RECA regularly communicates with our members via Advocacy Updates and the Hot Sheet with advocacy and policy information about which they should be informed. These are collected below for ease of accessibility.
In May, Austin City Council voted to change the downtown density bonus program, which provides a way for developers to obtain much-needed density in exchange for providing fees and community benefits. The temporary fees passed by Council on May 20 were made without stakeholder input and are substantially higher than previous fees.
As part of this vote, Council asked City staff to return in July with recalibrated fees that reflect market conditions and will increase the use of the program. City staff extended the timeline to the end of September in order to include a stakeholder meeting and feedback. This extension was achieved through RECA’s advocacy efforts and emphasis on the importance of proper fee calibration to City leadership.
As part of this process, RECA provided the Housing and Planning staff with market data for nearly every input in their model, based on feedback from dozens of RECA and Downtown Austin Alliance (DAA) expert members. Staff released draft fees on August 13 via a memo and RECA and DAA responded with several pages of feedback on the City's draft fees, model, and inputs. Staff has indicated that their final recommendation will include one set fee per category, not a range of fees.
The City has notified us that they will be releasing the final fee recommendation within the next couple of weeks. Once we receive these fees, we will be working with our density bonus team to determine if they are properly calibrated. We will communicate the final fees and our expert feedback to our RECA members, the Housing and Planning staff, city commissions, and the City Council.
Please mark your calendar for Thursday, September 30, when the fees will be voted on at the Austin City Council meeting. We will continue to keep our members updated and will be calling for action related to this item.
If you have any questions about the process or would like to participate, please email Alina Carnahan, RECA Director of Advocacy. Thank you to those members who have been deeply engaged and have devoted their time and talents toward seeking a better and more fair set of fees for everyone.
TxDOT is seeking feedback on the I-35 Capital Express Central project, which proposes improvements to I-35 through central Austin. This is the third and final feedback session for this portion of the project, and the comment period closes September 8.
TxDOT is seeking feedback on three options for expansion. You can view the specific details of each option at their virtual open house. RECA has been a longtime proponent of the expansion and completion of I-35 and fully supports the plan to move forward with the expansion.
Help amplify RECA’s voice by providing comments on the project. RECA has developed a basic comment format for you to follow, so you can quickly submit your comment without having to start from scratch. You are of course welcome to create your own comment to add more detail or perspective.
I am a frequent user of I-35 and I have seen firsthand how much we are in need of an expansion to ensure that our local and state economy can continue to thrive. I am fully in support of the expansion and completion of I-35 through central Austin.
I appreciate the strong options that are on the table for expansion. It is important to move forward with one of the three options to ensure that the expansion of lanes through downtown can occur and keep Austin moving.
This project will impact Central Texas for decades to come, and I look forward to seeing innovative solutions and long-term thinking as part of this project to improve this major artery of our city, region, state, and nation.
Comments should be submitted at the Capital Express Central webpage.
After you’ve submitted your comment, please let Alina Carnahan know so that RECA can track how our organization and members are our voice on important projects like these.
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TxDOT will be hosting an open house today to share information about an independent study and alternative layouts for the I-35 Capital Express Central project, which proposes improvements to I-35 through central Austin. If you would like to attend the meeting, you can find details here.
After the meeting, there will be the opportunity to provide public comment on the findings online. RECA will send a follow up email to our members with the public comment link and provide recommended comments to help amplify RECA’s position and support for the I-35 Capital Express Central project. |
Williamson County will be introducing new pavement design regulations under the Subdivision Regulations and is seeking feedback on these proposed regulations.
You can view the recorded virtual presentation here: Virtual Subdivision Regulations Public Meeting presentation. The Online Comment Form is currently available and will close on Wednesday, August 18th. |
RECA will be participating in a stakeholder meeting with the Housing and Planning Department staff on Monday, August 16. If you would like to participate in the Density Bonus Task Force or you have any questions about the changes and process thus far, please reach out to Alina Carnahan, Director of Advocacy: [email protected]. |
Today, a City of Austin memo was released by the Department of Housing and Planning. It outlines an extended timeline for review, stakeholder input process, and feedback to staff's draft density bonus fees that they will be releasing soon. These fees, when adopted, will replace the interim fees Council adopted in May that steeply raised the fees per square foot, where commercial and hotel fees were increased from $0 to the fees provided in this link. The memo outlines an August 16 stakeholder meeting and discussion and a September 30 date for Council consideration.
RECA has been and will be at the table during this process. We appreciate the City for acknowledging the importance of stakeholder feedback and for providing an opportunity for the real estate industry and affected businesses be part of the process. We see this as a positive step and look forward to working with the City to analyze the data and models to ensure the program is sustainable, desirable, and successful in its mission to provide affordable housing for our community.
