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Lotto fever is reaching a peak here in Texas and it's no surprise why—this drawing's players stand to win $550 million in Powerball and a stupefying $750 million in Mega Millions. Needless to say, many Austinites are trying their luck this time around.
The next Mega Millions drawing will name winners tonight and the Powerball drawing is tomorrow. The odds of winning the jackpot are one in 302,575,350.
(Texas Lottery)
Local gas station employees, all of whom asked to remain anonymous, said they see upwards of 100 ticket sales per day when lotto numbers reach this high. Just this morning, someone bought $300 worth of Mega Millions tickets at a 7-Eleven downtown.
A gas station manager on South Lamar said people get excited to play the lottery, and even though he's fairly sure he isn't going to win, he always buys one ticket. Last week, he said he sold 100 tickets to the same person. One time, he even sold $500 worth of tickets to a single person.
At the Valero on 628 E. Oltorf St., managers said they see wins in the $150-$500 range pretty frequently and they've even seen a few customers win higher jackpots.
Despite saying she almost never played the lottery, one woman, who also asked to remain anonymous, bought a ticket each for Powerball and Mega Millions. Though she doesn't expect to win, she said she would be generous if she did.
"I would buy a house and give a ton of it to charity," she said. "I would give it to try and help animals, end factory farming and help the environment."
Though the chances are ultimately very slim, the last Mega Millions draw saw one $1 million winner and 10 $10,000 winners from Texas, while the last Powerball draw saw two $1 million winners and eight $50,000 winners from Texas. You can't win if you don't try!
You can check your results here.
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Historic preservationists, for their part, overwhelmingly support historic zoning, which would preserve the buildings in perpetuity. The Historic Landmark Commission unanimously voted to initiate historic zoning in July, citing architectural significance, landscape features and association to historic figures. City staffers recommend historic zoning, calling both structures one-of-a-kind examples of vernacular architecture.
Tarrytown neighbors have also banded together to stop the demolition. Many have written letters, and a few spoke at the meeting. “How could anyone buy this property with the intent of destroying it?” Ila Falvey said. “I think it’s an architectural treasure.”
Michael Whellan, an attorney representing the property owner, said that the claims made by preservationists are shaky. The buildings are run down, he said, and have had substantial renovations. A structural engineer hired by the owner said any attempt at preservation would involve tearing down and rebuilding – an undertaking Whellan said would likely cost millions.
Whellan also argued that any historical significance derived from the property’s association with Delisle and longtime owner C.H. Slator is dubious. “These men are not noted for any civic, philanthropic or historic impact,” he said.
What’s more, according to Whellan, Slator likely participated in segregation as the owner of the Tavern on North Lamar Boulevard between 1953 and 1960.
A city staffer, however, said she found no evidence to support the claim. “We would never landmark a property where a segregationist lived, or there was a racist person,” Kimberly Collins with the Historic Preservation Office said.
Commissioner Awais Azhar couldn’t support historic zoning in part due to lingering uncertainty about Slator. “Focusing on that factor is not here to disparage an individual or family. It is not about playing the race card. This is an important assertion for us to consider as Planning commissioners,” Azhar said.
Commissioner Carmen Llanes Pulido said that allegations of racism should come as no surprise. “We’re talking about white male property owners in the 1950s, in Austin, on the west side – and of course they were racist,” she said. But she argued that allowing the house to be demolished based on these grounds does nothing to help people of color who have been harmed by racism and segregation.
The question of tax breaks was also controversial. Michael Gaudini, representing the property owner, said that the tax breaks associated with historic zoning would exacerbate inequality by shifting property tax burdens to less affluent communities. City staffers estimate that the property, appraised at $3.5 million, would get either a $8,500 or $16,107 property tax break annually, depending on whether a homestead exemption is applied.
Commissioner Grayson Cox preferred the commission focus not on tax breaks but on whether the structures merit preservation. “To me, nothing in the historic preservation criteria lists, is this person deserving of a tax break or not?”
Azhar, on the other hand, said he plans to propose a code amendment getting rid of city property tax breaks for historic properties.
The commission fell one vote short of recommending historic zoning, with six commissioners in support and three opposed. Azhar and commissioners Claire Hempel and Greg Anderson voted against.
The odds of City Council zoning over an owner’s wishes are slim. Nine out of 11 members must vote in favor, and there have only been a handful of such cases over the past several decades.
