State appeals court strikes down Austin rules on short-term rentals

A state appeals court has declared some elements of Austin’s rules governing short-term rentals unconstitutional, including provisions banning non-owner-occupied rentals and occupancy limits. In 2016, the City Council passed sweeping new regulations of short-term rentals, like those you find through…

Courts • By Matt Largey • Nov 27, 2019

Human Rights Commission seeks apology from AISD

Last week the Austin Independent School District’s chief equity officer, Stephanie Hawley, called the board of trustees’ vote to close four elementary schools racist and inequitable. In an effort to improve the district’s financial situation, the board was faced with…

AISD • By Jessi Devenyns • Nov 27, 2019

Paxton files suit against planning commissioners

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is once again challenging the makeup of Austin’s Planning Commission. In a suit filed Tuesday, Paxton asks to remove Fayez Kazi, James Shieh, Greg Anderson, Claire Hempel and/or Patrick Howard from the Planning Commission “because…

City Charter • By Elizabeth Pagano • Nov 27, 2019

Demolition permitting revision to get going in 2020

The Development Services Department is behind schedule in its effort to revise the city’s demolition permitting process. The department issued a report with nine recommendations for a new process in October 2018. At the time, the department expected to bring…

City Hall • By Ryan Thornton • Nov 27, 2019

Proposed partnership with ECHO would convert more motels to temporarily house Austin's homeless

ECHO, the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, says the addition of 200-300 short-term motel units would substantially impact the community of Austinites living without shelter. In a memo sent Tuesday to the mayor and City Council, city staff said they agree.…

Austin • By Jerry Quijano, KUT • Nov 27, 2019

City charts progress, 90-day plans for Red River streetscape improvements

The Planning and Zoning Department has allocated $1.3 million in funding from its Great Streets program that will be used for a series of long-desired improvements to the streetscape of downtown’s Red River Cultural District. A memo released last week…

Music & Entertainment • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 26, 2019

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Garza says code needs 'equity overlay' to address historic development patterns

Reading through the draft Land Development Code over the last several weeks, Mayor Pro Tem Delia Garza noted that, for all its pages and nuance, the draft has a blind spot around housing equity. Realizing there was no single tool…

Land Development Code • By Ryan Thornton • Nov 26, 2019

Hill Country landowners say Kinder Morgan is lowballing them. Special courts are agreeing.

Kay Pence owns a ranch in the Hill Country town of Fredericksburg. About a year ago, she got a call from the pipeline company Kinder Morgan. The caller told her the company planned to run a section of its 430-mile…

Local Government • By Mose Buchele, KUT • Nov 26, 2019

Land Development Code: Density and impervious cover

With the first reading of the new Land Development Code draft expected by Council in two short weeks, the Watershed Protection Department is working to finalize its recommendations. Despite the tight timeline, Environmental Officer Chris Herrington told the Environmental Commission…

Land Development Code • By Jessi Devenyns • Nov 26, 2019

Austin Monitor Radio: ABIA

Lyn Estabrook, who is with the Planning & Engineering Department at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, sits down with Austin Monitor reporter Jessi Devenyns to answer all of your questions about Austin’s airport. Listen in below to hear about how the…

Radio • By Austin Monitor • Nov 26, 2019

City on pace for goal of 330 electrified vehicles by close of 2020

The city is on pace to have 330 electric vehicles in its fleet by the end of 2020, meeting a 2016 goal set by City Council that will make nearly 5 percent of the city’s 6,700 vehicle fleet composed of…

City Hall • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 25, 2019

BoA contemplates basements in Clarksville

There is an exception in city code that exempts homes with habitable basements from including the underground space in their overall square footage calculation. In order to claim that exception, however, a house must meet strict guidelines: The first story…

Land Development Code • By Jessi Devenyns • Nov 25, 2019

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