City pursues View Corridor exceptions

Georgetown’s Courthouse View Corridor regulations attempt to preserve the view of the Williamson County Courthouse dome from sections of Interstate 35 and Austin Avenue by limiting building heights downtown.

City council approved a resolution Tuesday to pursue an emergency amendment to the city’s Unified Development Code in order to create a waiver process to allow some deviations to the view corridor requirement.

“City council hereby designates amendments to the UDC establishing a waiver process for the Courthouse View Corridor as an executive amendment,” the resolution reads.

During a September 13 workshop, council members were informed the future downtown parking garage — planned for 0.66-acres of land located at 502 South Main Street and bordered by South Austin Avenue, South Main Street and Sixth Street 30 feet of Austin Avenue cannot be taller than 21 feet, which would limit parking garage design options and result in the loss of at least 38 spaces.

As a result, council instructed staff to pursue an emergency UDC amendment so the project would remain on schedule. The garage could be completed by spring of 2024.

An emergency amendment gives the city an alternative to working through the Zoning Board of Adjustment’s UDC amendment process, which would add several months to the garage construction timeline, City Manager David Morgan said during the September 13 workshop.

While emergency amendments are not common practice, they are allowed if:

• an amendment is necessary to protect the health, safety or general welfare of the city and safe, orderly and healthful development • waiting for the annual UDC review process is not in city’s the best interest

• the UDC does not provide other avenues to address the proposed revision.

According to Thursday’s resolution, city council “has identified criteria for a waiver from the established requirements of the Courthouse View Corridor that must be met to ensure the healthful and orderly development of the city.”

With a resolution now in place, city staff will continue drafting the UDC amendment. The amendment will go before the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission November 1, a meeting that will include a public hearing. After receiving a recommendation from the commission, the amendment will have a first reading during the November 8 council meeting.