After a lengthy discussion surrounding the redesign of the South Lamar planned unit development – known as the Taco PUD for its location on the site of the former Taco Cabana at 211 South Lamar Blvd. – the Planning Commission unanimously recommended the changes to City Council. The project went through a lengthy and contentious […]
Planned Unit Development
A zoning classification designated by the city to allow greater flexibility for projects within its boundaries.
Posted inPlanning
Plan for ‘Statesman’ site precedes PUD amendment, push for funding options
The development team in charge of the waterfront property that houses the Austin American-Statesman newspaper plans to file an amendment to a planned unit development proposal for the site in the coming weeks, kicking off an expected year of negotiations for the central piece of South Congress Avenue. At last week’s South Central Waterfront Advisory […]
Posted inPlanning
Council says no to cell phone tower
On a vote of 7-3, last week Council rejected an application to change regulations for a planned unit development that would have allowed a cell phone tower to be erected near a condominium complex and an apartment building west of the intersection of North Lamar Boulevard and West Parmer Lane. Only Mayor Steve Adler and […]
Posted inPlanning
Commission drills down on Grove at Shoal Creek park plans
After years of contentious planning, the Grove at Shoal Creek has broken ground and begun construction on the first two blocks of residences of this mixed-use development in central Northwest Austin. The plan for the accompanying parkland remains under discussion. At the Feb. 26 meeting of the Parks and Recreation Board, Robert Deegan, a partner at […]
Posted inCity Hall
Camelback is back, but this time at the Ethics Review Commission
After so much contention and inflamed passions on both sides, it’s no surprise that the story of the Camelback planned unit development did not end with the Nov. 1 approval by Council. On Dec. 12, the Ethics Review Commission heard a preliminary case against Jim Duncan, the vice chair of the Zoning and Platting Commission […]
Posted inPlanning
Old mine to become new town center
A decades-old sand and gravel mine just east of Austin city limits may be about to get a face-lift as a new Mueller-esque planned unit development (PUD). The proposal for the 2,122-acre property includes 12,000 residential units, 2.25 million square feet of commercial space, 700 acres of parkland, and a three-acre fire station. According to […]
Posted inPlanning
Camelback PUD project receives final approval from Council
When it comes to approving a highly visible planned unit development on an iconic piece of Austin property, it’s not going to be an easy decision. After all, the devil is in the details. On Thursday night, after several hours of discussion to parse out the legal language associated with the Camelback PUD and Champion […]
Posted inPlanning
Camelback PUD unanimously passes first reading at Council
In an uncharacteristically quick manner, City Council unanimously passed the first reading of the Camelback Planned Unit Development at Thursday’s meeting. The PUD, which has been the subject of great neighborly debate for the last several months, is a 145-acre property located just to the north of the Austin 360 bridge and comprises two tracts […]
Posted inPlanning
ZAP endorses Camelback PUD
For more than two hours, 25 Austinites spoke in support of or in opposition to, or expressed a neutral stance on, a new planned unit development known as the Camelback PUD at the most recent meeting of the Zoning and Platting Commission. The PUD is located on the Lake Austin riverfront, north of the Austin […]
Posted inPlanning
Camelback project narrowly receives Environmental Commission’s approval
After nearly four and a half hours of testimony and discussion, and two votes due to some confusion over the conditions attached to a motion, the Environmental Commission endorsed the environmental superiority of the Camelback PUD, the controversial planned unit development on a 145-acre plot of land that fronts Lake Austin just west of Loop […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Zoning and Platting remains unhappy with PUD ordinance
With Draft 3 of CodeNEXT currently under review, the Zoning and Platting Commission voted to send a letter to the mayor and City Council concerning the code’s failure to address problems with the city’s current system of planned unit developments. Commissioner Jim Duncan was the most outspoken about his frustrations regarding the revisions. “I was […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Soccer games
Bound for Cow Town?… Another new wrinkle in Austin’s (never-ending?) professional soccer saga developed slowly last week after ESPN soccer analyst Taylor Twellman opined, during a segment on Sacramento recently losing out on a Major League Soccer expansion bid, that “I still believe Columbus Crew doesn’t end up in Austin, Texas. I think they end […]