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Water line to Dripping Springs will wait 12-18 months and depend on subscriptions The environmental impact of building a water line to send treated surface water to Dripping Springs will be studied for a year to 18 months, under an authorization unanimously approved yesterday by the board of the Lower Colorado River Authority. The action […]

The vision for major urban retail center is at stake The City of Austin is working hard to make West 2nd Street into a major urban retail center and two city commissions yesterday took action to hold the city's feet to the fire to make it happen. The Downtown Commission and Planning Commission refused to […]

Last zoning case heard in the old council chambers overrides petition As their final action before adjourning for the last time in their old chamber, City Council members last Thursday dealt with what looks like a perfect Smart Growth zoning case. But in voting unanimously for a zoning change, the neighborhood-friendly council had to explain […]

MWBE firms feeling frozen out of construction of two office buildings What was supposed to have been a straightforward discussion of a Managed Growth Agreement (MGA) for Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC) last night turned into more than an hour of tense discussion over perceived snafus in the way minority and women-owned business enterprises (MWBE) are […]

420,000-square-foot structure to rise 22 stories A new 420,000-square-foot office building called 300 West Sixth was unveiled last night before the City of Austin's Downtown Commission. Jeffrey Pace, managing director of CarrAmerica Realty Corp. in Austin, displayed an artist's rendering of the structure being designed by Page Southerland Page of Austin with help from HKS […]

Single-family vs. apartment argument dominates discussion The Planning Commission last night could not reach an agreement on the request of the Grace Christian Center of Austin to change the zoning on about 17 acres land at 12007 North Lamar from single-family (SF-2) to apartments (MF-1). The commission on a 3-4 vote rejected the staff recommendation […]

An environmental cause can still bring out hordes of citizens in Austin, and last night's gathering may have been the biggest in recent Austin history, far outstripping the number who attended the infamous all-night hearing over the Barton Creek Planned Unit Development. This time the perceived threat was from the Longhorn Partners Pipeline that would […]

Pipeline opponents hoping for even bigger crowd at tonight's public hearing The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) has written a letter urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to require replacement pipe for additional portions of the Longhorn Partners Pipeline because a leak from the pipeline could "devastate the quality of significant water resources." The […]