At their most-recent meeting, City Council’s Mobility Committee heard a presentation from Assistant City Manager Michael Rogerson the burgeoning air taxi industry, which Rogers framed as an emerging issue for city transportation. “As a matter of fact, we’ve had these (vehicles) here in Austin, at South by Southwest,” Rogers said, referring to test flights hosted […]
Miles Wall
Posted inZoning
Planning Commission recommends multifamily upzoning in Hancock
A small parcel in the Hancock neighborhood may see more intense zoning in the future after winning an endorsement from the Planning Commission during their September 23 meeting. Property owners are seeking a change from multifamily residence-limited density, or MF-1, to multifamily residence-medium density, or MF-3, at 3305 and 3303 Duval Street and 501 and […]
Posted inPlanning
East 11th cocktail lounge plan met with opposition, no recommendation
The owner of a site in East Austin’s Rosewood neighborhood is asking for a zoning change that would allow future development to include a bar. So far, that request has been met with opposition from neighbors and city staff, over nine months of postponement and, most recently, ambivalence from the Planning Commission during their Sept. […]
Posted inPlanning
Commission approves permit for Austin Resource Recovery center near Colony Park after misgivings, postponement
A conditional use permit requested by the city was approved by the Zoning and Platting Commission during their Sept. 2 meeting. The permit was nearly rejected, and eventually postponed, during an earlier meeting of the commission. The approval will allow redevelopment of 8301 Johnny Morris Road in Northeast Austin into a 131-acre, $253.5 million hub […]
Posted inUncategorized
Planning Commission OKs upzoning of Rosewood Elementary site
A rezoning request for the former site of Rosewood Elementary in East Austin picked up a recommendation from the Planning Commission during a meeting on September 9, moving the site closer to possible redevelopment. If successful, several addresses around the school, which is located at 2406 Rosewood Avenue, would go from single family residential zoning […]
Posted inUncategorized
Planning Commission asks Council to defend the HOME initiative
Austin’s HOME Initiative was supposed to make it easy for homeowners, landlords and developers to build more units per lot, and thus help swell the city’s supply of affordable housing. In a letter to Ctiy Council, the Planning Commission says it has “serious concerns” that HOME may not be delivering as many homes as it […]
Posted inZoning
Undeveloped Milwood tract may see major upzoning
In yet another Northwest Austin zoning case, the Zoning and Platting Commission recommended rezoning for an empty piece of land owned by the recently shuttered Austin White Lime company during their August 19 meeting. The two tracts at 6101 and 6105 Melrose Trail, which represent a combined area of about 5 acres, are located in […]
Posted inZoning
Another subdivision headed for upzoning in Northwest Austin
In a case almost eerily similar to one we covered in our August 26 newsletter, the owner of a property inside Northwest Austin subdivision The Forest is seeking to rezone. As one might expect if you’ve been reading these articles, the neighborhood is not happy. The Zoning and Platting Commission heard the case, which would […]
Posted inZoning
Planning Commission recommends industrial rezoning in Govalle
Planning Commissioners have voted unanimously to recommend a rezoning for an industrial site in East Austin’s Govalle neighborhood that could lead to another tall housing development on the Colorado. The site, located at 20 Strandtman Cove near Airport Boulevard, is currently zoned LI, or light industrial, and houses a warehouse for foundation materials. The request […]
Posted inPlanning
Zoning and Platting recommends planning process west of Loop 360
As the Austin Monitor has previously reported, the Zoning and Platting Commission was considering recommending that the city initiate a planning process for the area west of Loop 360 on the north side of the Colorado River. Well, on August 5, the commission passed a motion making just such a recommendation by a 7-1 vote, […]
Posted inTransit
CapMetro shares ridership numbers, touts continued post-pandemic rally
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority presented new ridership numbers that continue to tell a story of a slow but steady revival in usage of Austin’s public bus and rail system. CapMetro, like virtually every other transit agency in the United States, saw its ridership numbers plummet during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those numbers have improved across […]
Posted inZoning
Some neighbors see progress, others see peril in South Lamar rezoning
The Planning Commission has approved yet another rezoning request involving the city’s controversial Density Bonus 90, or DB90, zoning during their July 22 meeting. Commissioners heard from both neighbors in support of a redevelopment that would offer relatively dense housing in a fast-growing neighborhood and neighbors who fear another tall building. This time around the […]