'There is no cure': Austin urges people to keep dogs away from possibly toxic blue-green algae

Blue-green algae is back in Lady Bird Lake and Lake Austin, according to Austin’s Watershed Protection Department. The department says test results will be posted next month revealing whether the algae is toxic. In the meantime, the city recommends avoiding…

City set to prioritize Colony Park planned unit development application

The Colony Park Sustainable Community planned unit development application process is underway. On Tuesday, City Council’s Housing and Planning Committee unanimously recommended the full Council initiate a streamlined application and rezoning process. “Colony Park represents one of our greatest opportunities…

Panelists eye affordability pains in music, EMS, hospitality sectors

Leaders from two of Austin’s most prominent economic sectors – housing and hospitality – see passage of a new Land Development Code and eliminating the tipped minimum wage for restaurant staff as two long-needed steps to address increasing affordability concerns…

City to ban unsafe fence designs

The city will soon prohibit unsafe fence designs, like those with spiked or widely spaced pickets, to reduce the risk of serious injury and death in humans and animals.   On Tuesday, the Planning Commission unanimously recommended City Council approve the…

Zilker Park Vision Plan wins over Parks and Recreation Board, but the battle is far from over

Following a marathon of public testimony this past Monday, the Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan has secured the blessing of Austin’s Parks and Recreation Board, though its opponents say the fight is far from over. The vision plan, an ambitious…

Downtown alliance suggests Wooldridge Sq. station, sunken roadways to improve rail plan

The Downtown Austin Alliance has suggested a number of adjustments to the light rail plan unveiled to the public earlier this week, while also showing support for the route that moves through the downtown core from its endpoints to the…

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As city ends remote and telework opportunities, county receives national recognition for its remote work initiative

The National Association of Counties honored Travis County for its remote work program this week, which aimed to make 75 percent of eligible jobs at the county remote. Travis County’s initiative launched at the beginning of the pandemic in May…

Austin light rail gets first approval amid looming Texas legislative threat

Austin’s newest light-rail vision – a $5 billion map set to redefine 10 miles of streets – is traveling two parallel tracks this week. On one track, city decision-makers are flashing the go-ahead signal, setting the stage for the Austin…

Housing and Planning Committee grapples with how to prioritize code amendments

Members of City Council’s Housing and Planning Committee grappled during a Tuesday briefing with how to best approach moving forward on a set of amendments to the city’s Land Development Code. The discussion occurred at the committee’s May 23 special…

Annual count shows small drop in Austin's homeless population

Data from the city’s first point-in-time count of the local homeless population in three years show a slight decrease in the total number of people living without shelter, with laws against camping in public causing a sharp decrease in the…

Planning Commission supports rezoning for mixed-use development on East 12th

A new mixed-use development is in the works on East 12th Street. The Planning Commission on Tuesday recommended approval of a rezoning that would allow taller and denser buildings on two properties at 3117 and 3121 E. 12th St. Developer…

APD, DPS brief Public Safety Committee on suspended partnership

More than a week after the Austin Police Department announced its controversial partnership with the Texas Department of Public Safety had come to a close, law enforcement officials on Monday briefed the city’s Public Safety Committee on the now-defunct deployment…