Only one neighborhood representative spoke against the demolition. But the home at 1175 San Bernard St. found enough allies on the Historic Landmark Commission to ensure it will stay standing for another month. Commissioners voted to initiate historic zoning on the home in a vote of 7-3, with Commissioners Arif Panju, David Whitworth and Alex […]
East Austin
East Austin is the quadrant of Austin that, generally speaking, is east of IH-35.
Posted inPreservation
East Austin demo spurs talk of moratoriums and trust
There has been a lot of talk recently about a moratorium on demolitions in East Austin. On Monday, that talk surfaced once again, this time around a proposed demolition that will be put on hold for the time being while Historic Landmark commissioners look into whether the home should be designated historic. The Historic Preservation […]
Posted inRoads
Transportation Department rolls with punches at polka-dotted intersection
A small Austin Transportation Department project that attracted worldwide headlines earlier this year has had a bumpier road than originally anticipated. The polka-dotted intersection at East Sixth and Waller streets in East Austin became a minor sensation when crews first put it together back in January. The colorful design scored plaudits for keeping Austin weird […]
Posted inLand Development Code
BoA awaits better hardship for east side development
A project that could bring three-story homes to the east side may be on track for getting some of the variances it needs – but developers are going to have to strengthen their hardship claim first. At their most recent meeting, Board of Adjustment members voted unanimously to postpone two variance requests for the property […]
Posted inZoning
One Two East gets Council preview
The battle over One Two East has been brewing on the east side for months. On Thursday, it will finally land at City Council, and this week’s Council work session offered a glimpse of what might be to come. The property that spans 1109, 1105 and 1107 on the I-35 Frontage Road is home to […]
Posted inPreservation
Panel pushes for preservation, despite house deficiencies
Despite concerns that the physical structure lacks historic integrity, the Historic Landmark Commission has voted to move forward with historic zoning for the home of one of East Austin’s most prominent African-Americans. Commissioners voted 6-4 to initiate historic zoning on the home at 1308 E. 12th St., which was originally constructed sometime prior to 1933. […]
Posted inAustin
East Austin reunion tells two tales of local preservation
Jimmy Reed, 78, stands in front of his childhood home on East Austin’s Garden Street. It has been stripped to the 1920s wooden frame, and the barely 800-square-foot home looks more condemned than livable. Reed lived here, he estimates, from 1942 to 1953, with his seven siblings and parents. They were a big bunch. But […]
Posted inRoads
Massive road expansion bears down on Austin’s east side
The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority will officially turn the dirt next week on one of the largest locally financed infrastructure projects in the region’s history. Unlike other CTRMA projects – including the MoPac Improvement Project, MoPac South and State Highway 45 Southwest – the 183 South Project has largely progressed with little public controversy. […]
Posted inDevelopment
Affordable housing manuever loses at City Hall
Though it earned the respect of some Planning commissioners, an attempt to leverage a site plan extension for more affordable housing on the near-east side didn’t pay off last week. At last week’s Planning Commission meeting, Nikki Hoelter, who works in the city’s Development Services Department, detailed the appeal of an administrative extension at 2015 […]
Posted inPlanning
Parking and character battle at BoA case
Is a lack of parking a neighborhood characteristic? In East Austin, maybe it is. At the most recent meeting of the Board of Adjustment, George Rodenbusch was seeking a variance to reduce the number of required parking spaces from four to zero and change the use from single-family to triplex at 1014 E. Eighth St., […]
Posted inDevelopment
Plaza Saltillo agreement falls short of labor advocates’ approval
The Capital Metro Transportation Authority’s board of directors on Monday approved the terms of its partnership with private developers to bring a massive urban infill project to the eastern gate of downtown Austin. At its monthly meeting, the board voted 7-0 on the master agreement between Capital Metro and Endeavor Real Estate Group to redevelop […]
Posted inAustin
As East Austin changes, what power do neighbors have to stop it?
Recently, residents of the city’s East Cesar Chavez neighborhood asked a city of Austin committee to put in place interim controls potentially limiting the influx of new bars, restaurants and breweries. The decision was delayed – and then eventually denied. Had the action gone through, it would have been a rare decision. As things stand […]