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Planning

Council looks to adjust TOD density bonus programs

An extra helping of housing for low-income families could be coming to near East Austin soon thanks to action taken by City Council on Thursday. The body unanimously supported an item sponsored by Council Member Pio Renteria and aimed at…

Planning Commission endorses east side plan to replace auto salvage yard with mixed-use project

Continuing tension over gentrification, density and a lack of adequate planning for growth on the city’s east side converged on an unlikely fight to preserve an East Austin junkyard at the most recent meeting of the Planning Commission. In the…

Flag lots could be making a comeback

There’s more to CodeNEXT than zoning, believe it or not, and last week the land use commissions received an update from staff on non-zoning changes that would be part of the rewrite’s second draft, with the hottest item of discussion…

St. Johns ‘project of change’ gets needed break

After months of compromise, the Board of Adjustment has opted to let a St. Johns work/live project live, despite lingering concerns from neighbors about entering into a new era of transportation-oriented development. In order to build a two-story, five-unit multifamily…

Commission pushes for more affordable large apartments to increase school enrollment

Problems are rarely solved by doing what’s typical. That was the motto steering the Planning Commission at its most recent meeting, when members chose not to accept a proposal for a multifamily development with the usual shortage of three-bedroom apartments.…

Report finds most traffic on Rainey Street stems from surrounding roadways

Traffic congestion has long been a concern for people who live and work along Rainey Street. Last year, neighbors struck a deal with a developer looking to build new condos in the area. They agreed to conduct a comprehensive traffic…

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Convention center skybridge earns Planning Commission approval

A proposal for a skybridge connecting the Austin Convention Center to the nearby Hilton Austin hotel will make its way to City Council after a narrow Planning Commission vote approved staff’s recommendation during its May 23 meeting. The applicant, Austin…

Convention center skybridge postponed by Planning Commission

A request seeking permission to construct a pedestrian skybridge connecting the Austin Convention Center and the Hilton Austin hotel downtown was postponed by the Planning Commission last week. The case, which the commission came close to denying altogether, will now…

In lieu of Imagine Austin update, Planning Commission recommends mixed-use project

The city’s comprehensive plan is starting to show its age. On Tuesday, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve a mixed-use zoning request, against staff’s recommendation, for three commercially zoned properties on the border of one of the Imagine Austin…

Austin launches initiative to redesign Congress Avenue

For Austin visitors, it’s hard to beat the iconic view of the Texas Capitol from Congress Avenue. But for those who live and work along the corridor, the streetscape could use some improvements. On a Friday afternoon, about a dozen…

Zoning and Platting Commission debates its role in deciding reasonable use

Opposing zoning philosophies came to a head at Tuesday night’s Zoning and Platting Commission meeting, resulting in a split vote over a conditional overlay removal request for a planned gas station project in Northeast Austin. Last year, City Council approved…

Board denies appeal accusing church of being front for multifamily residence

Wading through the gray area between religious assembly and residential uses, the Board of Adjustment decided at its Feb. 13 meeting to deny an appeal to reverse staff’s determination that the property at 2530 South Congress was being used for…

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