submitted by Tom Linehan [Email address: tlinehan #AT# austin.rr.com - replace #AT# with @ ]
On Monday, June 4, ANA submitted its application for Vertical Mixed Use (VMU) to the City. The recommendations were approved by the ANA Executive Committee in a 5-4 vote on Friday, June1. The recommendations deviated significantly from the recommendations submitted to the EC by the ANA VMU team. Instead of accepting many of the properties into the VMU overlay district with conditions as was recommended by the VMU Team, the EC elected to opt-out many of the properties with the exception of the Northcross Mall property and the properties along Burnet Road near North Loop. The overriding concern by members of the EC supporting the substitute plan was inadequate city infrastructure to support the increased density that VMU would bring.
You can see a copy of the completed application here. Here is a draft of the recommendations submitted to the EC by the VMU Team. For background information on VMU, go here.
Which EC members voted for and which voted against. Don’t you think the members should have that info considering the fall elections.
I would also like to know which board member voted for or against the motion. Also, what exactly was the motion?
An elaboration/clarification on ANA’s position regarding VMU:
On Monday, June 4, ANA submitted its application for Vertical Mixed Use (VMU) to the City. The recommendations were approved by the ANA Executive Committee in a 5-4 vote on Friday, June 1. The recommendations deviated significantly from the recommendations submitted to the EC by the ANA VMU team. Instead of accepting all of the properties into the VMU overlay district with conditions as was recommended by the VMU Team, the EC adopted the position that most of the properties should be removed from the overlay district as such overlay district is asserted to be illegally adopted zoning changes implemented without required notice to residents and property owners. With respect to the three properties that the submitted application did not request to be removed from the district, Northcross Mall property and the properties along Burnet Road near North Loop, the submitted application recommended opting out of many of the development incentives designed to stimulate VMU development. The overriding concern by members of the EC supporting the substitute plan was de facto zoning changes without required notice that would seriously challenge inadequate city infrastructure to support the increased density that VMU would bring.