TipSheet: Austin City Council, 11.30.23

City Council will once again convene for a meeting at City Hall today and, as a preview of sorts, we’ve compiled our best guesses as to what might be of interest at the meeting. We’ll note that though Tuesday’s work session was focused on the HOME initiative, that will be the focus of a special called Dec. 7 meeting. However, there’s plenty on today’s agenda that’s worthy of attention as well. 

Though there isn’t much to be done about it, a change to the city’s parkland dedication rules that would mean far less new and improved parkland in the city is still on the agenda today. Here’s more on that.

A plan to fix the Barton Springs Road Bridge has been slooooowly but steadily moving forward for years now. Today, Council will vote on the “recommended alternative” that will replace the bridge with a three-span bridge with “Y-shaped” piers oriented in the direction of the creek.

As noted above, Tuesday’s work session was mostly taken up with talk about upcoming changes to the Land Development Code. However, there was a brief discussion surrounding the “land swap” that was approved by voters in 2021. We got into the details of what’s on the table in a story in the Monitor today and resistance from Council Member Alison Alter, who rightly questioned whether land that is adjacent to a pond could be considered “waterfront.”

Discussion during the work session also touched upon updates to the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan that have been loitering on the agenda for a while now. Though not present at the work session, Council Member Ryan Alter apparently intends to address constituent concerns about the Slaughter Creek Trail through an amendment today, which can optimistically be read as a sign the Urban Trails Plan, Bicycle Plan, and Sidewalks, Crossings and Shared Streets Plan will be moving forward at last.

Speaking of trails, the Trail Conservancy’s annual programming plan for the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail is also up for approval today (and posted, along with an impact report from 2023 for interested parties, here).

Council may also vote to adopt new standards for reclaimed water that are in line with the Water Forward Plan. This memo explains it pretty well.

And an interesting resolution from Council Member Mackenzie Kelly proposes to change the city’s rules that allow for increased development entitlements so that developers can build public safety facilities like fire stations.

In terms of zoning, we’re interested in the upcoming redevelopment of the Advance Auto Parts and Sonic Drive-In (RIP) on East Seventh Street that will be allowed once a public restrictive covenant that has limited height is lifted. There are also a couple of historic zoning cases: one in Travis Heights, one in Old West Austin, as well as a foundation company proposal we have covered in the past and a proposed PUD that has encountered some resistance due to a reluctance to use reclaimed water.

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