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Yes, it was Paul Thomasovic.
It would actually be better to direct any 311 calls to Monty (non-
super-two) or Lindsey (super-two) or me.
Monty is now the primary CE contact. I believe that he cc's Paul and
maybe another division managers when he contacts our CE person Moses.
We set up an online shared writeboard that can be updated by any of
us. If you would like to help w. this the effort would be appreciated.
Getting a comprehensive explanation from Paul would be a great start.
To be clear the intent would not be to "outlaw" any secondary structure.
But I agree that additions like mine are a good thing for the
neighborhood. The use fits the character/type
intended by the Plan.
Others, like super-2s do not.
There is a way to distinguish between the two as you have just now.
As you have said more than once in meetings, and as Thomosovic said
when he spoke to the NA this summer, occupancy
limits are extremely hard to enforce. This is not a promising place to
start.
Parking is also difficult. As of now a house in our neighborhood that
can hold 6 unrelated adults is only required to have no more than 3
parking spaces.
And two of those spaces can be in line w each other (one can even be a
garage that is never used for parking). Practically this translates
into 3-4 cars
on the street for the allowed number of residents alone.
(But wait. We have a new possibility to prevent onstreet parking
outright for many of our streets that are 35ft wide. I just learned of
it Tuesday.
It would require a lowering of speed limits to 25 and would prevent
ALL onstreet parking. I'm guessing this would need to be adopted on a
street by street basis.
I'll follow up w the city on that and report back. It has some promise
for some areas I think. I plan to ask someone from the city to speak
on this in November.)
But we should also pursue modifying our Neighborhood Plan to guard
against the possibility of future Super-2s. Especially with the threat
of old man
Timmerman dying some day in the not-too-distant future and the Lees
reportedly ready to buy at least some of his many lots up.
Patrick, Kriss and Monty believe that the desire to allow granny flats
played a significant role in opening the doors for Super-twos.
This is also the opinion of Paul, one of Austin's 4 Division Managers
of Code Enforcement.
Let's work to know what we don't know about changing The Plan and how
it might defend against future super-twos.
I hope we can all be united in that intent. Solutions through the Plan
could be a dead end but it is definitely worth investigating.
Jody
On Oct 9, 2008, at 7:55 PM, Sebastian Wren wrote:
>> Jody Horton Wrote:
>>
>> I learned a few weeks ago at a Austin Neighborhood Council meeting
> that
>> our neighborhood plan calls for "small lot amnesty." Simply put this
>> allows for two dwelling units to be built on lots that otherwise
>> would
> be
>> too small for this use.
>
> Well, that was Paul Tomasovic making that claim, and I don't think
> there
> is any credence to it at all. The "Super-Two" problem is city wide.
> Ours
> is not the only neighborhood that has been plagued with this
> problem. I
> don't know why Tomasovic singled out the North Loop neighborhood plan
> and claimed that the "Super-Two" problem was the fault of our
> neighborhood plan. I should probably take this up with his boss and
> ask
> for an explanation.
>
>> I have begun talking with members of the PT that know more about how
> The
>> Plan might be changed - quickly - to guard against more Super-twos
>> and similar. I'm assuming in this that the neighborhood is united in
>> thinking that Super-twos are an extremely negative influence in our
>> neighborhood, but would be happy to hear if someone feels otherwise.
> If we
>> can somehow change The Plan (hopefully rapidly) it must be done
> through
>> the PT, then pass through a few hoops/reviews/boards at the City.
>>
>> Should this change be enacted it could still allow individual
>> property
>
>> owners to apply to build a rental unit or granny flat on a
> case-by-case
>> basis.
>
> Keep in mind that our neighborhood plan encourages the type of
> development that you have in your own back yard. The secondary
> structure
> that you built in your back yard a few years ago is a very useful and
> valuable investment. I wouldn't be so quick to outlaw that.
>
> Who would be the arbiter deciding whether you should be allowed to
> build
> a structure in your own yard? Are you suggesting that homeowners
> should
> have to come to the neighborhood to get permission for building a
> secondary structure?
>
> When it comes down to it, the biggest problems that we deal with
> around
> here are occupancy limits and parking -- if those are the problems,
> then
> I think our energy is best invested there. Trying to change a plan
> that
> probably had nothing to do with the Lee McDorms seems like wasted
> energy.
>
> By the way, I don't know if you were still at the ANC meeting when
> Tomasovic mentioned this, but the Lees have apparently been so
> notoriously outrageous and offensive across the whole city that Code
> Enforcement has decided to sit down with them and give them a very
> stern
> warning. The city will tell them that they need to maintain their
> properties and maintain some control over the behavior of their
> residents, or else the city will fine them heavily for every single
> offense.
>
> So, if there is trash piled up in front of a Lee residence, call 3-1-1
> and report the problem.
> If grass and weeds are getting out of control at a Lee property, call
> 3-1-1.
> If residents are exceptionally loud at a Lee property, call 3-1-1.
>
> And send me a note. I'll make sure that Paul Tomasovic gets it.
>
> Cheers.
>
> Sebastian
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> NNADL mailing list
> [at]
> http://northfieldna.org/mailman/listinfo/nnadl_northfieldna.org
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