Bee Cave City Council approved special use permit extensions for the construction of Cava and Chipotle on East Ladera Boulevard.

The overview: City Council approved special use permits for Cava and Chipotle in early 2025, yet under the city’s unified development code, a special use permit expires if a certificate of occupancy is not issued within a year of its approval date.

According to city documents, this time frame may be rational for an existing building, yet is not a “reasonable” time frame for ground-up construction to take place and a certificate of occupancy to be granted.

Developers for both Cava and Chipotle requested the permits to be extended to Sept. 1, 2027.

What’s next: Early construction on both restaurants is expected to begin in October 2026, according to city documents.

Whataburger's first fully digital location, which opened in Bee Cave in 2023, recently closed.

The overview: The fast-food chain opened the restaurant without a traditional seating area or drive-thru, opting to have customers order online and pick up their food from exterior lockers.

A Whataburger spokesperson told Community Impact in an email that the company regularly conducts business reviews of its locations to maximize opportunities for growth, and in some cases that means closing locations.

"This decision helps focus our efforts where we can make the biggest impact, ensuring our guests continue to enjoy the high-quality, delicious food and genuine hospitality they've come to expect from Whataburger," the spokesperson said.

The Texas comptroller's office is reviewing the finances and spending decisions of four public school districts: Austin, El Paso, Prosper and Barbers Hill ISDs.

The overview: The review was requested by Gov. Greg Abbott in August and will identify whether schools are directing taxpayer dollars toward students, teachers and classrooms over administrative costs, according to information from the two state agencies.

Zooming in: For the 2024-25 school year, the Texas Education Agency gave the selected districts the following financial ratings:

• Austin ISD: B rating; score of 88 (about 69,000 students)

• El Paso ISD: A rating; score of 92 (about 46,000 students)

• Prosper ISD: A rating; score of 94 (about 33,000 students)

• Barbers Hill ISD: A rating; score of 100 (about 8,000 students)

More details: Austin and Prosper ISDs are in Community Impact's coverage areas. According to previous reporting, Austin ISD passed an $887 million general fund budget for fiscal year 2026-27 after making $205 million in gross cuts this summer. Prosper ISD adopted a budget with an expected $42.2 million shortfall.

Check out the latest transportation project updates across the Austin metro.

Upcoming projects

Centerpoint Road Crossing Overpass

Project: Crews will construct an overpass over the Union Pacific Railroad crossing on Centerpoint Road in San Marcos. The project will feature a widened roadway with a median and shoulders and shared-use paths on both sides.

Update: The project secured a $39.23 million federal award through the Federal Railroad Administration.

• Timeline: 2026-30

• Cost: $52.9 million

• Funding source: Hays County, FRA, UPR

Completed projects

I-35 Capital Express Central: MLK Jr. Boulevard Bridge Segment

Project: The project included reconstruction and widening of the MLK Jr. Boulevard bridge over I-35 in East Austin, adding sidewalks, shade structures, a safety barrier, and rebuilding I-35 entrance and exit ramps in both directions.

Update: The bridge is now fully operational, as two lanes reopened in each direction in early August. Crews are finishing shared-use paths and wider sidewalks this month.

• Timeline: 2024–26

• Cost: $34.4 million

• Funding source: TxDOT and Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization