Both sides of the debate over a new Parkland Dedication Ordinance stayed late into the night to state their cases Thursday. In the end, City Council voted to approve the ordinance 10-1 on first reading at 2:25 a.m. Council Member Don Zimmerman voted in opposition. The change in parkland dedication requirements and fees is more […]
Real Estate Council of Austin
501(c)6 for “more than 1,700 commercial real estate professionals representing the top leaders in the Central Texas business community.” RECA is a donor to the Capital of Texas Media Foundation, the parent of the Austin Monitor.
Posted inCity Hall
Lobby reform rules move forward
On Monday, members of City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee unanimously approved a revised version of Council Member Leslie Pool’s resolution proposing changes to the city’s lobby registration ordinance. In contrast to previous public discussions of the topic, Monday’s conversation showed that Pool and a group of land-use professionals led by architect Stuart Sampley had […]
Posted inThe Code
Opposition to lobbying resolution organizes
Some of Austin’s most influential members of the development, engineering, architectural and contractor communities have banded together to address mounting concerns over proposed revisions to the city’s Lobbying Registration Ordinance. The list of organizations concerned about the language in the currently proposed ordinance is impressive. A letter sent out this week to City Council was […]
Posted inDevelopment
Millennials talk future of Austin real estate
There are plenty of stereotypes about millennials – Americans born between 1982 and 2000 – but there’s no arguing that, at more than a quarter of the population, they are a major focus for many industries. This is certainly true of real estate in Austin, and that idea dominated the Real Estate Council of Austin’s […]
Posted inParks
Council puts off vote on parkland fees
Last week, City Council postponed action on a staff proposal that would significantly increase parkland dedication fees for developers of most new residential developments, with fees dependent on density. Staff brought forth the proposal after more than a year of work as a result of a resolution adopted by Council in August 2014. Although Council […]
Posted inThe Code
Ethics Commission begins to examine proposed lobbying changes
The Ethics Review Commission is under pressure to deal quickly with proposed changes to city lobbying rules. On Monday, City Council Member Leslie Pool, the chief backer of a resolution directing the city manager to draft a substantial revision to the city lobbying ordinance, urged the commission to set up a public hearing on the […]
Posted inTransit
Cap Metro delays hiring service plan consultant
After hearing conflicting advice on which firm to choose, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority board of directors voted unanimously Monday to postpone selecting a consultant to head up the development of the organization’s 10-year service plan. The board will take up the issue again at a meeting on Sept. 14. The plan, which is updated […]
Posted inHousing
RECA report on affordability blames city, neighbors
As the city struggles to provide development review services needed to ensure that its many regulations are being followed, the Real Estate Council of Austin reports that “Austin is steadily losing ground in its efforts to become a ‘beacon of sustainability, social equity, and economic opportunity’ as Imagine Austin envisioned. The necessities of life, especially […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Pressley deposed
Pressley denies bad press caused election loss … Former City Council candidate Laura Pressley believes that errors made by Travis County, not the bad publicity she received before last November’s election and the December runoff, were the reasons that she lost to Greg Casar, now the District 4 Council member. Pressley explained her views during […]
Posted inDevelopment, Transportation, Water
Shoal Creek Conservancy partners with city
The Shoal Creek Conservancy announced Tuesday that it has signed a collaborative agreement with the city. The agreement comes out of a May 2014 City Council resolution that directed the city manager to explore a public-private partnership in order to create a plan for the area. Under the agreement, the conservancy will be working with […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Development, Land Development Code, Zoning
Adler promises to change building permit process
Speaking to a receptive audience at the Real Estate Council of Austin on Wednesday, Mayor Steve Adler said he and his colleagues intend to make sure that they fix problems in the city’s development and permitting process sooner rather than later. In response to the highly critical Zucker Report on the city’s slow, complicated and […]
Posted inCity Council, Development, Planning
Council discusses future of Imagine Austin
Since its launch, Imagine Austin has inspired debates about affordability, growth, neighborhood autonomy and more. City Council continued this tradition Thursday in a special meeting with city staff and housing stakeholders about the comprehensive plan. The discussion touched on several major issues, including the relationship between the plan and the city’s many official neighborhood plans, […]