Mayor Lee Leffingwell’s South Austin boyhood home is one step closer to Historic Landmark status. Last week, the Planning Commission sent a positive recommendation to City Council for 910 Christopher Street in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood to be rezoned as a landmark, as did the Historic Landmark Commission before them. “I’m kind of surprised,” said […]
City of Austin Planning Commission
This commission addresses issues of land use as assigned to it by Austin’s City Code. These include the abilities “[t]o make and amend a master plan, recommend approval or disapproval of proposed zoning changes and control land subdivision within neighborhood planning areas and submit, annually, a list of recommended capital improvements.” It has sovereign authority, or the right to make final decisions on certain cases.
Posted inDevelopment
Crestview rallies against office building
Crestview residents turned out in force at last week’s Planning Commission meeting to protest a proposed office building in their neighborhood. Though developer David Kahn argued that the office project was an appropriate buffer between residential and commercial uses, neighbors disagreed. Sick of the rapid changes, increased traffic, and rising costs happening in their area, […]
Posted inDevelopment
Council gets first crack at South Austin Plan
Despite an unexpected rescheduling of the public hearing, neighbors concerned about the South Austin Combined Neighborhood Plan showed up in force Friday afternoon. City Council members took up the plan Friday, after making the unorthodox decision late Thursday evening to continue their overstuffed agenda to a second day. Because of the unanticipated rescheduling, Council held […]
Posted inDevelopment
Commission rejects parking changes
A proposal that would allow businesses to count metered street parking toward their parking requirements found no friends at Tuesday night’s Planning Commission meeting. Currently, city code requires that businesses outside of downtown fulfill minimum parking requirements primarily through off-street spaces. Downtown parking requirements were eliminated last year. Though recommended by staff, the commissioners did […]
Posted inDevelopment
BoA puts South Austin project on hold
Plans for a mixed-use development in South Austin hit a snag at the Board of Adjustment last week, where a request for a compatibility waiver was met with skepticism and a postponement. PSW Real Estate is planning to build more than 47,000 square feet of condominiums and about 7,000 square feet of office space on […]
Posted inDevelopment, Uncategorized
Liquor store near SafePlace a nonstarter
A plan to put a liquor store near Austin’s SafePlace shelter found no support at the Planning Commission last week. Riverside Liquor was seeking a conditional use permit for liquor sales at 6100 East Riverside Drive in about 1,500 square feet of a 10,000 square foot commercial retail building built in 2010. They had support […]
Posted inEnvironment
Environmental Board nixes variance for tram
Though there was some debate, Environmental Board members in the end voted against granting a variance that would have allowed building a tram along Lake Austin. The board had already rejected a request at its previous meeting for a variance from the homeowners at 3961 Westlake Drive that would allow second access to Lake Austin. […]
Posted inDevelopment
Commission nixes brew pub tasting room
A plan to open a tasting room in conjunction with a new East Austin brewery failed to win over the Planning Commission last week. Owners of the Blue Owl Brew Pub had hoped to reach a compromise with the neighborhood that would allow them to open a tasting room along with their brewery, but that […]
Posted inDevelopment
Developers vow to pay affordable housing fees despite changes to PUD
Changes to Austin’s Hyatt Regency on Barton Springs Road are on the way. The Hyatt is part of a 9.56-acre Planned Unit Development that was approved by City Council in 2007. As part of that original agreement, developers promised to donate a sum of money toward affordable housing based on how many residential units were […]
Posted inDevelopment
Planning Commission recommends small Montopolis condo complex
A proposal for a modest Montopolis condominium complex cleared the Planning Commission last week, despite concerns by a member of a local neighborhood association. Simon and Ronaldo Brown-Valdez are seeking a zoning change from SF-3 to SF-5 for their property at 2309 Montopolis Drive. That change would allow up to 10 condominium units on their […]
Posted inDevelopment
Commission fails to endorse South Austin plan
South Austin residents for and against a new neighborhood plan jammed Tuesday night’s Planning Commission meeting. After several hours of discussion, the South Austin Neighborhood Plan failed to win a recommendation from the commission, where deeper concerns about the current state of the neighborhood planning process were revealed. Ultimately, the Planning Commission voted unanimously, 5-0, […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Residents say noise from CrossFit gyms disrupting neighborhoods
Brentwood residents whose lives are being disrupted by a new, noisy exercise trend are fed up, and they are looking to the city for help. Nikela Bryson addressed the City Council last month, explaining the problems created by two nearby CrossFit gyms. “This type of facility encourages dropping heavy barbell weights, flipping and banging on […]