Stories by Jack Craver
Friday, August 17, 2018 by Jack Craver
Austin
City budget boosts spending for homelessness services
The new city manager and City Council agree: The city needs more money to address the homelessness situation.The proposed Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget submitted by City Manager Spencer Cronk includes $3.1 million in new spending on homelessness-related services. That’s on…
Thursday, August 16, 2018 by Jack Craver
Land Development Code
Planning Commission wonders what to do after CodeNEXT
CodeNEXT might be dead, but most members of the Planning Commission seem to agree that they can’t give up on making big changes to the Land Development Code.For over a year, discussion of CodeNEXT has been a standing item on…
Monday, August 13, 2018 by Jack Craver
Bonds & Propositions
Council faces legal action over wording of two ballot initiatives
Supporters of two ballot initiatives are threatening legal action against the city of Austin over ballot language that they claim City Council crafted to mislead voters.Just after midnight on Friday, Council approved language for 11 separate propositions that voters will…
Friday, August 10, 2018 by Jack Craver
Austin
Council boots big booting fees
City Council approved a measure Thursday to reduce the amount that drivers can be charged to have boots removed from their illegally parked cars.Council voted in favor of an ordinance that will bar booting companies from charging more than $50…
Thursday, August 9, 2018 by Jack Craver
City Hall
Council seeks to steer incentives from big business to local business
In Austin, the city’s practice of providing financial incentives for companies to relocate or move operations here has garnered plenty of criticism, ranging from outright opposition to the practice to concerns about whether the incentives are leading to jobs for…
Tuesday, August 7, 2018 by Jack Craver
Transit
For game-changing public transit, Austin needs the feds to chip in
Austin and the surrounding metro area needs a transportation game-changer, and it’s not going to come from more roads. And to build it, we’ll need some help from Washington, D.C.That was the message that officials from Capital Metro delivered to…
Tuesday, July 31, 2018 by Jack Craver
Elections
Battle over housing policy defines District 3 race
Growth, gentrification and CodeNEXT are at the center of the race for City Council District 3.Most of the district is made up of neighborhoods on both sides of the Colorado River that are east of Interstate 35. However, the district…
Friday, July 27, 2018 by Jack Craver
Bicycles
Planning Commission hears about 30-mile loop of urban trails
City transportation officials have a grand vision to dramatically expand the Shoal Creek Trail and eventually connect it to a 30-mile loop of trails around the northern half of the city.But it’s anybody’s guess when that vision will be realized,…
Wednesday, July 25, 2018 by Jack Craver
Austin
Spirit of East Austin lives on
After a lengthy public engagement process, the city of Austin has released a report detailing key steps the city can take to improve services and quality of life for those living in Austin’s “eastern crescent.”During the spring of 2017, city…
Friday, July 20, 2018 by Jack Craver
Development
Zoning commission flirts with stalling Champion project
Opponents of the Champion tract development had yet another opportunity to air their grievances against the proposed multifamily development Tuesday night.Their efforts to stall the project were nearly successful due to low attendance at the Zoning and Platting Commission meeting…
Thursday, July 19, 2018 by Jack Craver
Courts
So, what happens to CodeNEXT now?
Last month, a majority of City Council members, including Mayor Steve Adler, said they did not believe that a ballot initiative proposed by anti-CodeNEXT activists could be put before voters this November.While the initiative had received more than enough signatures…
Wednesday, July 18, 2018 by Jack Craver
Preservation
Do historic districts help or hurt affordability?
There is a wide range of views about how historic preservation rules relate to Austin’s housing affordability problems.Some argue that actions taken to prevent the demolition of old homes advance affordability because, in general, older homes are cheaper than new…
Monday, July 16, 2018 by Jack Craver
Budget
What do Austinites want the city budget to prioritize?
In the process of crafting its annual budget to present to City Council, city of Austin staff held 11 events throughout the city in an effort to hear what Austinites think about how their tax dollars should be spent.In a…
Friday, July 13, 2018 by Jack Craver
Zoning
North Austin apartment complex could include 125 affordable units
In many ways, the zoning case before the Planning Commission this Tuesday involving a proposed 258-unit apartment building was pretty typical. A developer wanted to build more units, and nearby neighbors were unhappy about it.What was unusual about the proposed…
Thursday, July 12, 2018 by Jack Craver
City Hall
Campaign for city audit says it has enough signatures for referendum
Organizers of a petition to require an audit of city government announced Wednesday that they had gathered enough signatures to put the question before voters this November.A statement released by Citizens for an Accountable Austin, the group that has led…
Wednesday, July 11, 2018 by Jack Craver
Land Development Code
Some areas of the city care a lot more about CodeNEXT
What do Austinites think about CodeNEXT? It’s hard to say.A poll conducted by the Austin Chamber of Commerce, which supports CodeNEXT, found 45 percent in favor, 36 percent opposed and 19 percent unsure.When City Council recently held two public hearings…
Thursday, July 5, 2018 by Jack Craver
Land Development Code
Council votes to ‘test’ CodeNEXT
City Council has asked the city manager to convene a group of development and design experts who will “test” the new regulations proposed in CodeNEXT.The idea is to have a group of building professionals – architects, engineers, urban planners –…
Tuesday, July 3, 2018 by Jack Craver
Land Development Code
CodeNEXT targets major obstacle to density: Compatibility standards
One of the major divisions over CodeNEXT was brought into sharp relief during a Wednesday City Council special called meeting. The issue: compatibility standards and transition zones.Currently, what one can build on a property is based not just on how…
Monday, July 2, 2018 by Jack Craver
Bonds & Propositions
Council moves forward on largest bond in Austin history
City Council took a crucial first step late Thursday toward presenting voters with the largest bond package in the city’s history.Just before 11 p.m., Council endorsed a $925 million general obligation bond that will include major pots of money for…
Monday, July 2, 2018 by Jack Craver
City Council
Council waives bidding rules for Austin Rowing Club
The Austin Rowing Club is going to get another chance.After hearing dozens of people testify in support of the club, City Council voted unanimously Thursday to give the nonprofit the go-ahead to negotiate a new contract to manage and operate…
