New 1,000-Unit Multi-Family Complex on the Recharge Zone

The Save Our Springs Alliance urges the Austin City Council to reject this Thursday’s Item 42, the proposed rezoning of Circle C Tract 110. The rezoning case concerns approximately 67 acres at 11010 ½ South Mopac Expressway Southbound, one of the last major undeveloped parcels in Circle C. The developer wants to remove conditional overlay restrictions that currently limit the site primarily to office development. 

We understand that the developer now wants to develop a large (~1,000-unit) apartment complex. 

We’ve got concerns. The site is governed by the Circle C Development Agreement, approved by City Council in 2002 to settle prior litigation. The office use limitation for Tract 110 was a negotiated protection designed to reduce development intensity over the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. It also was part of a strategy to identify areas where office development could be built and be assessed a fee to help fund additional conservation land acquisitions.

Tract 110 lies over the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, where development carries extreme water quality risks. Sediment and polluted stormwater can move quickly through caves, fractures, and other underground pathways toward Barton Springs. Water quality ponds help reduce post-construction pollution, but they are not a substitute for the more protective approach of limiting development intensity and preserving natural areas over the Recharge Zone in the first place.

We are concerned that converting this tract from office to multifamily use would undermine commitments made in the prior Circle C agreement, including the expectation that office development would help generate assessment funds to acquire and protect additional recharge-zone lands.

The developer argues that once the agreement expires in 2032, future development could allow more impervious cover under current code. Even if that is true, the site would still be subject to the SOS Ordinance’s 15% impervious cover limit, and the proposed 16-acre cap on impervious cover on this 67-acre tract is not a sufficient reason to accelerate environmental harm with such an intensive use or to permit the abandonment of environmental commitments. 

For these reasons, SOS opposes the proposed rezoning and will urge the City Council to reject it. Council should honor the prior agreement, maintain the existing development limits, and avoid increasing environmental risk in one of Austin’s most sensitive recharge-zone areas.
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If you would like to sign up to speak on this item, you may do so here. The public hearing for the item will be at or after 2 PM, September 10, at Austin City Hall, 301 W. 2nd Street, Austin, TX 78701. You must register to speak in advance of the meeting.

Saving Salado Creek, One Wastewater Permit at a Time  

This water win belongs to everyone who showed up for the Salado Creek, and we need your voice too. SOS, along with our partners at the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance and Save Salado Creek, reached a settlement agreement at the end of August with a developer that was proposing to discharge up to 700,000 gallons per day of treated municipal sewage into Salado Creek on the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone and near habitat for the threatened Salado Springs salamander. Amongst other provisions, the settlement agreement reduces the volume that the developer is permitted to discharge, requires the developer to treat the wastewater to higher standards, and requires the developer to beneficially reuse a significant amount of the wastewater throughout the development.

You can check out news coverage of the agreement here at this link. 

Unfortunately, the fight to save Salado Creek is far from over, as there are still several wastewater discharge permits into the creek pending before TCEQ. 

TCEQ is holding a public meeting next Monday for one of these pending discharge permits, and we hope that you will take a look at the permit information and attend the public meeting or submit comments before the end of the meeting. Once again, this permit proposes to discharge treated municipal sewage containing high contractions of nutrients and other pollutants into Salado Creek over the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone and near threatened salamander habitat.
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SPEAK UP FOR SALADO CREEK: To submit comments online opposing the permit, visit this website (https://www14.tceq.texas.gov/epic/eComment/) and enter permit no. WQ0015664001.

Data Center Profiteers vs. The People Put the Industry on NoticeLast Wednesday, the people of Austin took the fight to the front door of the downtown Marriott for the Datacloud USA conference and brought a few "Brobots" with us. We showed up and showed out to let the data center industry know that Central Texas' water and land is no longer for sale. And we had fun doing it!
Conference attendees stalled to film us as they arrived, then kept slipping outside to watch as our crowd grew larger and louder. Turns out our robot costumes and chants were considerably more interesting than the billionaire AI fever dream being peddled inside. Our peaceful rally made waves in the press and, more importantly, strengthened the growing case against this extractive, short-sighted industry that wants to turn Texas water and power into private profit. People are organizing, pushing back, and this movement is now impossible to ignore. Give now to help our legal and advocacy efforts keep up the pace.

We’ve settled on the theme for this year’s 10th annual Barton Springs University, inspired by a famous Bruce Lee quote: “Be Water, My Friend: Understanding, Adapting to, and Protecting Our Shared Resources". In a 1971 interview, Lee used water as a metaphor for adaptability and self knowledge. Water's strength and beauty comes from its ability to respond to the world around it without losing its essence.

