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Planning Commission votes in favor of protecting future ears from airport expansion

Generally speaking, residential use is prohibited within the airport overlay zones. The exception is the third zone (AO3) of the airport overlay, which under certain circumstances permits residential development. “We don’t just meet one of the three thresholds, we meet…

Commissioners approve landfill changes over TDS objections

On Tuesday the Travis County Commissioners Court opted to readopt changes to a county ordinance regulating landfills despite pushback from an influential local waste management company. Representatives of Texas Disposal Systems told commissioners that ordinance changes the commissioners approved last…

Hill Country landowners get ready for fight over another proposed pipeline

Charles Chaney Jr. has Utopia on his mind. The Texas City resident is a month away from retirement and Utopia is the name of the scenic Hill Country town where his family has lived for generations. He had planned to…

Casa de Luz continues fight with city

Casa de Luz, a vegan restaurant on Toomey Road, has been involved in an ongoing dispute with city building officials over its compliance with requirements of the Fire Code for the past eight years. City Council will be asked to…

With eye on transit decisions, nonprofit wants to amplify marginalized voices

For the second time in a week, a group organized around one of Austin’s key civic issues has made a public bow with the goal of empowering traditionally overlooked communities. People United for Mobility Action, or PUMA, held its public…

State law leaves the Historic Landmark Commission in gridlock

Getting a property zoned historic when the owner opposes it requires a supermajority vote at City Council. Yet even getting such a case before Council is an endeavor that requires the support of the Historical Landmark and Planning commissions. Prior…

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Parks board tries to negotiate impasse over use of Republic Square

Managers of the weekly farmers market that has taken place at Republic Square since 2003 have expressed frustration that the Downtown Austin Alliance’s use of the space for special events has started to negatively impact some of the more than…

Historic Herrera homestead heads to Council with Planning Commission approval

It’s rare that a structure is zoned historic against an owner’s wishes. According to Preservation Austin, it has happened only three times since 1974; however, that number may be about to grow to four. Following in the footsteps of the…

Council questions, and approves, new Old West Austin historic landmark

The last item on City Council’s most recent agenda passed without much notice, but for some Council members it spoke to ongoing issues of disparity in Austin’s preservation program. Council members voted 8-3 to designate the 1928 Italian Renaissance Revival…

Code rewrite team says development can help city water problems

The Land Development Code rewrite team has again struck a balance on city priorities. At Thursday’s update with City Council – the last before the draft document goes public Friday – the team outlined its strategy to leverage growth and…

Steady increase in chronic disease patients seeking help from CommUnityCare

Nearly 26 percent of CommUnityCare Health Centers’ patients in 2018 sought care for chronic diseases such as HIV, diabetes and heart disease – up from 18 percent in 2016 – said CommUnityCare CEO Jaeson Fournier at Wednesday’s Central Health Board…

Manchaca Road can now be called Menchaca Road after judge tosses case

Manchaca Road is no more. A judge has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to block the city of Austin from changing the name of the South Austin road to honor a Texas revolutionary. The nearly yearlong battle stemmed from the…