Preserving and Protecting West Austin

The West Austin Neighborhood Group (WANG) is a non-profit organization of residents with the shared goal of preserving West Austin and protecting it from deterioration. WANG is concerned with community development, ecology, safety, and any other matters that indirectly and directly affect the quality and character of the neighborhood and the City of Austin.

Howson Library

May Monthly Meeting

May 6 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Monthly Meeting, Howson Library, 5/6/24 6PM

Contact Us

Let us know about neighborhood issues and concerns! You can reach us at wang-board@westaustinng.com

WANG Newsletter

Sign up to receive our E-Newsletter! Please send an email to newsletter@westaustinng.com Latest Issue: WANG Newsletter March 2024

Special Events

Petition

  • The Forever Green Tournament was held on Sept. 15th at the historic Lions Municipal Golf Course. This beloved annual tournament benefits the Muny Conservancy and its mission to Save Muny for Good! The 4 person scramble with 8 AM and 1 PM shotgun starts was followed by a party with BBQ dinner and music at at the Muny Clubhouse and Patio. Visit https://themunyconservancy.com/ for full photo gallery.

    The future of the historic Lions Municipal Golf Course is still uncertain. Through events like Forever Green and Imagine Muny, the Austin Community is coming together to send a message that saving this historic Civil Rights Landmark and beloved open green space from development is the highest and best use of the land. The Muny Conservancy is a non-profit organization of citizens, formed to actively engage the University of Texas Board of Regents, City of Austin officials and Austin citizens to help facilitate the preservation and restoration of all 141 acres of Muny as a historic 18 hole public golf course, FOREVER!

Land Development Updates

  • Happy New Year to our West Austin Neighborhood Group members and neighbors. Please join us for our first meeting of 2024, on Wednesday January 10, 6 PM at the Howson Public Library. 2023 presented many challenges for our growing neighborhood and City. We hope to continue working with City policy makers to encourage more COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT as a stronger part of City Planning this year.

  • On Dec. 7 th the Austin City Council passed the “HOME” Ordinance which will allow up to 3 buildings on every single-family zoned lot in Austin. WANG’s proposed amendments to “HOME,” to encourage smaller housing, less displacement, less demolition, less loss of tree cover, less stress on infrastructure, less environmental damage, by limiting the size of the buildings, were ignored by the majority of Council in their deliberations. Only Council Members Alison Alter and MacKenzie Kelly voted against the “HOME” Ordinance as proposed. You can view the draft ordinance here:

    https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=420018
    What does this mean for single-family zoning in neighborhoods?

    • Phase 1 (approved Dec. 7, 2023) will allow up to 3 units to be built on any single-family zoned lot with a minimum lot size of 5750 sf.
    • Properties that redevelop with 2 and 3 units are not subject to the McMansion
    • Ordinance and will be allowed .65 FAR (floor area ratio,) for 3 units and .55 FAR for 2 units.
    • Garages 200 sf and under do not count toward FAR
    • City front setback for 3 units is 15 feet (formerly 25 feet)
    • Restrictions on number of unrelated adults living in a housing unit are removed
  • Phase 2 of the “HOME” Ordinance will be considered this spring and proposes changing the minimum lot size of single-family zoned property from 5750 sf to 2500 sf, as well as removing limits on building impervious cover and height.

    WANG will continue to advocate for growth that aligns with our Neighborhood Plan and encourages more affordable housing without destroying historic neighborhoods and our tree canopy.

    Please stay in touch with us. We are here to help with your concerns.

Muny Updates

  • The Forever Green Tournament was held on Sept. 15th at the historic Lions Municipal Golf Course. This beloved annual tournament benefits the Muny Conservancy and its mission to Save Muny for Good! The 4 person scramble with 8 AM and 1 PM shotgun starts was followed by a party with BBQ dinner and music at at the Muny Clubhouse and Patio. Visit https://themunyconservancy.com/ for full photo gallery.

    The future of the historic Lions Municipal Golf Course is still uncertain. Through events like Forever Green and Imagine Muny, the Austin Community is coming together to send a message that saving this historic Civil Rights Landmark and beloved open green space from development is the highest and best use of the land. The Muny Conservancy is a non-profit organization of citizens, formed to actively engage the University of Texas Board of Regents, City of Austin officials and Austin citizens to help facilitate the preservation and restoration of all 141 acres of Muny as a historic 18 hole public golf course, FOREVER!

  • The Save Historic Muny District Please visit www.savehistoricmunydistrict.org to read how you can support the preservation of the historic Lions Municipal Golf Course!

    The Muny Conservancy, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is raising funds for the purchase, preservation and restoration of Lions Municipal Golf Course.

    Visit www.savemuny.com to see how Muny can be saved for all of Austin (golfers and non golfers alike!) to enjoy, forever.

  • The University of Texas has asked the City of Austin to initiate zoning on four tracts of their land. The City of Austin Housing and Planning Dept. has sent letters of notification of a zoning change to surrounding neighbors and neighborhood stakeholder groups. Parts of the Brackenridge Tract to be zoned are Lions Municipal Golf Course (MUNY) and West Austin Youth Association (WAYA,) the Town Lake Tract, The Deep Eddy Tract, and the HEB tract. City Staff have not made recommendations for zoning, and have requested input from the public, prior to and during the zoning process, per a City Council Resolution which was approved in Dec. 2020.

    The Brackenridge Development Agreement between the University of Texas and the City of Austin remains in effect on a rolling month to month basis with a five month notification of cancellation.