Middle Housing: A Primer
- Admin
- Jan 15, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
MIDDLE HOUSING ZONING
"Middle Housing" is a new zoning classification adopted by the City on October 27, 2022 (Ordinance #2022-4399). This classification was created to:
Accommodate an ever-growing student population,
Acknowledge the reality of what was already happening in some neighborhoods, and
Provide protection to other neighborhoods from incompatible housing types (Ag Shacks, etc.).
This post will answer a number of questions about Middle Housing Zoning to help you understand what it is and how it might affect our neighborhoods.
WHY IS IT CALLED MIDDLE HOUSING
The new zoning designation is called Middle Housing because it is in between low-density housing, such as detached single-family homes and duplexes, and high-density housing, such as apartment complexes. In reality, much of the new housing construction will approach the density of the apartment complexes in College Station.
WHY DO WE NEED MIDDLE HOUSING ZONING
In short, the City believes that Middle Housing will help address the housing crisis largely caused by the increasing student population. They hope it will provide "more housing options" for other groups such as "young professionals" and retirees.
The immediate reason is that enforcement of the "four-unrelated rule" will force potentially thousands of students out of illegal, over-occupied single-family homes.
IS MIDDLE HOUSING JUST FOR STUDENTS
Ideally, no. In reality, students will occupy almost any new housing in these proposed zones. Non-students will then generally avoid them.
WILL MIDDLE HOUSING BE MORE AFFORDABLE
NO! New structures built in Middle Housing zones will almost certainly be more expensive to rent than the older housing they will replace. The result will likely be the displacement of working class families and students on a budget.
WHERE ARE MIDDLE HOUSING ZONES IN COLLEGE STATION
You can see where Middle Housing zoning is currently in College Station
WHAT KINDS OF STRUCTURES CAN BE BUILT IN MIDDLE HOUSING ZONES
According to the City's website, "... a flexible mix of housing products including small lot single-family homes, townhouses, courtyard houses, duplexes (2-units), small multiplexes (3-4 units), medium multiplexes (5-12 units), and live-work units" can be built in Middle Housing zones.
However, because of the insatiable demand for student housing and the tendency of developers/landlords to squeeze as much money out of a plot of land as possible, it is very likely that only small and medium multiplexes will replace the structures in areas with one-story homes and duplexes. Some examples are below.
HOW DID THE CITY DECIDE ON WHICH AREAS TO PROPOSE FOR REZONING
The City will likely say that the areas targeted for Middle Housing are based on the Comprehensive and Future Land Use Plans. Exactly how those decisions were made for those plans is unknown. It appears, however, that decisions were made on percentage rentals, age of structures, lot size and the desirability of the locations to the development community.
The initial set of City-proposed zones was reviewed by a citizens committee, which included three current or former CSAN board members, among others. The zones presented here are the ones that made it through that process. HOW DID CSAN DECIDE ON WHICH AREAS TO STRONGLY OPPOSE FOR REZONING CSAN took into account several factors when deciding which areas to strongly oppose for rezoning:
Is the neighborhood home to working families and students on a budget? (ex. Trinity Place)
Is the neighborhood close to CSISD schools? (ex. Navarro)
Would redevelopment to multi-story structures destroy the larger neighborhood's character and quality of life for those residents? (ex. Holik)
CSAN does not have an opinion on several neighborhoods that are heavily student-occupied already. Should residents of those neighborhoods wish to oppose rezoning and preserve their affordable housing, CSAN will support that effort with the resources we have available.
Several other neighborhoods, particularly the newer ones in south College Station, have been developed with housing similar to what is proposed for Middle Housing. CSAN does not oppose rezoning these areas to match their current use.
DOES CSAN THINK MIDDLE HOUSING IS A GOOD IDEA Middle Housing is a useful tool for areas of College Station that are already almost entirely built-to-rent student housing and those that are designed to proposed Middle Housing standards. Construction of similar developments in those areas would be a benefit to the city, without disrupting existing housing patterns.
Middle Housing as proposed, however, will displace working families and actually harm the students it is supposed to help by eliminating their affordable housing, too.
The City of College Station's current plan is nothing short of student gentrification and the only people it will benefit are developers and landlords.
DOES CSAN HAVE ANY BETTER IDEAS
CSAN has some better ideas that will help solve the College Station housing crunch, without destroying our neighborhoods.
TEXAS A&M is the source of the problem, and it must be part of the solution. Small and medium multiplexes can be built on the thousands of acres of property A&M owns just as easily and profitably as they can in existing College Station neighborhoods, but without the detrimental effects on their own students and staff.
Why is College Station targeting just residential neighborhoods? There are plenty of apartment complexes where density could be increased. Plenty of business complexes could be bulldozed and rebuilt as multi-story, live-work units.
Several proposed areas in south College Station should be rezoned to Middle Housing because that's what they already are. There is also plenty of undeveloped land where student housing can be built without harming existing neighborhoods. No, these areas are not as convenient to Campus as students might like, but students are not the only people who want to live near Campus. Faculty, staff and former students have every right to live there, too. Improving mass transit along the Wellborn Road and Holleman Drive S corridors would help alleviate the inconvenience.
IS MIDDLE HOUSING THE END OF REZONING NO! This round of Middle Housing rezoning is not the last. There is a smaller round already scheduled. Importantly, these areas are only the ones that are City-initiated.
Any property owner can request rezoning for their property or properties. In fact, there are over a dozen requests for Middle Housing rezoning already submitted by landowners outside the areas here. Submission doesn't mean approval, however.
It is vitally important for residents to band together and protect their neighborhoods from this type of encroachment. The City does listen! It took years, but defining built-to-rent student housing (Ag Shacks, Stealth Dorms) as "shared housing" and keeping it out of residential neighborhoods was the result of neighborhood pressure. The same can be said for enforcement of the "four-unrelated rule."
WHERE ARE THE MIDDLE HOUSING ZONES
Use this map to see where Middle Housing Zones are in College Station.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For the official Middle Housing structure types, minimum lot dimensions, setbacks, heights, units/acre, parking, etc. CLICK HERE. This information is critical for determining what kind(s) of structures could be built in your neighborhood. For example:
A medium multiplex with 12 attached units can be built on as little as 9,600 sq. ft (0.22 acres), provided it meets setback and other requirements.
