On a vote of 8-3, City Council last week approved on first reading a major change for a small sliver of property at 1209 W. Fifth St. The change would allow the developer to build up to 120 feet, a change that has neighbors up in arms. After hearing objections to the proposal from several […]
Zoning
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New zoning would allow huge building on South Congress
At the last meeting before the Nov. 5 election, City Council spent more than 11 hours in chambers, with most of their time being devoted to the contract with the Austin Police Association, which they approved. But with a barely noted vote at the end of the meeting, they also approved on first reading a […]
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Planning Commission postpones commercial rezoning of East Austin church
Though the Planning Commission voted at its most recent meeting to recommend commercial rezoning for the Alpha Seventh Day Adventist Church property on 51st Street, a posting error means that vote will need to take place again. The church community has advocated for expanding the church’s parking lot and creating latitude for future growth. Commissioners […]
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Revised Thornton Road rezoning gets first reading approval
After a surprise change in the requested zoning, City Council approved on first reading a much smaller zoning change for a 4-acre site on Thornton Road in South Austin. The property sits in District 5, and Council Member Ryan Alter played a major role in putting together a different zoning plan than what the property […]
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Rezoning of the Herb Bar is in question as it advances
The Herb Bar, which sits at the corner of West Mary and Eva streets in the Bouldin neighborhood, has been offering herbs and spices, plus a variety of potions, since 1986. However, the new owner of the historic property, which once housed a post office and before that a general store, is looking for a […]
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Major upzoning in Zilker neighborhood draws opposition
On Sept. 12, City Council approved a zoning change for a 0.42-acre property in the Zilker neighborhood that will allow the developer to build to 90 feet, falling under the Density Bonus 90 category. The property at 2130 Goodrich Ave., currently the site of a one-story office building, is about 100 feet from South Lamar […]
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Austin Pickle Ranch seeks rezoning to restore rooftop pickleball operations
A request to rezone Hartland Plaza to permit the continued operation of Austin Pickle Ranch set off a contentious back and forth at last week’s Planning Commission meeting as local residents pushed for more measures to mitigate sound and light disturbances from the rooftop pickleball courts. Austin Pickle Ranch began its operations at Hartland Plaza, […]
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Planning Commission supports rezoning lakefront property
The Planning Commission supported rezoning 200 E. Riverside Drive, which is just east of South Congress Avenue, for a multiuse development project that would include multiple towers where a vacant office building currently sits. The development will be 160 feet from the banks of Lady Bird Lake and adjacent to the Ann and Roy Butler […]
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East Cesar Chavez zoning granted despite neighbors’ objections
Although former City Council Member Raul Alvarez and other east side advocates argued strenuously during last week’s meeting against granting DB90 zoning to the property at 3020 E. Cesar Chavez St., Council members approved the change on all three readings. The old zoning allowed for a relatively modest mixed-use building. Developers are now expected to […]
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Planning Commission endorses multifamily project in Montopolis
Despite some consternation about the impact to the neighborhood in terms of scale and potential for displacement, Planning Commission members have voted in support of a new multifamily development on Montopolis Drive between Caddie and Fairway streets. The project is expected to bring around 189 units to the 2 acres that currently stand empty. Victoria […]
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East Austin church rezoning reveals cracks in DB90
Plans to expand an East Austin church are moving forward, but not before they sparked criticism of the city’s new density bonus program, DB90, at the Planning Commission last week. Christ Church of Central Austin, which is located at San Marcos and Medina streets in the Cesar Chavez neighborhood, went to the Planning Commission in […]
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Planning Commission checks in on new density bonus program
At their most recent meeting, members of the Planning Commission took the temperature of the city’s newest density bonus program, which is designed to allow developers to build more in exchange for community benefits like affordable housing. The program, dubbed DB90, replaces the short-lived, now-scrapped VMU2 program that had the same purpose. In June 2022, […]