Mark Walters with the Housing and Planning Department gave a presentation to Zoning and Platting commissioners last week on a city study that evaluated trends of industrial land use in Austin. Walters said city staffers have noticed the “continuing erosion of industrially zoned land” over the last several years, particularly in Southeast Austin. “There’s been […]
Daniel Salazar
Posted inParks
Parks board wants bigger say on financial, budget issues
The Parks and Recreation Board is making a move to dive deeper into the financial and budgetary issues that affect the city’s parks department. At the board’s Oct. 27 meeting, Board Member Sarah Faust made a recommendation to modify the board’s bylaws to terminate its Land, Facilities and Programs Committee and replace it with a […]
Posted inZoning
Planning Commission approves vertical mixed use on South Congress
Last week the Planning Commission approved a rezoning for a new multifamily project at 4329 S. Congress Ave. between State Highway 71 and St. Elmo Road. Through the vote, commissioners recommended adding a Vertical Mixed-Use Building combining district to the site’s existing General Commercial Services-Mixed Use-Neighborhood Plan (CS-MU-NP) zoning. They also added a conditional overlay prohibiting […]
Posted inPlanning
Planning Commission postpones ‘Statesman’ tract cases
In its Oct. 27 meeting, the Planning Commission indefinitely postponed consideration of neighborhood plan amendment and rezoning cases related to transforming the Austin American-Statesman site at 305 S. Congress Ave. A development team wants to redevelop the newspaper’s downtown property on the South Central Waterfront into mixed-use development, parks and open space. Richard Suttle, an […]
Posted inPlanning
ZAP briefed on Onion Creek flooding and development
Zoning and Platting commissioners were briefed last Tuesday on the effects of flooding on development in South Austin’s Onion Creek. Kevin Shunk, the floodplain administrator in the city’s Watershed Protection Department, gave the presentation in response to questions from ZAP. Shunk said Watershed is guided by the Land Development Code to make sure there are […]
Posted inWater
Proposed discharge permit draws ire of city, Environmental Commission
The Environmental Commission received an update Wednesday on the impacts of a proposed wastewater treatment plant southwest of Austin. Abel Porras, the supervising engineer in the Environmental Resource Management Division of the city’s Watershed Protection Department, described the water quality impacts from proposed wastewater discharge into Barton Creek. The Sawyer-Cleveland Partnership has applied to the […]
Posted inFire
City prepares to implement new Wildland-Urban Interface fire code
Austin Fire Department officials gave the Environmental Commission an update on the new Wildland-Urban Interface Code Wednesday. City Council voted in April to adopt the new code, which regulates residential and commercial building requirements to protect structures against wildfires. With the WUI Code expected to be implemented on Jan. 1, 2021, the city is working on […]
Posted inZoning
ZAP approves rezoning for multifamily near Connally High School
The Zoning and Platting Commission has approved a rezoning request for a multifamily apartment complex on Austin’s far northern fringe. At its Tuesday meeting, ZAP approved rezoning 23.6 acres of undeveloped land for the Cypress Creek Apartment Homes at 1417 W. Howard Lane from Community Commercial (GR) and General Commercial Services-Conditional Overlay (CS-CO) to Community […]
Posted inZoning
Planning Commission approves Crestview townhouse project
The Planning Commission on Tuesday evening approved future land use and zoning changes for a townhouse project in the Crestview neighborhood of North Austin. Commissioners approved rezoning about three-quarters of an acre at 902 and 904 Morrow St. from Family Residence (SF-3-NP) to Multifamily Residence – Limited Density (MF-1-NP). They also changed the future land […]
Posted inWhispers
Training Kitchen rezoning request advances
The Zoning and Platting Commission has approved a previously delayed rezoning request for a nonprofit that wants to build a South Austin community center. The Training Kitchen wants to redevelop 1.5 acres at 1901 Matthews Lane into an alternative learning community to host adult education classes, food preparation and community events. Numerous residents made public […]
Posted inElections
Three candidates challenge Flannigan in District 6 race
Council Member Jimmy Flannigan is facing three challengers – Jennifer Mushtaler, Mackenzie Kelly and Dee Harrison – to serve on Austin City Council’s District 6, which represents swaths of Northwest Austin. Flannigan has represented District 6 since 2017, when he defeated Council Member Don Zimmerman in the 2016 election. Flannigan said he was elected by […]
Posted inElections
Crowded field competes for District 10 seat
District 10 voters will have no shortage of options for Austin City Council this fall. City Council Member Alison Alter is facing five challengers to represent West Austin’s District 10: Pooja Sethi, Robert Thomas, Jennifer Virden, Belinda Greene and Ben Easton. With six total candidates on the ballot, it’s the most crowded field of this year’s […]