Texas Capitol View Corridors

In 1931, the City of Austin, aiming to preserve the visual preeminence of the {{convert|303|ft|m|adj=on}} Texas State Capitol, enacted a local ordinance limiting the height of new buildings to a maximum of {{Convert|200|ft|m}}. From that time until the early 1960s, only the University of Texas Main Building Tower was built higher than the limit, using an exception allowing for additional height with a greater setback. On November 10, 1962, the Austin Statesman announced that real-estate developers were planning a new high-rise residential building adjacent to the Capitol called the Westgate Tower.{{Cite web|title=Zoning Change Review Sheet|publisher=City of Austin|url=http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=176342|access-date=December 9, 2020}} The proposed design for the tower was {{Convert|261|ft|m}} tall, significantly exceeding the city's height limit, although it compensated with a setback for the upper portion.{{Cite news|title=Biggest Building Due|date=July 20, 1962|newspaper=Austin American}}

The prospect of so tall a structure so close to the Capitol met with significant hostility as plans proceeded. In January 1963, Texas Governor Price Daniel voiced his opposition to the proposed tower in his final address to the Texas Legislature. Resistance continued as construction progressed, with State Representative Henry Grover of Houston introducing a bill to condemn the property in February 1965,{{Cite news|title=Condemnation of Apartment near Capitol Sought|date=February 11, 1965|newspaper=Houston Chronicle}} which was defeated in March in the Texas House of Representatives by only two votes.{{Cite news|title=Westgate Foes Barely Beaten|first=David|last=Hearne|date=March 24, 1965|newspaper=Austin Statesman}} The Westgate was completed in 1966, but the controversy over the preservation of the Capitol's visual presence that dogged its construction continued to grow.

The Westgate was followed by even taller structures: first the {{Convert|307|ft|m|adj=on}} Dobie Center (designed in 1968), and then a series of ever larger downtown bank towers, culminating in the {{Convert|395|ft|m|adj=on}} One American Center (designed in 1982). In January 1983, inspired by the Westgate and these other structures, State Senator Lloyd Doggett and State Representative Gerald Hill introduced Senate Bill 176, "Relating to preservation of the view of the State Capitol from certain points and prohibition of certain construction." This bill proposed a list of protected "Capitol View Corridors" along which construction would not be permitted, so as to create protected views from a series of points around Austin.{{Cite web|title=Background on the Capitol View Corridors Issue|website=Preservation Austin|url=https://www.preservationaustin.org/uploads/CVC_Background.pdf|format=PDF|archive-date=August 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806180755/https://www.preservationaustin.org/uploads/CVC_Background.pdf}}

The bill passed through the Texas Senate and House of Representatives in early 1983, ultimately being signed into law on May 3, 1983, and coming into effect immediately.{{Cite web|title=SB 176, 68th Regular Session|website=Legislative Reference Library|url=http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/legis/billsearch/BillDetails.cfm?legSession=68-0&billTypeDetail=SB&billnumberDetail=176|access-date=December 9, 2020}} It was later recodified in 2001 by House Bill 2812, which established the current version of the statute in the Texas Government Code Chapter 3151, entitled "Preservation of View of State Capitol". This code defines the thirty state-protected viewing corridors and prohibits any construction that would intersect one of them.{{Cite web|title=Government Code Chapter 3151. Preservation of View of State Capitol|website=Texas Constitution and Statutes|url=http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/GV/htm/GV.3151.htm|access-date=December 9, 2020}} In 1985 the City of Austin adopted a corresponding Capitol View Protection Ordinance,{{Cite web|title=Capitol View Protection Ordinance Records|website=Texas Archival Resources Online|publisher=University of Texas at Austin|url=http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/taro/aushc/00746/ahc-00746.html|access-date=December 15, 2020}} so that the majority of the corridors are protected under the Austin Code of Ordinances Chapter 25-2 Appendix A, entitled "Boundaries of the Capitol View Corridors", as well as under state law.{{Cite web|title=Appendix A.: Boundaries of the Capitol View Corridors|website=Municode Library|url=https://library.municode.com/TX/Austin/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT25LADE_CH25-2ZO_APXABOCAVICO|access-date=December 9, 2020}}

File:S Congress Ave Austin TX.jpeg along Congress Avenue]]

The state legislation defining the corridors was amended in 2001 and 2003 to accommodate a series of public development projects, including the redevelopment of the defunct Mueller Airport and an expansion of Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium,{{Cite web|title=Downtown Development and Capitol View Corridors|publisher=Downtown Austin Commission|date=June 27, 2007|format=PDF|url=https://icma.org/sites/default/files/301744_Downtown%20Development%20Comission%20Report.pdf|access-date=December 9, 2020}} and again in 2013 to clarify the relationship between the state and city codes.{{Cite web|title=83(R) History for HB2256|publisher=Texas Legislature|url=http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=83R&Bill=HB2256|access-date=December 9, 2020}}

