Kimberly Reeves

Developers appear to be turning to higher-density single-family construction, such as the Peaceful Hill Condominiums, to provide some of the buffer between industrial uses and residential neighborhoods in South Austin.   Peaceful Hills Condominiums was one of the final zoning cases at Council last week, one with firm opposition and a valid petition but clear […]

The Design Commission has some inviolable rules, and plans for the new 30-story high-rise office tower at Third and Colorado appear to violate several of them.   Third and Colorado, if it is built, would be the first office tower to go up in Austin since the Frost Bank Tower. It replaces plans that developer […]

Austin is poised to see steep drops in its commitment to affordable housing in the upcoming budget, drops that could move the city backward in its efforts to expand affordable rental and first-time home ownership, according to advocates.   Stuart Hersh, a retired city affordable housing official, starts every speech he makes to Council with […]

The negotiating has begun on what benefits CAMPO might reap from loaning $130 million to help the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority move forward with construction of managed lanes on MoPac Expressway.   CAMPO’s Transportation Policy Board is in a quandary. TxDOT has proposed a windfall of state and federal funds that will present the […]

Members of the Planning Commission, after talking around the issue for more than an hour, finally landed on one reason so many neighborhoods hate the new comprehensive plan: They fear form-based codes will strip their neighborhood plans of their hard-fought protections, especially in compatibility.   The committee meeting on the comprehensive plan promised to be […]

The mood at the Austin Neighborhoods Council candidate forum was distinctly anti-incumbent on Wednesday night as the group did not endorse incumbents Lee Leffingwell, Mike Martinez and Bill Spelman.   The only sitting Council member to get a nod from the group was Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole, who faces one lesser-known white opponent in […]

Proposed fixes around the so-called “Y” intersection in Oak Hill should put off long-term decisions to fix the congestion magnet for at least seven years.   Engineer Keith Taylor presented the two-phase project at the CAMPO Transportation Policy Board meeting last night. The bottom line was that improvements to the five nearby intersections, and the […]

The battle continues over the boundaries of Congressional District 25, a fight that is unlikely to benefit incumbent Congressman Lloyd Doggett.   Interim maps are in place for the upcoming May primary, but aspects of the permanent map are still in play; specifically, the merits of Travis County-centric Congressional District 25, the long-time seat of […]

Austin’s Transportation Department is looking for the biggest bang for its buck with short-term projects in the upcoming bond issue, Gary Schatz told a committee of the Bond Election Advisory Task Force at a recent meeting.   Given Austin’s preoccupation with its ongoing congestion from Interstate 35 to MoPac to US 290, managing expectations can […]

Three sets of express lanes in Austin may eventually stretch from FM 620 down to Slaughter Lane and cost up to $750 million, but the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority admits the impact on congestion may be minimal.   Last week, attendees at a town hall meeting heard about the first managed lane project, which […]

The Parks and Recreation Board, on a 4-2 vote, has again rejected a proposed agreement for the Austin Rowing Club to manage and operate the new Waller Creek Boathouse, which is nearing the end of construction.   This makes the second time the board has said “no” to the proposed agreement, the first time being […]

The Music Commission intends to make the most of a directive – and a small Council bequest – to mitigate sound problems in downtown music venues.   The amount approved by Council last month, only $40,000, sounds paltry in comparison with some budget items. The money, which will be pulled out of the existing Downtown […]