1. Boo! Halloween is Monday.
The Austin Police Department offers general safety tips for parents and trick or treaters. The popular neighborhood networking website Nextdoor also has an interactive “treat map” that allows residents to show whether they will be giving out candy in their neighborhood.
2. Austin Oaks PUD is up for discussion Tuesday.The controversial Austin Oaks planned unit development zoning case in Northwest Austin returns to the zoning commission Nov. 1.
The Zoning and Platting Commission approved postponing the case at its Oct. 18 meeting to give area residents more time to read through the proposed development’s traffic impact analysis and provide input. Developer Spire Realty is proposing to build 250 apartment units, 673,000 square feet of office space, 169,000 square feet of medical and dental office space, 46,700 square feet of restaurant space and a 100-room hotel, according to city documents.
3. Early voting ends Friday, Nov. 4.
Northwest Austin residents will vote on several local elections, including for Austin City Council, Austin ISD, Round Rock ISD, Austin Community College and Travis and Williamson counties. Find your polling location in either Travis or Williamson counties and see what’s on the ballot here.
4. Austin Parks Foundation hosts its inaugural fall event.
It’s My Park Day, typically held in the spring, returns Saturday for a second time this year with an inaugural fall event. Volunteers assist with tree care and planting at 100 parks across the city, and the event offers park enthusiasts another opportunity to come together as a community and keep Austin’s parks thriving. Attendees should register online. The event is 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and is free to volunteer at neighborhood parks throughout Austin. Call 512-477-1566 or visit http://austinparks.org/impd for more information.
5. Calling all bakers: Austin Bakes for Haiti is Saturday.The citywide charity bake sale is from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and raises funds for disaster relief in Haiti following Hurricane Matthew. Proceeds benefit Doctors without Borders. Austin Bakes is seeking volunteers for the event or to bake as well as accepting donations. The Saturday sale will be held at three area locations, including Make it Sweet bake shop at 9070 Research Blvd. Ste. 203, Austin. For more information, visit www.austinbakes.com.
6. Enrollment is down in Austin ISD but not as much as expected.
Austin ISD enrollment for the first six weeks of the school year is down 0.65 percent when compared to the same period last year but has exceeded projections. The trend of declining enrollment has continued over the past few years and can be linked to several factors, such as the cost of living and the popularity of alternative education.
