Elizabeth Pagano

The Planning Commission had its chance to host the ongoing fight over the removal of a downtown Heritage Tree, and after hours of discussion and testimony, opted to delay a final decision until their next meeting.   A request for a variance to remove the 57-foot pecan to make way for a 400-foot residential high […]

Though major details remain unclear, City Council has been asked to pick an election day posthaste.   The Council must decide whether, in the fallout from passage of Senate Bill 100, they will hold 2012 elections in May, as by City Charter, or move to November. The decision is slated for the Sept. 22 agenda. […]

Instead of a recommendation about whether the city should allow removal of a heritage tree at the site of a proposed downtown skyscraper, the Environmental Board last week opted to send a strong message about what they see as inadequacies in the Heritage Tree Ordinance.   The board voted 5-0, with Board Member Bob Anderson […]

Those hoping for a vote next week on the long-awaited Downtown Austin Plan, which has been in the works since 2005, may have to wait a little longer.   A last-minute addition to the plan would retain amended CURE zoning as an alternative to the downtown density bonus during an unspecified transition period. Under the […]

While it may be hard to find an upside to our recent weather, officials at the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District say they are pleasantly surprised to see how seriously people are taking this drought.   July was the first month that the district assessed drought management fees. Of the some 100 permittees that […]

It’s back to the drawing board for owners of a North University property seeking a solution to a tricky situation.   Applicants for the property, located at 201 East 34th Street & 3307 Helms Street, last week sought eight separate setback variances from the Board of Adjustment. The variances would ultimately allow the lot to […]

Members of the Water and Wastewater Commission reacted this week to the Austin Water Utility’s proposed “sustainability fee,” particularly criticizing the terminology for a $6 per month charge the utility says it needs in order to make up for lost revenues due, in part, to conservation.   The fee question dominated the commission’s conversation about […]

The Crossroads Bar is coming to South Austin after finally winning a conditional use permit.   The property, site of the old Willie’s Service Center, is located at 1901 South Lamar at Mary Street. The neighborhood has been extremely vocal in its opposition to a bar going in at the location.   Crossroads has been […]

It seems that Casa de Luz’s trouble with the city is not just about parking.   Recently, the parking troubles of the longtime Austin establishment have garnered quite a bit of attention in the local media. The macrobiotic restaurant and yoga studio has been a fixture in the Zilker Park area for about 20 years.  […]

Despite a holdout from Chair Betty Baker, the Zoning and Platting Commission approved SF-3 zoning at 2508 Mitchell Lane. It was the first such zoning for the neighborhood in far southeast Austin.    The Commission voted 5-1 to recommend the change, with Baker voting against and Commissioner Cynthia Banks absent.   The duplex was brought […]

Four members of the Austin City Council could be in office six months longer than voters had in mind when they elected them in 2009.   Council unanimously passed a resolution Thursday that directs the city manager to explore the costs and options of holding Council elections in November 2012 instead of the original May […]

Travis County continues to grapple with a decision over a potential private-public partnership, as it inches forward with plans to construct a new civil and family courthouse at 308 Guadalupe Street.   The Travis County Commissioners Court approved measures Tuesday that will allow an evaluation committee to move forward with interviewing and negotiating with the […]