Council passes ordinance 11-4!
Yes, we have seen substantive progress in Dallas - the Neighborhood Stabilization Overlay was passed Wednesday night, November 9th, with a vote of 11-4. Though the tool certainly contains many compromises, that is quite simply the nature of any negotiation.At the very least it is a way for neighborhoods to control some of the most extreme cases of overbuilding, while still protecting their own property rights. And it represents the fact that the residents (and not just the developers) should have a voice in the future direction of our neighborhoods.
THANK YOU to everyone who has supported this cause with your letters, conversations, actions and good thoughts. Thanks to the City Council for coming together and working out this issue. OK, you can feel good about it now. But this isn't over yet.
There is still some "refinement" that needs to happen to how this new law is actually put in practice, with a meeting on that December 9th. And, once the tool is in place, how successful will neighborhoods that want an overlay be in actually getting it passed?
Stay vigilant, and stay involved! Because make no mistake, there are still plenty of ways speculative developers can roll back our protective measures - both locally and at a state level.
Look here and on our sister site, http://www.harmonioushomes.org for more information as we start to see how this new tool will play out for real.
Read the article in Dallas Morning News (which seems to quote all the opposing views, but that's fine with me).
THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE. YOU MADE A REAL DIFFERENCE. STAY TUNED.
posted by Jason English @ 11:01 AM
1 Comments:
First of all, how big is the lot in relation to the house you propose? And would your proposed house significantly overshadow neighboring houses/yards or present them with a giant brick wall?
Second, there are some good examples around here of larger houses that tastefully carry their size, using similar architectural styles in front, landscaping and placement of the second story in ways that do not look like a castle plopped down on the street. For instance a good one is on Sperry/Southridge corner, nicely done.
Third, do you really need 4000+ feet to upgrade your lifestyle, or do you simply need a better place to live? You can have more space, but also have better design of the space to encourage a stronger shared living concept for your growing family. Many new houses follow the cavernous approach and end up creating a sense of isolation for a family in practice.
In the end, you still plan on living in the same neighborhood (with the same neighbors), and you feel a new house would improve that experience, which is perfectly fine. Would you be diminishing quality of life for those around you? It's just a matter of being considerate and shouldn't have required an ordinance -- but the overzealous practices of a few speculative builders made it a necessity.
By the considerate tone of your comment I have a feeling you would do the right thing.
Jason
Post a Comment
<< Home