Major problem

Yesterday I was made aware of the controversy involving Major, a dog that a court has ordered euthanized following a bite last year. The dog has been in isolation at the Austin Animal Center for over 500 days while owner Shane Lilly has unsuccessfully fought the court order.

It's a very sad story that is deeply ironic given how reluctant the city shelter has been to euthanize animals that don't have owners and that are far greater threats to public safety. Major had apparently just been hit by a car when he bit a passer-by trying to render aid.

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Over 10,000 people have signed a petition to save Major. When Mayor Kirk Watson posted an entirely unrelated photo of his own dog on Instagram, he was flooded with comments about Major.

That's just a small taste of the more than 100 comments.

Phase 2 of the Downtown Density Bonus

City planning staff is moving forward on Phase 2 of the Downtown Density Bonus. There will be a whole "study" process that is supposed to culminate in a vote by Council in April.

As most of you already know, a density bonus is a program that allows developers to build taller than the base zoning allows in exchange for "community benefits," usually income-restricted housing, green space, etc. Historically the downtown density bonus hasn't produced on-site affordable units; developers have instead paid millions in fees-in-lieu to the city's Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which has been used for a variety of housing initiatives, including to build supportive housing for the homeless.

Below in orange is the part of downtown covered by Phase 1 of the DDB, passed in June. Phase 2 will consider the areas in purple, including the South Central Waterfront, which the city has long envisioned becoming a part of downtown.

The Watson Council, despite delivering a bunch of pro-housing improvements to the city zoning code, has mildly disappointed YIMBYs on density bonuses. In a recent overhaul of the city's DB programs, Mayor Kirk Watson successfully pushed for reintroducing "compatibility" regulations for DB developments, effectively reducing the max height that those projects can achieve if they're built near single-family homes. That might in turn discourage development on certain corridors.

Similarly, Phase 1 of the new Downtown Density Bonus requires developers to get a rezoning to exceed 750 ft of height, something that hadn't been needed before.

Casar calls for Starbucks boycott

A press release from of Starbucks Workers United tells me they will be joined on Friday by Rep. Greg Casar in calling for a boycott of Starbucks until the company "stops union-busting" and finalizes a contract with baristas that have voted to unionize at hundreds of stores across the country.

Interesting times. A decade ago it would have been hard to imagine a U.S. congressman taking sides in a labor dispute.

Of about 20 Starbucks in Austin, four have voted to unionize: Brodie Oaks; 24th & Nueces; 38th & Guad; 45th & Lamar (next to Chili's).

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