On March 11, 2025, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend the removal of a lot from the Martin Luther King Jr. Transit-Oriented Development district. Austin Growth Ventures, the developer, aims to build an 81-unit structure significantly exceeding the current 60-foot height limit. Neighbors and community members expressed opposition due to concerns over drainage, traffic, and aesthetics, indicating insufficient community engagement despite some outreach by developers. Key architectural concerns were raised about how the project might fail to contribute to the community's needs.
"A development of this scale should do more than just meet the basic needs for housing," said Daniela Valle, an architect who described herself as an avid transit user. "It should give back to the community. As it stands, this project does neither."
The request faced loud opposition from neighbors last time it came before the Planning Commission on Jan. 28. Commissioners opted to postpone a decision on the item during that meeting, then postponed it again during a later meeting to give developers time to engage with the community.
The TOD was adopted in 2009 with the intention of promoting dense, pedestrian-friendly development near the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard stop on Capital Metro's Red Line.
More than a dozen neighbors came out to oppose the request again on March 11, condemning the plan over drainage, traffic and aesthetic concerns related to building height.
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