Monks Jazz Club
Is the City Council Changing the Rules?
RECEIVED Wed., April 2, 2008
Dear Editor,
The City Council has taken to changing the game rules when they stymie a favored constituent. These ordinance revisions are put on a fast track by staff and then passed as an "emergency" in one reading instead of the traditional three with little citizen input.
On Feb. 15, a Friday notice was mailed for a Planning Commission hearing on Feb. 26 to consider an amendment to Austin's Land Development Code to allow subsurface structures to be excluded from impervious cover measurements. On March 6, less than three weeks after the notice, it became law. This wiped out the policy, which considered underground parking as 100% impervious cover, requiring a minimum topping of 4 feet of soil, not enough for tree planting but enough for shrubs. The new ordinance changed that to 2 feet and an average of 4. And allowed Constellation's Star Riverside development (within the Waterfront Overlay on Lady Bird Lake) to proceed as planned.
On March 21, a notice was mailed to announce a revision of the Sign Regulations to allow billboards on some scenic roadways and revise upward some size and height limitations. Our only hope to see the eventual end of billboards in Texas is by attrition. This ordinance change, initiated by Mike Martinez and Betty Dunkerley, is to give incentive to a sign company to remove two offending billboards in East Austin. There are more than a handful of offensive billboards, but the solution would not balance their removal by allowing many more in areas where they are now prohibited. This ordinance goes to the Planning Commission on April 8 and the council on April 10. What do you bet that it is passed as an "emergency"?
The City Council has taken to changing the game rules when they stymie a favored constituent. These ordinance revisions are put on a fast track by staff and then passed as an "emergency" in one reading instead of the traditional three with little citizen input.
On Feb. 15, a Friday notice was mailed for a Planning Commission hearing on Feb. 26 to consider an amendment to Austin's Land Development Code to allow subsurface structures to be excluded from impervious cover measurements. On March 6, less than three weeks after the notice, it became law. This wiped out the policy, which considered underground parking as 100% impervious cover, requiring a minimum topping of 4 feet of soil, not enough for tree planting but enough for shrubs. The new ordinance changed that to 2 feet and an average of 4. And allowed Constellation's Star Riverside development (within the Waterfront Overlay on Lady Bird Lake) to proceed as planned.
On March 21, a notice was mailed to announce a revision of the Sign Regulations to allow billboards on some scenic roadways and revise upward some size and height limitations. Our only hope to see the eventual end of billboards in Texas is by attrition. This ordinance change, initiated by Mike Martinez and Betty Dunkerley, is to give incentive to a sign company to remove two offending billboards in East Austin. There are more than a handful of offensive billboards, but the solution would not balance their removal by allowing many more in areas where they are now prohibited. This ordinance goes to the Planning Commission on April 8 and the council on April 10. What do you bet that it is passed as an "emergency"?
Jean Mather