In 2007, the Austin City Council asked the Downtown Commission to review the existing corridors and propose updates or modifications. The commission's final report, delivered on June 27, 2007, recommended that eleven of the thirty corridors be reconsidered or modified. Six of the recommended changes were to correct technical errors in the statute or to bring the city and state laws into agreement, and two were to update the laws to reflect portions of the corridors that were already obstructed.{{Cite news|title=Revisiting the Capitol View Corridors: Where's the View?|newspaper=The Austin Chronicle|date=April 13, 2007|first=Katherine|last=Gregor|url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2007-04-13/465117/|access-date=December 9, 2020}} The other four recommendations were more controversial, attracting opposition from the city's Parks and Recreation Board,{{Cite news|title=Developing Stories|newspaper=The Austin Chronicle|date=August 17, 2007|first=Katherine|last=Gregor|url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2007-08-17/524359/|access-date=December 9, 2020}} the Heritage Society of Austin,{{Cite news|title=Developing Stories: The Long Capitol View|newspaper=The Austin Chronicle|date=June 1, 2007|first=Katherine|last=Gregor|url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2007-06-01/479763/|access-date=December 9, 2020}} and others; no changes were ultimately made.{{Cite news|title=What Can You Do With a Block With a View? In Downtown Austin, Not Much|newspaper=Towers|date=April 13, 2018|first=Caleb|last=Pritchard|url=https://austin.towers.net/what-can-you-do-with-a-block-with-a-view-in-downtown-austin-not-much/|access-date=November 29, 2021}}

In February 2017, the Austin City Council considered a proposal from Council Member Ora Houston to designate additional protected viewing corridors in east Austin.{{Cite news |last=Hicks |first=Nolan |last2=Novak |first2=Shonda |date=February 15, 2017 |title=City Council considers expanding Capitol view corridors in East Austin |url=http://www.mystatesman.com/news/local-govt--politics/city-council-considers-expanding-capitol-view-corridors-east-austin/AmMaam4XUYzDxGPgDQSUbK/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720062141/https://www.statesman.com/NEWS/20170215/City-Council-considers-expanding-Capitol-view-corridors-in-East-Austin |archive-date=July 20, 2021 |access-date=November 10, 2017 |newspaper=Austin American-Statesman}} The proposal was provisionally approved by council on February 16, after an amendment removed one of the five proposed new corridors;{{Cite news|title=Council approves resolution aimed at creating more Capitol View Corridors|first=Jack|last=Craver|newspaper=Austin Monitor|date=February 17, 2017|url=https://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/2017/02/council-approves-resolution-aimed-creating-capitol-view-corridors/|access-date=December 9, 2020}} that corridor was later restored to the proposal on March 2.{{Cite news|title=Approved Capitol View Corridor study could impact development of Central Health's Brackenridge Campus|first=Christopher|last=Neely|newspaper=Community Impact Newspaper|date=March 2, 2017|url=https://communityimpact.com/austin/central-austin/city-county/2017/03/02/approved-capitol-view-corridor-study-impact-development-central-healths-brackenridge-campus/|access-date=December 9, 2020}} {{As of|2021}}, city staff are reviewing the proposed additional corridors for feasibility.{{Cite news|title=How Do Capitol View Corridors Preserve Sights Of Austin's Most Famous Building?|first=Syeda|last=Hasan|newspaper=KUT|date=February 1, 2018|url=http://kut.org/post/how-do-capitol-view-corridors-preserve-sights-austins-most-famous-building|access-date=December 9, 2020}}

File:360Condos-Aug2009.JPG Tower has a setback to avoid obstructing a Capitol View Corridor.]]

Since their creation, the Capital View Corridors have been a frequent focus of conflict among various groups in Austin and in the Texas government. On one hand, cultural conservation and historical preservation organizations have generally supported the restrictions, arguing that the capitol views form an important part of Austin's cultural heritage and are threatened by the city's growth and land development.{{Cite web|title=Texas Capitol View Corridors|website=Preservation Texas|url=http://www.preservationtexas.org/endangered/texas-capitol-view-corridors/|access-date=December 9, 2020}}{{Cite web|title=Capitol View Corridors|website=Preservation Austin|url=https://www.preservationaustin.org/advocacy/capitol-view-corridors/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115015411/https://www.preservationaustin.org/advocacy/capitol-view-corridors/|archive-date=November 15, 2017}} On the other hand, both private and public entities looking to build in Austin (especially downtown) have expressed concern about the corridors' impact on investment, on property tax receipts, and on the supply of jobs and housing.{{Cite news|title=Capitol view corridors to compete at Council today|first=Audrey|last=McGlinchy|newspaper=Austin Monitor|date=February 16, 2017|url=https://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/2017/02/capitol-view-corridors-compete-council-today/|access-date=December 9, 2020}}

