Stories by Jack Craver
Council wants to help homeowners resist 'predatory home flipping'
City Council Member Delia Garza has no interest in selling her home in Southeast Austin, but she was intrigued by a letter she received in the mail recently from somebody interested in buying it. An ominous all-caps headline on the…
Housing • By Jack Craver • May 1, 2018
Despite hurt feelings, Council members embrace electric scooters
Rushing to respond to electric scooters that have taken over downtown, City Council will consider an ordinance on Thursday to establish rules regarding the increasingly popular devices. The proposed ordinance, drafted by city transportation staff, will allow the Transportation Department…
City Council • By Jack Craver • Apr 25, 2018
Planning Commissioners zero in on CodeNEXT mapping
CodeNEXT, the seemingly interminable process of rewriting the city’s land use regulations, has been guided by two distinct goals. The first is to provide a simpler code that is easier for the layperson to understand, including by introducing new language…
Land Development Code • By Jack Craver • Apr 25, 2018
Planning Commission skeptical of apartment complex in Southeast Austin
Things aren’t looking good for a landowner in Southeast Austin hoping to turn a 10-acre tract into a 125-unit apartment community. At its latest meeting, few members of the Planning Commission voiced support for the request by the property owners,…
Planning • By Jack Craver • Apr 19, 2018
Affordability trumps traffic concerns for Govalle apartment complex
The Planning Commission recommended that City Council approve a zoning change that will allow a 290-unit apartment complex to be built at 1125 Shady Lane, near the intersection of Bolm Road and Airport Boulevard. The commission voted 7-4 to change…
Planning • By Jack Craver • Apr 17, 2018
Grove PUD remains in limbo
The drama over the Grove at Shoal Creek may be far from over. The project has been tangled in city bureaucracy ever since City Council greenlighted the controversial planned unit development at the corner of 45th Street and Bull Creek…
Planning • By Jack Craver • Apr 13, 2018
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How can city government help Austin parents with child care?
The high cost of day care, which can easily run $1,000 per month, is one of a number of expenses that are making the city increasingly inhospitable to working- and middle-class families. City Council is exploring ways to make child care…
Austin • By Jack Craver • Apr 11, 2018
Housing bond forces tough decisions for Council members
While three City Council members say they want to present an affordable housing bond to voters worth between $250 million and $300 million, it is unclear how many others on the dais are in favor of such a large figure.…
Bonds & Propositions • By Jack Craver • Apr 10, 2018
City proposes ways to reduce permitting costs for homeowners
In November of last year, City Council approved a resolution aimed at making it easier and cheaper for homeowners to repair or renovate their houses. The resolution asked the Development Services Department to consider setting up a separate, simpler permitting…
Housing • By Jack Craver • Apr 10, 2018
Public Safety Commission: Who polices the police?
Last month, members of the Public Safety Commission voiced concerns about the lack of consistent rules or guidelines on investigating senior members of the police, fire and emergency medical services departments for harassment or discrimination. On Monday, a representative of…
Public Safety • By Jack Craver • Apr 6, 2018
Council braces for another tight budget cycle amid threats from Legislature
City Council will have to raise property taxes by 5 percent in the Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget just to continue funding existing programs, according to a financial forecast prepared by the city budget office. In a presentation to Council members…
Budget • By Jack Craver • Apr 5, 2018
Garza, Renteria, Casar unveil Housing Justice Agenda
Three City Council members say they are united to push for a series of aggressive affordable housing measures, including a major increase in housing subsidies and reforms of the land development code. At a panel at the Austin Convention Center…
