Naked City

East Austin residents haven't forgotten former Council Member Gus Garcia's 1999 vote to reopen two generators at the accident-prone Holly Power Plant over neighborhood objections. The newly elected mayor will have to answer to those same residents, whose concerns increased following a plant fire on Halloween. Residents protested last Saturday, calling for the plant's immediate closure. Tuesday night, with the Holly Neighborhood Plan coincidentally on the agenda at a Planning Commission meeting, neighbors reiterated their anger. "We understand the neighbors' frustration with the plant, but its closure is beyond our control," said Mario Flores, a city neighborhood planner overseeing the Holly Neighborhood Plan. He pointed out that the plan recommends converting the power plant site for public land use, such as a recreational center or park. The Planning Commission will revisit the plan for possible action Nov. 28, with a final vote from the City Council expected Dec. 6. In 1995, Garcia voted to close two of the four Holly Power Plant generators, but reversed himself four years later when Austin Energy requested they be fired up again to prevent potential power outages.