East MLK: Creek Setbacks, Cover and Industrial Tract Limits

Last reviewed September 17, 2026 · City of Austin planning documents · Kimbrough Gray · KiliGray Homes

East MLK has separate MLK, MLK-183 and Pecan Springs/Springdale zoning ordinances. The MLK-183 document contains substantial creek setbacks, buffers and development caps. Those adopted tract conditions are the relevant starting point, rather than the plan’s general recommendations for Cavalier Park or corridor growth.

Applies to: Determine the planning subarea and the original tract number, then check its current zoning and subsequent cases.

Restrictions traced to adopted documents

MLK-183 Tract 150: two different creek constraints

Ordinance 021107-Z-12b requires a 200-foot building setback and 100-foot vegetative buffer from Walnut Creek’s centerline, and a 100-foot building setback and 50-foot buffer from Little Walnut Creek’s centerline. Tract 150 also has a 60% impervious-cover cap. The buffer clauses allow only specified improvements.

021107-Z-12b, Part 10(2) (PDF p. 6).

MLK-183 Tracts 154/159: industrial building limits

Part 11 sets a 30-foot-or-two-story building-height limit, 50% building coverage, 40,000-square-foot maximum building footprint, 70% impervious cover and 0.5:1 FAR on Tracts 154/159. These are planned-development-area conditions on those tracts.

021107-Z-12b, Part 11(1)–(5) (PDF p. 7).

Pecan Springs/Springdale: Tillery buffers

Ordinance 021107-Z-12c requires a 15-foot vegetative buffer on Tract 228 along Tillery on the west and along the southern edge adjoining residentially developed or zoned property. Its improvement exceptions are part of the restriction.

021107-Z-12c, Part 9(2) (PDF p. 6).

Plan documents

Reading plans, amendments and PDF page references

Apply the ordinance to the parcel

Determine the planning subarea and the original tract number, then check its current zoning and subsequent cases. See how this review handles original ordinances, amendments and HOME.

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We are homebuilders, not the City of Austin. This page explains how we read the code in practice — it is not legal advice and it is not an official determination. Always confirm with Austin Development Services before you rely on it for a project. The authoritative text is the Austin Land Development Code; permitting questions go to Austin Development Services Department.