A proposal to bring back renowned music venue Austin Opry House might have sailed through City Council if not for neighbors concerned about one thing: venue capacity. Because of neighbors fearing traffic and boisterous concertgoers from the proposed 1,200-capacity venue, the rezoning won’t be decided until at least June – nine months after the project’s […]
Jonathan Lee
Posted inPlanning
Council endorses changes to East 11th and 12th street development regulations
Before a troubled history of urban renewal and disinvestment led the city to declare the areas blighted, 11th and 12th streets were once thriving corridors in East Austin’s Black community. Now, the city is shepherding land use changes along the streets to help create a more vibrant, walkable neighborhood. City Council gave initial approval on […]
Posted inZoning
Mixed-use project with affordable units coming near Mueller, pending rezoning
The Planning Commission Tuesday supported a rezoning request for a 143-unit, mixed-income, mixed-use development near the Mueller neighborhood. The rezoning concerns two tracts: a 1.2-acre property at 2015 E M. Franklin Ave., home to Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In, and a vacant 2.8-acre parcel at 2011 E.M. Franklin. The developer, Anmol Mehra, requests Neighborhood Commercial-Mixed […]
Posted inWhispers
Connolly signs off from Planning Commission
João Paulo Connolly bid farewell to the Planning Commission Tuesday after a year and a half of service. Connolly, an organizer with Austin Justice Coalition, signed off with a speech reflecting on the Planning Commission’s role in housing and land use debates. “All too often this commission becomes a proxy space for the city’s unresolved […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Advocacy orgs target compatibility, parking requirements in VMU2
As City Council discusses VMU2, a proposal to allow taller buildings on sites zoned Vertical Mixed-Use in exchange for more affordable housing, advocacy groups have rallied to scrap what they say are VMU2’s biggest shortcomings: compatibility and parking requirements. “Eliminating barriers to housing development, like parking minimums and compatibility, is essential,” Chris Randazzo, Real Estate […]
Posted inDevelopment
Setback controversy delays East Austin townhomes
A developer planning to build seven townhomes in the Chestnut neighborhood ran into opposition April 12, as neighbors and members of the Planning Commission opposed a request to build closer to single-family homes than allowed by city code. Developer Urban Gravity hopes the city will approve a 5-foot setback from adjacent homes instead of the […]
Posted inZoning
Planning Commission prods developer to talk with tenants facing displacement
Tenants don’t often speak at public meetings on zoning cases that affect them. But when they do, people seem to listen. At least that was the case Tuesday when the Planning Commission heard from Andrew McKenna, a North Austin resident unsure where he’ll move should the city approve a proposal to redevelop the apartment complex […]
Posted inWhispers
New digs and a payday for Delta Kappa Gamma
Nonprofit Delta Kappa Gamma has officially sold its longtime headquarters at 416 W. 12th St., according to a press release from Sayers Real Estate Advisors. The sale to developer Stratus Properties paves the way for a 400-foot-tall, 35-story tower with 300 apartments. The project – called Annie B after DKG founder Annie Webb Blanton – […]
Posted inPlanning
Statesman PUD wins initial approval
One of the most anticipated redevelopment projects in Austin’s history has moved one step closer to approval. City Council Thursday unanimously approved Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning on the first of three readings for the former Austin-American Statesman site, whose 19 acres of offices and parking currently sit vacant next to Lady Bird Lake. “This […]
Posted inZoning
ZAP divided on rezoning for neighborhood bar on Menchaca
The Zoning and Platting Commission disagreed Tuesday on a request to zone a South Austin property to allow liquor sales and commercial use amid concern from neighbors over noise and traffic. The rezoning concerns a 5-acre tract at 11530 Menchaca Road, near the city limits. The applicant, represented by Jim Wittliff, wants Commercial-Liquor Sales (CS-1) […]
Posted inPreservation
Staffers provide update on new equity-focused historic preservation plan
As Austin faces rapid change, the city is drafting a new equity-based preservation plan – replacing the existing plan from 1981 – in hopes of better preserving Austin’s cultural heritage. “Much has changed in Austin over the past 40 years … so we need an up-to-date plan with up-to-date policies and tools to help steward […]
Posted inPreservation
Historic zoning for Chrysler Air Temp house draws mixed opinions
An Allandale house that helped pioneer the use of air conditioning in middle-class homes is up for historic zoning against the owner’s wishes. The Zoning and Platting Commission was split Tuesday on whether to recommend historic zoning, as members wrestled with preserving what is clearly a historic house versus allowing the owner to keep the […]