Please consider joining us as a volunteer for Barton Springs University, a day filled with hands-on learning about how water shapes our world, how our world is changing, and how we can rise to meet the challenges we face, together. 
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As always, thank you for holding the line for water with us. 

Onwards,

 SOS Alliance ​

City Council Data Center Resolution & What's Next? 
On Thursday, August 27th, Austin City Council unanimously approved Item 61, directing city staff to develop new regulations governing data centers in Austin and, most importantly, to explore banning larger facilities altogether. Thank you to everyone who came out to speak and improve the weak proposal city staff initially brought forward. With your public pressure, Council amended the resolution to:

• Direct staff to develop the most restrictive definition of a data center that is legally and practically possible, including the potential to prohibit larger facilities
• Require individual review of any proposed data center requesting 20 MW or more of power or 85 million gallons or more of water
• Require consideration of reclaimed and non-potable water
• Explore carbon-free energy and energy-storage requirements
• Add standards addressing landscaping, impervious cover, heat mitigation, power generation and building requirements
• Examine environmental-justice concerns and avoid concentrating new data-center development in East Austin
• Monitor permit and land-use applications while the new rules are being developed
• Bring binding regulations back to Council by the end of 2026

Just as important, Council removed some procedural obstacles that could slow the process and directed staff to move quickly toward regulations, including a possible moratorium or ban on data centers above specified thresholds. 
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But let's be clear: Council did not ban data centers on Thursday. They kicked the question back to city staff to come up with a real regulatory framework. After taking months to produce a starting point, staff now have another few months to do substantially better. You can still help define large-scale data centers and help keep them out of Austin by writing Council and staff below. 

Historic Barton Springs Bridge Moves Toward Second State Recognition
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The 100-year old Barton Springs Bridge, already protected under federal historic preservation law as the leading feature of the Zilker Park National Register Historic District, and recently recognized by Preservation Texas as one of six "Most Endangered Places in Texas,"  recently moved toward official Texas "State Antiquities Landmark" status. 
Last month Save Our Springs Alliance, in partnership with O'Connell Architecture, petitioned the Texas Historic Commission for recognition as an official State Antiquities Landmark. Last week THC staff approved the application, writing that "Because the bridge is already listed in the National Register, it has already been determined to be significant and therefore qualifies for SAL designation." The application will now move toward the Commission for approval over the next 90 days. 
Meanwhile, the Austin City Council continues to charge ahead with the demolition project, paying millions of dollars to city staff and consultants to justify tearing down the historic bridge and replacing it with an ugly highway-style bridge that's almost twice as large. "It really makes no sense; they have not considered reasonable alternatives, which means the City cannot demolish the bridge without violating state and federal historic, park, and environmental protection laws. This also puts the City at risk of losing any federal grants they hoped to apply to the project" said SOS attorney Beatrice Anderson. "Both City and State engineers have shown that the bridge is safe and can be repaired – likely for much cheaper than demolition, too. It's way past time for the City Council to reverse course, stop sinking taxpayer dollars into this unnecessary demolition, and save this historic park and community treasure."  

Thank You for Attending the Environmental Troubadour Celebration

Last week, friends, musicians, and longtime community allies gathered to celebrate Bill "Mr. Habitat" Oliver, environmental troubadour, and tireless champion for the places we love. And what a celebration it was! 
The afternoon gathering also unveiled the Bill Oliver Environmental Troubadour Award, created to carry Bill’s extraordinary legacy forward for generations. For more than 40 years, Bill has used music, humor, storytelling, and heart to inspire people's love --and protection-- for the natural world. The new annual award will recognize two (or more) emerging musicians, songwriters, poets, bands, or collectives whose work advances environmental awareness, conservation, climate justice, habitat protection, and a deeper connection to the Earth. Most importantly, Bill was genuinely surprised by the award and called it “the best day of my life.” 
The award will provide recognition, performance opportunities, visibility through partner organizations, and a cash honorarium to help emerging artists continue their work. In the spirit of Bill Oliver, it will connect music with the environmental movement, storytelling with stewardship, and art with action.
Now, we need your help to build the fund that will make this legacy last. If you’d like to help raise funds, spread the word, connect us with potential supporters, or get involved in developing the award, reach out to us directly and we’ll point you in the right direction.

Thanks for sticking with us to the end. We’re not letting up on the big water fights that matter close to home, but we’re also making time to celebrate, take a little recess, and stay connected to the people and places that make this work worth doing. Sometimes that means swapping the protest signs for a little sparkle mid-week! We hope you’ll join us at the rally tomorrow morning and at Kendra Scott this Friday.
It’s good to be in this fight with you. Thank you for showing up, however you show up!

Onwards, 

 SOS Alliance ​