Naked City

In addition to another round of talk about charter amendments (see items at left), the council has on its plate:

A further brace of items related to the Austin Revitalization Authority, including using $600,000 in excess federal funds to loan ARA money to buy parcels on E. 11th Street. The city and ARA also want to execute a series of agreements by which ARA will build and be reimbursed for electric and water infrastructure in its Eastside project area.

The Villas! The Villas! But as of press time it seems the second/third reading of the controversial Villas on Guadalupe student-housing complex near UT will be postponed. Neighbors in the North University area are hopping mad about this ultra-high-density student housing development and parking garage (for more, see "Here Come the Neighborhoods," p.16).

A public hearing to allow the Cedar Door to move to its fourth location (off Toomey Road), even though the site is less than 300 feet from Parkside Community School. After a month's delay caused by objections raised by the school and its parents, the Zoning and Platting Commission split 3-2-1 on the necessary zoning Tuesday night, passing the issue on to council without a recommendation.

Deciding whether to add two additional members to the Sixth Street Recycles Task Force -- charged with studying the entertainment district's recycling pilot program and making recommendations to council about the program's future -- and push back the group's recommendation deadline to May 15. According to Mark Nathan, aide to Council Member Will Wynn, the Task Force needs more time to resolve problems with glass recycling, the program's major sticking point. Solid Waste Services says too much other debris is getting mixed in with the glass and gumming up recycling machines. Advocates for the program argue that glass makes up the bulk of Sixth Street's trash, and that cutting glass recycling would be ridiculous. "Will is definitely on board to do what we need to do," Nathan said. "To not recycle that glass just makes us crazy."