Plans to bulldoze the historic Steve Hicks School of Social Work building on the University of Texas campus may soon be derailed, with an alumni-led campaign to secure landmark protections winning over the state’s Antiquities Advisory Board last month. Next, the case will advance to the Texas Historical Commission, where a favorable vote could trigger […]
Kali Bramble
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy’s climate protection plan timeline comes under fire
After an unpopular first draft, Austin Energy is taking a new approach to update its Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan. Staff says the approach, led by a newly hired mediation specialist, will employ strategies that bring new voices to the table for more collaborative conversations ahead of the utility’s second shot at a policy […]
Posted inAustin
Downtown Commission seeks funding for new anti-graffiti department
Sick of seeing your neighborhood sidewalks, street signs and parks defaced but unsure where to turn? Austin’s Downtown Commission is here to help, with plans to create a new Department of Nuisance Abatement to tackle the city’s graffiti problem. Laid out in a recommendation to City Council, the new department would reorganize the city’s disparate […]
Posted inWater
Amid worsening drought, Austin Water floats updates on conservation and drought contingency plan
As Austinites prepare for another round of scorching temperatures, stewards of their dwindling water supply are strategizing, with updates to the city’s Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plan expected to hit City Council’s desk next week. The new plan, which outlines targets for per capita water usage and drought-triggered restriction measures, is part of a […]
Posted inPreservation
Historic Landmark Commission to honor Russell Lee, iconic American photojournalist
The longtime home of one of history’s most prolific photojournalists may soon be crowned a local landmark, thanks to a vote at last week’s Historic Landmark Commission. The 110-year-old home, located at 3110 West Ave., secured the commission’s blessing due to its long-standing association with iconic photographer Russell Lee and his wife Jean, a notable […]
Posted inPreservation
Landmark commission embraces green initiatives
The Historic Landmark Commission is embracing the environmentalist zeal gripping City Hall, launching a set of policy recommendations last week aimed at tackling preservation goals from a sustainability angle. The recommendation, authored by Commissioner JuanRaymon Rubio, outlines a number of strategies to tackle the emissions and waste wrought by building demolitions, including greater incentives for […]
Posted inAustin
Downtown Commission revisits funding bid for anti-graffiti policy
Downtown Commissioners are once again asking City Council to address Austin’s ongoing battle against vandalism, with the hope of seeing funding for a dedicated anti-graffiti task force on the budget this August. The proposal dates back to March of last year, when commissioners unanimously recommended that the city allocate $2 million toward the creation of […]
Posted inEnvironment
Council tackles landscaping emissions with plan to reboot equipment trade-in program
People still clinging to battered old lawn equipment may soon see opportunity for an upgrade, as City Council looks to reboot a “cash for clunkers” exchange program to incentivize eco-friendly landscaping. The resolution, sponsored by Council Member Ryan Alter and passed March 7, directs staff to explore new approaches to the city’s electric landscaping rebate […]
Posted inPreservation
Preservation victory appears short-lived for Travis Heights home
A 114-year-old home in Travis Heights that narrowly escaped demolition last year might be on the chopping block after all, with neighbors taking to the podium at last week’s Historic Landmark Commission meeting warning of a possible demolition by neglect. Preservationists celebrated their victory over 409 E. Monroe St. last March after a resistance campaign […]
Posted inParks
Debate intensifies over code changes to Butler Hike and Bike trail
Austin’s Parks and Recreation Board drew a crowd this past Monday, gathering to debate a number of code amendments targeting the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake. The amendments, prompted by City Council direction last spring, would eliminate the existing 12-foot cap on the trail’s width and mandate a […]
Posted inEnergy
Electric Utility Commission offers climate-friendly recommendations for Austin Energy update
As the deadline approaches for an update to Austin Energy’s Resource, Generation, and Climate Protection Plan, the city’s Electric Utility Commission is joining the conversation, banding behind its own proposal for the coming decade. The proposal, formed in collaboration with the city’s Resource Management Commission and a number of Austin Energy ratepayers, asks that the […]
Posted inPreservation
Landmark commissioners seek recourse for TxDOT’s threat to Edward Rendon Sr. Park
As Austinites brace themselves for nearly a decade of construction on Interstate 35, the Historic Landmark Commission is joining forces with activists resisting demolition of a historic pecan grove in East Austin’s Edward Rendon Sr. Park at Festival Beach. The pecan grove, which dates back to 1964, sits within the 1.2 acres of Waller Beach […]