tim

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:50:05 -0600

"create and appoint a citizens’ advisory committee to oversee the process" So we need more un-elected neighborhood associations to "help" the process? Seems like we have more than enough un-elected advisory committees as it is. Of course that would definitely continue in the City Councils current vein of never standing behind a decision and having no ability to stand up to neighborhood associations even when the rest of the city is at stake. Neighborhoods should be respected, but not at the expense of the greater city as a whole. To say that I shouldn't have input in, say, a new commercial development in Travis Heights, because I live a mile South-East of it is ridiculous. And that's exactly how the city works now. If you happen to live in a area with commercial development you get an undue amount of influence over everyone around you.

mdahmus

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:47:29 -0600

"and I support dense, mixed-use development in the urban core" Doesn't match reality - unless you define down "dense" to a meaningless level. Leffingwell supported the Judges' Hill neighborhood in one of the least responsible VMU application fiascoes - basically saying that neighborhoods had no responsibility to allow VMU even on MLK around the corner from UT. Advocating some redevelopment of old stuff in Oak Hill doesn't come close to making up for this stuff. McCracken has fallen down lately on VMU as well though, letting bad neighborhood actors off the hook as the election got closer, so there is no good candidate on this metric.

Austinist: Urban is Core - Austin Super Forum: Lee Leffingwell

tim

mdahmus