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- A plan to end night swimming at Barton Springs is over before it ever began
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Environment
Austin spent millions taking them out of the flood plain. A new map puts them back in.
A massive update to Austin’s flood plain map shows about 3,000 properties are at higher risk of flooding than previously thought. But a review of the map shows the new threat is most concentrated in some neighborhoods where the city…
Environment • By Mose Buchele, KUT • Sep 26, 2018
A massive change in Austin's flood map says thousands more homes are at high risk
Around 3,000 more Austin properties will find themselves in high-risk flood-plains thanks to a new National Weather Service study called Atlas 14. Those new flood designations could impact everything from what you pay for insurance to how you build your…
Environment • By Mose Buchele, KUT • Sep 21, 2018
An update on the Fayette Power Plant reveals no news, inspires working group
Almost five years ago, Council recommended that Austin Energy retire its portion of the Fayette Power Plant, which is run on coal, by 2022. Despite intense pressure from environmentalists to move that date up, the city utility is sticking to…
Energy • By Jessi Devenyns • Sep 20, 2018
Zebra mussels found in Austin Water intake pipes
Divers have found large amounts of invasive zebra mussels at intake pipes that feed Austin’s water supply, opening up a costly new challenge for the city’s water utility. Austin Water had seen evidence of the small, rectangular mussels in water…
Environment • By Mose Buchele, KUT • Sep 19, 2018
EUC recommends code amendment to expand electric vehicle use
Soon Austin may have as many electric charging stations as gas stations. Currently, city code does not allow for the resale of city energy by third-party entities. However, the code was written before there was any inkling that electric vehicles…
Energy • By Jessi Devenyns • Sep 19, 2018
After 20 years the city protects 25 percent of the Barton Springs recharge zone
Since 1998, the city of Austin has been working diligently to preserve and care for the crown jewel of our city: Barton Springs. Doing so involves a lot more than draining and cleaning the pool every so often. According to…
Environment • By Jessi Devenyns • Sep 18, 2018
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Fee increase at Barton Springs among host of aquatics centers plans
A far-reaching analysis of changes in operations at the city’s pools and aquatics centers includes a jump in admission prices for Barton Springs, one of the city’s most popular tourist and recreation spots. The new fee schedule included in a…
Parks • By Chad Swiatecki • Sep 13, 2018
Tree removal permitting to change in October
Sometimes trees have the most powerful voices in our city. At the Sept. 5 meeting of the Environmental Commission, Max Elliott, who is a resident of the Govalle neighborhood, alerted the commission that recently a builder removed five heritage trees…
Environment • By Jessi Devenyns • Sep 12, 2018
City doesn't want Austin Rowing Club's special deal to be too sweet
City Council voted in June to grant the Austin Rowing Club the unusual privilege of negotiating a contract renewal with the city without going through the typical bidding process. ARC and Council members argued that the special deal was warranted…
Parks • By Jack Craver • Sep 10, 2018
One part of Camelback PUD isn't controversial: A big new park
The Parks and Recreation Board couldn’t find anything bad to say about the parkland proposed as part of the Camelback PUD, a proposed mixed-use development on a 145-acre plot of land that fronts Lake Austin just west of Loop 360.…
Parks • By Jack Craver • Sep 7, 2018
Austin Energy shifts money away from apartment weatherization program
Every year, Austin Energy pays contractors to make apartment buildings more energy-efficient. They put in place new duct sealant, solar screens and attic insulation, which helps tenants reduce their energy consumption and lower their utility bills. This year, however, the…
Energy • By Jack Craver • Sep 6, 2018
Some Austin waterways unsafe for swimming
According to a new report from the Environment Texas Research and Policy Center and the Frontier Group, many of the state’s creeks, rivers and beaches are too polluted for swimming or wading – and that includes the Colorado River at…
