Members, we need to pay close attention to what is happening with the Dog’s Head development in East Austin.

In May, City Council approved annexation of the roughly 2,600-acre Dog’s Head area along the Colorado River and approved a 45-year development agreement for the site. The agreement opens the door to major long-term development, including advanced manufacturing tied to a potential Fortune 100 company, industrial uses, affordable housing, and some parkland. It also allows development standards that could permit up to 100% impervious cover in areas that include floodplain and environmentally sensitive land.

This is moving incredibly fast.

The Colorado River corridor is not just vacant land waiting to be developed. This area is part of a much larger ecological system connected to Hornsby Bend, one of the most important birding and habitat areas in Central Texas, and to the migratory bird corridor that follows the Colorado River. Decisions made here will affect floodplain function, water quality, habitat continuity, dark skies, tree canopy, riparian landscape, and the long-term health of the river.

Council approved the annexation and development agreement with very limited public notice and without the normal level of review through city boards and commissions. A tax increment reinvestment zone (TIRZ) funding mechanism is expected to come back to Council for a vote on July 23. That means public dollars and future tax revenue could be committed to infrastructure for this project before Austinites have had any meaningful opportunity to comment at public hearings or through their representatives on city commissions.

This is not simply a question of whether Dog’s Head should develop. It is a question of how it develops, who benefits, who bears the impacts, and whether East Austin neighbors, river-adjacent communities, environmental advocates, birders, and Travis
County residents have real input before decisions are locked in for the next 45 years.

At a minimum, we should be asking for:
• More public process before the TIRZ vote
• Review by relevant city boards and commissions as well as the Planning Commission
• Clear floodplain, drainage, environmental, transportation, and habitat analysis
• Stronger protections for the Colorado River corridor, Hornsby Bend, and migratory bird habitat
• Meaningful public parkland, trails, riparian buffers, dark-sky protections, and community benefits
• A governance structure that gives surrounding neighborhoods a real voice

One long envisioned strategy under discussion is the creation of a parks district or similar public governance tool that could connect new parkland to Hornsby Bend and the Colorado River corridor, protect habitat, and give the community more influence over what is developed and how future public investments are managed.

Please speak up quickly. Contact Austin City Council, Travis County elected officials, and relevant city and county staff. Ask them to slow down, bring this through a transparent public process, and make sure the people most affected have meaningful
input by postponing the July 23 TIRZ vote.

This is a once-in-a-generation decision for East Austin, Hornsby Bend, and the Colorado River corridor. We should not let it be decided in a rush.

Contact City Council

Click here to email all city council members.

Sample email to city council:

Dear Council Member,

I am writing to ask that you slow down the Dog’s Head development process before any additional approvals are granted.

This is a once-in-a-generation project affecting more than 2,600 acres along the Colorado River. Before moving forward with the proposed TIRZ or other major commitments, I ask that the project receive full public review through the appropriate city boards and commissions, along with complete environmental, floodplain, transportation, and habitat analyses.

Residents deserve meaningful opportunities to participate before decisions are made that will shape this area for decades.

Please postpone the July 23 vote until a transparent public process is completed.

Thank you for your consideration.

Contact the Travis County Commissioners Court

Email all Travis County Commissioners at commissioners-court@traviscountytx.gov.

Sample email below to TC Commissioners:

Dear Travis County Commissioner,

The Dog’s Head project includes land connected to the Colorado River corridor and Hornsby Bend, one of Central Texas’ most important wildlife and bird habitats.

As this project moves forward, I urge you to ensure strong protections for floodplains, water quality, riparian habitat, tree canopy, dark skies, and migratory bird habitat. These environmental resources cannot easily be restored once they are lost.

Please postpone further approvals until the necessary environmental reviews have been completed and the public has had a meaningful opportunity to comment.

Thank you for protecting one of Travis County’s most valuable natural areas.

Submitted by Maura Powers July 5, 2026