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Old 01-22-2014, 01:19 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
207 posts, read 462,722 times
Reputation: 236

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Quote:
Originally Posted by scm53 View Post
In Texas, cities have no role in either the construction or operation of schools. Plus, COA's track record on selling land at a profit is almost nonexistent. And the density issue hasn't been in assembling the land - it has been in the never ending NA opposition to up zoning for increasing density.

Today, the NAs (and the reactionaries that populate them) see increasing density as 100% negative - change in the character with only costs, and no benefits. The only solution is to change that equation. Tie city investments that benefit all neighborhood residents such as parks, mass transit, etc. to increased density. As MF moves into the neighborhoods off the arterial streets, incorporate pocket parks into the changed zoning. Plan BRT (or LR!) on the arterials through these areas. Plenty of other benefits the city can "hand out" tied to up zoning.

There has to be a carrot, because the stick won't work. And as SF has found out, if you don't increase density, you will never solve the affordability problem.
Speaking of, the ANC is attempting to pressure the city to cut the number of unrelated people able to occupy a property from 6 to 4. Pretty clearly being pushed by a neighborhood that rhymes with Ride Bark, but it is just one example of opposition to any sort of density even in existing structures.
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Old 01-22-2014, 01:42 PM
 
Location: central Austin
7,228 posts, read 16,064,895 times
Reputation: 3915
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spacepup View Post
Speaking of, the ANC is attempting to pressure the city to cut the number of unrelated people able to occupy a property from 6 to 4. Pretty clearly being pushed by a neighborhood that rhymes with Ride Bark, but it is just one example of opposition to any sort of density even in existing structures.
The issue is really one of parking! If all six have cars there is no where to park and it can inconvenience many many neighbors and slow down the emergency response time of EMS and the fire department.

I live on a street zoned SF-4A which reduces street parking availability and once the house next door was rented to three college kids who let 2 extra friends stay there and each one had a HUGE SUV! Only one car fit in the driveway. It was a disaster. The whole block was waiting until that lease expired! Cost over $1000 just to clean and refurbish the house! Landlord learned a lesson, only rented to families after that.

If stealth dorms had places to park all the cars that come with the extra residents, no one in HP would mind!
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Old 01-22-2014, 02:13 PM
 
1,430 posts, read 2,370,142 times
Reputation: 832
Quote:
Originally Posted by brattpowered View Post
We have to look at what happened in Hyde Park in the 60s and 70s and allow that to happen throughout the central city. Have a developer that wants to buy 4 adjoining single family lots and put at 25 unit apartment complex in? Do it! Dramatically increasing the supply is the only way people will be able to afford to keep living here, and long-term renters who know how politics work here are getting fed up with getting pushed out. The character of Hyde Park hasn't suffered for it.
Um, no. That approach did a ton of damage to Hyde Park. Speedway, for example, should be a showcase street for Austin.
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Old 01-22-2014, 02:55 PM
 
547 posts, read 1,432,539 times
Reputation: 440
Quote:
Originally Posted by scm53 View Post
I don't think increased density will solve the problem of rising prices in the central core. But to do nothing smacks of perfect as the enemy of the good. I'm enough of a macroeconomist to believe that even in the face of increasing demand, increasing supply will moderate price increases.

Increasing density doesn't mean paving the town with MF, nor does it mean ever building anything in a view corridor. If you've seen the map of the city, by zoning, you will be aghast at how much is SF. Lining the arterials, and maybe a block in, with SF-6, or MF-4 would be a great start. Also allowing small lot - SF-4A - on SF lots big enough to split would increase density w/o changing the SF feel of any neighborhood.

