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District 5
City reverses decision, granting variance from compatibility in storage unit case
City Council is set to consider the topic of compatibility on a larger scale Thursday. Meanwhile, the Board of Adjustment took a second swing at the issue on a more granular level, voting at its last meeting to overturn a…
Land Development Code • By Elizabeth Pagano • Nov 30, 2022
Brodie Oaks PUD gets Planning Commission approval
The Planning Commission recommended a proposal Tuesday to transform the Brodie Oaks Shopping Center at South Lamar and Loop 360 into a huge mixed-use development, paving the way for a City Council vote in the coming weeks. The project would…
Planning • By Jonathan Lee • Nov 18, 2022
Bazan, Alter set for runoff in District 5
Six candidates lined up this year to take the seat held by retiring City Council Member Ann Kitchen, who has served District 5 since 2015. When the votes were counted on Tuesday, the two candidates whose campaigns emphasize streamlining development…
Elections • By Jo Clifton • Nov 8, 2022
Environmental Commission endorses Brodie Oaks PUD with caveats
The Environmental Commission voted Wednesday to recommend the Brodie Oaks planned unit development that would redevelop the 37.6-acre tract of land on the corner of South Lamar and South Capital of Texas Highway. The recommendation, which will be passed up…
Zoning • By Nina Hernandez • Nov 7, 2022
Featured Collection: Austin Energy 2022 rate case
Austin Energy ramps up outreach for proposed rate changes
Austin Energy has entered the public hearing phase of its base rate review process, following its proposal to raise service costs. The monthslong dialogue with stakeholders and city staff, slated for resolution by City Council in November, has surfaced predictable…
More Headlines for Austin Energy 2022 rate case
District 5 Council candidates chat with the 'Monitor': Part II
Read Part I of the series here. Stephanie Bazan grew up in South Austin. Her first experience in public service was as a member of the Girl Scouts. The communications professional and mom of two said her passions for…
Elections • By Nina Hernandez • Oct 7, 2022
District 5 Council candidates chat with the 'Monitor': Part I
Read Part II of the series here. District 5 will choose a new City Council member this November. Ann Kitchen was elected to a first term in 2015 and ran a second time unopposed in 2019. The environmentalist and attorney…
Elections • By Nina Hernandez • Oct 5, 2022
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Parks board recommends Brodie Oaks development
Last week, the Parks and Recreation Board voted to recommend the Brodie Oaks planned unit development as superior to City Council, contingent on the applicant complying with a list of board recommendations concerning public access to the on-site park and…
Development • By Nina Hernandez • Oct 4, 2022
Landmark commission OKs Stenger demolition
An A.D. Stenger-designed home in South Austin is headed for demolition with the unanimous consent of the city’s Historic Landmark Commission. Normally, this would be an unusual move by the city commission entrusted with evaluating the city’s historic buildings. However,…
Preservation • By Elizabeth Pagano • Sep 26, 2022
Austin Police Department Budget, 2012-2022
During the 2020-21 budget process, City Council cut $31.5 million from APD’s budget, citing the protests and “community outcry against the disproportionate impact of police violence on Black Americans, Latinx Americans and other non-white ethnic communities,” according to the approved…
Because of compatibility, mini storage units block 10 homes in South Austin
The Board of Adjustment failed last Monday to approve a compatibility waiver that would have allowed 10 townhomes at 1609 Matthews Lane in South Austin. In order to build the units, the owner of the half-acre property requested a variance to…
Land Development Code • By Jonathan Lee • Sep 20, 2022
ZAP votes to support Albert Road rezoning
The Zoning and Platting Commission supported a rezoning last Tuesday to bring several single-family homes to a 1-acre lot in South Austin. Applicant Juan Pablo Mondragon requests Family Residence (SF-3) zoning for the property at 7415 Albert Road, which is…
Zoning • By Jonathan Lee • Aug 23, 2022
Despite concerns about roadway capacity, ZAP endorses District 5 rezoning
The Zoning and Platting Commission recommended a rezoning last Tuesday that would allow additional homes on three single-family lots in South Austin. But not everyone was on board, with some commissioners siding with neighbors who wanted to prohibit vehicle access…
Zoning • By Jonathan Lee • Aug 22, 2022
Mercedes-Benz dealership nearing construction
A Mercedes-Benz dealership is one step closer to construction in South Austin after the Environmental Commission recommended a variance request last week, allowing private driveways to be built on the site in a critical water quality zone buffer. To comply…
