As Austin’s new governmental reality draws near, the city continues to work out the details of exactly how City Hall will cope with the overhaul. As part of that strategy, the Boards and Commissions Transition Taskforce has been charged with thinking through how the nearly 60 city boards and commissions could change come next […]
Local Politics
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Council denies East Cesar Chavez restaurant a late-hours permit
East Austin’s Weather Up Restaurant will have to weather at least another year without late night hours, after an unsuccessful trip to City Council last week. In February, the Planning Commission rejected the request for the conditional use permit for Weather Up in an even split. The owners took the case to Council as […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Council moves forward with proposal to allow micro apartment units
The discussion about micro apartment units boiled down to a few small details at Thursday’s City Council‘s meeting. Council members approved a resolution 7-0, initiating a code amendment that could decouple parking requirements from units that are less than 500 square feet in size. This decoupling already exists in the University Neighborhood Overlay, where […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Council members postpone rework of city’s SMART housing policy
Austin City Council members postponed a re-tool of the transit portion of the city’s SMART housing policy Thursday. The move came over the objections of Council Members Chris Riley and Bill Spelman, who noted the importance of timing the redefinition of those rules to coincide with the completion of the city’s five year comprehensive housing […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Law Department clashes with Auditor over approval of city contracts
In reviewing the city’s contract development and approval process, the City Auditor’s Office managed to unearth process trouble and engage a defiant Law Department. Both were on hand at Wednesday’s Council Audit and Finance Committee meeting. The Auditor’s Office found that out of the 14 contracts they tested, nine did not follow templates created […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Morrison resolution seeks to preserve ability to get New Starts grant
Council Member Laura Morrison has crafted a resolution she hopes will help preserve affordability along a proposed new mass transit route and ensure that the city can secure federal money in the form of a Federal Transportation Agency New Starts grant. Her resolution is on today’s Council agenda. At Tuesday’s work session, Morrison told […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Riley’s push for micro-apartments draws complaint from Morrison
A push from Council Member Chris Riley to revise Austin’s Land Development Code to include new provisions to encourage the construction of micro-apartments raised concerns from Council Member Laura Morrison at Council’s Tuesday work session. There, Morrison argued that the move – set for approval at Thursday’s Council meeting – would run counter to work […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Government, Local Politics
Residents complain about development at Commissioners Court
A development near Lake Travis brought a contentious public hearing to Tuesday’s Travis County Commissioners Court. A developer is looking to create a detached-condominium subdivision tentatively called the Summit at Lake Travis. The project is slated for land off Bee Creek Road approximately two miles north of SH 71 abutting three other neighborhoods, Inverness […]
Posted inDevelopment, Environment, Local Politics
City buying Circle C area golf course, preventing development
Congratulations, Austinites, you are the new owners of the Grey Rock Golf Course and Tennis Facility. In a vote of 6-1, the City Council voted Thursday to purchase the Southwest Austin course, for $9.6 million dollars. For that price, the city will own 292 acres, which is about 180 acres of golf course, and […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Split Council rejects high-dollar condos in low-income neighborhood
In a 4-3 vote, the Austin City Council narrowly denied a zoning change to allow for condos on a plot of land at 600 Kemp St., a small road that runs perpendicular to Montopolis Drive. Council Members Laura Morrison, Mike Martinez, Bill Spelman and Kathie Tovo voted against the new zoning. Before the […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Judge reverses ruling against TDS over city anti-lobbying ordinance
A ruling against the City of Austin in a case stemming from the application of its Anti-Lobbying Ordinance could have broad implications for the way the city’s Purchasing Department enforces its no-contact provisions. On Thursday, Federal District Judge Lee Yeakel ruled for the plaintiff, Texas Disposal Systems, in the lawsuit the company brought against […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Council OKs raising tax break for seniors, disabled to $70,000
For the first time in decades, the Austin City Council has raised the property tax exemption for homeowners who are disabled or 65 years or older. The Council voted 5-2 to raise the property tax exemption from $51,000 to $70,000. Mayor Lee Leffingwell and Council Member Bill Spelman voted in opposition to the change, […]