Plenty of ways to increase supply, short of throwing up your hands. Then tapping the tax payer for conscious salve in the form of taxpayer subsidized housing - that only helps a minuscule number of lottery winners.
I suspect we are different sides of the aisle on most things, but these are all great points. Thanks for a great post.
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Old 01-22-2014, 03:00 PM
 
2,602 posts, read 2,972,856 times
Reputation: 997
Quote:
Originally Posted by centralaustinite View Post
If all six have cars there is no where to park and it can inconvenience many many neighbors and slow down the emergency response time of EMS and the fire department.
If they're illegally parked, call and get them towed. If they are legally parked on the street, how does it slow down EMS/fire?
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Old 01-22-2014, 03:13 PM
 
Location: Austin
1,774 posts, read 3,786,265 times
Reputation: 800
Quote:
Originally Posted by gpurcell View Post
Um, no. That approach did a ton of damage to Hyde Park.
My thoughts as well. I thought the comments were tongue in cheek at first.

Last edited by capcat; 01-22-2014 at 03:40 PM..
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Old 01-22-2014, 03:47 PM
 
Location: Central Texas
20,958 posts, read 45,298,124 times
Reputation: 24740
Quote:
Originally Posted by gpurcell View Post
Um, no. That approach did a ton of damage to Hyde Park. Speedway, for example, should be a showcase street for Austin.
I agree. Perhaps brattpowered doesn't remember Hyde Park before all of that happened, or even while it was happening.
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Old 01-22-2014, 03:51 PM
 
Location: Avery Ranch, Austin, TX
8,977 posts, read 17,503,666 times
Reputation: 4001
Quote:
Originally Posted by Novacek View Post
If they're illegally parked, call and get them towed. If they are legally parked on the street, how does it slow down EMS/fire?
I've seen a fair number of residential streets with legally parked cars on both sides and you couldn't get a Quint around the corner to save your life!...literally Heck, we do some bike rides from Mellow Johnny's up the 'west side' and the parking is so bad, a car and a bike can't pass each other safely...never mind getting a serious fire or rescue vehicle through.
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Old 01-22-2014, 03:51 PM
 
Location: central Austin
7,228 posts, read 16,064,895 times
Reputation: 3915
Quote:
Originally Posted by Novacek View Post
If they're illegally parked, call and get them towed. If they are legally parked on the street, how does it slow down EMS/fire?
That is an interesting question, SF-4A zoning reduces the size of the lot line on the street (with SF-3 zoning there is space for at least two cars to be parked on the street) and I *think* that the developer had a waiver that might have impacted the street width somewhat, in any case, if cars are parked -- with apparent legality, that is without blocking driveways or sidewalks -- on both sides of the street it is difficult for AFD to get through, not impossible but both fire trucks and trash trucks have to go extremely slowly. AFD has actually stopped and spoken to homeowners on the street about not parking on both sides of the street, but how can we enforce that?

So here is a case where changing zoning to a more dense use (SF-4A) creates safety issues if more than two vehicles are associated with each house.

Add in 5 clueless college kids each driving $70K SUVs (ie big and long) and it was a true mess. I guess you could call code enforcement for a car blocking a sidewalk but good luck having the city tow or ticket it.

We've had stolen cars abandoned on the block directly blocking a driveway and preventing a homeowner from getting out and it took hours and hours to get it moved. Best part was on the weekends when they would leave their cars parked on both sides of the street and then take cabs to 6th street, when the bars closed the narrow passage of the street would be filled bumper to bumper with cabs! Thank god there was never a fire or heart attack!

There are plenty of narrow streets in HP too (due to age) and many houses with limited street space for parking, add in 6 adults in a house with six cars and it creates a mess.

I have in front of me the newsletter of HP (The Pecan Press) and it states this expressly: "The problem with super duplexes is not the tenants per se, but the intensity of the infrastructure demand (primarily traffic and parking) on one lot in a block."
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Old 01-22-2014, 04:48 PM
 
Location: The People's Republic of Austin
5,184 posts, read 7,262,830 times
Reputation: 2575
Quote:
Originally Posted by centralaustinite View Post
That is an interesting question, SF-4A zoning reduces the size of the lot line on the street (with SF-3 zoning there is space for at least two cars to be parked on the street)
I will admit to ignorance. On a SF-3 lot, with a SFR, why can't the cars be parked off street? Why does any SFR resident have to park on the street?
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