Stories by Daniel Salazar
Leslie Pool, Morgan Witt face off in District 7 Council race
In the least crowded field of the five Council elections this fall, Leslie Pool, the incumbent, is facing only one challenger, newcomer Morgan Witt, to represent North Austin’s District 7 on Austin City Council. Pool is one of the original…
Elections • By Daniel Salazar • Oct 12, 2020
Design Commission advances new hotel project on downtown parking lot
The Design Commission unanimously voted Wednesday to recommend a density bonus for a proposed 17-story hotel project at 617 Colorado St. in downtown Austin. The site is currently a surface parking lot at the southeast corner of Seventh and Colorado…
Planning • By Daniel Salazar • Oct 2, 2020
Planning Commission approves South Austin condo rezoning
The Planning Commission unanimously approved a rezoning request that paves the way for more condominiums in South Austin at its Tuesday night meeting. Staff recommended the rezoning of a 1.45-acre tract at 219 Lessin Lane, near Ben White Boulevard and…
Planning • By Daniel Salazar • Sep 25, 2020
Affordable housing proposals advance after outcry over gentrification, institutional racism
Charges of institutional racism and bias in housing policy engulfed a pair of votes at the Austin Housing Finance Corporation Board of Directors meeting Thursday. The board, which is made up of all of the members of the Austin City…
Housing • By Daniel Salazar • Sep 22, 2020
ZAP to consider Training Kitchen request as commission grapples with postponement woes
At the Zoning and Platting Commission Tuesday night, a rezoning request from a nonprofit that wants to build a community center on a South Austin lot was postponed by commissioners until early October. But the discussion underscored the commissioners’ frustration about how the…
Planning • By Daniel Salazar • Sep 18, 2020
City's RENT 2.0 program ramps up
After its launch earlier this summer, the second round of the city’s rental assistance program is gaining steam. The Relief of Emergency Needs for Tenants, or RENT, program provides direct rental assistance to residents financially hurt by the Covid-19 pandemic.…
Housing • By Daniel Salazar • Sep 11, 2020
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Thousands of potential units in projects certified so far under Affordability Unlocked program
A city bonus program to spur more affordable housing has already played a role in several income-restricted projects across Austin. Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department staff and affordable housing developers provided an update on the Affordability Unlocked program to…
Housing • By Daniel Salazar • Sep 9, 2020
ZAP endorses mixed-use for East Austin tract
On Tuesday night, the Zoning and Platting Commission voted in favor of mixed-use zoning for an East Austin property, but once again clashed over the scope of conditional overlays. ZAP commissioners recommended designating a 4.67-acre tract at 5601 Nixon Lane,…
