: DefinitionZoning: A legal framework that regulates how land can be used, including what types of buildings and activities are allowed in specific areas.Ordinance: A law or regulation adopted by a city or local government. Ordinances can cover a wide range of topics, such as zoning, land use, building codes, noise, or public safety.Land Use: The classification of land based on its intended or existing function, such as residential, commercial, industrial, or recreational.Floodplain: Low-lying land near a river, creek, or stream that is likely to flood during heavy rain. Floodplains help manage stormwater but can pose risks for development.100 and 500 Year Floodplain: Areas of land that have a certain chance of flooding in any given year. A 100-year floodplain has a 1% chance of flooding each year, while a 500-year floodplain has a 0.2% chance. These zones are used to guide development and manage flood risk.Thoroughfare Plan: A long-term plan that shows where major roads should go to improve traffic flow and support future growth in a city or region.Parks and Open Space Master Plan: A long-term guide for creating, improving, and maintaining parks, trails, and natural areas to meet the community’s recreation and conservation needs.Retail Gap/Opportunity Analysis: A study that compares the amount of retail spending in an area to the amount of retail sales, helping identify what types of stores or services are missing and where new businesses could succeed.Roadway Right-Sizing: Adjusting the number or width of travel lanes on a street to better match current needs, improve safety, and make space for things like bike lanes, sidewalks, or landscaping.Major Corridor: Main roads that carry high volumes of traffic and connect important areas of a city, such as downtown, neighborhoods, and highways.Mixed-Use: A development or area that combines multiple functions—such as housing, retail, and offices—within the same space or neighborhood.Density: A measurement of how many people, housing units, or buildings are located within a specific area, often expressed per acre or square mile. When considering land zoned only for residential use, Lakeway's average number of housing units per acre is 2.3.Low-Density: Average low-density housing is two units per acre, based on four* of the six benchmark cities chosen to analyze as part of this comprehensive plan, with a high of 4 units/ac in Boerne and a low of 1 unit/ac in Dripping Springs. *West Lake Hills and Horseshoe Bay do not specify lot area or dwelling units per acre in their codes. Medium-Density: Average medium-density housing ranges from 4 to 16 units per acre, based on four* of the six benchmark cities chosen to analyze as part of this comprehensive plan, with a high of 21 units/ac in Boerne and a low of 2 units/ac in Dripping Springs. *West Lake Hills and Horseshoe Bay do not specify lot area or dwelling units per acre in their codes. High-Density: Average high-density housing is 20 units per acre, based on four* of the six benchmark cities chosen to analyze as part of this comprehensive plan, with a high of 38 units/ac in Southlake and a low of 16 units/ac in Bee Cave. *West Lake Hills and Horseshoe Bay do not specify lot area or dwelling units per acre in their codes. Right-Of-Way (ROW): A publicly or privately owned strip of land reserved for transportation and infrastructure, such as roads, sidewalks, or utility lines.Stakeholders: Individuals, groups, or organizations with an interest or investment in a planning project or decision, including residents, businesses, and government entities.Infrastructure: The physical systems that support a community’s functioning, such as transportation networks, water supply, sewer systems, and electricity.Development Standards: Rules that guide how new buildings and sites are designed and built, including things like building height, setbacks, parking, and landscaping.Regulatory Barriers: Rules or requirements—such as zoning, permitting, or building codes—that can make it harder or slower to develop land or build housing and businesses.Setback: A planning regulation that establishes the minimum distance a building must be located from a property line, street, or other structure.Easement: A legal right that allows a person or organization to use a portion of someone else's property for a specific purpose, such as utilities or access.Entitlements: The set of legal approvals and permissions a developer must obtain before beginning construction on a project.Affordable Housing: Housing that is priced to be accessible to individuals and families earning below the median income for an area, often supported by public programs or policies.Comprehensive Plan: A long-term, strategic policy document that outlines a community’s vision for future growth, development, and land use over a set period, typically 10–20 years.Capital Improvements: Long-term investments in public facilities and infrastructure, such as roads, parks, water systems, and public buildings.Public Realm: Spaces that are open and accessible to all people, including parks, plazas, sidewalks, and streetscapes.Form-Based Code: A type of zoning regulation that emphasizes the physical form and design of the built environment rather than strictly regulating land use.Placemaking: A collaborative process that shapes public spaces to promote community well-being, identity, and social interaction.Steering Committee: A group of citizens whom have made a commitment to represent the interests of the people to help guide and oversee the comprehensive planning process.Planned Unit Development (PUD): A type of development that allows for more flexibility in layout and design than typical zoning.Nodes: A node is considered a activity hubs in a city, typically consisting of multiple destinations.Destination: A destination is considered a specific place that