Stories by Jack Craver
Will Manley be made police chief? City manager remains mum
In spite of the praise he has received from city leaders for his response to the Austin bombings, Interim Police Chief Brian Manley is not necessarily a shoo-in to be the next permanent police chief. City Manager Spencer Cronk is…
Police • By Jack Craver • Apr 3, 2018
Council members push for $300M affordable housing bond
If Austin is going to do something about its affordability crisis, many on City Council believe that it will take a massive infusion of public funds to build housing that is affordable to low-income and working-class residents. To that end,…
Bonds & Propositions • By Jack Craver • Mar 29, 2018
Adler to developers: CodeNEXT must provide more housing
Mayor Steve Adler told members of Austin’s real estate industry Tuesday that the city is making it easier to build and that he hopes the potential overhaul of the city’s Land Development Code will allow for much greater density on…
Land Development Code • By Jack Craver • Mar 28, 2018
Council approves compromise to redevelop and preserve Rosewood Courts
City Council voted Thursday to permanently preserve eight buildings that are a part of Rosewood Courts, a public housing development in East Austin that was built 80 years ago for African-Americans with funds from the newly created United States Housing…
Housing • By Jack Craver • Mar 27, 2018
Council debates police staffing
At the first City Council meeting following the end of the recent bombings, Council members spent nearly two hours debating a largely symbolic resolution about police staffing. Originally, explained Council Member Ellen Troxclair, the resolution was meant to simply convey…
City Council • By Jack Craver • Mar 23, 2018
Which historic sites should be covered by hotel occupancy taxes?
Last year, City Council voted to reallocate millions of dollars from the Austin Convention Center and Visit Austin (formerly the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau) to historic preservation efforts. Now, it’s up to Council to decide what projects will benefit…
Preservation • By Jack Craver • Mar 22, 2018
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Council discusses economic, cultural benefits of Major League Soccer in Austin
On Thursday, City Council will take up a resolution directing city staff to analyze whether a vacant lot at 10414 McKalla Lane would be a suitable spot for a future Major League Soccer stadium. So far, no Council members have…
Music & Entertainment • By Jack Craver • Mar 21, 2018
City leaders discuss legacy of segregation from 1928 plan
At a press conference at City Hall on Monday, city leaders and activists recognized the 90th anniversary of Austin’s first zoning code, which enshrined legal segregation by race and ethnicity. The 1928 Master Plan was most notable for establishing the…
Planning • By Jack Craver • Mar 20, 2018
South Lamar neighbors to get office traffic instead of residential traffic
Nearly two years ago, the Planning Commission voted 10-1 to recommend a zoning change that would allow a 70-unit apartment building to be built on a vacant lot at 2413 Thornton Road. As is often the case in zoning battles,…
Zoning • By Jack Craver • Mar 20, 2018
Kathie Tovo gets an opponent
Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo will face at least one opponent in her bid for re-election. Danielle Skidmore recently filed paperwork to join the race for District 9, which includes all of downtown and many Central Austin neighborhoods between MoPac…
Elections • By Jack Craver • Mar 19, 2018
Council considering another $110 million for Waller Creek park system
City Council members have expressed interest in the idea of extending the life of a tax increment reinvestment zone that was set up to fund the Waller Creek chain of parks, an ongoing project that city government is betting will…
Austin • By Jack Craver • Mar 15, 2018
What happens when top public safety officials are accused of harassment?
Members of the Public Safety Commission expressed concern and befuddlement over policies that the Police, Fire and EMS departments rely on to hold their top officials accountable for harassment. “It doesn’t make sense to me that the policies are so…
