This was sent to us by David King:
Good Evening,
Please be aware that this Thursday, January 31, the Austin City Council will
consider a resolution (attached) by council members Leffingwell, Cole, and
Spelman to allow four lobbyists to serve on the City Land Development Code
Advisory Group. The Advisory Group will oversee the re-write of the City's land
development code. This is a terrible idea to allow the foxes to have the keys to
the hen house! If you thought that Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan (IACP),
commercial short-term rentals and the use of PUD's to violate the Waterfront
overlay ordinance were bad enough, then just imagine the growth lobby having
virtual control of the code re-write!
This Advisory Group is eleven folks, seven appointed by the Council, one each,
and four appointed by City staff. Staff will likely select pro-density folks for
the Advisory Group given staffs support of the IACP and many zoning cases where
staff has recommended zoning changes that are in conflict with neighborhood
plans and have neighborhood opposition. Three council members are likely to
appoint developer lobbyists and that would make seven out of the eleven who want
to see neighborhood protections go away.
That could mean no limit of CSTRs, no more limitation on outdoor music venues,
no more compatibility standards, no more heritage trees, no more impervious
cover limits or height restrictions, and, say hello to stealth dorms. If they
were to be successful in getting legal lot sizes reduced, we could see our
entire neighborhood up for grabs with lot sizes down to 3,500 or 2,500 sq. feet
with less set backs and no utility capacity!
So, if this resolution from Cole, Spelman and Leffingwell, is passed this coming
Thursday, it could mean that our council has handed over the future of our
neighborhoods to the staff and developers. Please spread the word about this, we
don't have much time and must respond quickly.
Council members Morrison and Tovo are against this resolution. Many think it is
a big conflict of interest to have paid lobbyist for developers writing code for
those same clients future projects, and it may be a violation of the city ethics
code. But it seems like Leffingwell, Cole, and Spelman just want to hand over
the code to the growth lobby who will use the IACP to justify the abandonment of
our neighborhood protections that are now in the land development code.
Please call or email the City Council and tell them to vote against this
resolution. Please attend the City Council meeting this Thursday, January, 31
and speak against this resolution.
Mayor Leffingwell 512-974-2250 lee.leffingwell@austintexas.gov
Mayor Pro Tem Cole 512-974-2266 sheryl.cole@austintexas.gov
Council member Spelman 512-974-2256 bill.spelman@austintexas.gov
Council member Riley 512-974-2260 chris.riley@austintexas.gov
Council member Martinez 512-974-2264 mike.martinez@austintexas.gov
Council member Tovo 512-974-2255 kathie.tovo@austintexas.gov
Council member Morrison 512-974-2258 laura.morrison@austintexas.gov
Thank you!
David King
The resolution is downloadable here:
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/33745611/DraftAdvisoryCommresolution.pdf
Good Evening,
Please be aware that this Thursday, January 31, the Austin City Council will
consider a resolution (attached) by council members Leffingwell, Cole, and
Spelman to allow four lobbyists to serve on the City Land Development Code
Advisory Group. The Advisory Group will oversee the re-write of the City's land
development code. This is a terrible idea to allow the foxes to have the keys to
the hen house! If you thought that Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan (IACP),
commercial short-term rentals and the use of PUD's to violate the Waterfront
overlay ordinance were bad enough, then just imagine the growth lobby having
virtual control of the code re-write!
This Advisory Group is eleven folks, seven appointed by the Council, one each,
and four appointed by City staff. Staff will likely select pro-density folks for
the Advisory Group given staffs support of the IACP and many zoning cases where
staff has recommended zoning changes that are in conflict with neighborhood
plans and have neighborhood opposition. Three council members are likely to
appoint developer lobbyists and that would make seven out of the eleven who want
to see neighborhood protections go away.
That could mean no limit of CSTRs, no more limitation on outdoor music venues,
no more compatibility standards, no more heritage trees, no more impervious
cover limits or height restrictions, and, say hello to stealth dorms. If they
were to be successful in getting legal lot sizes reduced, we could see our
entire neighborhood up for grabs with lot sizes down to 3,500 or 2,500 sq. feet
with less set backs and no utility capacity!
So, if this resolution from Cole, Spelman and Leffingwell, is passed this coming
Thursday, it could mean that our council has handed over the future of our
neighborhoods to the staff and developers. Please spread the word about this, we
don't have much time and must respond quickly.
Council members Morrison and Tovo are against this resolution. Many think it is
a big conflict of interest to have paid lobbyist for developers writing code for
those same clients future projects, and it may be a violation of the city ethics
code. But it seems like Leffingwell, Cole, and Spelman just want to hand over
the code to the growth lobby who will use the IACP to justify the abandonment of
our neighborhood protections that are now in the land development code.
Please call or email the City Council and tell them to vote against this
resolution. Please attend the City Council meeting this Thursday, January, 31
and speak against this resolution.
Mayor Leffingwell 512-974-2250 lee.leffingwell@austintexas.gov
Mayor Pro Tem Cole 512-974-2266 sheryl.cole@austintexas.gov
Council member Spelman 512-974-2256 bill.spelman@austintexas.gov
Council member Riley 512-974-2260 chris.riley@austintexas.gov
Council member Martinez 512-974-2264 mike.martinez@austintexas.gov
Council member Tovo 512-974-2255 kathie.tovo@austintexas.gov
Council member Morrison 512-974-2258 laura.morrison@austintexas.gov
Thank you!
David King
The resolution is downloadable here:
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/33745611/DraftAdvisoryCommresolution.pdf
