Stories by Jessi Devenyns
East Austin tank farm site poised to become a PUD
Despite years of remediation efforts and development proposals for the former East Austin tank farm at 1011 and 1017 Springdale Road, the site has remained undeveloped. Then in May, the Jay Paul Company brought the city a new development proposal…
Development • By Jessi Devenyns • Aug 20, 2020
Travis County budget makes concessions and cuts to achieve balance
After months of rework triggered by the financial ramifications of the pandemic, the Commissioners Court held its first public hearing associated with the 2021 Travis County budget on Aug. 18. As they went through the 120-page, $1.28 billion budget proposal, Planning and…
Budget • By Jessi Devenyns • Aug 19, 2020
Austin Water aims to bring new conservation ordinances before Council in December
Timelines across the city have been adjusted or paused following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the ongoing limitations imposed by the “new normal” have not stopped Austin Water from developing new conservation ordinances to bring before City Council…
Water • By Jessi Devenyns • Aug 18, 2020
Parking requirements jam up decision at the Board of Adjustment
In Austin, the subject of parking has a way of striking a nerve. So when a proposal for an office project at 43 N. Interstate 35 came before the Board of Adjustment on Aug. 10, board members struggled to come…
Land Development Code • By Jessi Devenyns • Aug 17, 2020
Board of Adjustment considers neighboring trees grounds for variance
Last month, the Board of Adjustment postponed the case for the property at 1711 Waterston Ave. in order for the property owners to cobble together a case presenting a valid hardship. This month, the owners of the Clarksville bungalow returned…
Land Development Code • By Jessi Devenyns • Aug 13, 2020
Commissioners Court considers allocating additional funding for high-risk youth program
As public education moves from classrooms to screens in students’ homes, families’ need for support from educational institutions has increased. Students from vulnerable populations, in particular, benefit from personalized contact with someone in the Austin Independent School District, according to…
Education • By Jessi Devenyns • Aug 12, 2020
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Environmental Commission recommends vision plan for John Treviño Jr. park
A 330-acre former ranch east of U.S. Highway 183 has been waiting for the city to introduce park amenities since 2003. On Aug. 5, the city-owned parcel took one step closer to becoming a nature-focused, master-planned metropolitan park named in…
Parks • By Jessi Devenyns • Aug 11, 2020
Historic Landmark Commission initiates historic zoning for 'Air Temp' home
In an effort to avoid the loss of one of the first homes in Austin to feature air conditioning, the Historic Landmark Commission voted at its July 27 meeting to initiate the historic zoning process for the “Air Temp” home…
Preservation • By Jessi Devenyns • Aug 10, 2020
Public Safety Commission considers how to restructure its partnership with Council
The Public Safety Commission is working with City Council Member Jimmy Flannigan to offload some of its oversight duties in favor of becoming more of an advisory body. “We are particularly ill-suited for oversight,” Commissioner Rebecca Webber said at the…
City Hall • By Jessi Devenyns • Aug 7, 2020
Travis County expands public health orders to unincorporated areas, fines up to $500
The Commissioners Court unanimously approved an order Tuesday making Austin Public Health’s Health Authority Rules enforceable in unincorporated areas of Travis County. Individuals who do not abide by the local health authority’s pandemic mitigation plan may face fines of up…
Public Health • By Jessi Devenyns • Aug 5, 2020
SAFE Alliance reports escalating domestic violence is 'another public health pandemic'
Between April and June, the SAFE Alliance recorded a 25 percent increase in calls to its 24/7 SAFEline compared to the same time period in 2019. This spike in calls coincides with a reduction in visits from survivors of sexual…
Public Safety • By Jessi Devenyns • Aug 4, 2020
East Austin historic district application receives support from Historic Landmark Commission
Austin is well on its way to getting its second historic district on the east side. The Rogers-Washington-Holy Cross neighborhood, which is roughly bounded by East 21st Street and East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard between Cedar and Chestnut avenues,…
