B-18 (C14-2020-0044 Correspondence Received) — original pdf

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June 18, 2020 To: Kare Clark, Planning Commissioners & Austin City Council Members Susana Almanza, President MNPCT From: Montopolis Neighborhood Plan Contact Team Re: Opposition to upzoning for the following properties: 1013 & 1017 Montopolis/C-14-2020-0029; 200 Montopolis/C-14-2020-0030; 6201 Clovis & 301 Kemp St/C-14-2020-0039; 200 Montopolis/C-14-2020-0030; 316 Saxon Lane and 6328 El Mirando Street/C-14-2020-0044. The Montopolis Neighborhood Plan Contact Team met on May 26th, 2020 at the Southeast Health and Wellness Center. No representative from Ron Thrower, of the Thrower Design Group appeared at the meeting, who are the representatives for all the above zoning cases. They refused to attend the Contact meeting because they were not comfortable coming to the Montopolis community. The meeting was being held at one of the most sanitized locations, Southeast Health and Wellness Center and the room was huge enough to have social distance. They sent backup material on the day of meeting at 4:13pm. The Montopolis Neighborhood Plan Contact Team opposes the zoning change for all the above listed properties! The Montopolis Neighborhood Plan was completed under City of Austin’s Neighborhood Planning Program and was adopted as part of the Austin Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan on September 27th, 2001. The property at 508 Kemp was approved as SF-3-NP. We ask that the Austin City Council respect the adopted Montopolis Neighborhood Plan. After emerging successful against the forces of rapacious development at the Montopolis Negro School in 2018, the Montopolis community is once again being besieged by profit-seeking real estate developers with little to no regard for the community’s fragile natural and cultural environment, or it iconic history. Montopolis, also known as “Poverty Island,” has a per capita income of $16,226, a Median Family Income of $31,875, and a poverty rate of 33% according to 2018 American Community Survey data. Accordingly, we guard our existing SF-3 owned property jealously, as we are a community of families. The Austin Human Rights Commission has declared gentrification to be a human rights violation. We call upon the Planning Commission and Austin City Council to reject this gentrifying up zoning in the name of racial justice and reconciliation. Montopolis has too much history and culture to be sliced up by the forces of unscrupulous real estate development in this fashion. The highest and best use of our land is protection, not speculation. Clark, Kate From: Sent: To: Subject: Bezner, Janet R Thursday, June 18, 2020 1:45 PM Clark, Kate Rezoning Concern *** External Email - Exercise Caution *** Dear Ms. Clark,  I am writing to provide input for the Planning Commission meeting next week about the following properties,  which are adjacent and near a property I own at 204 Montopolis:  B-15 (C14-2020-0030 - 200 Montopolis Rezoning, District 3) B-16 (C14-2020-0029 - Montopolis Acres Rezoning, District 3) B-17 (C14-2020-0039 - Clovis and Kemp Rezone, District 3) B-18 (C14-2020-0044 - Saxon Acres Residential Zoning, District 3) B-19 (C14-2020-0038 - 508 Kemp Street, District 3) As you are probably aware, a developer has applied to rezone these lots to an SF‐6 designation, which we  oppose.  The lots are currently zoned SF‐3, which we believe is appropriate to preserve single family housing in  the neighborhood.  We are concerned if the lots are rezoned it will lead to increased traffic, increased  property taxes, and greater density and crowding, further stressing our natural resources.   Thank you,  Janet Bezner and Nancy Lesch  204A Montopolis  Austin, TX 78741  571‐234‐2841  CAUTION: This email was received at the City of Austin, from an EXTERNAL source. Please use caution when clicking links  or opening attachments. If you believe this to be a malicious and/or phishing email, please forward this email to  CSIRT@austintexas.gov.   1 Clark, Kate From: Sent: To: Subject: Hedda Elias Friday, June 19, 2020 12:07 PM Clark, Kate Zoning Montopolis Neighborhood *** External Email - Exercise Caution *** Dear Planning Commission Members,   In reference to: B‐15, B‐16, B‐17, B‐18, B‐19  Part of being the anti‐racist city that Austin claims to be is to seek out and listen to the voices of the people who live in  the neighborhoods affected by development. Listen to how they are struggling to pay the taxes. Listen to how their  children cannot afford to keep the house they grew up in. Listen to the Montopolis Contact team. Listen to their plan.  Listen to our neighbors who took time out of their days to sign these petitions.   If you are really committed to the ideals of being equitable and anti‐racist, you will ask this community how we want to  develop and not pay it lip service. Because we do have a plan to keep the people in their homes who have lived here for  generations. We do have a plan to help each other repair our houses. We do have a plan to build more affordable  housing.   Help us. Don't help the developers who in their proposal will sell this new housing for $400 a square foot. That is not  something I can afford. That is definitely not something my neighbors, with a median income of $35,000 can afford. We  are surrounded by 3 petitions to build townhomes all on the route my daughter practices riding her bicycle on each day.  On our tiny street with no sidewalks. These developers did not come speak to the Montopolis Contact team.  We are talking about the gentrification that is happening right now. My husband grew up 2 blocks from where we built  our house. Our house is built on land we bought in 2012 for $65,000. Our property taxes are $9000 a year. As 2 teachers,  we have an income more that most of our neighbors, yet it is difficult for us to pay our taxes. This will make it impossible  for us to protest our property values. Impossible to build affordable housing on our street, as we have planned.   Please do your part.  We are counting on you,  Hedda and Noe Elias  304 Kemp Street  CAUTION: This email was received at the City of Austin, from an EXTERNAL source. Please use caution when clicking links  or opening attachments. If you believe this to be a malicious and/or phishing email, please forward this email to  CSIRT@austintexas.gov.   1