ANC weighs in on CodeNEXT Draft 3

Vowing to “set the record straight,” the Austin Neighborhoods Council released an official statement on Draft 3 of CodeNEXT Tuesday, saying the group “believes it continues to pose significant threats to the homeowners, renters, and businesses that make up Austin’s neighborhoods” and countering reports that it was relieved by the latest iteration of the Land Development Code rewrite. Specifically, the statement to the press calls out the ability to divide lots that are 5,000 square feet or larger, potentially doubling density in “Blackland, Bouldin, Cherrywood, Crestview, and Tarrytown.” According to ANC, “The value of the above land will soar as a result, and with that rise in value will come a dramatic jump in property-tax assessments throughout Austin. Homeowners who choose not to demolish, subdivide, and sell will be punished with property taxes even higher than those they are now paying, and local rental rates will follow suit.” The statement also refutes claims that the plan would lead to the construction of new, moderately priced housing, saying that it incentivizes demolition of existing affordable housing, ultimately leading to the acceleration of displacement in the city.