Mayor Kirk Watson and other members of City Council want to give city staff specific directions and benchmarks in their work to keep the Marshalling Yard Emergency Shelter open indefinitely and keep other city shelters from becoming overwhelmed with the number of experiencing homelessness. In a recent posting on the City Council Message Board, Watson […]
Districts
Posted inPolice
Police, state ready to intervene on after-hours bars operating downtown
The Austin Police Department may soon take steps to punish downtown bars and nightclubs identified recently as potentially violating state liquor laws by operating and selling drinks after hours. At the latest meeting of the Downtown Commission, talk turned to the findings of a June study from the Pecan Street Owners Association that showed a […]
Posted inZoning
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 […]
Posted inPlanning
City Council puts South Central Waterfront Plan on ice
Following the lead of Mayor Kirk Watson, City Council unanimously approved an indefinite postponement of the South Central Waterfront Combining District and Density Bonus Program at its most recent meeting. “The South Central Waterfront area is very crucial. We all know how crucial it is to our downtown development. And the development regulations in this […]
Posted inAustin
Tourism Commission considers consequences of decaying Dougherty Arts Center
Local arts leaders and members of the Tourism Commission hope to bring City Council’s attention to the lack of action on the deteriorating Dougherty Arts Center, which has been caught in a sort of planning and budgetary limbo for more than a year. At last week’s Tourism Commission meeting, Laura Esparza, executive director of the […]
Posted inZoning
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, […]
Posted inZoning
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 […]
Posted inPlanning
Foster Village aims to expand child services in North Austin
A nonprofit that serves as a resource for foster children and their caregivers secured the first step toward rezoning a North Austin property Thursday. The rezoning will enable Foster Village to expand its operations to meet the demand of a growing population of children in the child welfare system. City Council unanimously approved a resolution, […]
Posted inPreservation
Historic Landmark Commission votes to preserve east side building over developer’s wishes
After a lively series of debates, Historic Landmark Commission members are making moves to halt the bulldozing of a century-old building at East 12th and Comal streets. 1500 E. 12th St. caused a stir this past July when owner Eureka Holdings, which holds a large swath of real estate along the 11th Street corridor, filed […]
Posted inZoning
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 […]
Posted inPreservation
Appeal reveals ‘urgent need’ to review historic standards
A final attempt to stop the construction of a large second home in the Robertson/Stuart & Mair Historic District failed at City Council last week, despite concerns that its approval could set a worrying precedent for local historic districts citywide. The home is planned in the neighborhood roughly between the French Legation and the Texas […]
Posted inHousing
Council declines site plan appeal despite claims of ordinance violations
City Council last week declined to even discuss an appeal of the Planning Commission’s decision to approve a site plan, despite area homeowners’ arguments that the plan violates not only the Save Our Springs Ordinance but also the Hill Country Roadway Ordinance. The SOS Alliance, though not an appellant, argued in favor of the appeal […]