The city of Austin is taking public comment via a web-form regarding some proposed code amendments that would affect duplexes and two-unit homes.
It’s interesting: just last week, the Economist had a big section on the Internet society (not to be confused with the Internet Society), including one article on direct democracy and how the Internet will change it. Taking public comment via a web form seems like a good example.
I quoted this zoning piece at
http://www.farmwiki.net:8080/app/serv/springnet/max
so perhaps it could get some more comment and put in a credit and url to rnm.
I could use a little more POV on the zoning issue. What is the gist of the proposed changes, and what do you think about them? I took the survey but must have missed the link to the changes.
One of the problems we’ve been seeing in Hyde Park is mega-duplexes with 8 bedrooms (total), built on stilts to provide parking underneath. These are really just stealth apartments, sliding by on a technicality. That kind of thing is the motivation behind the changes. Some of these were pictured in the survey.
My own feelings are that we could use more diversity in housing options, but I still don’t like these stealth apartments because they are out of scale. Not to mention really ugly.