West Austin neighborhood bands together to save lakefront estate

An application to demolish an idiosyncratic estate at 2002 Scenic Drive has been put on hold, as the Historic Landmark Commission elected to initiate historic zoning last Wednesday. The residence first appeared on the commission’s agenda last month, inspiring an…

Neighbors argue over East 11th and 12th street plan

After months of delay, City Council took the second of three steps needed to update the Urban Renewal Plan for the East 11th and 12th Street Neighborhood Conservation Combining District. The vote Thursday was unanimous, but Council members Kathie Tovo…

Hotel industry rebound pinches city's acquisition strategy to solve homelessness

The city may have to shift away from its strategy of converting hotels and motels into temporary and permanent supportive housing sites for the homeless, due to a rebound in the lodging market that has raised prices and cut down…

Car blocking a bike lane? You might be able to report it and make some money soon.

In an effort to help city employees cite vehicles for illegally blocking bike lanes, the Urban Transportation Commission unanimously approved a “bike lane bounty” program at its meeting Tuesday night. The program, inspired by one in New York City, would…

Fate of the Crestview Gate could be decided today

A decadelong debate over a notorious gate in the Crestview neighborhood is likely to reach its conclusion today, with City Council set to vote on a zoning change that would get rid of the gate at Easy Wind Drive and…

How tall should buildings be when they're near single-family homes?

There’s a building on South Lamar that looks like a stepladder. Well, maybe a stepladder if you laid it on the ground. Or, maybe just a set of stairs – for a giant. “As you move across Lamar, you’re literally…

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TipSheet: Austin City Council, 6.9.22

Today is City Council’s penultimate meeting before a summer break, which means the meeting is jam-packed with odds and ends that need to get in order before then. This TipSheet is an educated guess as to what might be important…

City must raise wages to $22/hour, working group says

Members of the city’s living wage work group urged City Council Tuesday to raise the city’s living wage to $22 an hour for the upcoming fiscal year. They said the wage should apply to all regular and temporary city employees…

Public safety departments present budget proposals to Public Safety Commission

Austin’s public safety departments – police, fire and EMS – are preparing for the annual budget process in July and August by forecasting budgets and drafting wish lists, all of which include additional funding to fill vacant positions. Meanwhile, a…

Developer to embark on dual high-rise and landmark restoration project at Old Depot Hotel

A plan to develop the parking lot adjacent to the historic Old Depot Hotel is getting a new lease on life, with real estate firm Stonelake Capital Partners behind the wheel.  The project at 504 East Fifth St., which includes…

Bird pays its bill

Although the city of Austin apparently enjoys a good working relationship with the scooter company Bird, the same could not be said for Travis County. Bird Rides Inc. appeared at No. 7 on Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector Bruce Elfant’s list of…

Staffing issues cause slow rollout of arts, historic preservation programs

The Economic Development Department plans to wait until fall to begin spinning up three programs for music, arts and historic preservation that are funded by proceeds from the city’s Hotel Occupancy Tax. Portions of those programs aren’t slated to become…