After years of talk, a long-held dream of creating a district that celebrates the cultural history of a historically Hispanic neighborhood in the eastern segment of downtown Austin is finally ramping up with the Palm District Planning Initiative. The planning area includes Waller Creek, the Red River Cultural District, Palm School, Rainey Street, the Emma […]
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 inEnvironment
Mitigation pilot set to tackle harmful algae in Lady Bird Lake
Most pet owners in Austin recall the fateful summer of 2019, when a spate of dog deaths was traced back to contact with toxic algae in Lady Bird Lake. Since that time the blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, has been identified in other locations, including Lake Travis. Instead of going into reactive mode when toxic algae […]
Posted inAustin
Environmental Commission hears plans for Austin CCC
The Environmental Commission convened May 19 to discuss a variety of topics, among them an overview of the Austin Civilian Conservation Corps program. The Civilian Conservation Corps – or Triple C – was created by a City Council resolution that passed last year. Originally a Covid response program, Austin CCC was created to help Austinites […]
Posted inParks
City devising permanent solution to erosion threat in Guerrero Park
Southeast Austin’s Roy G. Guerrero Park is home to a disc-golf course and baseball fields and is a popular destination for birding. But according to the city, a growing threat poses a risk to the popular park: erosion. The 360-acre park is home to two separate creeks: Country Club West and Country Club East. The two […]
Posted inParks
Council OKs site for new Dougherty Arts Center
City Council voted unanimously Thursday to approve a site for the Dougherty Arts Center, close to the current ZACH Theatre at Butler Shores Park. The site, called 1A, was not city staffers’ first choice, but it was clear that staffers’ selection, 1B, had too many opponents, including the Save Our Springs Alliance. District 5 Council […]
Posted inParks
Ambitious vision plan for Zilker Park seeks community input
Hosting more than 1.3 million visitors a year, Zilker Park is perhaps the most iconic and beloved public space in Austin. Founded in 1917 with a land donation from Andrew Jackson Zilker, Zilker is the city’s oldest metropolitan park. Eighty years later in 1997, the park was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The […]
Posted inDevelopment
Environmental Commission mulls Brackenridge redevelopment
The Environmental Commission fielded discussion on May 5 regarding redevelopment plans for the Brackenridge Hospital site, a 14-acre area located at 601 E. 15th St. Since the hospital historically treated indigent people in the Austin area, City Council decided that money made from the area’s redevelopment should go to health care for the indigent. “They […]
Posted inEnvironment
Environmental commissioners review emissions reduction plan
The Environmental Commission fielded discussion Tuesday on the Austin Emissions Reduction Plan. Phoebe Romero, the environmental program coordinator with the Office of Sustainability, presented alongside Christiane Alepuz, the services program coordinator with the Capital Area Council of Governments Regional Planning and Services Division. The emissions plan, which was passed toward the end of 2018, details […]
Posted inPlanning
In Earth Day win, Environmental Commission sides with salamanders over developer
At its April 21 meeting, the Environmental Commission fielded discussion over a wastewater service extension request (SER) from a prospective developer of a property located at FM 620 and Anderson Mill Road. Kaela Champlin, an environmental program coordinator with the Watershed Protection Department, presented the case to commissioners, ultimately recommending the commission nix the request […]
Posted inParks
Collaborative process yields innovative design for Williamson Creek greenway
The Environmental Commission has recommended conditional support of the Central Williamson Creek Greenway Vision Plan provided that the project reaches out to additional neighborhood associations and working groups and that the trails and improvements avoid areas marked as critical environmental features. The coalition that developed the vision plan presented it to Environmental commissioners at their […]
Posted inEnvironment
Environmental Commission recommends removal of two West Campus heritage trees
The Environmental Commission has recommended the conditional removal of two heritage trees from a property near UT Austin that is being developed as student housing. The 32-inch red oak, in “fair” condition, and a 25-inch pecan tree in poor condition stand on a property at the intersection of Nueces and West 24th Street, a couple […]
Posted inDevelopment
Environmental Commission considers green impact of Brodie Oaks development
A billion-dollar development deal is in the works to reimagine the Brodie Oaks shopping center with the spotlight on ecology, connectivity and performance. Kate Clark with the Housing and Planning Department briefed the Environmental Commission on March 3, while Rebecca Leonard, CEO of Lionheart, an Austin urban design and planning firm, spoke for the applicant. The proposed […]