Austin, TX

Unwrap these 4 gifts given to the city of Austin

Published

2 hours ago

December 11, 2024

Unwrap these 4 gifts given to the city of Austin

For us? You shouldn’t have.

We think living in Austin is the greatest gift of all, but our city has actually been on the receiving end of quite a few delightful donations. From parks to sculptures and more, check out these four gifts given to the city.

Zilker Park | The land for Austin’s signature park was gifted to the city by businessman Andrew Jackson Zilker in multiple donations from 1917 to 1934, the same year Zilker Park officially earned its name. Happy 90th, Zilker Park.

Pink Granite for the Texas State Capitol | The iconic Texas State Capitol building — which is taller than the US Capitol, by the way — was built using pink granite from Granite Mountain, located just outside of Marble Falls. In 1885, Granite Mountain owners William H. Westfall and Nimrod L. Norton supplied the granite for free, as long as the railroad track used to transport it was extended to the quarry site.

The Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial Statue pays homage to one of the most iconic artists from Austin’s music scene.

Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial Statue | One of Austin’s most well-known landmarks, this statue on Lady Bird Lake was donated to the city by Vaughan’s family and fan club. For just over 30 years, the statue has marked a site where Vaughan often performed in person.

Robert de Niro’s film archive | The renowned actor from “The Godfather” donated the archive of his film career to the Harry Ransom Center in 2006. At the time, the collection of artifacts was estimated to be worth ~$5 million.

These extraordinary gifts not only add character and value to our city but also show how generosity can have a lasting impact. Do you know of another major gift donated to our city? Let us know.

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Austin, TX

Austin Water Crews Address Tributary Sewage Spill

Published

9 hours ago

December 11, 2024

Press Room

Austin Water Crews Address Tributary Sewage Spill

Austin Water crews are responding to a domestic wastewater overflow from sanitary sewer manhole located near the 5000 block of Creek Bend Drive. Preliminary findings indicate that the manhole overflowed over 100,000 gallons of wastewater into a dry

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Austin, TX

Want to take a day trip? Check out holiday events in these Texas cities

Published

17 hours ago

December 11, 2024

Press Room

Want to take a day trip? Check out holiday events in these Texas cities

Wanting to start a new holiday tradition this year?

Consider taking a day trip to a nearby city to check out winter events.

The Caller-Times suggests visiting one of these events in Austin, McAllen and Victoria.

Trail of Lights in Austin

Austin is a popular destination as the capital of Texas, but it also is known for its annual Trail of Lights — an event that features more than 2 million lights, 90 lighted holiday trees and more than 70 holiday displays in Zilker Park.

The event opened Tuesday and will run through Monday, Dec. 23.

Tickets may be purchased at austintrailoflights.org.

The Trail of Lights originally started in 1965 and was known as the Yule Fest. It involved the lighting of a yule log and included performances by carolers from local choirs. Over the years, the one-day event evolved into a four-day festival and then to one that lasts for nearly all of December.

Aside from lights, the festival also includes vendors, food, drinks and live performances. This year, several entertainers will perform through Dec. 23.

South Pole Illuminated Festival in McAllen

South Pole Illuminated Festival is an immersive holiday experience with the tallest RGB Christmas tree in the United States, spanning more than 10 stories tall.

RGB lights are color-controllable LED strings that can be animated with unique effects that may be synchronized to music.

Guests can experience a walking journey through millions of lights at the McAllen Convention Center featuring photos with Santa, train rides, gingerbread house building, live music, a s’mores station, a holiday food court, a NASA photo exhibit, a market, fireworks, a carnival and more.

The festival opened in November and will run until Dec. 29. Tickets may be purchased at southpoleoftexas.com.

Christmas Nights in Victoria

Grab your little ones and make a short drive to The Texas Zoo in Victoria for the annual Christmas Nights event, where attendees can stroll through light displays.

The event is held from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 20, Dec. 22, Dec. 23 and Dec. 24.

Tickets are $5 and can be purchased on site.

For more information about the zoo, visit texaszoo.org.

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John Oliva covers entertainment and community news in South Texas. Contact him at john.oliva@caller.com or Twitter @johnpoliva.

Consider supporting local journalism with a subscription to the Caller-Times.

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Austin, TX

MileStone wants site annexed to Austin amid aquifer concerns

Published

1 day ago

December 10, 2024

Press Room

MileStone wants site annexed to Austin amid aquifer concerns

A controversial Texas law meant to loosen city regulations is now at the heart of an unusual pivot as MileStone Community Builders pushes for stricter oversight in Austin.

The shift in approach comes after the Austin-based developer employed a new Texas law to de-annex 498 acres from the tiny city of Hays for its proposed Hays Commons development, at the corner of FM-1626 and SH-45, the Austin Business Journal reported. Now the developer wants the property to be annexed to the city of Austin in an effort to navigate environmental opposition.

The $500 million Hays Commons project would include 700 homes, 75,000 square feet of commercial space and a 160-acre conservation area.

Under Texas’ de-annexation law, MileStone, led by president and CEO Garrett Martin, was able to remove the development site from Hays’ extraterritorial jurisdiction and proceed with the development under less restrictive county regulations.

However, after months of discussions and mounting pressure from residents and environmental stakeholders, the developer is pursuing annexation into Austin, citing the city’s more robust regulatory framework as a better means of addressing environmental concerns, especially those related to the Edwards Aquifer.

The key to annexation is a municipal utility district consent agreement, which would give Austin control over water and wastewater services and regulatory oversight of the project.

“On our side, we get utility service, a water and wastewater agreement out of the arrangement, and on the city side, they get all of the land use regulations, all the environmental protections,” Martin said.

However, environmental advocates are wary. Mike Clifford, technical director for the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, criticized the project’s density and its potential impact on water quality in the aquifer.

“Extending services to Hays Commons would create an unprecedented high-density development over the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, encourage development that follows the installation of water and sewer lines, and put residents’ water quality at risk with non-point source pollution,” Clifford said.

While environmental concerns loom large, the development’s annexation proposal will soon be considered by Austin’s Planning Commission, with the City Council poised to make a final decision. If annexation is rejected, MileStone could proceed with the project under county standards, which could be less protective of the environment.

— Andrew Terrell

Texas de-annexation law igniting feuds between cities, developers