[Update 11-7: The City's code team has reviewed all of our models and has suggested some minor tweaks to make them 100% compliant with their code. See the updated image below]
Here's an interesting case study. There's an existing 4- unit market-affordable building on Lynnwood St. near Hancock in Rosedale. That site is mapped "RM1", allowing up to 6 units, with .8 FAR and 60% impervious cover.
Here's the existing building (on the left):
And our model view of it:
Note that it's barely larger in scale than the single family home to the right. This building is a great example of existing "Missing Middle" housing.
Here's what the code would allow on the same site:
The code re-write is supposed to bring Austin lots more Missing Middle housing to alleviate our affordability issues. That could be a good thing if it's actually affordable, but the code draft goes in a different direction, creating opportunity for a different variety of Missing Middle Housing that's more common in Houston, with massive units on small lots. Should we call it "McMissing Middle?"
If we set them side-by-side, the existing and new buildings would look like this. I know it looks ridiculous, but we are not making this stuff up:
Should we adopt a code that throws existing market-affordable housing in the landfill so it can be replaced with huge, high-dollar luxury condos?
Here's what's under the hood in this model:
Here's an interesting case study. There's an existing 4- unit market-affordable building on Lynnwood St. near Hancock in Rosedale. That site is mapped "RM1", allowing up to 6 units, with .8 FAR and 60% impervious cover.
Here's the existing building (on the left):
And our model view of it:
Note that it's barely larger in scale than the single family home to the right. This building is a great example of existing "Missing Middle" housing.
Here's what the code would allow on the same site:
 |
| Model corrected per staff review. We modified the roofs of the stair enclosures and took down the "party lights". To summarize, the Code Team looked at this behemoth and said that a 40' tall luxury condo building next door to a single family home is perfectly fine, but two strands of party lights are absolutely unacceptable. Duly noted. |
The code re-write is supposed to bring Austin lots more Missing Middle housing to alleviate our affordability issues. That could be a good thing if it's actually affordable, but the code draft goes in a different direction, creating opportunity for a different variety of Missing Middle Housing that's more common in Houston, with massive units on small lots. Should we call it "McMissing Middle?"
If we set them side-by-side, the existing and new buildings would look like this. I know it looks ridiculous, but we are not making this stuff up:
 |
| "This is your neighborhood... This is your neighborhood on crack" |
Should we adopt a code that throws existing market-affordable housing in the landfill so it can be replaced with huge, high-dollar luxury condos?
Here's what's under the hood in this model:
 |
| Existing 4 unit building |
 |
| New units permitted by code revision |
 |
| Elevation. Note existing house to far right... |