A number of high-rise buildings in central Austin have been designed with diagonal floor plans to avoid obstructing a viewing corridor, such as the Fifth & West Residences Tower; other towers suddenly become narrower when they reach the height of a viewing plane, like the 360 Condominiums Tower. Some major civic development projects have received exemptions from the corridor protections, including the redevelopment of the former Mueller Airport and the expansion of the University of Texas football stadium; in other cases, structures already completed have been condemned and rebuilt because of the corridors, including a newly built water intake facility for the Waller Creek Tunnel.{{Cite news|title=City Council approves $7.5M for Waller Creek Tunnel project|newspaper=KVUE|first=Ashley|last=Goudeau|date=May 12, 2016|url=https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/city-council-approves-75m-for-waller-creek-tunnel-project/269-187861751|access-date=December 15, 2020}} Low-lying corridors prevent essentially all construction on certain blocks downtown.{{Cite web|title=Travis County: Block 126 Redevelopment|website=Urban Land Institute|date=September 20, 2017|url=https://ulidigitalmarketing.blob.core.windows.net/ulidcnc/2019/03/TAP-Travis-Final.pdf|access-date=December 15, 2020}}

File:Texas CVC Map.png

A Capitol View Corridor is a quadrilateral that links a line segment somewhere in Greater Austin to the base of the capitol dome. No structure is permitted to be built in a manner that would intersect the viewing corridor and thus obstruct the protected view of the Capitol. {{As of|2021}}, state law defines thirty Capitol View Corridors in Austin, while municipal code defines twenty-six protected corridors, twenty-one of which are identical to state-defined corridors and five of which differ slightly from five of the state corridors. Many of the corridors protect stationary or pedestrian views, and others protect vehicular views from roadways (some corridors protect both). The corridors have an average length of around {{Convert|1.5|mi|km}}; the shortest runs for {{Convert|1700|ft|m}} to Waterloo Park, and the longest runs {{Convert|5.7|mi|km}} to a scenic overlook in West Lake Hills.

{{As of|2021}}, state law defines thirty Capitol View Corridors in Austin, while municipal code defines twenty-six protected corridors, twenty-one of which are identical to state-defined corridors and five of which differ slightly from five of the state corridors.

^[a]{{note|disagree-A}} The state and city definitions of this corridor disagree, with the state defining a longer section of the bridge as the protected viewpoint.

^[b]{{note|disagree-B}} The state and city definitions of this corridor disagree, with the state defining a point just downstream from the bridge as the protected viewpoint.

^[c]{{note|disagree-C}} The state and city definitions of this corridor disagree, with the city defining a longer section of the highway as the protected viewpoint.

^[d]{{note|disagree-D}} The state and city definitions of this corridor disagree, with the state defining a wider protected viewpoint, slightly farther north (closer to the lake).

^[e]{{note|disagree-E}} The state and city definitions of this corridor disagree, with the city defining a wider protected viewpoint.

^[f]{{note|obstructed}} This corridor was partially obstructed by the addition of an upper seating deck to the east side of Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium.

^[g]{{note|exempted}} Redevelopment of the airport has been exempted from compliance with this viewing corridor.

^[h]{{note|state-only}} This corridor is defined only under state law (not under city ordinance).

In February 2017, the Austin City Council considered a proposal to designate additional protected viewing corridors in east Austin. The proposal was provisionally approved by council on February 16, after an amendment removed one of the five proposed new corridors;{{Cite news|title=Council approves resolution aimed at creating more Capitol View Corridors|first=Jack|last=Craver|newspaper=Austin Monitor|date=February 17, 2017|url=https://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/2017/02/council-approves-resolution-aimed-creating-capitol-view-corridors/|access-date=November 10, 2017}} that corridor was later restored to the proposal on March 2.{{Cite news|title=Approved Capitol View Corridor study could impact development of Central Health's Brackenridge Campus|first=Christopher|last=Neely|newspaper=Community Impact Newspaper|date=March 2, 2017|url=https://communityimpact.com/austin/central-austin/city-county/2017/03/02/approved-capitol-view-corridor-study-impact-development-central-healths-brackenridge-campus/|access-date=November 10, 2017}} {{As of|2020}}, city staff are reviewing the proposed additional corridors for feasibility.{{Cite news|title=How Do Capitol View Corridors Preserve Sights Of Austin's Most Famous Building?|first=Syeda|last=Hasan|newspaper=KUT|date=February 1, 2018|url=http://kut.org/post/how-do-capitol-view-corridors-preserve-sights-austins-most-famous-building|access-date=1 February 2018}}

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{{Commons category}}

• [https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1OmWNgmriRu9gDHuwrrVaRxb03W8&hl=en_US Map of the existing and proposed Capitol View Corridors] on Google Maps

{{Austin}}

Category:1983 establishments in Texas

Category:1983 legislation

Category:History of Austin, Texas

Category:Cultural heritage conservation

Category:Texas statutes

Category:Urban planning in the United States