A second reading on March 11 is required before any UDC amendments go into effect, per city documents.
What’s happening?
The proposed amendments include changes to the city's development processes, parking, residential fences and more. The updates are in line with the vision, goals and policies within Georgetown's 2030 Comprehensive Plan, per city documents.
According to a presentation from Planning Director Sofia Nelson, the revisions will update outdated standards and allow the city to adapt to rapid growth. A few proposed UDC amendments include:
- Updating the UDC amendment process
- Revising the approved site development process
- Adjusting the screening—or obscuring—requirement for dumpsters, compactors, waste and recycling containers in some residential areas
- Providing exemptions to UDC fencing requirements for residents within the historic overlay district
“Screening requirements [are] a result of ensuring that even residential properties in our [extraterritorial jurisdiction] have the same buffering and screening requirements from trash receptacles as those properties within the city limits,” Nelson said.
Zooming in
The update would also revise Georgetown’s courthouse view protection overlay district. The overlay district places height restrictions on specific downtown areas to prevent an obstructed view of the Williamson County Courthouse.
According to city documents, proposed UDC changes would remove the overlay from:
- Austin Avenue and University Avenue north to the courthouse
- Spring Street south to the courthouse
The last revision calls for select downtown retail stores and restaurants over 20,000 square feet to not require off-street parking—or parking in an area away from public streets—if a shared parking lot is two blocks away.
Did you know?
Georgetown City Council members adopted the first set of comprehensive development regulations, now known as the UDC, in 2003.
