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City, county leaders stress caution to keep Covid numbers down through SXSW
The city and organizers of the South by Southwest festival have asked attendees of credentialed and free events to have proof of vaccination or a recent negative Covid-19 test if they plan on participating in this year’s event. Local leaders…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 8, 2022
Some Austin bridges need major repairs yet lack project funding
Before you drive or walk across a bridge, it’s safe to assume that the structure is in good shape and will support your weight as you cross it. Austinites have the Public Works Department and the Texas Department of Transportation…
Roads • By Willow Higgins • Mar 8, 2022
Latest Rainey tower gets Planning Commission support
The Planning Commission has recommended increased density for 80 Rainey, a 550-foot-tall, 644-unit residential tower by developer Lincoln Ventures at 80 Rainey St. The commission voted 11-0-1 on Feb. 22 to recommend increasing the floor area ratio (a measure of density)…
Planning • By Jonathan Lee • Mar 8, 2022
City had data, but not follow-through, to 'fix' Sixth Street in 2014
City leaders had a pair of reports nearly a decade ago that prescribed changes to make the downtown Sixth Street entertainment district safer, yet many of those actions were never implemented despite a 2014 City Council resolution that included several…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 7, 2022
Council approves anti-displacement funding for year two of Project Connect
Forty-one million dollars is officially on its way to the affordable housing pipeline as of last Thursday, when City Council resolved to allocate funding from Project Connect’s $300 million anti-displacement budget in the next fiscal year. The resolution, sponsored by…
Planning • By Kali Bramble • Mar 7, 2022
Planning Commission dims owner's hopes of turning plant nursery into housing
The Planning Commission threw a wrench into an East Austin business owner’s plans to cash out on his property and allow it to be developed, voting Tuesday against removing a restrictive covenant that prohibits anything but a plant nursery. The…
Zoning • By Jonathan Lee • Mar 7, 2022
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Entertainment permit among actions Council envisions for safer Sixth Street
The city could institute an entertainment permit for nightclubs and other late-night gathering spots downtown as part of its plans to curb violence in the Sixth Street entertainment district. City Council voted unanimously Thursday to move forward with an assortment…
Public Safety • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 4, 2022
Austin OKs $2.95 million settlement for Brad Levi Ayala, teen injured by police at 2020 protests
Austin City Council agreed to pay Brad Levi Ayala $2.95 million for injuries suffered after being shot by an APD officer on May 30, 2020. Ayala, who was 16 at the time, suffered brain trauma as a result of the…
Police • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Mar 4, 2022
Roadway changes coming soon to a transit corridor near you
Transit authorities convened Wednesday morning to announce several long-anticipated city changes to clear the way for the Orange and Blue lines, two stretches of light rail that are part of Project Connect, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s multibillion-dollar transit infrastructure project.…
Transportation • By Seth Smalley • Mar 4, 2022
Renovation of historic Fontaine building postponed amid calls for more research
A proposal from new tenants of the Reverend Jacob Fontaine Gold Dollar building – the last stronghold of Austin’s oldest Freedom Colony – met resistance from the Historic Landmark Commission Monday. The building has long been on the commission’s radar, acquiring…
Preservation • By Kali Bramble • Mar 4, 2022
Amplifying the 'Austin Monitor'
Amplify Austin Day began on Wednesday, March 2, this year. This collective effort by our community to support local nonprofit organizations is so aligned with our work, scope and mission it feels like we’re twin planets orbiting the same sun. …
Mission Note • By Joel Gross • Mar 3, 2022
Lawyer argues staggered Council elections, new district maps deny thousands the right to vote
An Austin lawyer has sued City Council members over what he says is the denial of voting rights to tens of thousands of residents. Bill Aleshire filed the lawsuit in a Travis County district court Tuesday on behalf of a…
