Posted: Tue, 10 May 2011 04:44 PM - 14,367 Readers

By: Mike Ward

The Texas Senate has stripped provisions from two separate bills that could have allowed the University of Texas to keep secret details of possible redevelopment of the Brackenridge Tract in West Austin.

On Monday, the Senate took out a provision in Senate Bill 1581 and today struck a similar provision in Senate Bill 5.

Senate Higher Education Committee Chairman Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, said the provisions would have added wording to current law allowing universities to keep confidential the details of pending development projects, including the approximately 500-acre Brackenridge Tract.

Discussion for several years about developing the UT-owned West Austin site, located along Lake Austin Boulevard near Exposition Boulevard, has triggered protest from neighbors and various community leaders who want the Lions Municipal Golf Course and the West Austin Youth Association sports center to remain.

“I do not support what the provision would do,” she said, in accepting an amendment from Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, on SB 5 to remove the wording.

Zaffirini said she was unaware what the provision would do until a reporter raised a question about it.

Get more Legislative coverage inside the Virtual Capitol