A demolition request for a 1938 home received a surprising amount of pushback from community members at the Jan. 25 meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission. The home at 2803 Bonnie Road was first constructed for Frank D. and Ollie Lloyd, a couple who moved around Austin a few times throughout the 20th century. According […]
Sean Saldaña
Posted inPreservation
Former Threadgill home on its way to historic designation
Commissioners at the Jan. 25 meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission voted to advance the historic designation process for 4310 Rosedale Ave., the former home of Kenneth and Mildred Threadgill. Kenneth Threadgill, an Austin-based country musician who collaborated with national figures like Jimmie Rodgers, lived at the home from 1945 to the mid-1980s. Threadgill operated […]
Posted inDevelopment
Environmental Commission unanimously votes to advance Goodnight Ranch zoning change
A proposal to amend zoning requirements for a South Austin residential development was discussed and subsequently approved by the Environmental Commission at its Jan. 20 meeting. Goodnight Ranch is a master planned unit development that covers 695 acres encompassing the area on the east side of Old Lockhart Road between Nuckols Crossing Road and Capitol View […]
Posted inTexas State Legislature
Environmental Commission discusses its role in political advocacy
The Jan. 20 meeting of the Environmental Commission addressed a resolution that would support the city’s 87th State Legislative Agenda, a City Council resolution that passed in September of last year. According to the city, the agenda – which has no formal policy directives or fiscal impact – “is used to communicate (local interests) to the […]
Posted inResources
Zero Waste Advisory Commission reassembles C&D ordinance subcommittee
At its Jan. 13 meeting, the Zero Waste Advisory Commission discussed the Construction and Demolition Recycling Ordinance, a law that went into effect in 2016. The ordinance mandates that building permits with more than 5,000 square feet of new, added or remodeled floor area divert at least half of the construction project debris from the […]
Posted inAustin
Austin Animal Center’s December report looks bright
The Animal Advisory Commission convened on Jan. 11 to discuss, among other things, the accomplishments of the Austin Animal Center at the end of 2020. One recent highlight was the implementation of a new chatbot designed to field questions residents may have about the services the shelter provides. “Since its inception, 3,800 people have used the […]
Posted inPreservation
Historic Landmark Commission delays log cabin relocation decision
Last month, the Historic Landmark Commission discussed a proposal to deconstruct and relocate a log cabin located at 5613 Patton Ranch Road. The cabin is on property owned by St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, a K-12 private school. The organization is looking to relocate the building to Pioneer Farms, a self-styled “living history museum” that sits […]
Posted inPreservation
Landmark commission approves former Barton Springs florist shop for demolition
The building at 605 Barton Springs Road has been home to McPhail’s Florist, Austin’s most prominent florist, for decades. But the 92-year-old building may soon be demolished. The flower shop, which ceased operations in 2018, has become – at least unofficially – a historic part of Barton Springs Road. Longtime residents will recognize the iconic […]
Posted inPreservation
Landmark commission denies Congress building owner’s request for mural
Last month, the Historic Landmark Commission discussed a proposal to install an eye-catching, soccer-themed mural at 506 Congress Ave. The mural, which would have been completed by the artist Ruben Sánchez, was noteworthy because it would be located near the Robinson-Rosner Building and the Scarbrough Building in the Congress Avenue Historic District. At the time, […]
Posted inPreservation
Historic designation recommended for Delta Kappa Gamma HQ, against owner’s wishes
The Delta Kappa Gamma building at 416 W. 12th St. could be on its way to a historic designation, which, given the home’s long history as headquarters of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, may come as no surprise. Founded on the University of Texas campus in 1929, DKG was created, according to the organization, […]
Posted inRoads
Urban Transportation Commission creates working group to form I-35 recommendations
A Texas A&M Transportation Institute report recently ranked the segment of Interstate 35 that goes through Austin the most congested roadway in the state. This congestion is one of the reasons behind the I-35 Capital Express Project, a multiyear, multibillion-dollar transportation initiative that will add two non-tolled managed lanes in each direction along I-35 from […]
Posted inParks
Parks board tables renaming recommendations for Council
The Parks and Recreation Board has once again taken up the task of suggesting revisions to the city’s naming and renaming ordinance, the law that lays out guidelines for the naming process behind city facilities like parks, sports complexes, pools, and other public gathering places. According to the parks board, “The current process and timeline […]