The second phase of the HOME initiative reemerges in the public spotlight this week, accompanied by a series of other proposed revisions to the Land Development Code. On Thursday, City Council and the Planning Commission will hold a joint hearing to receive public testimony on proposed changes relating to: Properties zoned single-family, including flag lots […]
Amy Smith
Posted inParks
Council approves renaming bathhouse in honor of Joan Means Khabele
City Council on Thursday approved the renaming of the bathhouse at Barton Springs Pool in honor of the woman who, as a teenager, led the first “swim-in” at the segregated pool in an act of civil disobedience. With the unanimous vote, the facility officially becomes the Joan Means Khabele Bathhouse at Barton Springs Pool. The […]
Posted inFire
AFD narrows its wildfire preparedness focus on Eastern Crescent
Ahead of national Wildfire Community Preparedness Day on May 4, the Public Safety Commission this week heard an update on how Austin is faring with its own community readiness efforts. The good news is that Austin leads the state in its number of “Firewise” communities – a designation given by the National Fire Protection Association’s […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Charter Review Commission sends its recommendations to Council
The Charter Review Commission has wrapped up its evaluation of possible charter revisions relating to petition requirements, among other items, and has submitted its final report to City Council with nine recommendations. Council will ultimately decide which items will be placed on the November ballot. In its 2023 resolution creating the commission, one of Council’s […]
Posted inPlanning
Environmental commissioners air concerns about waterfront district plan
A proposed framework for how the south shores of Lady Bird Lake will build out in future years received a lukewarm response from the Environmental Commission on Thursday. While only the Planning Commission and City Council are scheduled to vote on the draft regulating plan in April and May, the fact that several commissioners expressed […]
Posted inPreservation
Planning Commission gets its first look at Equity-Based Preservation Plan
With the draft Equity-Based Preservation Plan now available for public review, city boards and commissions are getting briefed on the document that includes over 100 recommendations for preserving the highs and lows of Austin’s history. The Planning Commission, which will be voting on the plan this fall, heard an overview of the draft at its […]
Posted inParks
Council approves changes to environmental protections to upgrade Butler Trail
With little discussion, City Council last week approved amendments to environmental protections to clear the way for capital improvements on the popular hike-and-bike trail at Lady Bird Lake. The code changes allow for exemptions from critical water quality zone rules protecting Lady Bird Lake, thus giving the Trail Conservancy the ability to make upgrades to […]
Posted inHousing
Council gets briefed on improved path to affordable housing
Now that the state Legislature has added more guardrails to a financing mechanism for affordable housing developments, Austin officials are exploring how to proceed with plans to put more housing on the ground under the welcomed reforms. At its work session Tuesday, City Council heard a presentation from Housing Department staff on the Austin Housing […]
Posted inCity Council
Council passes a resolution calling for greener procurement practices
After its recent approval of a measure to create an investment strategy for financing the city’s climate plans, City Council on Thursday passed a complementary item to establish more sustainable procurement practices. Like the previous resolution, this one, too, was brought by Council Member Ryan Alter to reinforce Austin’s commitment to reducing its environmental footprint […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Council set to revisit zoning ordinance after court ruling
In the wake of last year’s court ruling invalidating the city’s Vertical Mixed Use 2 ordinance, a proposed remedy is now primed for a public hearing and consideration at Thursday’s City Council meeting. Council heard a preview of the revised land use ordinance at Tuesday’s work session. The new version – drafted to resemble the […]
Posted inAustin
Downtown Commission hears SXSW safety preparedness report
No one likes to think about worst-case scenarios turning large public events into devastating havoc, but such is the business of planning for major festivals like South by Southwest. Lessons learned from past events – the 2020 pandemic, the 2014 vehicular tragedy and various crowd-control incidents in other years – have helped shape a system […]
Posted inCity Council
Council approves climate funding and telework policies
Austin’s environmental activists don’t always agree with one another on local policy issues, but they spoke with one voice Thursday in support of a resolution to beef up funding for the city’s many ambitious climate plans. As expected, City Council passed the resolution, which sponsoring Council Member Ryan Alter modified to incorporate several amendments. The […]