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Chicago creative hub to help shape plans for three Austin cultural facilities
By the end of the year, the city will have rough estimates for the capital expenses and operational costs for opening three music and art hubs at three cultural centers, with a Chicago group likely playing a large role in shaping the offerings and programs included in those facilities. The...
Borden Dairy plant rezoning approved on second reading despite objections
The massive Borden Dairy plant redevelopment moved one step closer to approval on Thursday, when City Council passed a rezoning associated with the project on second reading. The project would bring 1,400 residential units, a 220-room hotel, 411,500 square feet of offices, 66,000 square feet of restaurant space and 40,000 square feet of retail to the 21-acre site at 71 Strandtman Cove.
Fire code amendment process aims to protect pets at boarding facilities
City Council voted this week to start the process of increasing minimum fire safety standards at pet boarding facilities. Item 42 on Thursday’s agenda initiates a set of amendments to the Land Development Code to “provide minimum fire safety standards for facilities housing or holding animals on a 24-hour basis,” the resolution reads.
Cops can keep license plate information for 7 days under new agreement
City Council voted 9-1 on Thursday to move forward with funding for an automated license plate reader contract, specifically authorizing the Austin Police Department to hold on to data for just seven days. The police department had argued in favor of 30 days. There was insufficient support on Council for...
Despite its name, the Live Music Fund is not just for live music
The 650-plus applications for grants from the city’s inaugural Live Music Fund are in the early stages of evaluation and scoring, with the awards of $5,000 and $10,000 slated for initial distribution beginning in September. The Music Commission received a briefing Monday on next steps in the $3.5 million...
Council takes a step toward ending compatibility standards
City Council members on Thursday took their first major step toward making key changes to rules limiting the height of buildings near single-family homes on a citywide basis. Austin’s compatibility rules, which are among the strictest in the country, have been blamed consistently for the city’s failure to produce reasonably priced housing. Last fall, the Planning Commission criticized the city for failing to take the necessary steps to reduce such effects of compatibility standards. State lawmakers proposed legislation that would have reduced or changed setback rules, but those bills did not pass.
Taylor murder trial reset for October
The murder trial of Christopher Taylor, the Austin police officer who fatally shot Mike Ramos in 2020, has been reset for October. Travis County District Judge Dayna Blazey announced at a Wednesday hearing that the new date for the trial is Oct. 16. The court’s first attempt at a trial...
PAC seeks clarity, cost breakdowns for $1.6B convention center expansion
The political action committee co-founded by a former member of the Downtown Commission wants the mayor and City Council to answer questions about the planned expansion of the Austin Convention Center, it announced in a news release last week. Laura Cantu-Templeton, co-founder of the City Accountability Project PAC, has submitted...
Transit and city leaders agree on final plan for Austin’s light rail system
Austin leaders on Tuesday gave an official thumbs-up to the city’s massive rail line project just two weeks after the plan was revealed to the public. The final vote taken by City Council, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors and Austin Transit Partnership sets in motion the next phase of the plan, which includes the design work and initiates the funding process. Austin Transit Partnership is the group in charge of building the rail line for Project Connect.
County-supported development brings more multifamily housing to market
The Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday authorized final approval on a multifamily housing revenue bond for the Kensington apartments. The property spans 148 units located at 3300 Manor Road. All of the units are intended for those making at or below 60 percent of the area median income, according to county officials.
Ethics commission dismisses complaints over Zilker Park votes
The Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan continues to generate controversy. This week, accusations about the motivations of two of the plan’s supporters came before the Ethics Review Commission. In April, Austinite Teri Adams filed two complaints with the Ethics Review Commission. One was against Hanna Cofer, a member of...
As drought worsens, Austin Water ramps up conservation protocols
Despite an unusually rainy spring, Austinites should hold off celebrating any end to the statewide dry spell. Austin Water staff joined City Council’s Austin Water Oversight Committee last week to discuss the ongoing crisis, confirming that the city is still on track to meet the Stage 2 drought threshold by the end of the year. Austin entered Stage 1 last June, when water levels at lakes Travis and Buchanan dropped below 1.4 million acre-feet. Since then, that number has dropped to 1 million, only 100,000 acre-feet shy of triggering heightened restrictions.
License plate reader questions coming back to Council again
While considering a new contract for license plate readers for the Austin Police Department last week, City Council could not reach agreement on how long the department should retain the information generated. Council will consider the policy as part of this week’s agenda. It is set to vote on whether...
‘Austin American-Statesman’ staff strike over low pay
Members of the Austin American-Statesman’s labor union went on strike Monday because of an ongoing contract dispute with the newspaper’s parent company, Gannett. Nicole Villalpando, who covers health care for the Statesman and serves as the union’s vice chair, said she and some of her other colleagues have to work other jobs.
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