Richardson City Council is considering a temporary prohibition on new short-term rentals in the city in order to collect data for potential future regulations. Council approved amendments to improve the city’s enforcement of STR regulations in March, but city staff said further information is needed to introduce additional regulations.

The details: The 90-day prohibition would pause new registrations of short-term rentals—residential properties that are rented either in whole or in part for a period of no more than 30 consecutive days, such as properties found on sites like Airbnb or Vrbo.

City attorney Joe Gorfida said the prohibition would allow staff to use new software to collect data on STRs in Richardson, including an inventory of all registered and unregistered properties as well as information on the locations and distance between STRs.

Quote of note: “Adopting this prohibition allows us to look forward and adopt responsible regulations that respect property rights, while also being responsive to all the residents that have come to us with concerns,” council member Joe Corcoran said.

Ciao Sweets and Gelato is now open in Richardson.

The details: The European-style pastry shop offers a range of desserts, including cannolis, tarts, macarons, cheesecake and gelato, as well as crepes, waffles and coffee.

• 850 S. Greenville Avenue, Ste. 102, Richardson

Alaska Airlines will start twice-daily flights between San Diego International Airport and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on April 22.

The Seattle-based airline had previously announced that the DFW Airport-to-San Diego route was one of five new nonstop routes. Alaska Airlines, as well as its subsidiary Hawaiian Airlines, will now fly to 49 nonstop destinations from Southern California.

Alaska Airlines is offering 35% more flights from San Diego this spring than the previous year, according to a news release.

The details: According to its website, flights will depart from Dallas to San Diego at 3:13 p.m. and 7:15 p.m., with each flight taking 3 hours and 14 minutes to arrive in California. A Boeing 737 will be used for the trip, according to a news release.

Alaska Airlines is in Terminal E, Gate 11, at DFW Airport.

A new Richardson ISD middle school and a body shop in McKinney are two of several construction permits filed around Dallas-Fort Worth. Check out five of the latest permits filed in the Metroplex.

Richardson West Middle School: A filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation shows that construction on Richardson ISD’s Richardson West Middle School is scheduled to start this summer, as part of RISD’s middle school transition. The project will build a three-story middle school and baseball field on the site of Richardson High School’s baseball stadium, according to previous Community Impact reporting. Construction will be complete in fall 2028, according to an update from RISD.

• Location: 1309 Holly Drive, Richardson
• Estimated timeline: June 1, 2026-fall 2028
• Estimated cost: $54 million

• Location: 7601 Preston Road, Plano
• Estimated timeline: June 15, 2026-March 15, 2027
• Estimated cost: $2 million

Texans interested in casting a ballot in next month’s primary runoff election have until April 27 to register to vote or update their registration, if applicable.

The background: Texas’ primary runoff election will be held May 26. A runoff is held when no candidate secures over half of the vote in a partisan primary race.

Registering to vote: Prospective voters must submit a paper application, which is available online. Applications must be printed, signed and mailed to the voter registration office in a voter’s county of residence.

On the ballot: Various federal, state and local races will appear on the May 26 runoff ballot.

At the top of the ticket, Republican voters will pick between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton to determine the party’s nominee for U.S. Senate. The winner of that race will face state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, in November.

Something to note: The runoff election is separate from upcoming local elections, which take place May 2. Visit www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide for more information about those elections.