Stories by Austin Monitor
PARD mulls admission options for Trail of Lights
The Parks and Recreation Board on Tuesday discussed charging admission for the Trail of Lights and received a crash course from city staff on similar events held in other cities. Last week, the board learned that the free annual festival…
Uncategorized • By Austin Monitor • May 27, 2009
One member’s vote means no board decision for Lake Travis subdivision
The Environmental Board faced some hard choices Wednesday in considering whether to recommend variances to allow construction of a small residential subdivision on Lake Travis. In the end, the board chose to make no recommendation. At issue was a…
Uncategorized • By Austin Monitor • May 26, 2009
Court order stops demolition of Hyde Park home
Members of the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association on Wednesday intervened in a lawsuit between the owner of the potentially historic Bradford-Nohra House and the city, and, at least temporarily, stopped the owner from demolishing the house. District Judge Steven…
Uncategorized • By Austin Monitor • May 22, 2009
VMU designation means property owners have more choices
As Council Member Brewster McCracken leaves Council, his imprint on the city’s urban design principles remain, including individual neighborhood choices to either opt-in or opt-out of the vertical-mixed use (VMU) option along major corridors. The East Cesar Chavez neighborhood, which…
Uncategorized • By Austin Monitor • May 21, 2009
Austin’s mandatory water restrictions save hundreds of millions of gallons
As Austin enters its second summer of mandatory water restrictions, the lawns might not get watered as much as some would like, but the city is saving around three hundred thousand gallons every day during the summer. Austin Water Utility…
Uncategorized • By Austin Monitor • May 20, 2009
Bradford-Nohra house to be demolished
City of Austin officials have discovered an apparent flaw in their attempt to zone a Hyde Park home historic and have issued a demolition permit for the Bradford-Nohra House. According to information prepared by city staff, the vote by the…
Uncategorized • By Austin Monitor • May 19, 2009
Subscribe to our newsletter
House approves bill outlawing certain stealth election ads
Stealth electioneering campaigns are out under a bill that Rep. Todd Smith (R-Euless) passed out of the House Monday evening. The Federal Elections Commission regulates interest group express advocacy, which would be advertising mailers, commercials or phone banks that expressly…
Uncategorized • By Austin Monitor • May 19, 2009
Council commits to plan to use $5.1 million in stimulus funds
The City Council on Thursday voted unanimously to direct several million dollars of federal stimulus funds towards the construction of two buildings and homeless prevention programs—assuming the city gets the money—and committed several more millions from general obligation bonds for…
Uncategorized • By Austin Monitor • May 15, 2009
Travis tries for additional stimulus money
Travis County Commissioners on Tuesday took up one of the more frequent topics of county government this year—chasing down stimulus dollars that can benefit the county. Travis County is eligible for $226,300 in what is called CDBG-R money. But…
Uncategorized • By Austin Monitor • May 13, 2009
Legal questions mean subdivision case will return to ZAP next month
The Zoning and Platting Commission ended discussion of the re-subdivision of a pair of 70-year-old lots last week after a brief private session with city attorneys. A consultation with legal staff is rare for ZAP, but the subdivision of 5511…
Uncategorized • By Austin Monitor • May 13, 2009
McCracken drops out of runoff; Leffingwell to be Mayor
Facing a steep uphill climb in his quest to become Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem Brewster McCracken announced on Monday that he would instead withdraw from the race. In deciding not to pursue the runoff, McCracken saved the city an estimated…
Uncategorized • By Austin Monitor • May 12, 2009
Police try to answer questions in death of eastside teenager
On Monday, an Austin police officer shot and killed a teenager in the back seat of a car, causing Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo to face his first severe crisis as chief. Austin Police Officer Leonardo Quintana shot and…
