Light rail proposal joins mobility bond discussion

As City Council members careen toward their first chat with the public over a potentially massive mobility bond, a new proposal for light rail investment has risen up from the grassroots. On Thursday, the nonprofit Central Austin Community Development Corporation…

Biz leaders ponder how to maintain Austin's soul

Elsewhere in Texas, a conversation about how to save a town’s soul may lead to talk of a mass baptism. But in Austin, the discussion centers more on music and housing. “Maintaining Austin’s Soul” was the subject that a panel…

"Amplify" dispute intensifies in Austin

Two well-known businesses are fighting over the word “amplify” in Austin. Yesterday, I Live Here, I Give Here took the step of formally opposing a federal trademark application by Amplify Federal Credit Union that would prohibit ILHIGH from using the…

Mobility bond discussion occupies Council

Austin City Council treated itself to its first look at the political and financial conditions framing a fast-tracked transportation bond decision on Wednesday. At a special work session, Council members heard a lengthy briefing on the Mobility Talks public engagement…

Chief praises assignment change for detectives

Although the president of the Austin Police Association has criticized the department’s decision to deploy detectives from their usual assignments to work patrol shifts for three weeks each on a rotating basis, Police Chief Art Acevedo told City Council during…

Austin land use commissions grapple with proposed reforms

The two dozen Austinites who signed up for the thankless task of recommending planning and zoning changes to City Council agree on at least one thing: there has to be a better way. Members of the Planning Commission and the…

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"Grandiose" East Austin remodel stalls at BoA

Fast-paced change in Central East Austin has helped contribute a boon of cases to the city’s planning commissions, where it has become clear that prosperity has been a mixed bag. At their most recent meeting, Board of Adjustment members took…

Sobriety center advances, but location still up in the air

Everything is falling into place for an innovative facility designed to battle addiction and substance abuse, except for one key detail: where to put it. The Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday heard from members of the working group tasked…

Neighbors sued over restrictive covenant

After threatening to sue a developer for violating a restrictive covenant, 21 members of the Crestview neighborhood were surprised when the developer turned the tables on them, filing suit to have the covenant declared void and seeking up to $100,000…

"Friendless" house to be demolished

Though historic zoning was initiated for the 1911 home on San Bernard Street, a depleted Historic Landmark Commission did not show enough support to move historic landmark status forward for the “house with no friends” last week. Because the homeowner…

With another lifeguard shortage, some city pools to open late

At a city-run job fair back in March, 15-year-old Jake Santema awaited an interview with staff as part of the process to become a summer lifeguard. “I’m a little nervous of the feeling of having someone’s life on my hands,”…

Kitchen steps into planning personnel issues

Last fall, City Council Member Ann Kitchen asked Planning and Zoning Department Director Greg Guernsey to remove the staff member who had been overseeing the formation of one of the South Austin Combined Neighborhood Plan’s contact teams because she did…