Austin Contrarian
January 11, 2010
ROMA, the outfit charged with developing a plan for downtown Austin, has proposed a density bonus ordinance for downtown residential development. ROMA would allow commercial and hotel developments an automatic bonus if they comply with "gatekeeper" requirements, which mainly means complying with the city's urban design guidelines and submitting a detailed site plan for review and approval. ROMA and its economics consultant concluded that the market for office and hotel space will not support a density bonus program.
The big change is for residential. Residential properties seeking an increase from the district's base zoning must not only comply with the gatekeeper requirements but also must pay a bonus on the extra square footage. Half the bonus must be satisfied by providing on-site affordable housing or an in-lieu fee of $10/sf. The other half must be satisfied by providing a "community benefit.
A density bonus is a tax on marginal increases in density. Don't be confused by the rhetoric. It is a tax. The plan raises the cost of that last square foot.
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