Austin City Council Postpones Public Hearing On Controversial Homeowner Ordinance
The City Council this morning decided to postpone a public hearing, originally scheduled for this evening, on a controversial ordinance pushed by council member Betty Dunkerley that would mandate price hikes on new homes in the city by thousands of dollars.
Word is the public hearing will be rescheduled for June 18, after council members and their staffs receive a recommendation from the city’s Building and Fire Code Board.
The ordinance addresses the issue of visitibility, the term of art used by representatives of the disabled community to describe modifications to standards houses such as wider doors, reinforcements that allow for grab bars in bathrooms, and ramps instead of stairs for some entrances.
Dunkerley, 72, is retiring later this month and has said that this ordinance is a key part of the legacy she hopes to leave behind. The Council had been criticized by affordable housing advocates, homeowners, homebuilders, and some disabled citizens for rushing through the ordinance in an effort to please Dunkerley rather than taking the time to find a solution that doesn’t push home prices even further out of reach of middle- and low-income homebuyers.
Posted on June 5, 2008 – 3:02 pm by APR
One Response to “Austin City Council Postpones Public Hearing On Controversial Homeowner Ordinance”
Would it be too much for the local newspaper to ask the two candidates running to replace Dunkerley whether they support or oppose this ordinance? Maybe they figure the current lameduck council will approve it on their way out the door. If so, I predict the new council will be shown the door, too.
By Pol Pot on Jun 5, 2008