Sunset Valley, TX
Home MenuHistory of Impervious Cover and Land Development Regulations
In order to guide the development and construction of businesses and residential areas, the City of Sunset Valley has developed various regulations over the past decades. These regulations affect everything from the amount of impervious cover on the ground, the look and size of signage, and even landscaping that enhances the look of businesses. Below you will find a timeline of various regulations the City has adopted to protect the watershed.
Watershed Protection and Impervious Cover Regulations
| Year Adopted/Description | Impervious Cover Limitations and Notable Changes to Watershed Development Regulations |
|---|---|
| 1984 Interim Watershed Ordinance |
Uplands Zone-Commercial and Multifamily limited to 40% impervious cover unless there were development rights transferred and then development was allowed up to 55%. Water Quality Buffer Zone-18% impervious cover and no commercial development within 100 feet of minor waterway Critical Water Quality Zone- Development Free Zone with the exception of utilities, parks, water quality facilities, and private access drives. |
| 1985 Watershed Ordinance |
Uplands Zone-Commercial and Multifamily limited to 60% impervious cover. Water Quality Buffer Zone-18% impervious cover and no commercial development Critical Water Quality Zone- Development Free Zone with the exception of utilities, parks, water quality facilities, and private access drives. |
| May 18, 1999 | Watershed Development Permit lasts 18 months |
| Jun 21, 1999 | Site Plan Expiration |
| September 17, 1996 | Setbacks to critical environmental features, Requirements for Regional Detention Facilities for Single Family Residential, Standards for Vegetation Filter Strips, Groundwater Infiltration Protection, Erosion and Sedimentation Control. |
| 1996 Land Development Code |
Single Family Lots-18% impervious Cover Commercial or Multi-Family Residential- Limited to 40% unless there were development transfers or the project was greater than 10 acres adjoined HWY 290 a property could then receive up to 50% impervious cover. Water Quality Transition Zone- Development Free Zone with the exception of utilities, parks, water quality facilities, residential street crossings, and private access drives. Critical Water Quality Zone- Development Free Zone with the exception of utilities, parks, water quality facilities, residential street crossings, and private access drives. |
| March 18, 1997 | Adopting Impervious Cover Regulations for Governmental, Utility, and Institutional Zoning |
| March 3, 1998 | Adopting Drainage Criteria and Environmental Criteria Manual of the City of Austin |
| March 7, 2001 | Land Development Code Applies to City Owned Property |
| Effects of Impervious Cover Limits to Improve Water Quality | Report on the effects of impervious cover on runoff and stream baseflow with different levels of impervious cover. This report was presented to the City of Sunset Valley by Dr. Lauren Ross in January 2003. |
| February 18, 2003 |
Council changed the impervious limit across all categories of development to 18% impervious cover in an Uplands Zone. Watershed Development Permit required for residential property but no water quality controls required. |
| February 7, 2006 | Site Plan Submittal Changes due to changes enacted by the Texas Legislature |
| February 2, 2007 |
Council approves some changes to Chapter 4 of the land development code to allow for exemptions for some structures in single family residential areas. Variance process to allow for up to 8% of the Water Quality Transition Zone |
| May 15, 2007 |
Council approves variance process to allow development within the Water Quality Transition Zone allowed to be done administratively by City Staff. Pollution Reduction Mitigation measures included in requirements for variance. Exemptions to impervious cover refined. |
| May 13, 2008 | Council amended the variance process and the amount of allowed impervious cover in the Water Quality Transition Zone raised to 14%. |
| April 21, 2009 | Impervious Cover Determination Procedures for Single Family Residential Areas. |
| May 5, 2009 |
Council approves changes to the administrative variance process and requires vegetative filter strip or rain gardens as a mitigation measure. No development should be allowed to go over 18% and small structure exemptions cannot be used to bring impervious cover over 18%. |
| September 8, 2009 | Council adopted changes to clean up different sections of the code and added the 75 foot buffer to the critical water quality zone as a condition for an administrative variance. |
| February 19, 2013 | Changes to code to keep consistence with new changes in Chapter 16 |
| May 20, 2014 |
Council approves exemptions for rainwater harvesting tanks. |
| October 13, 2015 |
Council approves exemptions for trail meeting the following criteria: Trails in Greenspaces and Conservation areas no more than 11 feet wide composed of natural soil, granite gravel, stabilized soil aggregate with concrete or stone edging no more than 6 inches wide on each side. Pervious concrete may also be allowed in areas of high erosion. |
| Current Chapter 4 Watershed Regulations |
18% remains the limit in the Uplands. 14% in the Water Quality Transition Zone with Administrative Variance and Mitigation measures applied. The Critical Water Quality Zone remains development free unless a variance is granted by the City Council for development. |
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