Stories by Jack Craver
Old Enfield: Another neighborhood divided over speed humps
It’s no wonder that the Transportation Department gets a lot of grief in a city as choked by traffic as Austin. Some of the complaints are unfounded or make demands that city transportation experts will not agree to. However, said…
Transportation • By Jack Craver • Sep 28, 2018
Low-income housing project advancing in Northwest Austin
An affordable housing development that has drawn fierce opposition from nearby residents in North Austin is one step closer to realization. The proposed Elysium Grand apartments at 3300 Oak Creek Drive, just west of MoPac Expressway, will include 90 units.…
Housing • By Jack Craver • Sep 27, 2018
Declining enrollment, segregation dominate AISD board meeting
The Austin Independent School Board’s unanimous decision to spend $25 million modernizing Sanchez Elementary School was welcomed by a substantial contingent of those who packed the board’s chambers Monday night, but it hardly assuaged long-term concerns from east side activists…
AISD • By Jack Craver • Sep 26, 2018
Council candidates offer different ideas on housing policy
The decision by Mayor Steve Adler and City Council last month to abandon CodeNEXT, a proposed rewrite of the Land Development Code, reflected the deep divisions in the community over the prospect of increased residential density in single-family neighborhoods. However,…
Elections • By Jack Craver • Sep 25, 2018
City of Austin adds 136 acres south of Onion Creek
On Thursday, City Council voted to have the city of Austin annex the Cascades Municipal Utility District, 136 acres of undeveloped land south of Onion Creek. The landowner, Onion Associates Ltd., entered into an agreement with the city in 2014…
Development • By Jack Craver • Sep 21, 2018
Figures show Austinites love and hate scooters
Members of Austin City Council have plenty of concerns about the operation of dockless vehicles, particularly electric scooters. But they all appear to agree that the vehicles are here to stay, if for no other reason than they have proved…
Transportation • By Jack Craver • Sep 20, 2018
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City estimate: Preserving Montopolis Negro School would cost $5.7M
The city of Austin is beginning the process of using eminent domain to seize the 1-acre plot at 500 Montopolis Ave., home of an 83-year-old building that was once the Montopolis Negro School. The structure is a rare vestige of…
Preservation • By Jack Craver • Sep 19, 2018
Cap Metro: Key to high-capacity transit is dedicated right of way
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is still a few months away from announcing what modes of transportation it plans to propose for Project Connect, the long-term plan to bring high-capacity public transit to the Austin metropolitan area. Potential solutions include…
Transit • By Jack Craver • Sep 17, 2018
Commission calls on Austin to ban cat declawing
The city Animal Advisory Commission has unanimously recommended that the city ban cat declawing. The commission unanimously approved the resolution on Monday after hearing an hour of testimony from veterinarians and animal rights activists, most of whom described declawing as…
Austin • By Jack Craver • Sep 14, 2018
City boosts spending on homelessness, but advocates still disappointed
The Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget approved by City Council on Tuesday includes a $3.4 million increase in funding for homelessness services. City staff estimates that the new funds come on top of more than $26 million in annual city spending…
Budget • By Jack Craver • Sep 13, 2018
With stunning speed, Council approves budget
For the first time in years, City Council spent less than a day deliberating on its fiscal year budget. Council approved a $4.1 billion budget that will raise the effective property tax rate by 5.4 percent. Austin property owners will…
Budget • By Jack Craver • Sep 12, 2018
City doesn't want Austin Rowing Club's special deal to be too sweet
City Council voted in June to grant the Austin Rowing Club the unusual privilege of negotiating a contract renewal with the city without going through the typical bidding process. ARC and Council members argued that the special deal was warranted…
