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Neighborhood leaders consider housing for homeless

Council members Sheryl Cole and Laura Morrison were back at the Austin Neighborhoods Council last night, looking for support for permanent housing for the homeless.   As Cole reminded the local homeowners, it was an ANC resolution on supportive housing…

Transportation bond backers, opponents detail finances

(Editor’s Note: This report was changed to include information from a second finance report filed by the Get Austin Moving PAC on Oct. 25, which was inadvertently left out of the earlier version of the story.)   Proponents of the…

Commission pushes historic zoning on unwilling owners

The Historic Landmark Commission has moved again to award historic zoning to the Bradford Nohra house, a Hyde Park home that has been at the center of a heated debate over property rights. In nearly the same breath, it also…

Commissioners reject variances for firm seeking to recycle wastewater

The Travis County Commissioners Court has rejected two variance requests from a Houston-based company that is seeking to recycle wastewater byproducts. The firm, Synagro Technologies, Inc., still hopes to apply the so-called “sewage sludge” to land that’s used for pasture…

Design Commission weighs in on Northeast police and courts building

The Design Commission wants additional meetings with the architect on the new City of Austin Municipal Courts and Police Northeast Substation, intending to align the project, as much as possible, with current urban design standards.   The substation was approved…

Hays Judge candidate Barton holds rally to deny anonymous allegations

Hays County Pct. 2 Commissioner Jeff Barton responded Monday to a series of allegations leveled against him via email. His action comes as his heated campaign against Bert Cobb, M.D., former chief or surgery at the Central Texas Medical Center,…

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Plans for new central library building to begin with programming elements

Discussion of the new central library will begin in earnest next month as Council and the Library Commission take a first look at the programming elements being proposed for the $110 million downtown building.   John Gillum, the library system’s…

Solid Waste and SWAC agree on recycling ordinance changes

Recycling services could become available to almost every family and business in Austin over the next four years if the City Council approves all or most of the changes proposed to the city’s current multifamily/business recycling ordinance.   The Solid…

Planning committee ponders future of 11th/12th street corridor plan

An initial discussion between Planning Commission members and those involved in the urban renewal of East 11th and 12th streets at Wednesday’s Neighborhood Plan committee meeting had the feeling of a first date – cordial but a little tense.  …

Foes gather to speak out against Transportation Bond initiative

Opponents of the proposed $90 million transportation bond package rallied for the media on Thursday at an empty parking lot on South Lamar Boulevard. There, they repeated arguments that the initiative for the bonds is too costly and doesn’t offer…

Animal center staff struggles to find qualified behaviorist

City officials are in the process of filling the new animal behaviorist position at the Town Lake Animal Center, but they’re learning that finding qualified candidates isn’t easy. Or cheap.   The animal behaviorist position was established by City Council…

ZAP approves more playground space for Rosewood nursery school

The Zoning and Platting Commission signed off on additional playground space at a nursery school in the middle of the Rosedale neighborhood on Tuesday, a move supported by the school’s immediate neighbors but opposed by the Rosedale Neighborhood Association.  …