Southeast Austin: Half-Acre Lots and Separate Tract Conditions

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

The Southeast combined planning area includes Franklin Park, McKinney and Southeast zoning ordinances. Both Franklin Park and McKinney contain half-acre minimum-lot clauses on identified tracts. Those clauses regulate lot area; they do not themselves say one dwelling per half-acre.

Applies to: Identify the planning subarea and original tract, then check subsequent zoning and the current proposed-use rules.

Restrictions traced to adopted documents

Franklin Park Tract 20

Ordinance 021010-12a Part 5 sets a 21,780-square-foot minimum lot area on Tract 20. Its Part 2 identifies the East St. Elmo/Nuckols properties. The text is a lot-size restriction, not an express dwelling-unit cap.

021010-12a, Parts 2 and 5 (PDF p. 3).

McKinney Tract 25 has a separate half-acre clause

Ordinance 021010-12b Part 6(1) also sets a 21,780-square-foot minimum on its Tract 25. The tract number belongs to the McKinney ordinance map; it should not be confused with Franklin Park’s Tract 20.

021010-12b, Part 6(1) (PDF p. 3).

Southeast Tracts 59/60 have use and traffic conditions

Ordinance 021010-12c Part 4 caps each tract separately at 2,000 trips per day from cumulative development and prohibits the listed adult-oriented, convenience-storage and vehicle-storage uses. Those conditions differ from the minimum-lot clauses in the other two ordinances.

021010-12c, Part 4 (PDF p. 4).

Plan documents

Reading plans, amendments and PDF page references

Apply the ordinance to the parcel

Identify the planning subarea and original tract, then check subsequent zoning and the current proposed-use rules. See how this review handles original ordinances, amendments and HOME.

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We do this research ourselves on every project we take on — zoning, floodplain, watershed, trees, whether it is a legal lot. Send us an address and we will run it and tell you what we find. It works the same whether you own a vacant lot, a house you are thinking of adding a unit to, or a house you are thinking of replacing. No charge and no strings, and if it is a bad lot we will say so.

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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.