We continue to ask our members to engage on this issue over the next 4-6 weeks and help us in our efforts. If you would like to join the team that is working on this issue on behalf of RECA, please email Geoffrey Tahuahua, VP of Policy and Government Affairs: [email protected].
For more background on the density bonus program changes, visit reca.org/advocacy/densitybonus.
Austin City Council recently voted to implement temporary new density bonus fees that are a steep increase over the former fees. Council also directed City staff to perform a recalibration of the density bonus and bring the newly-calibrated fees back for an August vote to make them permanent.
RECA is closely following the process to recalibrate the Downtown Density Bonus Program and is engaging our membership to ensure that calibration and testing are done correctly. RECA is hosting meetings with members of the RECA Density Bonus Task Force through the month of July to review past calibrations and current projects. We encourage those who are interested in and most affected by these changes to participate in our meetings. To join the task force, please reach out directly to Geoffrey Tahuahua.
For more information about the density bonus program and recent changes, visit reca.org/advocacy/densitybonus. |
Austin City Council recently voted to implement temporary new density bonus fees that are a steep increase over the former fees. Council also directed City staff to perform a recalibration of the fees in the Downtown Density Bonus Program and bring the newly-calibrated fees back for an August vote to make them permanent. RECA spoke strongly against both of these items and joined a coalition letter with the Downtown Austin Alliance, Austin Board of Realtors, and Austin Apartment Association. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Council voted in favor of the changes with no public input from stakeholders.
RECA is closely following the implementation of the temporary density bonus fees as well as the process to recalibrate the Downtown Density Bonus Program. This process will be happening throughout the summer, and RECA will continue to stay involved. RECA will be hosting a technical meeting with members of the RECA Density Bonus Task Force in June to review past calibrations and current projects. We encourage those who are interested in and most affected by these changes to participate in our June meeting. To do so, please reach out directly to Geoffrey Tahuahua. |
On May 31, the 87th Legislative Session adjourned. Out of nearly 7,000 bills that were filed this 87th Legislative session, as of today only 1,073 bills passed, including our two RECA priority bills: Thanks to the work of our lobbyist Lara Keel and the RECA team, both bills were signed by the Governor on June 8. They will both go into effect September 1, 2021. |
RECA weighed in on two issues at the June 3 Austin City Council meeting. Item 14 was a mid-year budget amendment from the Development Services Department (DSD) requesting 41 additional staff positions. The majority of the requested positions are tied to commercial development, including additional commercial site plan and expedited permitting reviewers. The addition of staff is being done without a DSD fee increase. RECA sent a letter of support to Council on this item, and the positions were approved unanimously.
Items 57 & 58 were related to the adoption of the Uniform Plumbing and Mechanical Codes. These codes are part of a family of technical codes that inform the requirements for construction. As RECA has done in previous years, we advocated for the City to switch to the International Codes for Plumbing and Mechanical, since it utilizes the International Codes for all other technical codes. Austin is the largest city in Texas that uses Uniform Codes. RECA led a coalition of other industry organizations in advocating for a switch to the international code. We sent a letter to Council and testified. Unfortunately, Council approved the Uniform Code adoptions instead, and they will go into effect on September 1, 2021.
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There are several opportunities for you to provide feedback about the future planning and development in our region. Please take advantage of these chances to share your voice. If you have any questions about submitting comments, please email Geoffrey Tahuahua or Alina Carnahan.ss. For questions about the Texas Legislature, please email Geoffrey Tahuahua.
Williamson County Subdivision Regulation ChangesWilliamson County hosted a virtual public meeting related to subdivision regulations and possible updates.
You can view this presentation and the proposed regulation changes and provide feedback here and the public comment period will be open through May 19.
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Project Connect Light Rail StationsCapital Metro has recorded a virtual presentation focused on the layout and location of stations.
You can view this presentation and the proposed regulation changes and provide feedback here and the public comment period will be open through May 21.
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I-35 Capital Express SouthThe Texas Department of Transportation has posted a virtual public hearing and information about the I-35 Capital Express South.
The I-35 Capital Express South project spans eight miles of I-35 from SH 71/Ben White Boulevard to SH 45 Southeast. The project proposes to add two high-occupancy vehicle managed lanes in each direction. The project will also reconstruct bridges, add pedestrian and bicycle paths, and make additional safety and mobility improvements within the project limits.
You can view this presentation and the proposed regulation changes and provide feedback here and the public comment period will be open through May 26.
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RECA has created a Texas Legislature page with information about the bills we are following. The details on each bill update automatically as they move through the process. For questions about the Texas Legislature, please email Geoffrey Tahuahua. |
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