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Quote of the Day
“I’d like to point out that we are not opposed to condos or apartments being built on this site. But, from the beginning, we have been opposed to proceeding with this project without being convinced that the safety concerns have been taken into account… There have been multiple problems with slope collapse, both north and south of this site in close proximity and on both sides of Shoal Creek.”
— Judges Hill Neighborhood Association President Jim Montgomery, from Despite safety concerns, Council OKs new buildings above Shoal Creek.
Judge upholds Austin vote on plan to redevelop old Statesman site
From Audrey McGlinchy, KUT News
The case centered on a vote council members took in 2022, when they approved a developer’s plans to build 1,400 apartments, 1 million square feet of office space and a hotel along the city’s main waterway. The 19-acre property used to house the Austin-American Statesman offices and is often referred to as the Statesman PUD.
Tuesday’s ruling upholds that vote, keeping in place the developer’s right to build.
But it’s not yet clear what this means for the future of, arguably, one of the most prime pieces of Austin real estate.
Despite safety concerns, Council OKs new buildings above Shoal Creek
From Jo Clifton:
Austin City Council last week approved adding the Vertical Mixed Use “V” to the property located from 1501 to 1603 Shoal Creek Boulevard, after a hearing that featured considerable discussion about the geologically sensitive area. Council Member Paige Ellis abstained, citing the fact that the area had already suffered from collapses in the past.
During the meeting, neighbors in the Judges Hill Neighborhood voiced their concerns about the possibility that adding more structures above Shoal Creek would lead to greater erosion and the loss of their homes. Forty-four percent of the property owners signed a valid petition against the rezoning, but reached a preliminary agreement with the property owner for more engineering and geologic studies before new construction.
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Austin-Travis County EMS talks staffing, opioid alerts, and partnerships with neighboring jurisdictions
Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS) is gearing up for an anticipated spike in opioid use and preparing to implement an automatic aid agreement with nearby EMS jurisdictions. Wesley Hopkins, Chief of Staff for ATCEMS, provided a quarterly report on the department’s work during the June meeting of the Austin Public Safety Commission.
Hopkins noted that vacancy rates for sworn and civilian staff are trending down from the beginning of the year. Additional cadet academies are scheduled and underway.
Opioid alerts have also decreased somewhat, with March marking the lowest number of alerts since 2021. However, ATCEMS is distributing Narcan kits in anticipation of a recurring summer spike.
An interlocal automatic aid agreement is slated to go live in March of 2026. By that point, ATCEMS and partnering EMS jurisdictions will be prepared to participate in “Ambulance Automatic Aid,” meaning that the closest unit will be dispatched to respond to a 911 call in the greater Austin area, regardless of jurisdiction.
The joint Fire/EMS station at Canyon Creek has been operating since January. “This takes to a close the five joint use Fire and EMS stations that were newly built in six years,” Hopkins said, referring to a prior Council resolution establishing this goal.
Hopkins also provided updates on the 2018 bond projects and previewed departmental goals for the 2026 bond. The department has been updating spaces and quarters for medics at several stations, with improvements slated for three more stations to close out the department’s use of the 2018 bond.
He added that Austin-Travis County EMS celebrated National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week and National EMS Week this spring.
— Mina Shekarchi
Austin sales tax revenues down from last year
Sales tax revenues for the city of Austin have dropped 1.85 percent compared to collections from last year, according to data released by Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar. The data reflects sales made in April and for the year so far by businesses that report monthly. So far this year, Austin has collected $175.8 million compared to $179.1 million last year. For April, however, the city will receive slightly more money than for April of 2024. According to the Comptroller, Austin will receive $29,284,660 this month compared to $29,051,960 last June. Among the state’ s 20 largest cities, only Austin and Arlington saw a drop in sales tax collections for the year to date. Houston, on the other hand, will collect 6.2 percent more for the month than last year, and San Antonio will collect 6.83 percent more than last year. Fort Worth will also collect 6.8 percent more than last year for April. Overall, sales tax collections were up 6.1 percent for the year, according to Hegar. The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority will receive about $32.5 million, about $558,000 more than last April, but still about $2 million down for the year overall.
— Jo Clifton
Elsewhere in the News
City officials are getting a jump on communication about planned protests for this weekend (along with the Texas National Guard)
The Austin Chronicle reports on the local impact that federal cuts will have on public health.
As a balance to that THC ban (kind of), Texas has committed to spend $50 million to research psychedelics.
And, in case you missed it, here’s some more robotaxi news.
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