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Austin Monitor
Development and climate change continue to threaten Balcones Canyonlands creatures
Stewards of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve checked in on the status of its most vulnerable residents at their last meeting. Debra Scott, who is the environmental project manager for Travis County, filled in members of the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan Coordinating Committee on species that are “up and coming on the endangered species list.” In Travis County, there are seven endangered species, one delisted species (the black-capped vireo) and 27 “species of concern.” In addition, there is a threatened species that is not covered by the BCCP, the Jollyville Plateau salamander.
Rules on firefighters’ pension fund are likely to change
At last week’s meeting of City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee, chair Alison Alter thanked city staff for their work over the past several years to ensure a sound pension system for all three sets of city retirees – police, civilians and firefighters. “It is really, really...
UT pledges $13.5 million to cover I-35 from Dean Keeton to 15th Street
The University of Texas is making a $13.5 million down payment to cover Interstate 35 from 15th Street to Dean Keeton, a feat that will be made possible by a state project to widen and lower the highway through Central Austin. UT System Regents voted Thursday to approve a funding...
Landmark Commission greenlights demolition for former Mary Lee School campus
A former special education facility for mentally disabled girls may soon be slated for demolition and redevelopment after the plans earned the Historic Landmark Commission’s seal of approval last Monday. The seven-building campus that was once home to the Mary Lee School of Special Education – located at 400...
EDC seeks financial consultants to kickstart deal-making using city assets
With the Austin Economic Development Corporation still lacking control over substantial revenue-producing city assets, the organization has issued a request for proposals for consultants to advise on how to start putting its bonding authority and other financial tools to use. The RFP, which was issued May 1 and has a...
Changes to the city’s Corridor Program raise ‘serious transparency concerns’ for transportation commissioners
A massive shortfall in the city’s Corridor Program has caused work to be paused or cut back in some areas of the city. At their most recent meeting, Urban Transportation commissioners questioned the lack of public engagement on the changes. The current cost of all of the improvements envisioned...
Texas Music Museum seeks city assistance in finding new home
The city may soon explore assistance for the nonprofit Texas Music Museum in East Austin, including finding a new location for the facility that is in danger of losing its East 11th Street home. On Monday, the Music Commission heard a presentation from Clay Shorkey, president and caretaker of the...
Judge considering lawsuit against Central Health
After hearing about two hours of arguments on Thursday, Travis County District Judge Amy Clark Meachum told attorneys for Travis County’s health care district and the three taxpayers who are suing Central Health, over its use of $35 million per year in taxpayer money that she would take their arguments under advisement. She directed both sides to prepare orders for her to sign.
State preservation case may halt plans for new athletic facility on UT campus
Plans to bulldoze the historic Steve Hicks School of Social Work building on the University of Texas campus may soon be derailed, with an alumni-led campaign to secure landmark protections winning over the state’s Antiquities Advisory Board last month. Next, the case will advance to the Texas Historical Commission,...
Council asked to consider ridership, access goals in revising e-scooter rules
The Urban Transportation Commission wants the city to rework some of its recent regulations of e-scooters and other micromobility devices but stopped short of spelling out what changes should be made. At its meeting this week, the commission approved a revised recommendation – crafted largely by Commissioner Spencer Schumacher –...
An Austin-area school district says staff need a break, so it’s going to offer mental health days
Manor ISD is rolling out a new benefit during the 2024-2025 school year that will give employees time off to take care of their mental health. Superintendent Robert Sormani said he thinks it’s important to explicitly offer days off that are dedicated to mental health. “Even more than just...
Music Commission wants clubs, creative space required in Red River Cultural District
The Music Commission wants the city to ensure that any new multistory development within the Red River Cultural District would need to provide discounted space for music venues or creative uses, without offering any density bonus incentives. At Monday’s meeting, the commission opted to add provisions to a recommendation offered...
Environmental Commission recommends site plan changes
At last week’s Environmental Commission meeting, members gave a positive recommendation for reducing the size of infill residential lots, including changes designed to make the process more efficient and less costly, while ensuring that drainage requirements are sufficient to prevent flooding neighboring lots. In addition, they approved a resolution...
Council pushes for ‘agrihood’ pilot program merging homes with farmland in East Austin
The city will target part of Northeast Austin as an area that could see more small farms mixed with affordable homes, in a nod to the “agrihood” movement to bring homes closer to agriculture. Last week, City Council approved a resolution sponsored by Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison that...
Council OKs restrictive covenant for Southwest Parkway apartments
The owners of 9.6 acres of undeveloped land at 8413 Southwest Parkway are moving forward with plans to build a total of 438 apartments, including 219 units available to households earning 60 percent of the median family income, as well as 88 units reserved for families at or below 50 percent of the median family income. Another 10 percent of units will be reserved for families at or below 80 percent of median family income.
Lost Creek, two other areas of Austin vote to remove themselves from city limits
Three of six neighborhoods near the outskirts of Austin will be removed, or “disannexed,” from the city limits following voter approval in Saturday’s election. That includes Lost Creek in West Austin, the largest of the three; land near Blue Goose Road in Northeast Austin; and a portion of land in River Place in West Austin.
With Austin office buildings 20 percent vacant, conversion to housing remains out of reach
Two years ago, with the office real estate market in Austin stuck at a 20 percent vacancy rate, Brad Stein took the first of two trips to other markets to see if some of the hundreds of thousands of empty spaces in downtown Austin and areas beyond could be converted into badly needed housing stock. What Stein saw in a 2022 visit to Chicago and another trip to Dallas last year was that housing space and office space are two very different puzzle pieces that don’t fit together without considerable and expensive alterations.
Democrat-backed candidates sweep first Travis County appraisal election
Three candidates backed by the local Democratic Party won seats to the Travis Central Appraisal District’s board of directors, who help manage property appraisals. Jett Hanna, Shenghao “Daniel” Wang and Dick Lavine soundly defeated three others backed by the local Republican Party on Saturday, including Matt Mackowiak, chair of the party in Travis County, and Don Zimmerman, a former Austin City Council member.
City Council approves water conservation plans, for now
As expected, City Council endorsed new Water Conservation and Drought Contingency plan updates at its Thursday meeting, voting unanimously to send them along to the state – despite major misgivings from key stakeholders who say the plans don’t do enough to conserve water. Both plans approved Thursday regulate...
Texas attorney general threatens Austin over City Council’s effort to protect health care for transgender people
Shortly after City Council acted Thursday to protect transgender people from discriminatory health care laws, Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a threatening statement, vowing to “consider every possible response to ensure compliance” with state law prohibiting gender-affirming care for minors. Against this backdrop of escalating anti-trans rhetoric within...
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