What's the worst thing about living in Austin? (Winters: tornadoes, deal)

[thedude72]

The worst thing about Austin? I'd say it's the smug arrogant Austinites who are delusional about how great it is to be here. lol!!!

[cBach]

The worst thing about living in Austin is that any new private development is always approved but there is never infrastructure developments to correspond to that.

They need to codify either stricter development or force developments to build the infrastructure developments.

For instance, if a developer plans to build a giant apartment complex along a major road that is two lanes, then they should be forced to pay for the four laning of the road to the nearest connector streets.

Solving the traffic problems ain't rocket science. They just need to give more restrictions to the developers. Also, force the developers to put parks next to their development or it doesn't get approved.

If we did stuff like that, we wouldn't have to raise taxes and Austin would improve and still be able to expand but it would all be paid for with private money.

We could even dictate how many bike trails a certain development would have to put in, etc...

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by cBach

The worst thing about living in Austin is that any new private development is always approved but there is never infrastructure developments to correspond to that.

They need to codify either stricter development or force developments to build the infrastructure developments.

For instance, if a developer plans to build a giant apartment complex along a major road that is two lanes, then they should be forced to pay for the four laning of the road to the nearest connector streets.

Solving the traffic problems ain't rocket science. They just need to give more restrictions to the developers. Also, force the developers to put parks next to their development or it doesn't get approved.

If we did stuff like that, we wouldn't have to raise taxes and Austin would improve and still be able to expand but it would all be paid for with private money.

We could even dictate how many bike trails a certain development would have to put in, etc...

Austin simply doesn't have that power. The state doesn't give it to us. And even if they did, that would simply push even _more_ development out into unincorporated areas. So you'd have the same number of people driving _even further_ into town.

[pop251808]

Originally Posted by cBach

The worst thing about living in Austin is that any new private development is always approved but there is never infrastructure developments to correspond to that.

They need to codify either stricter development or force developments to build the infrastructure developments.

For instance, if a developer plans to build a giant apartment complex along a major road that is two lanes, then they should be forced to pay for the four laning of the road to the nearest connector streets.

Solving the traffic problems ain't rocket science. They just need to give more restrictions to the developers. Also, force the developers to put parks next to their development or it doesn't get approved.

If we did stuff like that, we wouldn't have to raise taxes and Austin would improve and still be able to expand but it would all be paid for with private money.

We could even dictate how many bike trails a certain development would have to put in, etc...

Originally Posted by Novacek

Austin simply doesn't have that power. The state doesn't give it to us. And even if they did, that would simply push even _more_ development out into unincorporated areas. So you'd have the same number of people driving _even further_ into town.

It seems to me that the CoA should be in the "city building business." Like designing, building and maintaining sewers and streets with sidewalks. Stop trying "to make developers do it" because we know they won't do it or do it right. And we're left with the crazy patchwork of partial improvements that developers are forced to do but that they can't be forced to connect or integrate into what exists or what will follow.
Building a city on the cheap gets you a cheap, poorly functioning city. But give people what they expect a city government is for (city infrastructure) and perhaps they'll throttle back on the constant complaining and bickering over "what does my city DO?" Maybe.
I've never seen a city with a larger staff and yet that can't manage to fill potholes or repaint bike lane stripes, let alone actually build anything new.

[radiolibre99]

I've never understood the limited government mantra of Texas when it comes to certain functions that should be left to state. I understand the fear of government turning into an activist government and trying to mitigate social ills but when it comes to planning and maintaining infrastructure, it still seems limited in scope. A rich city with a flourishing economy like Austin shouldn't be dealing with poor infrastructure, terrible traffic, and over crowding.

[ITO]

Austin is a city that is full of people who think every "good idea" should be a law.

[pop251808]

Originally Posted by ITO

Austin is a city that is full of people who think every "good idea" should be a law.

Why do you care, if you live in Cedar Park?

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by pop251808

Why do you care, if you live in Cedar Park?

Because it's the state capitol which means it belongs to all of us?

And I agree, not every good idea (or something that someone THINKS is a good idea) needs to be made a law. Really. If it's a good idea it will stand on its own merits. If you have to force everyone to live by it because they won't if you don't use the law to make them do what you think they should do "for their own good", then it probably isn't that good an idea in the first place, no matter what you think.

[pop251808]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Because it's the state capitol which means it belongs to all of us?

And I agree, not every good idea (or something that someone THINKS is a good idea) needs to be made a law. Really. If it's a good idea it will stand on its own merits. If you have to force everyone to live by it because they won't if you don't use the law to make them do what you think they should do "for their own good", then it probably isn't that good an idea in the first place, no matter what you think.

Wait, so are you two complaining about Austin (while using it regularly) because it's the seat of law creation and adjudication for all of Texas and you don't like laws, or are you complaining about Austin because its local government has somewhat different laws than many of the, shall we say, more traditional parts of Texas?
There's a LOT of land out there, plenty for everybody. It is too bad about some of our statewide laws, though; I'll grant you that.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by pop251808

Wait, so are you two complaining about Austin (while using it regularly) because it's the seat of law creation and adjudication for all of Texas and you don't like laws, or are you complaining about Austin because its local government has somewhat different laws than many of the, shall we say, more traditional parts of Texas?
There's a LOT of land out there, plenty for everybody. It is too bad about some of our statewide laws, though; I'll grant you that.

Actually, my complaint is more general and applies everywhere and to all political stripes. It is about people who think that their every good idea (in their eyes) should be made into law for everybody. Pretty much one of the things that the Constitution was written to protect us against, because that kind of person has been with us always, the founders knew it, and they were pretty much aware that human nature doesn't change all that much no matter what we like to tell ourselves.