Stories by Amy Smith
North Austin park poised to be renamed Heron Hollow Pocket Park
It took nearly two decades, but Payton Gin Pocket Park in North Austin is destined to be formally renamed Heron Hollow Pocket Park, a goal of the North Austin Civic Association and other stakeholders since the early 2000s. The Parks…
Parks • By Amy Smith • Jul 1, 2021
Naming process for Waterloo Park features raises questions about equity
What’s in a name? That question quickly moved to the fore of a Parks and Recreation Board discussion last week about proposed names for new features at Waterloo Park, which is set to reopen to the public Aug. 14 after…
Parks • By Amy Smith • Jun 30, 2021
County rebuffs city's offer to buy Palm School, leaving its future uncertain
In a vote few people were aware of until last week, the Travis County Commissioners Court rejected the city of Austin’s offer to purchase the historic Swante Palm School building on the eastern edge of downtown. Community activists, who for…
Planning • By Amy Smith • Jun 28, 2021
Parks board rejects alcohol sales at Zilker Cafe, but the vote is in question
A key vote by the Parks and Recreation Board may need to be recast due to a shortage of board members required to consider a proposal to sell beer and wine at the newly renovated Zilker Cafe adjacent to Barton…
Parks • By Amy Smith • Jun 24, 2021
Watershed report shines a light on racism in tank farm history
If awards were given out for annual reports, the Austin Watershed Protection Department’s recently released 2020 “State of Our Environment” would be a strong contender for its in-house production of a video documenting the East Austin community’s successful battle against…
Environment • By Amy Smith • Jun 22, 2021
Herrington leaving his environmental post for new job in Virginia
After 25 years with the city of Austin, Environmental Officer Chris Herrington is retiring and taking a new leadership position in Fairfax, Va. Herrington, who’ll be moving east with his fiancée, Kimberly Horndeski, will serve as director of public works…
City Hall • By Amy Smith • Jun 21, 2021
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New police chief expected to be named by late summer
More than three dozen people have applied to become Austin’s next police chief, a role that comes with a number of challenges critical to the success of the city and its process to reimagine public safety. Recruitment for the position…
Police • By Amy Smith • Jun 9, 2021
Palm planning process kicks off, with school preservation a key goal
After years of talk, a long-held dream of creating a district that celebrates the cultural history of a historically Hispanic neighborhood in the eastern segment of downtown Austin is finally ramping up with the Palm District Planning Initiative. The planning…
Planning • By Amy Smith • Jun 8, 2021
Mitigation pilot set to tackle harmful algae in Lady Bird Lake
Most pet owners in Austin recall the fateful summer of 2019, when a spate of dog deaths was traced back to contact with toxic algae in Lady Bird Lake. Since that time the blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, has been identified…
Environment • By Amy Smith • Jun 7, 2021
Bill that would have revived Land Development Code dies in session
It wasn’t on the city’s legislative agenda, but a bill that would have empowered City Council to move forward with a final vote on a revised Land Development Code died in a House committee, giving neighborhood advocates another victory over…
Land Development Code • By Amy Smith • Jun 3, 2021
Board member asked to resign after tempers flare over creek project
Council Member Pio Renteria has requested the resignation of his appointee to the Parks and Recreation Board, citing her lack of decorum during a tense discussion about the proposed Central Williamson Creek Greenway at the board’s May 25 meeting. The…
City Hall • By Amy Smith • Jun 3, 2021
Waterloo Greenway seeks alcohol permit before its August debut
A decade after closing for Waller Creek tunnel repairs, Waterloo Park, which once stretched along the shadows of state-owned parking garages, has morphed into the renovated and rebranded Waterloo Greenway, poised to reopen in August. The once no-frills park, home…
