City Policy Crowds Out Single Family Homes

By PHIL ARNOLD

A new meaning for an old word has evolved. Density is now used by the national environmental community for desirable housing patterns in the "compact city."

One of the best local examples of Density is at the site of the proposed Shoal Creek hike-and-bike trail just north of 38th St. All concerned citizens and political candidates should take a trip on Jefferson Ave. just north of 35th St. It comes up on the west side of Shoal Creek.

Look east and you'll see Density -- and unbroken string of condominiums, townhouses and apartment which have replaced the single-family dwellings that used to be there. Then look west toward half-century old single-family houses. Guess which housing form is most likely to survive if the new hike-and-bike trail is put in. That's right, Density

Density justifies the environmental sacred cow, light rail. And guess who is able to deliver density -- developers. So governments, like the city of Austin offer taxpayer-financed projects like hike-and-bike trails in exchange for developers creating density.

Austin owns the proposed light rail route (the Redline) and Capital Metro plans to build 20 stations on the route which meanders from downtown through east Austin, through north Austin, through a lime quarry, on to Cedar Park and Leander.

The proposed stations, which would probably be build by developers at taxpayer expense, will encourage further density in the vicinity of the stations.

While density is environmentally correct, the single family resident is not and therefore is endangered.

Although the U.S. and Texas constitutions guarantee property rights to landowners, government schemes, such as the Balcones Canyonland Conservation Project and the redefining of flood plains, have reduced the value of some land so significantly that the real value of the land has been taken away from the owners.

Safety is another issue affected by density. Those who have lived in the most densely populated area in Austin, "Apartment City," realize the crime rate is extremely high. It is not safe for children, senior citizens or anyone in between.

Density is dangerous -- still the impractical environmentalists continue to promote it. Apparently they believe property ownership is selfish and evil. They believe it contributes to air pollution by the greater use of automobiles. Therefore it must be ended and light rail forced upon us.

Furthermore, the national environ-mental community believes that between 20 and 25 percent the states of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma should have reserves and corridors with little or no human use. The American Land Foundation has released a map entitled The Plan To Protect Biodiversity.

A large tract of land is included in this proposal which stretches from Southwest Austin to Johnson City and Fredericksburg. In fact, radical environmentalists argue against all agriculture believing that farm and ranch land should be returned to its "true natural state."

The environmental community and developers in Austin and Travis County have formed an unholy alliance which threatens single-family residences.

Density is the goal of the so-called environmental council and developers can deliver density. The local city council should be called the environmentalist/developer council.

Elections are coming up -- voters, get to the polls.