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Neon wrong kind of historic for Congress Avenue

At the most recent Historic Landmark Commission meeting, commissioners faced the question of when “historic” was, exactly. One of Austin’s most celebrated new restaurants provoked the question, by proposing installation of a sign that the owners said was historic, though…

Austin Monitor Radio Extra: Travis County Precinct 3 commissioners race

In a special podcast-only edition of Austin Monitor Radio, Monitor reporter Caleb Pritchard chats with incumbent Precinct 3 Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty and his challenger David Holmes about their respective election campaigns. Podcast are embedded below:

Chief addresses complaints, demotions

Austin Police Department Chief Art Acevedo on Wednesday strongly defended his decision to suspend and demote two supervisors for failing to appropriately investigate two high-profile use-of-force complaints. He also scoffed at Austin Police Association President Ken Casaday’s call for him…

Work on MoPac to last into 2017

The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority is tooting its horn over the partial opening of a new toll lane on MoPac Expressway while also remaining cagey about the expected completion date of the entire project. At the agency’s monthly board…

'Spot Zoning' case moved to subcommittee

A strange example of patchy zoning came before the Planning Commission at its Tuesday meeting. Chair Stephen Oliver and Commissioner Michael Wilson co-sponsored an item that proposed initiating a code amendment to create an overlay district for two lots on…

Onion Creek residents voice desperation over flooding

Flood-battered residents voiced despair over the future and frustration with City Hall at a Tuesday night forum at the Onion Creek Club featuring Mayor Steve Adler and City Council members Ann Kitchen and Delia Garza. “We feel like we’re trapped…

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Proposed preservation district hits a wall at Landmark Commission

The Historic Landmark Commission on Tuesday postponed action on recommending a historical district in Central Austin that scored significant support from its resident homeowners. The punt came at the end of a lengthy and contentious discussion among the commissioners, the…

AISD greenlights new scorecard

At Monday’s regular board meeting, Austin Independent School District trustees unanimously approved the new district scorecard, a steering document that will be used to evaluate Superintendent Paul Cruz’s performance in the future. The scorecard uses new initiatives to promote the desegregation…

Rainey Street condo developer to fund neighborhood traffic study

Yet another new high-rise condo complex could be coming to the Rainey Street neighborhood. But before it breaks ground, developers and residents are working to identify the top traffic needs in the area. The Austin-based Sutton Company wants to build…

Austin Oaks PUD plods toward Council

Discussion of Austin’s “other” planned unit development – the Austin Oaks PUD – has been postponed to the Nov. 1 meeting of the Zoning and Platting Commission. The postponement came at the request of some of the nearby neighbors, who…

In a city with many fatal car crashes, what will a $720 million bond do for road safety?

One hundred and two people died on Austin’s roads last year – the most in the city’s recorded history. There was the young woman killed around 5 a.m. while walking on the Interstate 35 frontage road; the 55-year-old unnamed bicyclist…

Record turnout greets first day of early voting

Voting on the first day of early voting in Travis County shattered previous records, with 35,066 voters casting ballots at polling locations throughout the county. An additional 11,020 mail-in ballots were received, bringing to 46,086 the total number of voters…