The city’s Development Services Department has proposed a change to the building criteria manual for the city of Austin in order to clarify when building plan review applications expire. The new rule would mean that applications would expire one year after filing if no permit had been issued. In addition, the deadline to update applications would be 181 days if building plans are approved before they expire. Feedback on the proposed changes can be submitted here until March 11. According to a FAQ about the proposal, the changes would not impact most of the permits, only customers that do not begin work on activating their permits following building plan approval.

The Austin Convention Center Department has scheduled a pair of information sessions for those interested in learning more about the coming solicitation for developers interested in the hotel and residential projects proposed for reconstruction of the convention center. A group presentation via Microsoft Teams will take place March 1, offering project background and a limited question-and-answer period. Those who register online for the group meeting will then have the option to schedule a 45-minute one-on-one meeting with ACCD staff and consultants already connected to the project. The hotel and residential developments are expected to take place largely in concert with the four-year teardown and $1.2 billion reconstruction of the convention center, which is slated to begin in 2026.

If you have a project that’s subject to lakeside environmental requirements, the Development Services Department’s environmental inspections division has a brown-bag lunch-and-learn for that. Offering information on the unique regulations for construction on, under or next to the water in Lake Austin, Lady Bird Lake and Lake Walter E. Long, the event is set for 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. March 7 at the Permitting and Development Center, 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive. Environmental compliance supervisor Amanda Wyrick will cover specifics for boat docks, stationary platforms, piers, shoreline access and more, focusing mainly on information that affects permit holders, but the event is open to all interested Austin residents. Wyrick’s presentation will be interactive with time for questions. Outside food and drinks are welcome, and light snacks will be provided. Register to attend here. For more details, contact DSDCommunications@austintexas.gov.

We Are Blood, Central Texas’ nonprofit blood center, is giving away custom T-shirts to those donating (or attempting to donate) blood during the first half of next month. All We Are Blood locations are participating, but the stock of T-shirts is limited, so people are encouraged to make an appointment today by visiting their website or calling 512-206-1266. The T-shirt fest will run from March 1-14. Locations and hours can be found on the We Are Blood website.

Early voting for the March 5 primary election is underway and will continue through Friday, March 1. Travis County voters can vote at any location (listed here) in the county, with polls open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday through Feb. 28 and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. From Thursday, Feb. 29, until Friday, March 1, some locations will stay open until 10 p.m. Our pals over at KUT have helpfully detailed the races on the ballot. That information can be found here.

The city’s Housing Department is looking for feedback on how to invest in housing and community development. Each year, a community needs assessment is conducted to determine how to invest federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This year, that assessment will be used to create a five-year plan about how to invest local housing funds as well as federal money. That process is currently underway and will continue through March 15. Anyone can weigh in online here or through the mail (Housing Department, Attn: FY 2024-2029 Consolidated Plan, P.O. Box 1088, Austin, Texas 78767), email (housing@austintexas.gov), phone (512-974-3155) or through a phone survey by texting “MyCommunity” to 73224. In addition, the city will hold two public meetings on the topic at the March 7 City Council meeting and the March 12 Community Development Corporation meeting.

As the Austin Transit Partnership works to implement light rail in Austin, it’s seeking community input on locations for stations and other design options. The following events are open to the public to give input, and you can register for them here:

• Virtual open house from 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22
• 4:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27, in person at Twin Oaks Library, Rooms 1 and 2, 1800 S. Fifth St.
• 7:30-9 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 29, in person at St. David’s Episcopal Church, Sumners Hall, 301 E. Eighth St.

A virtual survey is also open through March 4.

Community members are invited to the second quarterly Police Oversight Implementation Workgroup meeting to offer input on future meetings as well as receive the most recent complaints data from the Office of Police Oversight. The meeting is open to the public and will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22 at the Asian American Resource Center, 8401 Cameron Road. The event will be presented in both English and Spanish, as well as American Sign Language (ASL). Additional interpretation services and accessibility accommodations are available upon request. Register to participate here. For questions, email OPO.Outreach@AustinTexas.gov or call (512) 974-9090.

Thomas Dambo, the Danish artist whose medium is recycled materials, will introduce the Pease Park troll to the Austin community at an event at 3-5 p.m. March 15 at Kingsbury Commons at Pease Park, 1100 Kingsbury St. He’ll share the story of the massive troll, and Austinites are invited to celebrate the completion of the build with food and music. Parking is available at the parking lot at the Austin Recreation Center, 1301 Shoal Creek Blvd.; the small parking lot at the south end of Pease Park; or street parking on Parkway, north of 15th Street. Upon arrival at the park, follow the eastern trail north through Kingsbury Commons about a quarter mile. For answers to frequently asked questions about the troll, visit peasepark.org/news/trollfaq.

The March 5 primary election is right around the corner and, once again, the League of Women Voters Austin Area has you covered with a new nonpartisan voting guide. Information can be obtained in three different formats: a personalized guide at VOTE411.org, a PDF at LWVAustin.org or a physical copy from one of these locations. “From local races to statewide and federal contests, it is crucial for voters in Travis County to make their voices heard this election year,” said Jessica Foreman, LWV Austin Area president. “The League of Women Voters Austin Area has published our Voters Guide as a PDF in four languages, in print in English and Spanish, and on VOTE411.org as a resource for all Austin area voters.”

Austin Transit Partnership will hold three community meetings this month to gather input on the area’s light-rail plan. A virtual open house will take place at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 22 with in-person meetings scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Twin Oaks Library on South Fifth Street and 7:30 a.m. Feb. 29 at St. David’s Episcopal Church on Eighth Street. A related transit group, Transit Forward, has also scheduled a quarterly lunch for 11:30 a.m. Feb. 28, also at St. David’s Episcopal Church, with panelists discussing how public transit impacts traffic safety. The lunch is part of the Yimbytown 2024 conference organized by AURA-ATX and will feature panelists Selena Xie, president of Austin Emergency Medical Services Association; Lewis Leff, acting assistant director of the Transportation and Public Works Department; Roberto Gonzalez Jr., senior director of planning services for Capital Metro; and Heyden Black Walker, board member of Safe Streets Austin.

The Home Builders Association of Greater Austin will host its annual housing forecast at 7 a.m., Feb. 15, at the AT&T Conference Center on University Avenue. The forecast will feature more than 600 area real estate professionals including builders, real estate agents and brokers, vendors, architects, developers, engineers, lenders and bankers. The discussion looks at the national and local economic trends impacting housing through the rest of the year. Speakers include: Eldon Rude, principal for 360 Real Estate Analytics, discussing single- and multifamily and commercial product types; Robert Dietz, chief economist for the National Association of Home Builders, discussing methodologies for researching housing markets and trends; and Thom Singer, CEO of Austin Technology Council, discussing how Austin’s tech community engages with the greater Austin area. Registration is available online.