Read Part II of the series here. District 5 will choose a new City Council member this November. Ann Kitchen was elected to a first term in 2015 and ran a second time unopposed in 2019. The environmentalist and attorney was known for her pragmatic approach and tireless commitment to public engagement. Term limits prohibit […]
District 5
Posted inDevelopment
Parks board recommends Brodie Oaks development
Last week, the Parks and Recreation Board voted to recommend the Brodie Oaks planned unit development as superior to City Council, contingent on the applicant complying with a list of board recommendations concerning public access to the on-site park and related facilities. The proposed PUD, located at Loop 360 and Highway 290, would reimagine the […]
Posted inPreservation
Landmark commission OKs Stenger demolition
An A.D. Stenger-designed home in South Austin is headed for demolition with the unanimous consent of the city’s Historic Landmark Commission. Normally, this would be an unusual move by the city commission entrusted with evaluating the city’s historic buildings. However, changes to the building in the 1990s and resistance to historic preservation by the owner […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Because of compatibility, mini storage units block 10 homes in South Austin
The Board of Adjustment failed last Monday to approve a compatibility waiver that would have allowed 10 townhomes at 1609 Matthews Lane in South Austin. In order to build the units, the owner of the half-acre property requested a variance to compatibility, which limits the height of buildings near single-family homes and requires additional setbacks. Though […]
Posted inZoning
ZAP votes to support Albert Road rezoning
The Zoning and Platting Commission supported a rezoning last Tuesday to bring several single-family homes to a 1-acre lot in South Austin. Applicant Juan Pablo Mondragon requests Family Residence (SF-3) zoning for the property at 7415 Albert Road, which is zoned Development Reserve (DR). “We’re not asking for anything extraordinary. There is precedent of several […]
Posted inZoning
Despite concerns about roadway capacity, ZAP endorses District 5 rezoning
The Zoning and Platting Commission recommended a rezoning last Tuesday that would allow additional homes on three single-family lots in South Austin. But not everyone was on board, with some commissioners siding with neighbors who wanted to prohibit vehicle access to a traffic-clogged street. The case concerns three adjacent properties at 9608, 9700, and 9702 […]
Posted inPlanning
Mercedes-Benz dealership nearing construction
A Mercedes-Benz dealership is one step closer to construction in South Austin after the Environmental Commission recommended a variance request last week, allowing private driveways to be built on the site in a critical water quality zone buffer. To comply with the Austin Fire Department’s regulations, the development needs to have two private driveways so […]
Posted inZoning
ZAP divided on rezoning for neighborhood bar on Menchaca
The Zoning and Platting Commission disagreed Tuesday on a request to zone a South Austin property to allow liquor sales and commercial use amid concern from neighbors over noise and traffic. The rezoning concerns a 5-acre tract at 11530 Menchaca Road, near the city limits. The applicant, represented by Jim Wittliff, wants Commercial-Liquor Sales (CS-1) […]
Posted inZoning
ZAP unable to mediate inter-church zoning dispute
The Zoning and Platting Commission couldn’t agree on a rezoning for an apartment project with up to 300 units, in part because of a disagreement between two churches about a restrictive covenant. After multiple failed motions on March 1, the commission let the case go on to City Council without a recommendation. The rezoning concerns a […]
Posted inParks
City seeks solutions to Barton Springs lifeguard problem
Spurred by news that Barton Springs Pool will soon be closed two days a week, City Council Member Paige Ellis will be asking City Manager Spencer Cronk to come up with additional strategies to address the city’s lifeguard shortage. In a post to the City Council Message Board, the Council member – and former lifeguard […]
Posted inParks
Parks board continues weighing Zilker Park outreach efforts
The fabled adage, “Please all and you will please none,” seems to be an apt description of many of the city’s community engagement endeavors, with the ongoing outreach around the Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan serving as a timely example. On the one hand, the city goes to great lengths to reach out to various […]
Posted inParks
Parks board not so fond of the Butler Landfill maintenance project
The gravel lot between Zilker Park and the MoPac Expressway bridge, which most Austinites know as the park’s overflow parking lot, also serves a less visible purpose – it’s a landfill. The Butler Landfill, which spans a total of 8 acres, is scheduled for maintenance this spring to protect its cap, part of which doubles as […]