Stories by Jack Craver
East side subdivision evokes legacy of racist deed restrictions
There wasn’t much the Planning Commission could do about the subdivision sought by the the owner of an acre of land at 4520 Rimrock Trail, near the Morris Williams Golf Course. The commission was legally required to approve the owner’s…
Planning • By Jack Craver • Jun 25, 2018
Four Council members urge for new direction on CodeNEXT
Four City Council members signaled their discontent with the current direction of CodeNEXT process and announced an effort to develop a new code that is “equitable, sustainable, accessible, vibrant and community-driven.” Surrounded by supporters at a City Hall press conference…
Land Development Code • By Jack Craver • Jun 20, 2018
Council approves changes to anti-lobbying ordinance
Early Friday morning, City Council approved what supporters described as a temporary solution to an ongoing battle between Texas Disposal Systems and other waste contractors over city lobbying rules. The measure approved by Council makes a few small changes to…
City Council • By Jack Craver • Jun 18, 2018
Five Council members signal support for major housing bond
Mayor Steve Adler and four other members of City Council announced their support Thursday for putting a major housing bond on the ballot in November. Standing in front of scores of activists on the front steps of City Hall Thursday…
Bonds & Propositions • By Jack Craver • Jun 15, 2018
CodeNEXT: Council debates supply and demand
Underpinning much of the debate over development and affordability in Austin is a simple question: Does increasing the number of homes make housing more affordable? At a Wednesday City Council meeting over CodeNEXT, Council members Alison Alter and Leslie Pool…
Land Development Code • By Jack Craver • Jun 14, 2018
Council confronts thorny issue: How much more housing does Austin need?
City Council members engaged in yet another rambling, inconclusive debate over CodeNEXT Tuesday morning, this time over the amount of new housing that the new code should allow to be built. Currently, Council members are not in the process of…
Land Development Code • By Jack Craver • Jun 13, 2018
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Report shows good, bad and ugly of Travis County economy
People in Travis County are enjoying the fruits of a strong national and regional economy. A new analysis shows that rates of poverty, crime and educational outcomes are moving in the right direction. Between 2012 and 2016, crime dropped by…
Travis County • By Jack Craver • Jun 8, 2018
Business leaders raise concerns about homelessness
It’s not just advocates for the homeless who have serious concerns about homelessness downtown. Businesses say that the mass of misery on the streets is a threat to downtown commerce and the city’s ability to attract visitors. The effects of…
Austin • By Jack Craver • Jun 7, 2018
CodeNEXT: Council agrees on big things but disagrees on key details
During their first day of deliberations on CodeNEXT, City Council members signaled agreement on a number of high-level statements about encouraging the construction of more housing along transportation corridors and not adding significant density to the interior of neighborhoods. And…
Land Development Code • By Jack Craver • Jun 7, 2018
The debate over decriminalizing homelessness
A campaign to decriminalize behaviors associated with homelessness got a boost Monday from the Public Safety Commission, which voted to approve a resolution that instructs the city manager to review ordinances that may “create barriers for people who are trying…
Austin • By Jack Craver • Jun 5, 2018
City wants to put the word out about affordable housing
What is an “affordable unit”? Who qualifies for one? And above all else, where are these units, and how do you get one? A resolution approved unanimously on Thursday by the City Council Housing and Planning Committee asks city staff…
Housing • By Jack Craver • Jun 1, 2018
Planning commissioners feeling (relatively) good about CodeNEXT
Despite their own differences in opinion on development and the fever-pitch rhetoric surrounding CodeNEXT at City Hall, members of the Planning Commission generally have a positive outlook on the controversial overhaul of the Land Development Code. “I’m not going to…
