re with you every step of the way. Here, we’ll discuss basic land development concepts, address commonly asked questions and shed light on rumors and common concerns.
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Questions and Answers with City Staff
Have a question about the Land Development Code? Heard something about the project and not sure if it’s right? Read our FAQ's
Top FAQs
Q: What impact could the Land Development Code Revision have on property taxes?
A. The Travis County Appraisal District (TCAD) does not proactively increase appraisal values in response to adoption of new city land-use codes or changes to an existing land-use code. For residential appraisals, TCAD assesses land value based on a replacement cost for improvements and by looking at sales of similar properties to determine whether values need to be adjusted.
Read our blog post for more information including a Q&A with Travis County Appraisal District Chief Appraiser, Marya Crigler.
Q: What happens to single-family homes in transition areas that are impacted by natural or otherwise unanticipated disasters (such as fire)?
A. Under the proposal discussed by staff at a recent Council work session, a homeowner could rebuild a damaged single-family structure up to the size permitted in zones that allow development of new single-family uses.
Submit A Question
Please note: The questions and themes that occur repeatedly or frequently will be used to populate the Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ); very specific parcel-level questions may not appear in the FAQ. Any questions that deal with policy direction are best answered by your City Council member. We won’t be using this tool to respond to comments or opinions.
Learn about Land Development Code
Top Posts
What impact could the Land Development Code Revision have on property taxes?
The following information was gathered from a discussion on October 29, 2019 with Travis County Appraisal District Chief Appraiser, Marya Crigler and other key TCAD staff and consistent with information discussed at the City Council work session on December 3, 2019. ...
Deed Restrictions & City Zoning Regulations
Residents frequently ask whether City zoning laws and proposed zoning changes override deed restrictions. The question often centers on whether a multi-unit residential structure can be built on a lot, even if the lot is subject to deed restrictions that limit development to a single residential unit. (These restrictions should not be confused with regulatory covenants required by the City, which are commonly referred to as "public restrictive covenants."). ...
What happens to existing single-family homes in a new transition area?
As regulations change over time, it’s common for existing uses to not fully comply with all of the rules that new development would have to meet. ...
Land Development Code Revision Related Programmatic Elements
The Land Development Code (LDC) Revision is one tool in a versatile toolbox of resources that must be used in concert with complementary programmatic elements to achieve the Council’s policy goals. Based on input received from both the public and City staff, the LDC Revision Team has identified the following programmatic elements as necessary or desirable to ensure successful transition to the new code and effective implementation tailored to key policy objectives. While not comprehensive, the items described below are a useful starting point for implementation planning.
Council Q&A
Council Message Board
Platform for Council Members to discuss meeting procedures and topic ideas.
Council Q&A
Questions asked by City Council members and answered by City staff.