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- Austin Transit Partnership presents pedestrian features, changes to stops in revised Project Connect plan
- Austin’s new CapMetro Rapid lines debut with buses every 20 minutes
- Commercial EV station moves forward despite opposition
- Amid ongoing measles concerns, Austin ISD’s vaccination rate is below target for its youngest students
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Local Politics
Business owner wants city’s help to get rid of his junkyard business
In an unusual turn of events, the owner of a northwest Austin junkyard brought his concerns about the environmental impact of his business to City Council last week, and urged them to help him get rid of it. The…
Development • By Elizabeth Pagano • Oct 3, 2013
Delay sought for Density Bonus plans for Rainey Street
Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole plans to delay an item on today’s Austin City Council agenda that seeks to reconcile the city’s new Downtown Density Bonus program with one in place in the exploding Rainy Rainey Street area. With the postponement,…
Development • By Michael Kanin • Oct 3, 2013
New Watershed Protection Ordinance up for Council consideration
Austin City Council members may offer only limited approval to a series of dramatic changes to the city’s Watershed Protection Ordinance. The rewrite, a document that exchanges small allowances of additional impervious cover for more protection of the city’s creek…
Development • By Michael Kanin • Oct 2, 2013
Council agrees to allow loading and unloading in downtown alleys
After a surprisingly lengthy debate on the issue, the City Council agreed to continue to allow downtown businesses to use alleys for loading and unloading, legally. At first glance, the idea of using alleys for that purpose may not…
Development • By Elizabeth Pagano • Sep 30, 2013
Cole, Morrison question use of employee criminal background checks
An audit designed to examine the effectiveness of the city’s approach to criminal background checks has raised the ire of two City Council members, who thought they had removed such checks from city hiring protocol in 2008. At last…
Local Politics • By Michael Kanin • Sep 30, 2013
City Council postpones decision on 24-hour bicycle trails
Austin City Council members Thursday delayed until Oct. 17 a vote on whether to end 24-hour cyclist access to three segments of the city’s Hike and Bike Trail. In the meantime, Austin Police Department officials and representatives of the city’s…
Local Politics • By Michael Kanin • Sep 27, 2013
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Council members approve changes to Short-Term Rental Ordinance
City Council approved tweaked regulations to the Short-Term Rental Ordinance that they hope will help smooth out the process, with debate over the issue Thursday turning out to be less contentious that many had expected. They voted 6-1 to…
Development • By Elizabeth Pagano • Sep 27, 2013
Council approves SOS Ordinance variances for Garza Tract
After many years of debate and heartburn, members of the Austin City Council late Thursday night approved a set of Save Our Springs Ordinance variances for a stretch of land in Southwest Austin known as the Garza Tract. With the…
Development • By Michael Kanin • Sep 27, 2013
City gets closer to streamlined process for special event permits
After years of discussion, the City of Austin appears to be getting closer to streamlining its process for issuing special events permits. It’s a move at least one local event planner says is necessary to address what can currently…
