Stories by Amy Smith
Sparks fly over proposed plans for Williamson Creek
The Parks and Recreation Board had one of its most contentious – and longest – meetings in recent history Tuesday night with a heated debate about plans for a segment of Williamson Creek in South Austin. The dispute centered on…
Parks • By Amy Smith • May 27, 2021
Big-picture look at homelessness downtown shows challenges ahead
A cross-section of representatives briefed the Downtown Commission on Wednesday about an ambitious suite of strategies underway to house unsheltered individuals in Austin. Their message was clear: The city and its partners are doing an enormous amount of work toward providing…
Austin • By Amy Smith • May 21, 2021
Water conservation items move to Council, but not without debate
The City Council committee overseeing Water Forward, Austin’s long-range water resource plan, approved two resolutions last week containing code amendments that would both underscore and expedite the work required to conserve and reclaim water for reuse. One resolution, brought by…
Water • By Amy Smith • May 17, 2021
Save Austin Now works ethics commissioners' last nerve
The nonprofit that launched the successful campaign to recriminalize behavior related to homelessness in the May 1 election has again tried the patience of the Ethics Review Commission, which on Wednesday voted to postpone a final hearing on a complaint…
Local Politics • By Amy Smith • May 14, 2021
It’s not easy to replace a venue where Janis Joplin sang
Will the treasured spirit of the old Threadgill’s live on in a proposed multifamily development slated to replace the iconic restaurant and live music venue? That would be the preferred outcome of the Historic Landmark Commission, which unanimously recommended that…
Preservation • By Amy Smith • May 6, 2021
New working group to study equity in preservation
Property demolitions in underserved areas of Austin have historically ranked among the most emotional cases to come before the Historic Landmark Commission – often the first stop in a succession of reviews of what’s proposed to be built in place…
