The Project Connect team is preparing for a community engagement meeting to update residents on proposed changes to the Drag that will be needed to accommodate the light rail Orange Line. At design workshops held in December 2021 and February 2022, the team depicted ways the Drag might be transformed. “Design options presented included a […]
2022
Posted inCity Hall
Staffing issues cause slow rollout of arts, historic preservation programs
The Economic Development Department plans to wait until fall to begin spinning up three programs for music, arts and historic preservation that are funded by proceeds from the city’s Hotel Occupancy Tax. Portions of those programs aren’t slated to become active until mid-to-late 2023, with some contracts not expected to begin until the 2024 fiscal […]
Posted inWhispers
Barton Springs Pool now fully operational
Starting this week, Barton Springs Pool will reopen Wednesdays, returning the wildly popular swimming pool to full operational hours. The pool is open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. with lifeguards, and 5-8 a.m without lifeguards. The exception is Thursdays, when the pool closes from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. for its regularly scheduled […]
Posted inEnergy
Extreme heat in June offers a test and a warning for the Texas grid
The weather forecasted for much of Texas this week would be considered extreme in the month of August … but it’s still spring. The heat will likely drive energy use to new highs and test the resilience of the state’s electric grid ahead of what’s expected to be a scorching summer. Current forecasts have Dallas […]
Posted inWhispers
Austin enters Stage 1 watering restrictions
With record heat in May, brutal temperatures on the horizon and predictions of a dry, hot summer thanks to La Niña, it should come as no surprise that Austin has enacted watering restrictions. Austin Water implemented Stage 1 watering restrictions yesterday. Stage 1 reduces the hours that automatic irrigation systems can operate. “Our community has […]
Posted inPlanning
Environmental Commission recommends wastewater service to future warehouse
The Environmental Commission voted last Wednesday to recommend a wastewater service extension request for a proposed 82,000-square-foot warehouse west of Oak Hill. Some commissioners were hesitant to approve the service extension, which will include constructing over 800 feet of force main from the existing infrastructure, because there are no plans for the warehouse yet. The […]
Posted inHousing
New report dives into the details of housing in Austin
HousingWorks Austin has released its latest annual report on Austin’s housing market and supply of affordable housing, underscoring not only the drastic increases in home prices and rents many have experienced but also disparities in affordable housing supply across the city. “The high cost of housing and short supply of affordable housing in certain parts […]
Posted inPlanning
Large housing development in the works on Barton Springs and Lamar
Developers are looking to rezone a property currently home to the Bicycle Sport Shop on Barton Springs Road and South Lamar Boulevard. If successfully rezoned as a planned unit development, the lot would be redeveloped as a nine-story building with 400 residential units and a ground floor with mixed commercial use. The project at 517 […]
Posted inWhispers
City lends a hand with baby formula shortage
Parents desperate to get their hands on baby formula can look forward to some support from the city, which is partnering with a coalition of groups “to provide information about the baby formula shortage, where families can get resources, information on available programs and how individuals can donate and support these efforts.” Nakeenya Wilson, interim […]
Posted inWhispers
Don’t get Covid, get boosted
You’d have to be living under a rock not to have heard that Covid-19 cases are once again on the rise. Not only that, but cases are “increasing locally as two new omicron subvariants have been detected in Travis County,” according to Austin Public Health. As Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin-Travis County health authority, warns, “These […]
Posted inHousing
Travis County opens applications to very low-income residents for housing voucher waitlist
Next month, on the first of July at 8 a.m., a relatively small number of low-income residents will get the opportunity to settle or continue to stay in Travis County. That’s because the Housing Authority of Travis County is opening up its waitlist for Section 8 housing choice voucher applications to 500 people. Eligible applicants […]
Posted inTransportation
TxDOT wants cops to crack down on speeders, but APD’s traffic enforcement units are understaffed
With traffic crashes killing about 10 people a day across the state, the Texas Department of Transportation is launching its first-ever safety campaign focused on the leading cause of road deaths: speeding. The new campaign includes an increase in speed limit enforcement by police across Texas from June 7-21, officials said at the unveiling Thursday […]