High Occupancy Units (Austin, Cesar Chavez, Rule: apartments, to rent, custom home)

[scm53]

Are High Occupancy Units a problem in Austin?. Do they have a role in the displacement of families in the central core?

[verybadgnome]

It's a balance. City codes should be enforced and people should call in neighbors who convert their single family homes to mini-dorms. At the same time neighborhood associations and the ANC have to realize that there is unmet demand in central areas and that large apartments complexes do not spell the death of their beloved neighborhoods. They have minimal impact on traffic and are certainly better than developing in the hinterlands where a long commute is guaranteed for UT students.

And for my example? Sure put more apartments on E. Cesar Chavez, E. 6th and E. 7th as these roads are designed for such development. More new restaurants (a new Sushi place just opened on 7th), bike shops, coffee shops, hairdressers, nurseries (got our first this year on C. Chavez), etc. for me to enjoy. A too fast a rate of change is preferable to one that is too slow...........

Not sure if that report is fair and balanced after reading the executive summary.

[gpurcell]

They are a huge problem. It's absolutely revolting how a handful of developers have been allowed to make themselves wealthy through destroying the living situation of hundreds of people.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by gpurcell

It's absolutely revolting how a handful of developers have been allowed to make themselves wealthy through destroying the living situation of hundreds of people.

That is one of the most amazing collections of red herrings I've ever seen in one sentence. For that to be anything else, you'd have to:

1. List the "handful of developers" responsible for the growth of high occupancy units
2. Show how they have made "themselves wealthy" - not just profitable - WEALTHY
3. Provide tangible evidence that HOUs have "destroy(ed) the living situation of hundreds of people"

I'm betting there is no way in heck you can do all those.

Do you guys just read the Austin Comical so long this stuff just rolls out? Do you sit around the Cherrywood Coffeehouse and nod up and down approvingly as this groupthink is repeated and repeated so long that you just accept it as truth? Because until you can put facts behind it, it is noise, bordering on hate speech.

[gpurcell]

1. List the "handful of developers" responsible for the growth of high occupancy units
Cutsinger and that slimy realtor he is with have build dozens, for one.

2. Show how they have made "themselves wealthy" - not just profitable - WEALTHY
Do the math on the profit from a single one of these monstrosities allowed.

3. Provide tangible evidence that HOUs have "destroy(ed) the living situation of hundreds of people"
Several hundred built in the last five years. Multiple neighbors affected per unit. Again, do the math. They've ruined everything north of North Loop.

Check out the side by side horrors:
http://www.cutsingercustomhomes.com/...ex6/index.html

[scm53]

Originally Posted by gpurcell

1. List the "handful of developers" responsible for the growth of high occupancy units
Cutsinger and that slimy realtor he is with have build dozens, for one.

2. Show how they have made "themselves wealthy" - not just profitable - WEALTHY
Do the math on the profit from a single one of these monstrosities allowed.

3. Provide tangible evidence that HOUs have "destroy(ed) the living situation of hundreds of people"
Several hundred built in the last five years. Multiple neighbors affected per unit. Again, do the math. They've ruined everything north of North Loop.

Check out the side by side horrors:
Completed Homes Gallery | Cutsinger Custom Homes

Your problem is with SF-3 zoning. It allows duplexes, family homes, B&Bs, etc. These guys have only built what the underlying zoning allows.

You need to direct that anger at COA and the failure to restrict high occupancy units - as this paper clearly identifies. But the idea of making some poor realtor the face is a proven tactic, right?

Rule 11: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, polarize it. Don’t try to attack abstract corporations or bureaucracies. Identify a responsible individual. Ignore attempts to shift or spread the blame.

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by gpurcell

They've ruined everything north of North Loop.

Check out the side by side horrors:
Completed Homes Gallery | Cutsinger Custom Homes

What? It's far from ruined.

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by gpurcell

1. List the "handful of developers" responsible for the growth of high occupancy units
Cutsinger and that slimy realtor he is with have build dozens, for one.

2. Show how they have made "themselves wealthy" - not just profitable - WEALTHY
Do the math on the profit from a single one of these monstrosities allowed.

3. Provide tangible evidence that HOUs have "destroy(ed) the living situation of hundreds of people"
Several hundred built in the last five years. Multiple neighbors affected per unit. Again, do the math. They've ruined everything north of North Loop.

Check out the side by side horrors:
Completed Homes Gallery | Cutsinger Custom Homes

When I lived in DC is was common for groups of young professionals to rent a town home. It was one of the few ways the city could be affordable for people not already rich. Far from ruining these neighborhoods they were invigorated by a great diversity of energetic young people filling the cafes, bars and markets. The neighborhoods were better for the density and diversity they brought.

[Komeht]

I noticed this appears to be the same organization putting out maps showing beneifts of light rail to go up GL...now they're leading a charge to push down density in those areas by pushing out students.

I can safely say that I will not be supporting light rail if density is driven down in the route ultimately selected. It makes no sense whatsoever.

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by gpurcell

1. List the "handful of developers" responsible for the growth of high occupancy units
Cutsinger and that slimy realtor he is with have build dozens, for one.

2. Show how they have made "themselves wealthy" - not just profitable - WEALTHY
Do the math on the profit from a single one of these monstrosities allowed.

3. Provide tangible evidence that HOUs have "destroy(ed) the living situation of hundreds of people"
Several hundred built in the last five years. Multiple neighbors affected per unit. Again, do the math. They've ruined everything north of North Loop.

Check out the side by side horrors:
Completed Homes Gallery | Cutsinger Custom Homes

What ever happened to the "Compact City" concept of squeezing more people into smaller areas so more people can live central? Duplex homes contribute to the goal. I'm not defending them per se, but they are obviously allowed else the permits for building them couldn't be obtained.

At present, 6 unrelated adults per dwelling unit is the limit in Austin. Some cities have a lower limit, some higher. So, I think your point is that if a duplex home can have 6 people per side, that's "too many people - 12 individuals" living on one lot in a residential neighborhood. I don't disagree, especially if even half have cars, but that's the current law in Austin.

Directing scorn at developers doing what is legally allowed is, I think, misdirected anger. Your problem is with the City of Austin and its regulations.