City Council members struggled to find common ground on changes to the Austin Oaks planned unit development Thursday. Spire Realty Group’s proposed 1.19 million-square-foot mixed-use project would create a “meaningful employment center” on 31 acres away from downtown Austin, said Michael Whellan, the company’s rep. In addition to the residential, retail and office space, the […]
City Hall
Posted inCity Council
Thornton Road developer nixes zoning request
Developer PSW Real Estate on Wednesday withdrew its request for a change to multifamily (MF-4) zoning for 2413 Thornton Road in South Austin, as well as its application to the neighborhood housing department for participation in the city’s Smart Housing Program. The zoning change is on today’s City Council agenda for third reading. The property […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: City Council, 3.23.17
City Council will hold its regular meeting again today, and below is a list of items we’re watching. In the interest of space, we’ve decided not to post the entire agenda. The Office of the City Clerk posts a copy on its website, here. 2. Approve a resolution declaring the City of Austin’s official intent […]
Posted inAustin
Forty years after its fiery demise, a movie theater continues to be missed by East Austin
Ada Harden, 81, stands on a vacant lot at the corner of E. 12th and Salina Streets. While gravel and shorn grass crunch beneath her feet, she sees instead a maroon seat made of velvet and a wide screen where a fence now stands. “Can you imagine a theater sitting right here?” Harden asked, giggling. […]
Posted inCity Council
Auditor’s report: Affordability data incomplete
According to a special report from the Office of the City Auditor, information about city programs and initiatives that affect affordability for Austinites is inconsistent, may be unreliable or incomplete and may not be readily accessible. In addition, auditors found that city programs “may have unanticipated effects on affordability” and that the city has historically […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Travis County, 3.21.17
The Travis County Commissioners Court meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday. In the interest of space, we’ve decided not to post the entire agenda here. The County Clerk’s office hosts a copy at its website. 10. Consider and take appropriate action on the DNA testing issues in the Austin Police Department Forensics Services Division, DNA Unit, […]
Posted inRadio
Austin Monitor Radio: Former Council Member Chris Riley
Former Austin City Council Member Chris Riley joins Austin Monitor publisher Mike Kanin to chat about Riley’s time in New York, his new urban planning degree, and Austin’s CodeNEXT efforts. Audio is embedded below: [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/313239613″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Posted inCity Council
Some seek to protect manager applicants’ names
A group of Austin citizens is urging City Council to do something out of the ordinary when they hire the next city manager – keep the names of the applicants a secret and only reveal the name of the person they want to hire once they’ve made a decision. According to a letter destined for […]
Posted inCity Council
What really happened with the new ethics ordinance?
An ordinance approved by City Council last month aims to strengthen the Ethics Review Commission, the citizen panel tasked with investigating and judging ethics complaints made against city officials. The ordinance, which had been in the works for about a year and a half, will give the commission a number of new powers, including to […]
Posted inAustin
Examining Austin’s “smart city” bona fides
Austin’s reputation as one of the nation’s smartest cities went under the microscope Sunday, with policy and academic experts examining the technology, educational, housing and transportation components – and the city’s shifting needs as it grows – that combine to make it a magnet for creatives. The South by Southwest panel “What Is a Smart […]
Posted inAustin
Adler: A blue Texas “all but inevitable”
It’s something of an old saw in the political world that progressive cities in otherwise red states are like “a blueberry in a bowl of tomato soup.” Austin Mayor Steve Adler and his mayoral colleagues on Friday’s “America’s Mayors: Holding The Line” panel at South by Southwest didn’t invoke that line themselves but let panel […]
Posted inThe Code
Nucleus Learning Network Data Vis Series: Austin housing
Join Sarah Morris, a librarian who co-directs an educational nonprofit called Nucleus Learning Network, as she explores data visualization in a new series. Many Austinites are talking about, and expressing a range of opinions about, CodeNEXT, the new proposed Land Development Code for Austin. And many more Austinites, regardless of whether they have explored CodeNEXT, […]