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City backtracks, now says people can testify by phone at public meetings
The proverbial phone line had been cut. Now, it’s being restored. Over the summer, the city of Austin said residents would no longer be able to phone in to public meetings as they’d been doing during the pandemic. The change…
City Hall • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Sep 22, 2021
The conversation continues over environmental impact of Brodie Oaks development
Last Wednesday, the Environmental Commission revisited a conversation about the Brodie Oaks planned unit development that began back in March. The PUD, which would encompass a 37.6-acre tract of land on the corner of South Lamar Boulevard and South Capital…
Development • By Kali Bramble • Sep 22, 2021
APD needs more oversight, Public Safety Committee is told
Police transparency and accountability are still sorely lacking in Austin, according to statistical information presented to the City Council Public Safety Committee on Monday. Farah Muscadin, director of the Office of Police Oversight, or OPO, provided several grim findings in…
Police • By Amy Smith • Sep 21, 2021
Fee changes to Downtown Density Bonus Program delayed until November
City Council and boards and commissions will have to wait until November to see the latest proposal on adjustments to the costs developers will have to pay to avoid adding affordable housing units to downtown development projects. Staff members were…
Land Development Code • By Chad Swiatecki • Sep 21, 2021
County judges criticize Abbott, state
Over the past 18 months, county judges – especially the chief executives of Texas’ largest counties – have faced an array of unprecedented challenges. Joshua Fechter, urban affairs reporter for The Texas Tribune, had a virtual sit-down with five of…
Local Government • By Jo Clifton • Sep 21, 2021
Austin Opry House development faces opposition from Planning Commission, neighbors
A mixed-use project seeking to revive historic music venue Austin Opry House ran into concerns Tuesday from the Planning Commission, which voted to postpone the rezoning case by a month to give the applicant, Richard Weiss, more time to work…
Planning • By Jonathan Lee • Sep 20, 2021
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Watershed strategic plan revisions on the way
The Environmental Commission heard the first of many presentations last Wednesday as the Watershed Protection Department begins its effort to comprehensively rewrite its strategic plan for the first time since 2001. The strategic plan update is a three-year outreach process that…
Environment • By Kali Bramble • Sep 20, 2021
Downtown Commission wants financing plan, study on convention center expansion
With the city expected to begin entering into engineering and design contracts next spring related to a revised expansion of the Austin Convention Center, the Downtown Commission has asked for a detailed financing plan and market analysis for the public…
Planning • By Chad Swiatecki • Sep 20, 2021
Early redistricting map reflects population growth of Northwest Austin
City Council districts for the rest of the decade will largely look the same as those created in 2013, based on the reveal of the preliminary map that has been in the works for much of this year. While the…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Sep 17, 2021
Three-quarters of county employees to work from home for good
The Travis County Commissioners Court is moving ahead with an unprecedented initiative to dramatically increase the number of county teleworkers, with the lofty goal of having 75 percent of county employees permanently working from home. In June, the county hired…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Sep 17, 2021
Proposed 'Statesman' PUD draws criticism
Members of the city’s Parks and Recreation Board will be deciding in less than two weeks whether to recommend approval of the Statesman planned unit development from a parks perspective. It could prove to be a difficult decision. Parks planner…
Planning • By Jo Clifton • Sep 17, 2021
For neighbors' sake, Planning Commission recommends downsizing multifamily project by half
In an attempt to appease neighbors wary of new multifamily development, the Planning Commission Tuesday recommended less dense zoning than was requested by the owner of several vacant lots at Grady and Brownie drives in North Austin. The commission followed…
