Despite record high temperatures, crowds are carrying on with Austin summertime traditions, flocking to cool off by Barton Creek and the Colorado River. Brent Bellinger, a reservoir ecologist for the city, stopped by Wednesday’s Environmental Commission meeting to share a brief update on the state of these beloved waterways. Concern over the safety of Austin’s […]
City of Austin Environmental Commission
An advisory board to members of the Austin City Council. Its purview includes “all projects and programs which affect the quality of life for the citizens of Austin.” In many cases, this includes development projects.
Posted inPlanning
Environmental Commission recommends wastewater service to future warehouse
The Environmental Commission voted last Wednesday to recommend a wastewater service extension request for a proposed 82,000-square-foot warehouse west of Oak Hill. Some commissioners were hesitant to approve the service extension, which will include constructing over 800 feet of force main from the existing infrastructure, because there are no plans for the warehouse yet. The […]
Posted inPlanning
Large housing development in the works on Barton Springs and Lamar
Developers are looking to rezone a property currently home to the Bicycle Sport Shop on Barton Springs Road and South Lamar Boulevard. If successfully rezoned as a planned unit development, the lot would be redeveloped as a nine-story building with 400 residential units and a ground floor with mixed commercial use. The project at 517 […]
Posted inEnvironment
Waterways beginning to recover from Samsung acid waste spill
The tributary of Harris Branch Creek in Northeast Austin is beginning to recover from an acid waste spill that killed off the creek’s aquatic life. Samsung’s semiconductor facility discharged as much as 763,000 gallons of the acidic waste into its stormwater pond and a connecting tributary in January. The spill caused the pH of the […]
Posted inEnvironment
How the Watershed Protection Department removes obstructions from Austin creeks
Austin, a city known for the rivers, creeks and springs that run through it, is also prone to flooding. The city’s Watershed Protection Department shoulders the responsibility of managing Austin’s waterways and reducing the impact of flooding, erosion and pollution in the community’s watershed. The department recently gave the Environmental Commission a rundown of the […]
Posted inPlanning
Environmental Commission recommends denial of city water services to entertainment complex
Plans to develop 70 acres adjacent to the Barton Creek Habitat Preserve into a mega entertainment complex went off course last night when the Environmental Commission unanimously voted to recommend denying the request to extend water and wastewater service to the area. The yet-to-be-constructed Violet Crown Amphitheater is centered around a venue that could host a […]
Posted inThe Code
Tree division seeks to make enviro manual more user-friendly
The Environmental Criteria Manual, a book of rules used to help implement the city’s Land Development Code, hasn’t had a significant update in the past decade. But best practices for urban forestry have changed since then, and the manual is overdue to reflect those changes. The Community Tree Preservation Division of the Development Services Department […]
Posted inEnvironment
Environmental Commission looks into acid waste spill at Samsung facility
Samsung’s semiconductor facility spilled a large amount of acidic wastewater into its stormwater pond and into a tributary of Harris Branch Creek in Northeast Austin, killing virtually all aquatic life within the 1.5-mile stretch. As much as 763,000 gallons of the acidic waste was discharged into the waterways for a period of up to 106 […]
Posted inTransit
Capital Metro updates city on federally funded transit study
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority shared how it plans to spend the first $900,000 in federal money granted to Project Connect this past Thursday in a briefing with the city’s Environmental Commission. The grant, awarded through the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Program, will fund a pilot study in an equity-based approach to transit-oriented development (ETOD) […]
Posted inPlanning
Southwest HEB location promises environmental stewardship of Hill Country
A new HEB is on the horizon for Southwest Austin. The store will open its doors sometime this year to the stretch of Hill Country bordered by Oak Hill to the east and Dripping Springs to the west – but first, site developers must compromise with the city to accommodate the area’s environmental regulations. After […]
Posted inDevelopment
Development Services has a full plate managing environmental concerns
The Development Services Department briefed the Environmental Commission last week on some of the work it has been doing to improve environmental protections on construction sites. The DSD is in charge of regulating tree protection measures as well as inspecting control measures that prevent sediment runoff and erosion caused by rainfall. While DSD inspects construction […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
How sound permits regulate the Austin music scene
In the Live Music Capital of the World, sound and noise policy is critical both to those who enjoy the entertainment industry and those who live within earshot. On Wednesday, the city’s Environmental Commission was briefed on the different types of sound permits and how they are enforced. While sound management is in the commission’s […]