The Zoning and Platting Commission delayed a decision on a conditional use permit for a drive-through at a proposed Panda Express off William Cannon Drive, after commissioners failed to approve the drive-through proposal. The proposed Panda Express would be located at 7200 Springfield Drive, off of East William Cannon Drive, on a property zoned for […]
Madeline de Figueiredo
Posted inDevelopment
ZAP Commission forwards recommendation allowing some commercial uses in residential zones
The Zoning and Platting Commission voted to move forward a recommendation on allowing some commercial uses in residential zones to the Codes and Ordinances Joint Committee and Comprehensive Plan Joint Committee. The proposed recommendation allows limited commercial uses in residential zones, aiming to enhance neighborhood accessibility and walkability. Currently, residential zones are separated from commercial […]
Posted inHousing
City Council passes resolution prioritizing co-op housing for older people and people with disabilities
City Council passed a resolution Thursday directing the city manager to prioritize city-owned land for the development of income-restricted, shared-equity housing for older residents and people with disabilities, including options like cooperative housing and community land trusts. The resolution also called for prioritizing sites located near public transit corridors, particularly within equitable transit-oriented developments (ETODs). […]
Posted inZoning
Planning Commission recommends rezoning of Anderson Square
The Planning Commission voted to rezone Anderson Square in Tuesday’s meeting against staff’s recommendation. The property is a 16-acre retail center near the intersection of North Lamar Boulevard and U.S. Highway 183 – currently home to businesses such as Hobby Lobby, Planet Fitness and a bingo hall – was proposed for redevelopment. Situated in a […]
Posted inPreservation
Commission fails to reach recommendation on historic zoning for East Austin house
After a series of votes, the Planning Commission failed to reach a decision on recommending historic zoning for an East Austin house, leaving the issue to be decided by City Council without their input. The property at 900 Spence St. in East Austin was built in 1915 and was described in city documents as an […]
Posted inZoning
Planning Commission postpones East Austin rezoning decision after clerical error
After more than half a dozen community members took the dais to speak against an East Austin rezoning request, the Planning Commission voted to postpone its decision due to a clerical issue in the agenda. This marks the second consecutive meeting in which an administrative mistake has delayed the commission’s ability to act on an […]
Posted inZoning
Planning Commission postpones decision on Anderson Square rezoning
The Planning Commission unanimously voted to postpone a rezoning request for Anderson Square in North Austin after the property owner requested an amendment to the application, seeking to increase the maximum height limits. A 16-acre retail center near the intersection of North Lamar Boulevard and U.S. Highway 183 – currently home to businesses such as […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Voters pass Austin Independent School District Proposition A
Austin Independent School District Proposition A, a tax rate election, passed with 58 percent of the vote on Nov. 5, resulting in a property tax increase for Austin residents that will invest $41 million in AISD. The Austin ISD Board of Trustees voted in August to place Proposition A on the November ballot after a […]
Posted inParks
Parks and Recreation Board recommends audit of contracts governing city sports fields
The Austin Parks and Recreation Board unanimously voted to recommend that City Council conduct a comprehensive audit of all contracts related to dozens of city-owned baseball and soccer fields. The Austin Parks and Recreation Department frequently contracts with outside organizations to manage, maintain and use some of the city-owned baseball and soccer fields. The recommended […]
Posted inZoning
Planning Commission postpones commercial rezoning of East Austin church
Though the Planning Commission voted at its most recent meeting to recommend commercial rezoning for the Alpha Seventh Day Adventist Church property on 51st Street, a posting error means that vote will need to take place again. The church community has advocated for expanding the church’s parking lot and creating latitude for future growth. Commissioners […]
Posted inEnvironment
Commission brands glue traps ‘ineffective and gruesome,’ votes to recommend a ban
The Austin Animal Advisory Commission unanimously voted Monday to recommend that the city of Austin ban the purchase and use of glue traps in all city-owned and city-managed facilities. The commission’s recommendation was rooted in concerns about the inhumane and unsanitary nature of the traps. They noted that the traps indiscriminately and inhumanely target wildlife, […]
Posted inPreservation
Planners vote to preserve east side building despite developer opposition
The Planning Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to move forward on historic zoning for the building at 1500 East 12th St., which is estimated to have been built near the turn of the 20th century. According to city documentation, over the building’s century-long history it was a neighborhood grocery store, the meeting place of Black fraternity […]