District 3
Owner withdraws mini mart rezoning case
Although City Council gave preliminary approval for rezoning of the Sunrise Mini Mart at 913 and 915 W. Oltorf St., the road ahead looked bleak to property owner Abdul Patel and his agent, Jim Wittliff of Land Answers. With a…
Zoning • By Jo Clifton • May 24, 2021
Planning Commission gives developer and neighbors more time to break ‘impasse’
The developers of a small East Austin mixed-use project will have to keep talking it out with concerned neighbors to resolve their differences. The Planning Commission, after trying and failing to break the “impasse” between the developer and several neighbors,…
Zoning • By Jonathan Lee • May 14, 2021
PARD publishes update on Montopolis Negro School preservation effort
For nearly three decades in the 20th century, the Montopolis Negro School gave Black children an education in an era when they were not welcome in Austin schools. The schoolhouse at 500 Montopolis Drive was not just a place of education,…
Preservation • By Sean Saldaña • May 13, 2021
Council approves rezoning for Foundation Communities project, quashing valid petition
A 100 percent affordable apartment project is coming soon to Southeast Austin. City Council has approved a rezoning for the Parker Apartments, a project by affordable housing developer Foundation Communities with 135 income-restricted units catering to families. Council members voted…
Housing • By Jonathan Lee • May 11, 2021
Council OKs Springdale Green PUD on first reading
While a number of residents of Saucedo Street next to the former East Austin tank farm strongly support plans to turn the property into a six-story office building with a height ranging from 75-93 feet, other neighbors object to the…
Planning • By Jo Clifton • Apr 28, 2021
Planning Commission recommends newest Foundation Communities project
The Planning Commission has backed the latest project by local affordable housing developer Foundation Communities, recommending Multifamily-Moderate Density (MF-4) zoning for an 8-acre, church-owned property at 2105 Parker Lane in Southeast Austin. The Parker Apartments will offer 135 units affordable…
Planning • By Jonathan Lee • Apr 15, 2021
Subscribe to our newsletter
Planning Commission recommends 400-unit VMU project at Airport and Springdale
A 400-unit apartment project at 3707 Goodwin Ave. took another step toward approval last Tuesday after receiving Planning Commission support for vertical-mixed use (VMU) zoning. “This is a simple, straightforward VMU zoning case,” said David Hartman, representing the applicant, “but…
Zoning • By Jonathan Lee • Mar 31, 2021
Planning Commission throws support behind Springdale Green development
The Planning Commission last Tuesday recommended rezoning a 30-acre brownfield site in East Austin to make way for Springdale Green, a proposed 800,000-square-foot, mixed-use development. The commission voted 7-4 to support Planned Unit Development zoning, though only at the current…
Planning • By Jonathan Lee • Mar 30, 2021
Guerrero Park bridge delayed again
The long-awaited Guerrero Park bridge is now expected to be finished in 2024, according to the Watershed Protection Department. Watershed anticipates construction to begin next year and to take two years to complete, according to project engineer Janna Renfro. The…
Transportation • By Harrison Young • Mar 8, 2021
Planning Commission recommends making Chalmers Avenue block car-free
The Planning Commission said at its Feb. 9 meeting that the city should allow Chalmers Avenue between East Third and East Fourth streets to become a car-free zone, with pedestrian and bike paths and green space replacing the asphalt. The…
Planning • By Jonathan Lee • Mar 2, 2021
Construction imminent for Longhorn Dam bridge
The Austin Transportation Department has decided on Longhorn Dam’s new bike and pedestrian bridge, which is designed to increase safety on Pleasant Valley Road and connect trails and parks in the area. The bridge’s design is “wishbone style” and will…
Transportation • By Harrison Young • Mar 1, 2021
Design Commission gives feedback on Fiesta Gardens vision
On Monday, the Design Commission reviewed plans for Fiesta Gardens, a city-owned events center in East Austin that is set to receive extensive renovations within the next two years. The venue, which is on the National Register of Historic Places,…
