City Council Votes to Preserve I-35 Caps!

Hello Neighbors,

After a few weeks of intense debate and advocacy, Austin City Council voted 8–2–1 to approve funding for the roadway elements, preserving the ability to cap several acres of I-35.

Thanks to everyone who called in, emailed, or showed up. This is a major win, but the work is just beginning. The City will have future funding rounds to actually install caps as well as determining the programming to include in the final design.

We’ll discuss these details and more at tomorrow’s meeting. This month we will primarily focus on striking a balance between supporting businesses with residential quality of life and continuing work on planning for a new ECC Vision Plan and Fall community event. Please read below for more details!

Table of Contents

• Announcements

  • The Compromise: Mayor Kirk Watson’s Stroke of Geni …

  • Why This Matters

  • 🌳 Help Adopt Comal Pocket Park!

  • 🎨 Got a Wall that Needs Art? Help Bring a Climate …

• Outdoor Music Venue Permits

  • The Scoot Inn Permit Renewal

Announcements

The Compromise: Mayor Kirk Watson’s Stroke of Genius

Last month, we asked you to speak up, and you did. Hundreds of Austinites called, emailed, and showed up to make their voices heard on the future of the I-35 caps. While we didn’t get everything we fought for, our advocacy clearly made a real impact.

To recap, my last update detailed how Mayor Watson announced his opposition to funding for most of the caps, which have eliminated the possibility of caps over 4.5 of the 9 acres originally planned in and around East Cesar Chavez.

But thanks to strong public pressure, including many of you, the outcome changed..

🧩 What City Council Approved

On May 22, Council cast an 8–2 vote (with 1 abstention) to fund the roadway foundations for caps between:

• Cesar Chavez – 4th St

• 4th – 7th St

• 11th – 12th St

• Two stitches (pedestrian/cyclist bridges) in North Austin along the Red Line  .

Why This Matters

The vote wasn’t about building parks today — it was about preserving the option to build them tomorrow. Without funding the structural base now, those caps would’ve been off the table forever. This decision protects the potential for a more connected, walkable, and equitable central Austin.

The 4th–6th Street caps, in particular, are essential to reconnecting cultural anchors of our neighborhood:

• The 5th Street Mexican American Heritage Corridor

• Plaza Saltillo

• The Palm School

• The MACC (Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center)

What Comes Next

This is just the starting point. There are future funding rounds, not to mention an actual decision on what goes on the caps. Stay tuned!

🌳 Help Adopt Comal Pocket Park!

Join your neighbors for an exciting opportunity to help revitalize Comal Pocket Park! Barry Rivera from Austin Parks & Rec will be hosting a community meeting to share how the City can support us in adopting and improving the park.

🗓 Saturday, June 28 @ 9am
📍 Comal Pocket Park (Comal & Willow)

Come learn how we can work together to make the park safer, greener, and more welcoming. Whether you’re interested in gardening, safety improvements, or just supporting more public space in East Cesar Chavez, your contribution is welcome.

Bring: a hat, sunscreen, water, and bug spray

Open to all neighbors — spread the word!

Big thanks to our ECC neighbor Debra Johnson for spearheading this effort!

🎨 Got a Wall that Needs Art? Help Bring a Climate Mural to ECC

The Parents’ Climate Community and Chroma Collective are launching a climate-themed mural project in Fall 2025. and they’re looking for a high-visibility wall in East Cesar Chavez to bring it to life.

Organizers are seeking a high-visibility, public-facing wall (approx. 10x12 ft) near affordable housing, schools, or community centers to host the mural. and they’re looking for a high-visibility wall in East Cesar Chavez to bring it to life.

This mural will be informed by intergenerational, community-based workshops focused on climate resilience, with an emphasis on youth and family engagement. The ideal wall is public-facing and in a high-traffic area — think schools, rec centers, businesses, parks, or green spaces.

Do you know a wall that might be a good fit?

We’re helping collect leads.

📩 Reach out to share ideas or suggest locations: [email protected]

Want to get involved or invite the organizers to speak at an ECC meeting? Please let us know!

Outdoor Music Venue Permits

The Scoot Inn Permit Renewal

Update: The Scoot Inn has amended its proposed agreement to reduce the maximum # of shows per month from 10 to 8.

Background: In 2023, the Scoot Inn requested to extend the hours for their outdoor music two hours, Sunday-Thursday until 10:00 PM, and one hour Friday & Saturday until 11:00 pm. The neighborhood voted to permit the extended hours subject to special conditions to mitigate local disturbances. You can read the 2023 agreement here.

The Scoot Inn’s Outdoor Music Venue Permit is now up for renewal and is requesting to renew the terms of the 2023 agreement.

• In December, ECCNPCT voted to delay a vote on renewing the agreement until March, allowing time for Scoot to install new sound equipment.

• In March, the ECCNPCT voted against renewing the neighborhood agreement but voted in favor of extending the previous agreement again until June, allowing time for Scoot to make adjustments to its business operations or proposal.

Additional details and documents are available in the agenda for Wednesday's meeting.

There’s a lot at stake for our neighborhood this year, and your participation makes a difference!

See you at a future meeting! -ep

Eric Pace, Chair
ECCNA/NPCT