people travel to for a stated purpose. Attractors: Points of interest or reasons a person would travel to a specific area.Trip Generators: Reasons people will travel to a specific area.High Value on the Ground: Land that generates more property taxes due to the high value of buildings, the type of uses allowed, or the amount that can be developed on it.Fiscal Sustainability: Fiscal sustainability refers to having enough resources to meet residents’ basic needs and services, not just in the present but over the long term.Ad Valorem Taxes: A tax which is created based on the objects value. In the comprehensive planning context, it could refer to property or sales tax, for example.General Fund: The term used to refer to the money a government organization has to operate and provide services to its citizens.Bond: A way for a city to borrow money to pay for large projects, like building roads, parks, or public buildings. The city repays the money over time, usually with interest.Median (Listing Price, Income, Etc): The middle value in a list of values sorted smallest to largest. This is often heard when talking about listing prices or incomes, in an urban planning or comprehensive planning context.Annexation: The process by which a city extends its boundaries to include nearby land, bringing it under the city's services, regulations, and taxes.Annexed Land: Land that is located on the edges of municipal boundaries which is incorporated into the jurisdiction.Missing Middle Housing: Typically, housing types containing two to 19 units are absent from the housing inventory, referred to as 'missing middle'. Middle housing types include townhouses, duplexes, triplexes, and small apartment buildings. Housing Affordability Index: Measurement of the financial ability of a typical household to purchase an existing home in an area.Arterials: A high-capacity road, designed to move large volumes of traffic over long distances with high efficiency. In the case of Lakeway, one example of this would be Ranch Road 620.Collectors: A medium-capacity road that connects local streets to the arterial road system, or vice versa.Local Streets: The lowest capactiy roads that provide access to adjacent properties and land uses.Culvert: A pipe or tunnel that allows water to flow under a road, trail, or railroad, helping to prevent flooding and erosion.Service Road: A smaller road that runs alongside a highway or major road, giving local access to homes, businesses, and streets without directly entering the main traffic lanes.Multimodal: Involving multiple ways of getting around, such as walking, biking, driving, and using public transit.Level Of Service (LOS): A rating system, that follow standards set by the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM), used to measure a roadway’s operating conditions, based on factors like speed, travel time, maneuverability, and delay. Often graded from A (best) to F (worst).Annual Average Daily Traffic Count: The total vehicle traffic on a road over a year divided by the number of days in a year (365). These counts are used for transportation planning, site selection, and forecasting road maintenance needsDigital Dashboard: An online tool that displays key information—like maps, data, or progress updates—in a visual, easy-to-understand format. Cities use digital dashboards to share planning efforts and results with the public.Greenbelt: A protected area of natural or open land—often with trees, trails, or creeks—that surrounds or runs through parts of a city. Greenbelts help preserve nature, provide recreation, and separate developed areas.Walkshed: The area around a place—like a park, school, or transit stop—that can be reached on foot within a certain amount of time or distance, usually 5 to 10 minutes. Walksheds help measure how walkable and connected a community is.Tuck Under Parking: Parking spaces located beneath a building—usually under a portion of the structure like an upper floor of housing or offices—but not fully underground. This design saves space while keeping parking close to the building.Peer Community: Communities that are similar, competitors, or aspirational that metrics are compared against.Fiscal Sustainability: The ability of a government to sustain its current spending, tax, and other policies in the long run.Assessed Value per Acre: The total value of a property divided by its total acreage Improvement-to-Land Value Ratio: The value of the improvements on a property divide by the value of the landNeighborhood Legacy: This category accommodates a mix of low-density housing and open spaces. Local retail, service and civic uses are allowed on corridors within the district to serve residents’ needs as they do today.Neighborhood Dynamic: This land use category allows a mix of uses and housing types at a moderate density to accommodate a range of residents. Local retail and service businesses are located on active corridors, and parks and green spaces are integrated within. Dynamic Core: The community’s hub for commerce, services, and civic life aims to create a walkable environment with lively public gathering spaces, art installations, and adaptable
buildings. The goal is to encourage investment while balancing new ideas with the local character and culture.Preservation Area: This future land use category supports the natural environment in Lakeway by ensuring these areas will be preserved in perpetuity and not be developed with commercial and residential uses.Airpark Overlay: This overlay supports and protects the airpark’s function while ensuring compatibility with surrounding development. This sets standards for land use, building design, and infrastructure improvements to ensure safety, reduce conflicts and maintain the airpark’s long-term success as a unique residential community.
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