Stories by Jessi Devenyns
Planning Commission fails to recommend zoning change, citing proximity to hazardous materials
Abutting the Cypress Semiconductor manufacturing plant is an undeveloped 1.63-acre tract of land that is currently zoned commercial. This transition property connects the industrial tract to the east with residential developments closer to town. On May 14, Ferris Clements, an…
Zoning • By Jessi Devenyns • May 17, 2019
BoA postpones case to better understand 10-foot setback implications
After combining two plots of land in the West Austin Sweetbrush neighborhood in January and agreeing to conform to city of Austin ordinances in the process, the owners of 2404 Sweetbrush Drive came before the Board of Adjustment on May…
Land Development Code • By Jessi Devenyns • May 17, 2019
Mis-measured fence must come down to size, according to BoA
City code considers a swimming pool to be a backyard hazard that should be securely encircled by a solid fence – sometimes a fence that is higher than the 6-foot standard. However, a fence of increased height is only permitted…
Land Development Code • By Jessi Devenyns • May 16, 2019
BoA says expanded parking at Travis County Tax Office is insufficient
For years, the Travis County Clerk’s Office and the Tax Office at 5501 Airport Blvd. have used the vacant lot next door to accommodate the perpetual parking overflow from Austinites seeking a variety of services. Now, as Austin continues to…
City Hall • By Jessi Devenyns • May 15, 2019
Ethics commission finds Prop J PAC violated campaign finance laws
After hours of politically caustic testimony, the Ethics Review Commission found at its May 8 meeting that the No on Prop J political action committee had violated city ethics codes by failing to disclose a $10,000 donation in a timely…
Bonds & Propositions • By Jessi Devenyns • May 14, 2019
Mobile home rezoning case raises questions about living arrangements
In an attempt to tackle gentrification head-on, last August City Council directed city staff to begin rezoning mobile home parks that were operating as such but were not appropriately zoned. Six of those rezoning cases came before the Zoning and…
Zoning • By Jessi Devenyns • May 13, 2019
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Rodriguez case fails to find agreeable settlement
In a novel solution, the Office of the City Auditor and Frank Rodriguez presented a settlement agreement to the Ethics Review Commission at what should have been the final hearing on the case May 8. However, ethics commissioners felt the…
City Hall • By Jessi Devenyns • May 10, 2019
Affordability Unlocked gets ZAP approval, with concerns
With a $250 million bond geared toward affordable housing, a goal to preserve 10,000 affordable units over the next 10 years and a City Council resolution seeking ways to increase the number of affordable units, city staff members brought forward…
Land Development Code • By Jessi Devenyns • May 9, 2019
Fire and police response times lagging due to low staffing
In an effort to serve citizens as quickly, efficiently and proficiently as possible, Austin public safety departments have response time goals. For the Fire Department, this means response times of eight minutes 90 percent of the time, while police should…
Public Safety • By Jessi Devenyns • May 8, 2019
Commission zeros in on scooter safety
A landmark study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Austin Public Health Department documented that 192 dockless scooter riders were injured between Sept. 5 and Nov. 30 last year. During that time, “There were about two…
Transportation • By Jessi Devenyns • May 7, 2019
BoA grants variance to keep heritage trees and affordable housing
In North Central Austin, developers are working with Central Health and the Housing Authority of the City of Austin to combine nine lots to create an affordable housing complex. The 258-unit complex, located at 411 and 601 E. Powell Lane…
Planning • By Jessi Devenyns • May 2, 2019
BoA debates fences and pool safety
Barring a handful of exceptions, fences in Austin are generally 6 feet tall. A fence may exceed that standardized height, however, if “a structure, including a telephone junction box, exists that is reasonably likely to enable a child to climb…
