City Council on Thursday unanimously approved Community Commercial, Mixed Use and General Commercial Services zoning that will allow the site of a Southeast Austin auto salvage yard to become a vertical mixed-use development with more than 1200 multifamily units and 210,000 square feet of office, as well as a 136,000-square-foot shopping center. The site at […]
District 5
Posted inCity Council
Before passing baton, Kitchen reflects on eight years in the housing trenches
In her eight years on Austin City Council, Ann Kitchen has navigated both the thrills and the growing pains of the second-fastest-growing city in the country. Kitchen has spent 2022 refining policies she hopes will continue to address Austin’s housing crisis well after her departure, when she’ll hand over the reins of District 5 to incoming […]
Posted inCity Council
In D5, Ryan Alter hopes to bring momentum to city operations
Ryan Alter will bring a state-level perspective to City Hall next year when he takes over representing District 5 from Ann Kitchen, the two-term City Council member who was term-limited and unable to run in November. As a policy analyst and legal staffer for a number of state senators in recent years, Alter said he […]
Posted inParks
Vision plan authors hope for a more sustainable future for Zilker
The current state of Zilker Park, from an ecological perspective, is about what you would expect for a 100-plus-year-old metropolitan park in a city with a population just shy of 1 million. With 2.6 million visitors enjoying nature and amenities in the park each year, Zilker is in dire need of the more than 91 […]
Posted inElections
South Austin picks Ryan Alter for District 5 seat
Although every vote counts, it was clear when the early vote numbers were released Tuesday night that Ryan Alter would prevail over opponent Stephanie Bazan in the contest for the District 5 City Council seat. After eight years in office, Ann Kitchen is retiring and newcomer Alter will be taking over in January. Alter told […]
Posted inZoning
Massive mixed-use development on South Congress gets go-ahead from ZAP
The Zoning and Platting Commission recommended a rezoning Tuesday for a 43-acre property at 7900 S. Congress Ave. to make way for a huge mixed-use development. The project includes 1,218 multifamily units – at least 5 percent of them affordable – across several buildings, 210,000 square feet of offices, and 136,000 square feet of retail and […]
Posted inPlanning
Massive Brodie Oaks PUD OK’d on first reading
Voting unanimously, City Council gave first round approval Thursday to a massive redevelopment of the Brodie Oaks shopping center. The old-fashioned mall with a huge expanse of concrete at the intersection of Lamar Boulevard and Loop 360 that backs up to the Barton Creek greenbelt will be reconfigured to host 1.2 million square feet of […]
Posted inLand Development Code
City reverses decision, granting variance from compatibility in storage unit case
City Council is set to consider the topic of compatibility on a larger scale Thursday. Meanwhile, the Board of Adjustment took a second swing at the issue on a more granular level, voting at its last meeting to overturn a previous denial of a compatibility variance in South Austin. The applicants were seeking a variance […]
Posted inPlanning
Brodie Oaks PUD gets Planning Commission approval
The Planning Commission recommended a proposal Tuesday to transform the Brodie Oaks Shopping Center at South Lamar and Loop 360 into a huge mixed-use development, paving the way for a City Council vote in the coming weeks. The project would turn the 36.7-acre shopping center, with its expansive parking lots and partially vacant retail spaces, […]
Posted inElections
Bazan, Alter set for runoff in District 5
Six candidates lined up this year to take the seat held by retiring City Council Member Ann Kitchen, who has served District 5 since 2015. When the votes were counted on Tuesday, the two candidates whose campaigns emphasize streamlining development regulations, including compatibility standards to speed up building new housing, remained in the ring. Stephanie […]
Posted inZoning
Environmental Commission endorses Brodie Oaks PUD with caveats
The Environmental Commission voted Wednesday to recommend the Brodie Oaks planned unit development that would redevelop the 37.6-acre tract of land on the corner of South Lamar and South Capital of Texas Highway. The recommendation, which will be passed up to the city’s Planning Commission for consideration, comes with caveats regarding building height, light pollution […]
Posted inElections
District 5 Council candidates chat with the ‘Monitor’: Part II
Read Part I of the series here. Stephanie Bazan grew up in South Austin. Her first experience in public service was as a member of the Girl Scouts. The communications professional and mom of two said her passions for service and her hometown brought her into the race. “I deeply care about Austin and […]