The city’s Planning and Zoning Department has recommended greatly expanding the scope of revitalization plans focused around the Palm School property, to include the entirety of the Waterloo Greenway project and more of the downtown core. The change suggested would include substantially more property, and several existing planning areas, than what was included in a […]
Planning
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At Robinson Ranch, the apple may fall far from the tree
When Apple Inc. announced its plans to build a $1 billion campus late last year, there was a wave of speculation about what the company’s expansion would mean for Austin in terms of traffic congestion and employment opportunities. However, there was little talk of the company’s development plans. Site plans filed last December indicate the […]
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Zyle Road residents still have doubts about development
Residents of rural southwest Travis County have succeeded in getting a neighboring landowner to significantly reduce a proposed development they feared would cause safety issues in their isolated community. However, they continue to worry that a major development with inadequate safety provisions will eventually become a reality. Artek Investments, the owner of 164 acres west […]
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Planning Commission votes in favor of protecting future ears from airport expansion
Generally speaking, residential use is prohibited within the airport overlay zones. The exception is the third zone (AO3) of the airport overlay, which under certain circumstances permits residential development. “We don’t just meet one of the three thresholds, we meet two,” Drenner Group’s Amanda Swor told the Planning Commission at its Sept. 24 meeting. She […]
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City awaits toilets for downtown public restroom project
Austin’s first permanent public restroom project downtown has been pushed back several months due to problems in the manufacturing process. Portland Loo, the company that makes the solar-powered restrooms, told staff earlier this month it has run into “parts and labor issues,” disrupting the expectations of the city and a number of other customers. Council […]
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Arts Commission eyes MACC-Palm School link in supporting city’s push for preservation
The Austin Arts Commission has signed on in support of the city’s goal of preserving the Palm School property as a historic cultural facility, in a nod to the ongoing negotiations with Travis County for ownership of the downtown site. The commission voted unanimously to write a letter in support of the city’s push to […]
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Asian American center plan could include Rutherford Lane campus
At today’s meeting, City Council will likely direct City Manager Spencer Cronk and his staff to come up with a proposal to incorporate the expansion of the Asian American Resource Center into a master plan for the center as well as the adjacent Rutherford Lane campus. The proposal comes from Council Member Jimmy Flannigan, who […]
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Planning Commission endorses West Campus density
When the University Neighborhood Overlay (UNO) was established in 2004, the idea spurring its creation was to increase housing opportunities for students in an area close to classrooms and campus life. In the 15 years since, the need for affordable student housing in West Campus has only continued to grow. While there is no one-size-fits-all […]
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Despite road safety concerns, ZAP approves final plat for Oaks at Slaughter development
Despite some residents’ concerns about road safety, on Sept. 3 the Zoning and Platting Commission approved the preliminary plan and final plat for the nearly 19-acre Oaks of Slaughter mixed-use development, which will house an HEB and retail shopping next to Interstate 35 between William Cannon Drive and Slaughter Lane in South Austin. While three […]
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Environmental Commission recommends Council include Atlas 14 update in code rewrite
Atlas 14 is a historical rainfall study that alters the city’s flood plains drastically, showing that Austin is projected to receive a 30 percent increase in rainfall. Nevertheless, the study is not something that can change development on its own. To ensure that the updated Atlas 14 maps are considered during any development and redevelopment […]
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New rules put pressure on land use commissions
Operating under new rules as a result of the so-called “shot clock bill,” members of the Zoning and Platting Commission and the Planning Commission will be under pressure to rapidly make decisions about whether to approve or reject subdivision development applications. Commissioners will also be under greater pressure to attend meetings and, in many cases, […]
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Parks board vote could delay ‘fast-tracked’ health center for Dove Springs
A community health center proposed for the Dove Springs area in Southeast Austin could be delayed by several months after the city’s Parks and Recreation Board voted last week to delay approving the use of parkland to build the long-needed facility. The 9-2 vote to delay the recommendation to City Council to move ahead with […]