Circle C Ranch neighbors turned out in force at City Hall on Tuesday night, pressing Austin's Zoning and Platting Commission to slow down a major rezoning that could clear the way for roughly 1,000 apartments on a tract facing MoPac. Residents argued that dropping that many units next to Kiker Elementary and open space near the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center would spike traffic, threaten child safety and put more pressure on the Edwards Aquifer.
What’s proposed and where
The rezoning request, Case C14-2025-0064 and labeled Circle C Tract 110, covers about 67.138 acres at 11010 ½ South MoPac Expressway southbound. It seeks to revise the current CS-MU-CO conditional overlay to allow multifamily development, according to the City of Austin rezoning staff report. The filing outlines space for up to 1,000 residential units alongside already approved office uses, gated access connecting to Dahlgreen Avenue and an affordability component offered by the developer.
Neighbors and developers face off
Dozens of Circle C residents lined up at the podium to tell commissioners they felt blindsided by the proposal and worried the project would clog neighborhood streets and overload nearby schools. One resident said “I think the lack of transparency has been disappointing,” while another warned the plan would put “3,000 cars on this road that goes right by the elementary school,” according to KEYE/CBS Austin.
Developers countered that they are building within the rules and responding to aquifer and access concerns. Amanda Swor of the Drenner Group told KEYE/CBS Austin that “the use is allowed now today under SB 840, and it addresses the access location.”
Traffic, schools and green space at stake
Throughout the meeting, residents pressed city staff about how traffic and student safety would be handled. The city’s staff packet notes that a zoning transportation analysis is required and shows planned bicycle facilities and a Safe Routes to School connection along the edge of the property, according to the staff report. The same packet points out that the tract lies in the Slaughter Creek - Barton Springs watershed and touches a wildland-urban interface and a designated scenic roadway, details neighbors say only heighten the need for strong aquifer protections.
How state law plays in
Texas Senate Bill 840 now requires cities in large counties to allow mixed-use or multifamily residential development in zoning districts that already permit commercial or office uses. In the law’s words, “a municipality or county shall allow mixed-use residential use and development.” The statute also limits how far local governments can go in restricting density, height and parking for qualifying projects, a framework developers point to when they propose housing on commercially zoned tracts. The full text is available from the Texas Legislature.
Next steps
The Zoning and Platting Commission has sent its recommendation on the case to the Austin City Council, and the full case file and commission packet are posted on the city’s planning portal and agenda page linked from the commission site. City staff identify Nancy Estrada as the case manager for C14-2025-0064, and council consideration of the rezoning will be the next major decision point for the proposal.
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