CodeNEXT: meeting with Mayor Adler on June 21, 2017

The City of Austin has proposed major zoning changes for our neighborhood and other Central Austin neighborhoods.  Concerned citizens met with the mayor on June 21 to find out more.  Basically, the code would allow up to three residential units on lots like Tom's and mine, and up to six residential units on corner lots.  Businesses could be next door to homes.

Per CodeNEXT, my new post-retirement career:  convert the House of Light and Joy into a dance studio.  Or a coffee shop.  Or a beauty salon.  Oh, and since our house is under 2500 square feet, I wouldn't have to provide any parking spaces for my customers.

It's been happening, and it's ongoing.  This lot is a couple of blocks from us. Six residential units can go on this corner lot under CodeNEXT.

This duplex, built in 2005, was one of the first "gentrification" projects in our neighborhood.  One of the units is currently on the market for $484,000.  Brand new duplexes in the 'hood are going for as much as $856,000 per side, for about a 2300-square-foot unit. So much for the pro-CodeNEXT argument that more units per lot will result in more affordable housing in Central Austin.

My prediction:  as homeowners like Tom and me sell our homes, the houses will be razed for either 3-unit or 6-unit buildings.  Developers have been allowed to take out trees to make room for the buildings.  That gorgeous tree behind the duplex above is on the neighbor's single-family lot.  After 12 years, the trees in front of the duplex are getting a little height.