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Austin City Council Eliminates Minimum Parking Space Requirements

  • MF Advisors
  • Nov 2, 2023
  • 1 min read

To encourage higher housing density, the Austin City Council voted on Thursday to remove the minimum requirements for off-street motor vehicle parking spaces, except for ADA accessible spots. This change, achieved through an amendment to the city's land development code, provides developers with more flexibility to construct housing units, reducing costs. Eliminating parking minimums is intended to lower expenses and enable developers to choose from a wider range of building options. City analysis suggests that requiring one additional parking space per unit can increase rent by up to $200 per month.


The ordinance passed with an 8-2 vote, with Council Members Alison Alter and Mackenzie Kelly voting against it. Additionally, the City Council postponed voting on an ordinance to comply with Texas House Bill 1526, which members believe significantly limits the city's ability to provide access to parkland.


House Bill 1526, signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott in June, alters regulations related to parkland dedication for cities with a population over 800,000, including Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and Fort Worth. City officials allege that the new state law reduces the city's authority in administering parkland dedication and modifies how it can be carried out.


The postponed ordinance aimed to classify all territory within the city's municipal boundaries as suburban, urban, or central business district areas for calculating parkland dedication fees during multifamily and hotel-motel development. The City Council must adopt a new ordinance to comply with the law by December 1, and it will apply to all multifamily, hotel, and motel development plans submitted after January 1, 2024.

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