Following a case at the Zoning and Platting Commission that was pulled from the consent agenda due to a neighbor’s concerns about unwanted drainage, Commissioner David King suggested to the commissioners that they hear from the city about the review process associated with drainage engineering studies. King is already working with staff to understand how […]
Jessi Devenyns
Posted inWhispers
I.Q. Hurdle House gets face-lift
After several months of waiting for the condition of the I.Q. Hurdle House to be stabilized, the Historic Landmark Commission received an inspiring update on Monday night. “We have completed the work on the exterior of the home,” said Pam Madere, who represents the property owner, Dallas-based Eureka Holdings. The walls of the home have […]
Posted inPreservation
Code compliance citation inspires historic restoration
After years of languishing in disrepair, a circa-1922 grocery store at 220 Comal St. was cited for code compliance issues, prompting the owners to file for a partial demolition permit to make repairs. In order to preserve the neighborhood building and ensure the sensitivity of the repairs, the Historic Landmark Commission voted in May to […]
Posted inPlanning
Water drainage fears force postponement at ZAP
Drainage engineering studies are site-specific and don’t always capture the concerns of adjacent properties. However, without addressing those concerns, a study doesn’t always tell the whole story. At the July 16 meeting of the Zoning and Platting Commission, Commissioner David King said he has heard time and again that a city engineering study has OK’d […]
Posted inParks
One year later: The new life of the old Onion Creek flood plain
Since 1999, the city of Austin has been working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to buy homeowners out of the Onion Creek flood zone. Last year, when the Watershed Protection Department completed the buyout program, 813 houses had been removed out of harm’s way. Although 10 homeowners refused the buyout offer, Leah Gibson […]
Posted inWhispers
Emma Long Park shoreline restoration to inform future wetland planting
In 2017, the city restored a 140-foot-long bulkhead at Emma Long Park. Andrew Clamann with the Watershed Protection Department told the Environmental Commission at its July 17 meeting that he was extremely pleased with the pace, price and results of the project. From excavation to completion, the restoration project took three months in the spring […]
Posted inParks
Environmental Commission gives Walter E. Long Park plan the green light, with conditions
Following the lead of the Parks and Recreation Board, the Environmental Commission unanimously approved the new master plan for East Austin’s Walter E. Long Park. The vote, however, came with a host of conditions. The commissioners expressed concern that the Parks and Recreation Department had not yet performed an environmental assessment of the land nor […]
Posted inWhispers
Austin Water looks to reconfigure facilities
In an effort to increase worker productivity, save money and make its operations more sustainable, Austin Water is looking to reconfigure and modernize its facilities. Although a specific path forward has not yet been selected, there are three on the table. The scenarios, according to Austin Water Chief of Support Services Anna Bryan-Borja, who spoke […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy plans to purchase more wind energy
The Electric Utility Commission unanimously recommended the approval of a new energy contract that would bring Austin Energy’s percentage of renewable energy up to 61 percent by the middle of 2021. That is only 4 percentage points below the City Council-approved goal of generating 65 percent of the city’s energy from renewable sources by 2027. […]
Posted inPlanning
Third time not the charm for River Place case at ZAP
At the end of Milky Way Drive there’s a 42-acre greenbelt buffering the River Place neighborhood from Balcones Canyonlands Preserve. Since 2015, there has been an ongoing debate over how best to develop that tract of land. The latest hearing on the development plan came before the Zoning and Platting Commission on July 16. Jeff […]
Posted inEnergy
Electric Utility Commission unanimously declares climate crisis must be addressed
In a unanimous show of hands, the Electric Utility Commission passed a resolution July 15 asserting that the time has come for Austin to declare support for climate change mitigation policies and to adopt its own resolution declaring a climate emergency. The need to take a stance against climate change is nothing new, Commissioner Stefan […]
Posted inPlanning
Request to increase impervious cover for 12,000-square-foot home postponed by BoA
A couple building their dream home can find it disheartening to make it through the architectural design and site plan process, only to have an administrative hiccup put their plans on pause. John and Amy Porter, who own 1704 and 1706 Channel Road, found themselves in this position when they came before the Board of […]