After postponing 12 other public hearings Tuesday, the Planning Commission approved a request for a late-night permit to serve alcohol from Odd Duck, a restaurant on South Lamar Boulevard. The conditional-use permit, which allows the eatery to stay open until 2 a.m., seven days a week, puts the Odd Duck in line with neighboring bars […]
Kara Nuzback
Posted inAustin, Development, Local Politics
Subcommittee meeting on ADUs canceled
A meeting of the Planning Commission Codes and Ordinances Subcommittee was canceled Tuesday because not enough members showed up. Voting members James Nortey, Jean Stevens and Nuria Zaragoza along with ex officio member Jeff Jack waited 30 minutes after the 6 p.m. start time before calling it quits. Nortey said he would try to organize […]
Posted inAustin, Development, Zoning
Planners back apartment complex on Burnet Road
An automotive repair shop on Burnet Road could become a 60-foot-tall apartment building, if City Council approves a zoning change for the property. At a Planning Commission meeting last week, Robert Crump and Charles Gordon, owners of the property at 8528 Burnet Road — where Gordon Automotive sits — sought the commission’s recommendation to change […]
Posted inAustin, Environment, Roads, Transportation, Travis County
Conservation District delays vote on SH45 SW agreement
Representatives of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District voted to put off a decision on an agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation that is intended to provide greater environmental protection for the construction of State Highway 45 Southwest. District residents, civic organizations and representatives of Austin and Travis County urged the aquifer district board […]
Posted inAustin, Development, Environment, Zoning
Neighbors rally against eastside hotel proposal
Developers seeking a variance to turn an old warehouse on Red Bluff Road into a hotel were met with opposition from neighbors, who say the property owners should build within zoning laws to maintain the area along the Colorado River. At the Planning Commission on Tuesday night, Daniel Woodroffe, president of landscape architecture firm DWG, […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Local Politics
District 8’s Troxclair vows to be accessible leader
New City Council Member Ellen Troxclair won the District 8 seat by less than half a percentage point. Now, fresh from vacation, she said she’s ready to hit the ground running. “I’m so humbled to be in the position I am and to have the support and faith of the people in District 8,” she […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Local Politics
Zimmerman seeks to shake things up at City Hall
City Council Member-elect Don Zimmerman will serve as a voice for residents of District 6 when the new 10-1 Council takes office today. In the coming year, Zimmerman said he plans to focus his efforts on relieving traffic congestion and shaking up the status quo at City Hall. Zimmerman said that in his first days […]
Posted inAustin, Development, Elections, Local Politics, Transportation
Candidates debate development in District 7
Two North Austin City Council candidates, who will face off in a Dec. 16 runoff election, say the city is growing rapidly and that the District 7 Council member must make sure the area stays affordable. District 7 candidate Leslie Pool, 59, is an executive assistant for Travis County Constable Carlos Lopez. She sailed ahead […]
Posted inAustin, Elections, Local Politics, Transportation
Under scrutiny, District 4 candidates debate
On first day of early voting, the two remaining candidates in District 4 sat down to debate. Even though both focused on their plans for keeping North Austin affordable, their differences were apparent. Greg Casar, 25, a community organizer, led the election on Nov. 4 with 39 percent of the vote. His opponent, Laura Pressley, […]
Posted inCity Hall, Development, The Code
Accessory dwelling unit change stalls in committee
The City of Austin wants to make it easier for residents to establish accessory dwelling units — or ADUs — such as garage apartments on their property in order to create more housing in the city center. At Tuesday’s meeting of the Planning Commission’s Committee on Codes and Ordinances, residents spoke out against the changes primarily […]
Posted inCity Hall, Local Politics
Ethics panel wants last word on complaint inquiries
Austin’s Ethics Review Commission voted unanimously this week to recommend City Council ensure the commission has the last word in ethical complaints against the mayor, members of City Council and all of its appointees, city executives, and assistant city attorneys. “The main issue is the lack of due process,” said commission Vice Chair Peter Einhorn. […]
Posted inElections, Local Politics
Ethics Commission gives candidates slap on wrist
Some City Council candidates are having trouble following Austin’s campaign finance laws. The Ethics Review Commission addressed three complaints against candidates in Districts 6, 8 and 10 Tuesday night. Each candidate admitted wrongdoing, and none of them walked away with major sanctions. After spending more than an hour discussing the complaints behind closed doors, the commission […]