"Their recommendation, which was approved last week, contrasts with the Planning Commission's call a day earlier to set a 700-foot cap in the Central Business District that would double the 350-foot limit proposed by city staff. Both votes came as city planners push to adapt to Senate Bill 840, a new state law that took effect Sept. 1 and stripped Texas cities of their ability to regulate floor-to-area ratios (FAR) for residential and mixed-use projects."
"City Planner Alan Pani told the Downtown Commission that the state law reduces the incentive for CBD parcels to participate in density bonus programs, which historically generated the city's largest fees-in-lieu to support affordable housing. Staff has proposed creating a 350-foot base height, roughly equivalent to an 8:1 FAR, to preserve a rationale for staying in the bonus program. Developers wanting to exceed that height would still need City Council approval through the density bonus program."
Downtown Commission urged City Council to reject proposed downtown tower height limits and instead replace the Downtown Density Bonus Program with a funding system tied to future property-tax revenue. The recommendation contrasts with the Planning Commission's proposal to set a 700-foot cap in the Central Business District, double the 350-foot limit recommended by staff. Senate Bill 840 removed local control over floor-to-area ratios for residential and mixed-use projects, allowing denser, taller developments by right and weakening leverage to secure community benefits. Staff proposed a 350-foot base height to preserve density-bonus incentives, but commissioners questioned any cap's justification.
Read at Austin Monitor
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