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NEWS

April 11, 2024

We are fighting for the very existence of Mystery Creek, in the face a developer’s plans to build on top of it!

Mystery Creek is an ephemeral stream; meaning it’s above the water table and it flows after rain events. This is how water finds its way into the aquifer. These “temporary” creeks are where all our trees get their water from.

Without them, the ever more brutal summers we’ve been having, will take their toll on the beautiful trees we take for granted. We can’t afford to loose them! There are “mystery creeks” all over town. We aim to find them and bring them back from the brink and save our city in process.

The City Council has laid the way for these large Vertical Mixed Use structures to be sited in very inappropriate locations, ignoring natural watershed assets like Mystery Creek and displacing folks from affordable rent homes throughout South and East Austin.

On Tuesday, April 9th the Planning Commission heard arguments for and against changing the zoning of the property that Mystery Creek is located on, to allow the developer to ignore Environmental law and proceed with their 6-story apartment block without regard to past environmental regulations.

If Planning Commission passes it, City Council will have the final vote. We will need lots of help from y’all, if we’re going to shift the Council member’s minds. Call your Council member and demand that they “Save Mystery Creek”.

We recently held a benefit at the Sagebrush; our neighborhood bar, and we’ve been able to raise enough money to hire a hydrologist to help us verify the artesian spring that feeds Mystery Creek