In Austin zoning cases, neighbors and developers don’t often agree on the particulars of proposed developments. But in the case of a Vertical-Mixed Use (-V) zoning request for 5800, 5900, 5920, 6000 Springdale Road, the interested parties found common ground. This, plus the Planning Commission’s unanimous recommendation on Oct. 12, means the rezoning is likely to pass at City Council – despite a valid petition from one adjacent property owner. Approximately 23 condominium units are planned for the properties. Negotiations between developer’s representative Alice Glasco, the Knights of Columbus, a neighboring property owner, and Nadia Barbot, representative for the Pecan Springs/Springdale Hills Neighborhood Association, led to several terms for the development: privacy fences along the western edge of the properties, certain green building features, a neighborhood-preferred business such as a grocery store or coffee shop, a reserved place on the building’s HOA for the neighborhood association, and a $45,000 donation from the developer to a nonprofit of the neighborhood’s choosing. If the development takes advantage of VMU zoning’s density bonus, it would have to make 10 percent of units affordable to those making 80 percent median family income or less. The City Council hearing date has not yet been set. 

In partnership with Dell Technologies, Austin ISD is opening a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning center at Northeast Early College High School. A ribbon-cutting celebration for the center’s grand opening this morning will feature leaders from AISD and Dell as well as McLaren Formula 1 drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, who will talk about the role STEM plays in racing. According to the news release, the center has been designed “to simulate a cybersecurity industry workplace. The new center includes a working data center, state-of-the-art computer labs, virtual reality and esports areas with flexible furniture.” 11:15 a.m, Wednesday, Oct. 20, Northeast Early College High School, 7104 Berkman Dr.

Local public health departments and their partners continue to host a variety of no-appointment-necessary Covid vaccine clinics for those who need first or second shots or boosters. The clinics are conveniently located around the county at schools, libraries, grocery stores, and community centers. Remember to bring your Covid-19 Vaccination Record Card, so it can be updated. Kids between the ages of 12-17 can get the Pfizer vaccine – the vaccine authorized for that age group – with a parent or guardian present. To find the vaccine distribution event closest to you, check the county’s online calendar and map.

A dispatch from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport informs us that airport execs are all smiles after a “busy summer travel season.” According to the numbers, “passenger traffic growth for August 2021 was up 209.5 percent compared to August 2020 with 1,298,070 passengers flying during the month.” That’s a lot of passengers getting on and off airplanes, or enplanements and deplanements, as airport officials like to say. If you need to know exactly which airlines are hosting all of those travelers, check out the dispatch.

The rising waters of Onion Creek, during the Halloween floods of 2013 and 2015, caused extensive damage to the visitors center at McKinney Falls State Park. Years later, the Smith Visitors Center is finally reopening its doors to the public. Justin Rhodes, deputy  director of Texas State Parks, said the reopening is the result of “years of diligent work by our state parks and infrastructure staff.” The center has been remodeled to be flood-resistant, work that required the building’s electrical and HVAC systems to be elevated above flood lines and sheetrock to be replaced with concrete. New exhibits constructed with water-resistant materials “give a more complete story of the park and include interactive displays showcasing the El Camino Real trail, cultural resources from Thomas McKinney’s (the parks’ namesake) time and a bat cave highlighting the importance of dark skies,” according to park superintendent Tommy Cude. See a list of events hosted at McKinney Falls State Park.

Early voting for the Nov. 2 election begins today, with polls open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon-6 p.m. on Sundays. Find polling places, wait times, voter ID requirements and check the status of your voter registration at VoteTravis.com. To make your life easier, here’s a list of the 26 early voting locations in Travis County, ready to download and print if you so desire. Early voting ends Oct. 29. Want to vote by mail? In Texas you must be at least 65 years old, sick or disabled, out of the county on election day and during the early voting period, or in jail but otherwise eligible. Friday, Oct. 22 is the last day to apply for a mail-in ballot, so you’ll want to get that taken care of ASAP. The Austin branch of the League of Women Voters publishes an outstanding non-partisan voters guide that has everything you need to know about what’s on the ballot, so read up, get informed, and get out there and vote!

It looks like this week’s work session will be canceled. During a discussion at last week’s City Council meeting, Mayor Steve Adler explained that, with a cohort of Council members scheduled to be in Nashville with the Chamber of Commerce’s 2021 InterCity Visit, it made sense to cancel the Tuesday meeting. No Council member opposed the move. Council will hear an assessment of the Austin Police Department pilot training academy from Kroll and Associates and a briefing on homelessness at their regular meeting on Thursday, instead of Tuesday, when the presentations were originally scheduled. “I’ll be here, but I agree that work session works best when there are plenty of us,” Council Member Greg Casar said.

The board of directors of the Save Our Springs Alliance has announced its unanimous vote to oppose Proposition A on the Nov. 2 ballot. SOS joins a number of other environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club, Clean Water Action, Austin Parks Foundation, and The Trail Foundation in rejecting the additional funding for police officers mandated by Prop A. According to a statement from the SOS board, “Committing funding to expanding the police force will only further reduce funding available for parks, watershed protection and a range of other public services supported by the city’s general fund. Our parks and environmental protection efforts are drastically underfunded: Prop A would make things much worse.” Early voting on all the propositions starts today.

Today is Travis County History Day, launching a series of events focused on the rich history of the county’s parks. “From stories shared by Travis County park rangers to how the county helped restore Hamilton Pool Preserve, this year’s event will virtually explore the history of Travis County’s park system,” reads the announcement. Visit the parks via an online exhibit, and enjoy videos, polls and giveaways posted throughout the week on the event’s Facebook page.

Ken Casaday, president of the Austin Police Association, told the Austin Monitor Thursday that he had suffered a heart attack on Saturday night. The incident occurred as he was running toward an officer-involved shooting in the Sixth Street area. Casaday, 53, said he now has three stents in his heart and that a recent stress test showed no problem. He added that he is now convinced he needs to take better care of himself, and that he expects to be off-duty for another week. We wish him a speedy recovery.

Thanks to the recent rain and cooler temperatures, Travis County Fire Marshal Tony Callaway has lifted the burn ban for the unincorporated areas of the county. Callaway added that “our forecasted weather pattern for the remainder of this week will help reduce fire danger,” but that “we will continue to monitor the weather and soil conditions closely.” Burn ban or no burn ban, extreme caution is always advised when doing any burning outside. Make sure you are following all regulations on outdoor burning and always have water nearby.

Project Connect, Austin’s comprehensive transit plan, is a big topic. The plan includes a new railway, a downtown tunnel, an expanded all-electric bus fleet, nine new park-and-rides, and airport transit. Then there are the mysterious things called the Orange, Blue and Red lines. If you’re curious to learn more about any or all of this, the Project Connect team is eager to answer your questions at an ask-me-anything, or AMA. Register here for this free webinar. Wednesday, Oct. 20, 5-6 p.m.