The Animal Advisory Commission voted Monday to ask City Council to immediately implement a set of recommendations to alleviate logjams at the Austin Animal Center in an attempt to ward off the specter of animals being euthanized as a management solution to a shelter space crisis. The commission’s action further exemplifies the growing tension between […]
Amy Smith
Posted inZoning
Northwest Austin cave prompts ZAP to postpone vote on apartment complex
With more questions than answers available to consider a proposed multifamily development at a Luby’s cafeteria in Northwest Austin, the Zoning and Platting Commission delayed a vote for two weeks on Aug. 3. The property is located on the southwest corner of Steck and MoPac Expressway, with the project calling for a 275-unit apartment complex, […]
Posted inRoads
TxDOT halts tree-clearing in Oak Hill, pending court hearing
In light of a federal judge’s concerns over the state’s planned removal of nearly 200 trees to make way for a 12-lane road project through Oak Hill, the Texas Department of Transportation last week agreed to temporarily halt its tree-clearing work in southwest Austin. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman will make a final determination on […]
Posted inCity Council
Wanted: More residents to participate in city redistricting hearings
Austin commissioners charged with redrawing the boundaries of 10 City Council districts clearly have their work cut out for them. For one, they’re obligated to hold public hearings in each of the 10 districts, yet the first two forums drew only a skeleton crew of residents to the areas of town that are home to […]
Posted inAustin
Redistricting commission races to fulfill its mission in short time frame
With a Nov. 1 deadline just months away, the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission is moving at an unusually fast pace to hold public hearings in each City Council district, draft new district lines based on delayed 2020 census data, gather public input, and adopt a final 10-district map in the fall. Last week, the 14-member […]
Posted inHousing
Housing affordability report points to a need for greater disbursement
Austin may look good on paper as one of the hottest housing markets in the country, but a closer inspection of each City Council district reveals a disparate picture of economic vitality, according to the findings of a 2020 report on housing affordability. “While the city of Austin has seen overall gains in home sale […]
Posted inEMS
EMS leader recounts medics’ harrowing week during freeze
First responders are still in recovery mode as they plan for the next severe weather event, such as the freeze that gripped Austin in mid-February, and any other unforeseen disaster that may occur. “Our medics’ stories should be heard,” Austin EMS Association President Selena Xie told the City Council’s Public Safety Committee on Monday, providing […]
Posted inEnergy
Legislators respond to winter storm with new requirements for energy providers
The Electric Utility Commission received an update last week on legislative action related to electric utilities, with Senate Bill 3 serving as the omnibus response bill to Winter Storm Uri in mid-February. SB 3, approved at the close of the regular session in May, enacts a number of new requirements for electric generation plants, transmission […]
Posted inDevelopment
Tax break proposal prompts call for changes to county’s public-private partnerships
The Travis County Commissioners Court may consider changes to the county’s affordable housing program to encourage apartment developers to provide more meaningful rent reductions in exchange for property tax abatements. Commissioner Brigid Shea suggested future changes as commissioners deliberated two public-private housing partnerships at their June 29 meeting. Both proposals were postponed to Tuesday’s meeting. […]
Posted inEnvironment
Watershed Protection makes departmental changes
In response to the retirements of key personnel, and to better respond to Austin’s growth while retaining the city’s environmental identity, the Watershed Protection Department has undergone a staff reorganization, Director Jorge Morales told the Environmental Commission at its Tuesday meeting. The changes both restructure and temporarily fill the job vacancies that were created with […]
Posted inParks
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 and Recreation Board voted to recommend the new name at its June 22 meeting. Parks […]
Posted inParks
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 years of renovation work and a rebranding process. For starters, the names proposed for key […]