Impervious coverage austin

View detailed profile Advanced or search site with Search Forums Advanced. Is there a grandfathering of lots exceeding impervious cover limits adopted after the house and driveway were built? Originally Posted by lpauling. There are lots of Grandfathered building codes which is why Austin is never going to be able to simplify the issues like they want to. For years, they've been trying to come up with a way to say this is it, black and white, but there is no way to do that when each area of Austin has different grandfathered things going on.

Austin97, do you think they wont make me tear out a driveway extension that existed before the impervious limits were put into effect that puts me over the limit if I am seeking a permit to remodel a room that will not increase impervious cover? Location: Holly Neighborhood, Austin, Texas. So do aggregate materials, e. Originally Posted by verybadgnome.

Originally Posted by Trainwreck They have a percentage equivalent impervious cover for some materials, although I don't remember what materials specifically. Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum.

It is free and quick. There is a Stormwater Management Discount for both residential and commercial properties. The discount is for stormwater controls, such as rain gardens, rainwater harvesting or ponds, that exceed the legal requirements for development. Find out more about the discount program. In addition, if you have an uncovered wooden deck and an unpaved portion of your driveways, we may be able to lower your impervious cover, which will in turn lower your bill.

If you have these features, please call and ask about an administrative review of your drainage charge. Additionally, properties without any impervious cover will not be billed a drainage charge, and the charge does not apply to properties outside the city limits. Residential customers may request a reduced drainage charge based on financial need through the Customer Assistance Program. This discount on the drainage charge is only available to those being billed directly by the City for drainage.

If you rent a single-family home, duplex, triplex, fourplex or garage apartment, you will be charged for drainage on your electric bill.

When there are multiple units, such as a duplex, we divide the charge evenly among the units. If you rent an apartment in a complex with more than four units, we will charge the property owner or manager for the whole property.

They may choose to allocate the charge to their tenants keeping in mind any applicable provisions in the lease agreement as well as the requirements in City Code Chapter Utility Service Regulations. In general, the answer is yes. Stormwater runoff generated by impervious cover continues to occur whether or not the property is vacant.

In addition, the City is striving to keep uncollected fees from vacant properties to a minimum to keep the rates as low as possible for everyone. The process is different depending on whether the owner or the tenant s are paying for utility services.

Tenants may be paying for utilities in single-family residences, duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes and some commercial properties. If the owner of the property is paying for utilities, and shuts utilities off for vacancy reasons, the drainage charge will remain as a charge to that owner.

If tenants on a property are paying the drainage charge and call to shut down their utility account, then the charge will be transferred to the owner of the property, whenever possible. There may be situations where the property is vacant for only a short period of time and we are not able to bill the owner in the limited time. City Code section and City Code Chapter Article 12 provide a process for requesting a review of your drainage charge and for adjusting your drainage charge, if warranted.

The process includes an administrative review by the Director of the Watershed Protection Department and an administrative hearing by a hearings officer. There is more information about this process on the Drainage Charge Administrative Review web page. The adjustment factor is based on the percent of impervious cover on an individual property. It adjusts the drainage charge upwards for properties with more than A weighted average is a more accurate way to calculate an average when the items being averaged are of relative importance to each other.

This represents a slight decrease from the previous fiscal year. The impervious cover for each property includes surfaces like rooftops, driveways, parking lots, walkways, patios, unpaved driveways and unpaved parking.

The City has measured the impervious cover for each property through its aerial data and mapping software, supplemented with zoning and development records. The adjustment factor is unique to each property and is based on the percent of impervious cover.

It is calculated with the following formula:. It refers to water that falls as rain and runs off the land, and especially off of pavement or structures placed on the land.

Drainage can be a problem because of flooding, erosion and impacts on water quality. The drainage system should not be confused with the sanitary sewage system, which takes away water used in homes, businesses and industries for toilets, sinks, showers, washing machines and various types of business processes.

Roy Cavanaugh cephus gmail. Transfer of development rights TDR , sometimes known as transfer of development credits TDC , is a market-based tool that allows communities to channel development toward designated growth areas and away from natural areas, drinking water sources and farmland. Development rights are separated from a parcel of land that needs protecting the sending site and transferred to a parcel of land more appropriate for development the receiving site.

Future development on the sending site is permanently restricted, thereby protecting that asset. The project in the receiving site where the TDR credit is applied gains a density bonus above what would otherwise be allowed by zoning.