To bring more commercial and multifamily space to the South Lamar Corridor, Endeavor Real Estate Group, the owner of a 1.8-acre lot on the corner of South Lamar Boulevard and Bluebonnet Lane, requested a zoning change at the Aug. 13 meeting of the Planning Commission to add vertical mixed-used to the mix. The property is […]
Jessi Devenyns
Posted inLand Development Code
Dock variance fails for a second time at the Board of Adjustment
After the Board of Adjustment denied a variance request to extend the width of a dock into the interior setback of a Lake Austin lot and reduce the interior setback to 0 feet, the homeowners returned in August for a reconsideration. Alex Tynberg, the owner of the property at 2710 Scenic Drive, told the board […]
Posted inPublic Safety
City continues to work toward Vision Zero goals
As of this past weekend, there have been 48 traffic fatalities in Austin since the beginning of the year. The city, according to an ambitious plan passed three years ago, would like to bring the number of annual traffic deaths down to zero by 2025. One of the primary solutions the city is looking at […]
Posted inAustin
City outlines displacement mitigation strategy based on People’s Plan
Following a Council directive last year to analyze the recommendations put forth in the People’s Plan, city staffers from a variety of departments have released a Displacement Mitigation Strategy report detailing an approach to contend with gentrification and displacement in the city of Austin. The 16-page People’s Plan, which was unveiled by Fred McGhee, Jane […]
Posted inFire
AFD under fire for handling of sexual harassment claim despite policy updates
After Austin Fire Department Lieutenant James Baker pleaded guilty to hiding a camera and filming firefighter Kelly Gall in the fire station restroom, AFD revised its harassment policies and implemented the Electronic and Anonymous Reporting System. EARS is intended to bypass the firehouse hierarchy and get complaints directly onto the desk of the fire chief, […]
Posted inPolice
Public Safety Commission recommends increased funding for mental health first responder program
The Austin Police Department is working to revamp its tactics when handling calls related to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Fulfilling that goal starts with training officers so they are equipped to help in these tense situations. Public Safety Commissioner Chris Harris pointed out at the Aug. 5 meeting of the commission that even […]
Posted inWhispers
Amid controversy, city hires new animal services officer
After animal advocates called for a reevaluation of the hiring process for the new animal services officer last week, a Facebook post from Don Bland’s personal account surfaced yesterday with the news that the city had hired him. A spokesman for the city confirmed that Bland has been selected to fill the position. Bland, who […]
Posted inParks
To save a sculpture, parks department gives Chicano artist an ultimatum
For decades, Big Rock – or Chicano Rock, as it is now called – has stood on the southeast corner of Waterloo Park. Created by artist David Santos and members of LUCHA (League of United Chicano Artists) in 1989, the hand-carved limestone sculpture is an ongoing project that has now come to the attention of […]
Posted inPreservation
HLC recommends design in Old West Austin historic district, sidesteps opposition’s concerns
In Austin, commissions are divided based on their areas of expertise and are required to remain within their purview when addressing the merits of a case. This question of jurisdiction was raised at the July 22 meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission as it heard the case for 3000 Funston St., which members of the […]
Posted inCity Hall
Animal advocates call for redo of animal services officer hiring process
With a nearly $14 million budget and 15,843 animals coming through its doors last year, the Austin Animal Center has worked hard to achieve the title of the nation’s largest “no-kill” shelter. However, animal advocates are worried that the finalist candidates for the chief animal services officer position will undo the work that has been […]
Posted inPreservation
Historic zoning for childhood home of AISD’s first two Hispanic teachers recommended
In a unanimous vote, the Historic Landmark Commission is sending a 100-year-old house that was the home of the Austin Independent School District’s first Hispanic teachers to City Council with a recommendation for historic zoning. When photos failed to depict the condition of the Herrera home at 1805 E. Third St., the Historic Landmark Commission […]
Posted inPreservation
Historic zoning moves forward for ‘godfather’ of A-frame religious architecture in Austin
Midcentury A-frame churches may be a dime a dozen in Austin, but there is one in particular that caused the now-familiar style to proliferate. The Prince of Peace Church at 1711 E. Oltorf St. is the reason “that form became popular in Austin,” Jason Haskins, a local architect and historian, told the Historic Landmark Commission […]