New survey findings show Austin residents are generally happier with city services such as fire, police, library, and parks and recreation than residents of similarly populated cities. But Austin falls behind the national average of satisfaction in an unsurprising category: traffic. Jason Morado, project manager of the Kansas City, Kansas-based ETC Institute, presented the report […]
Planning
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Despite community concerns, Planning Commission approves Pershing House permit
The Planning Commission’s decision to approve a conditional use permit to the Pershing House, a private club on East Fifth Street, caused a stir on Tuesday. Activist Gavino Fernandez Jr. asked the commission to deny the request for a club or lodge use at 2415 East Fifth St., filed by venture capitalist and property owner Kip […]
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Planning Commission recommends Council negotiate MUD consent agreement
At its last meeting, the Planning Commission voted to approve a staff recommendation on the second part of a request to amend the consent agreement for Moore’s Crossing, a municipal utility district east of Austin proper, in order to clarify the developer’s transportation infrastructure obligations. The commission went further than the staff recommendation on the […]
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Arguments continue over neighborhood plan contact teams
What’s the difference between a neighborhood association and a neighborhood plan contact team? According to the city of Austin, there’s a big difference. Neighborhood associations, which can be started by anyone, have no formal relationship with city government, whereas neighborhood plan contact teams are groups designated by the city to collaborate with city staff on […]
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Sidewalk Master Plan recommendations move forward
An overhaul of Austin’s sidewalk regulations took a small but significant step forward Wednesday night after a vote held by a lesser-known body. The Planning and Zoning and Platting commissions’ Codes and Ordinances Joint Committee recommended the initiation of changes to the city code that, among other things, could introduce fines to property owners who […]
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Developer, city arborist agree on heritage tree removal
In a rare exception to the city’s 95 percent preservation rate for heritage trees, the Planning Commission approved staff’s recommendation of a variance during its Jan. 10 meeting that would permit applicant Stantec Inc. to remove two heritage trees in order to construct a new hotel at 400 Josephine St. In fact, the applicant plans […]
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Unadopted South Lamar Corridor Plan influences Planning Commission appeal
A subpar neighborhood traffic analysis did not stop the Planning Commission from granting an appeal for a 60,000-square-foot mixed-use project at 2010 South Lamar Blvd. during its Jan. 10 meeting. Due to the site plan not meeting city code with its driveway on South Lamar, the applicant, Frontier Realty LLC, was forced to move the […]
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Specter of CodeNEXT informs vertical mixed-use cases at Planning Commission
In two separate cases on Tuesday, the Planning Commission approved vertical mixed-use zoning on Congress Avenue. The majority of the commissioners continue to see VMU zoning as a way to increase density along or near core transit corridors in line with the goals of Imagine Austin and CodeNEXT. The first applicant, Guefen Development Company, applied […]
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Developer proposes twin PIDs for single development
The man behind Travis County’s first official public improvement district is back for more, this time with a proposal that ratchets up the complexity of an already intricate process. Last Tuesday, Pete Dwyer of Dwyer Realty Companies presented to the Commissioners Court his vision for Lagos, a massive development that would sit just south of […]
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Planning Commission approves Plaza Saltillo project, affordability level disputed
After what Chair Stephen Olivier called “officially our longest case ever,” the Planning Commission approved three rezoning items associated with the six tracts of the Plaza Saltillo project at its Jan. 10 meeting. The properties, owned by the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, span 11 acres along East Fifth Street and the rail line. In 2013, […]
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Council moves toward Austin Oaks PUD approval
Shortly after approving the contentious Grove at Shoal Creek planned unit development on Thursday, City Council took an important step toward approving another West Austin development that has divided neighbors over concerns about traffic, environmental protection and neighborhood preservation. In the early morning hours Friday, Council voted to approve, on first reading, the Austin Oaks […]
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Waiver applicant pitches restrictive covenant with themselves
The Planning Commission voted 7-4 at its Dec. 13 meeting to postpone a decision on a compatibility waiver for a new multifamily residential development called the Lofts at 12th, located at 2724 East 12th St. The waiver would accommodate the five-story apartment complex by allowing the developer to scale down a 25-foot setback triggered by […]