Friends of Zilker supports neighbors seeking variances to add garage doors to open carports.
Friends of Zilker supports Zilker residence seeking Board of Adjustment variances to increase FAR to allow for the addition of a garage door(s) on one of the two open sides of a carport. Adding a garage door to a carport that is still 80% open on one side does not add heated / cooled living space to the home.
The addition of a garage door should not change the FAR, but because Austin has an unusual way of calculating FAR it does. The FoZ support neighbors who seek an upwards adjustment of their homes FAR to allow for the addition of a garage door on an open carport. Furthermore, the distance of a carport from an open porch should not impact how the FAR is calculated if both the porch and the carport are not heated / cooled. Allowing neighbors to add garage doors to their homes is very much in keeping with the character of the Zilker neighborhood.
| Yes – I support this position | 34 |
| No – I do not support this position | 1 |
Information about McMansion Carport Exemption – LDC 25-2, Subchapter F, 3.3.2 . More of a high level overview of the McMansion Ordinance.
Information about 904 Jessie Board of Adjustment Code Interpretation regarding required distance between open carport and porch: Austin Monitor Story about 904 Jessie and 904 Jessie Board of Adjustment Documents
Previous Council (in)Action on resolving carport exemption issue generally in the code which is why BOA variances are needed to add garage doors. October 6, 2016 – City Council Item 55 (1 of 2) 65:20
Editor Update : July 12,2017
Friends of Zilker sent THIS LETTER to the City regarding our support of the BOA variance to increase FAR/Allow for a Garage Door for the Lamb family on Bluebonnet. The family has already secured signatures from 224 Zilker neighbors! The Board of Adjustment decided there was a “posting error” at the July meeting and the case would not be tried until the next BOA meeting in August.
The Zilker Neighborhood Association Zoning Committee has decided NOT TO SUPPORT the variance request. Their letter to the City can be reviewed HERE. Some ZNA members have requested the matter be brought to a vote by the full ZNA at the quarterly meeting so maybe their position will change.