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CSAN
College Station Association of Neighborhoods
MIDDLE HOUSING is COMING
The City of College Station is proposing to re-zone residential areas around the city to Middle Housing. This change will encourage affordable rental homes and duplexes to be replaced by higher-density, rent-by-the-room student multi-plexes. The map below shows the first phase of this re-zoning effort.
Watch a brief video that explains what could happen when a neighborhood is rezoned to Middle Housing.
Speak up to City Council!
It's fast (you only get 3 minutes), easy to do and can be remarkably effective.
Council Members really do use citizen input to guide their votes.
CLICK for details on how to sign up to speak.
Click on the map icons below to go to a more detailed view and description of the areas proposed for Middle Housing.
MIDDLE HOUSING UPDATES (9/7/23)
City Staff analyzed public feedback and other issues and made the following modifications to the areas proposed for Middle Housing.
- Area C, Chimney Hill, was removed from consideration due to public opposition.
- Area CC, Trinity Place, was removed from consideration due to public opposition.
- Area BB, South Knoll/Gabbard Park, was modified to include only the chalet-style homes on Swiss Ct. and Chalet Ct.
- Area N, Lemon Tree, was modified to remove the homes in the Lemon Tree Ln. cul-de-sac due to infrastructure considerations.
- Area X, Nelson Ln., Thornton Ct. and Camp Ct. were added for MH consideration.
A major issue arising from public input was opposition to the increased occupancy limits automatically included with Shared Housing built in Middle Housing zones. Therefore, Staff split consideration of Shared Housing and Middle Housing and made separate recommendations. [See below for the new High Occupancy Overlay (HOO)]. The following areas were deemed suitable for zoning to Middle Housing, but NOT suitable for increased occupancy per unit.
L. Holik Dr. Area
N. Lemon Tree Area
U. Colgate
V. Kalanchoe, Camelia, Azalea Cts.
X. Nelson, Thornton, Camp Cts.
BB. Swiss and Chalet Cts. only
DD. Navarro north
EE. Navarro south
FF. Welsh, San Saba
GG. Airline
All remaining areas will be considered suitable (though not automatically included) for the High Occupancy Overlay (ROO).
Questions
and
Answers
Here
The City of College Station has established a website for Middle Housing information and input. It can be accessed HERE.
Shared Housing and Middle Housing and the new High Occupancy Overlay (HOO) ... big changes to help preserve our single-family neighborhoods.
Shared Housing
- A new building classification for residential structures, reviewed during permitting.
- It basically determines what is a true single-family residence and what is an
"Ag Shack" or "stealth dorm," something that has been missing from our codes.
- There are a number of criteria that will be used to determine what will be considered
"Shared Housing," but a critical one is more than four bedrooms/baths. Structures
with four or fewer may still be considered shared housing based on other criteria.
- Shared Housing will not be allowed to be built in single-family neighborhoods. Existing
structures will be grandfathered in.
- High occupancy Shared Housing will no longer be automatically included in the
new Middle Housing zones.
- Since inception, the City has denied ALL building permits for Shared Housing
structures in single-family neighborhoods. Prior to the change, 20-40 permits for
"Mini-dorms" or "Ag Shacks were typically approved per year.
"Middle Housing"
- A new zoning classification.
- Middle Housing zones will be established from the existing zones called "Mixed
Residential" in the Future Land Use Plan and will allow a higher unit density than
currently exists. The City solicited and received considerable public input, mostly
negative. As a result, a few proposed areas were completely removed from
consideration and nearly half those remaining were recommended for Middle
Housing, but NOT Shared Housing.
- Properties in Middle Housing zones will no longer be required to go through the
rezoning process as they do now. They must only adhere to construction and
setback requirements.
"High Occupancy Overlay (HOO)"
- The HOO was created to give the City increased planning flexibility and give the public
a much greater opportunity for input via the rather involved Overlay process.
A number of areas are being proposed for Middle Housing approval, but NOT for
HOO approval, thus helping to preserve neighborhood integrity.
For a much more detailed discussion including why the "four-unrelated" law never seems to get enforced and what these new classifications will and won't do
CLICK HERE.
Who owns all those rental properties?
A lot of out-of-town investors, that's who.
CLICK to see a breakdown.
What is CSAN?
Hover over text
Can You Do the ROO Too?
Click for steps to take before you contact the City and a detailed list of neighborhoods that can likely get the ROO.
Southwood Valley Phase 21
(Southwest Pkwy and Bee Creek)
is the newest ROO!
Congratulations neighbors for all you hard work!
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