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jody horton wrote:
> I would respectfully ask that the neighborhood Planning Team reverse
> their decision to recommend a
> VMU designation for the properties on Koenig that are West of the
> railroad track and to draft a letter to this effect
> to be presented at the upcoming City Council meeting.
>
We can certainly put this on the agenda for the next NLNPT meeting.
I completely agree that zoning changes should be tied to specific site
plans. However, not only is this not how the system works now, but it
should be clear that lots of people will oppose any plan that results in
any development whatsoever if they are able to do so. I've seen ANC
members literally (literally) foaming at the mouth because someone had
the nerve to build a 2-story house in their neighborhood -- no, I'm not
making this up. This is likely why blanket zoning categories continue
to exist in the first place -- to create a somewhat stable environment
for developers to try and plan a development for, since otherwise ANY
proposed development will result in a huge battle with an uncertain outcome.
My question is, if we can't have modest increases in density directly on
key transit corridors, then where? If the population of Austin
continues to increase and we continuously raise the bar on where density
is acceptable, than the only option is a continuation of even more
unsightly, unseemly, and unsustainable urban sprawl -- it's either up or
out, since I don't see people living in underground caves any time soon.
Do you really prefer to be surrounded by thousands and thousands of
more acres of slum apartment complexes, particle board Mcmansions, and
strip malls (e.g.
http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2007/02/05/daily32.html?jst=b_ln_hl)?
You are aware that Americans' lifestyle choices have resulted in over 12
trillion dollars in uncollateralized debt and a worldwide financial
crisis? That if any single one of the following happens: Chinese
government divests itself of dollars, oil starts being traded in Euros,
foreign investors refuse to continue to finance US debt, we're looking
at wide-scale economic collapse? That the entire world is trying right
now to decouple their finances from the US so that we can crash and burn
on our own without taking them down with them? Ever given any thought
to what would happen if there were no gas available at any of the gas
stations around town, as this is what will happen if the dollar's value
continues to shrink and we can't afford to get our petroleum fix any more?
VMU is a truly modest proposal, arrived at by the consensus of a broad
cross-section of Austinites including an overly large representation by
the vehemently anti-density, anti-growth Austin Neighborhood Council (ANC).
Yet people are still opposing it, citing a lack of good transit as the
main excuse. Here is an example of Crestview opposing VMU designation
on Burnet road(!):
http://committee.crestviewna.org/2007/11/crestview-steering-committe-votes-to.html
I just hope that people understand that a good transit system will never
happen unless PRECEDED by the density they don't want to see. Transit
requires a serious commitment to and a large investment in
infrastructure, and this simply will not happen unless a considerable
built-in ridership is already in place. No density, no transit. So
what the Crestviewedians are really saying is "we don't want any
density, any where, no matter what and we don't care what the
consequences are".
This is fine, of course. Just like the Easter Islanders who insisted up
on continuing to cut down the trees long after it was clear that this
was probably not a good idea.
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