Opinion: Why are we paying astronomical taxes on land we own in Hyde Park?
Why are we paying astronomical taxes on land we own in Hyde Park? High taxes are a burden on Hyde Park land owners, but eventually the burden trickles down and is also paid by tenants. Everybody knows that property taxes are too high. In the case of Hyde Park, the tax burden is unfairly high for owners of contributing structures.
Austin’s Historic Preservation System is Broken
During a recent historic preservation case at City Hall, a representative for the property owner of the West Austin Delisle House raised questions about not only city staff's internal process for determining historical significance but also whether staff is doing appropriate due diligence when it comes to uncovering a property or property owner's ties to segregation.
Elizabeth Warren Endorses Zo Qadri
Zo Qadri has received some impressive high profile progressive endorsements like Elizabeth Warren in his race to defeat conservative candidate Linda Guerrero for Austin City Council District 9. Wendy Davis, Jessica Cisneros, Julie Oliver, and Mike Siegel are also backing Qadri.
Linda Guerrero’s Housing Talk is Wrong and Irresponsible
Recently, KUT Austin published a piece on the District 9 City Council runoff between Zohaib “Zo” Qadri and Linda Guerrero. Specifically, the piece explores the divide between the two candidates on housing. Qadri blames the city’s rising rents and displacement crisis on the city’s land development code, and advocates for making it easier to build missing middle housing like duplexes, fourplexes, and small apartment buildings.
Guerrero, on the other hand, responded to KUT’s questions in a baffling fashion. She calls the idea that Austin has a lack of housing "really controversial" and denies that anyone "that's been displaced [is] saying 'Oh, this is great, there's 5,000 new apartments. I get to come back to Austin.' That's not happening."
Upcoming December Election Runoff For Mayor and Austin City Council
Both candidates that the Hyde Parker Magazine endorsed in the general election, Celia Israel for mayor and Zo Qadri for Austin City Council, made it to the runoff election. Julie Oliver, Mike Siegel, and many leading organizations have also endorsed them. Both progressive candidates, Celia Israel and Zo Qadri, will face off against their conservative opponents to determine who will be mayor and who will win the Austin City Council seat that covers much of central Austin and Hyde Park.
Mueller is Proof that Hyde Park Could Take on More Housing Without Sacrificing its Character
When the question of increased density is brought up, a lot of Hyde Park residents tend to wonder whether those kinds of changes would make the neighborhood less livable. To answer that question, let’s take the Mueller neighborhood as a case study. The planned unit development allows for missing middle housing the likes of which is not seen in Hyde Park. But pretty much everyone who lives or visits Mueller is taken with the diversity of uses found there.
Hyde Parker Magazine Endorses Celia Israel for Mayor
Austin is at a pivotal moment in its history. Amidst a nationwide housing crisis, the city is making the incomprehensible decision to double down on its history of exclusionary zoning. Instead of embracing the fact that reversing our city-imposed development bottleneck and greenlighting the building of housing in all its forms, we’re still producing a trickle of units when we need a flood. A drastic increase in our housing supply is the only logical, and more importantly equitable, way forward.
Hyde Parker Magazine Endorses Zo Qadri for Austin City Council District 9
Austin’s housing crisis demands swift and drastic action. And tackling it going forward won’t be easy. The city is fighting an uphill battle against powerful interests who find the status quo convenient and are terrified of opening up more of the city to people who might not look like, earn like, or think like they do. It's with that sentiment in mind that the Hyde Parker Magazine endorses progressive Democrat Zohaib "Zo" Qadri to represent Austin City Council District 9. We believe Qadri not only understands the urgency of this moment in our housing crisis, but as a longtime progressive activist and renter, Qadri will bring perspective sorely missing from the current dais.
Why Kirk Watson is the Wrong Choice for Mayor
Austin is at a turning point in its history. How the city addresses its interrelated affordability, housing, and transportation crises will impact generations to come. That’s why voters must elect a mayor this November who is inclusive, forward-thinking, and has a proven track record of making sound policy decisions. That is not Kirk Watson.
The Racist Roots of Hyde Park’s Zoning Rules
The Racist Roots of Hyde Park’s Zoning Rules. Why Propping Up Exclusionary Zoning Practices Upholds Systemic Racism in Central Austin. The truth is that the quiet bungalows and neatly manicured lawns were built on a foundation of racism, classism, and exclusion.
How Hyde Park Avoids the Effects of the City’s Housing Crisis
In a city as rapidly growing as Austin, you can sometimes feel like the cityscape changes in the blink of an eye. But that’s not the case in Hyde Park. You can walk along Duval Street or Speedway and almost forget the massive transformational shift happening in other parts of the city. And that is, of course, by design.
City Council Should Rezone All AISD Properties to Allow Multi-Family Housing
Earlier this summer, the Austin Independent School District and Austin Habitat for Humanity celebrated a partnership that will soon provide 30 affordable homes across two developments in East Austin. It’s part of a long-standing effort on the part of the district to find a way to leverage its plentiful supply of acreage into affordable housing that could in turn boost enrollment.
A Mulligan on Hancock Golf Course
What should the city do with the Hancock Golf Course? Well, like anything in Austin, it depends on who you ask. About a decade ago, it became clear to the city’s Parks and Recreation Department that the 50 acres was in need of a serious course correction. Its nine holes were too few for the average golfer, the irrigation system was out of compliance with city code, and the number of rounds played had dropped each year since 2000.
AISD Teacher Housing Crisis
Austin's real estate market is a nightmare whatever the position you find yourself in. The median price of a home surpassed $600,000 this year -- with no relief in sight. Average monthly rent hit $1,500 late last year. Evictions are up since the pandemic moratoriums stopping them expired. That’s as the rental relief programs helping many stay in their homes have dried up.
Density Unlocked
In much of Austin, building an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on your property is allowed as long as the lot is zoned Single-Family 3 and has a lot size of at least 5,750 square feet. Of course that isn’t the case in Hyde Park these days. While it is difficult to build ADUs in Hyde Park, there are other options that homeowners can potentially use in order to maximize the space on their property.
Austin Audits 101
As Austin continues to grow, the question isn’t what are the biggest issues we face as a city. We’re all well aware that our housing shortage is exacerbating gentrification and displacing communities at a rapid pace. At the same time, our city’s homelessness crisis becomes more dire each day. What do all of those big ticket items have in common? Well, for one, we’ve studied the ever-loving heck out of them.
How Can Austinites Shape the Future of I-35?
Community Plans Clash With TxDOT’s Vision For Expansion Project - One of the few things Central Texans can reliably agree upon is I-35 is one of the biggest traffic quagmires we face and the problem is only getting worse as the metro population continues to boom. Of course, how to go about fixing the problem is predictably where we begin to clash.
What’s Next for the Shuttered Hyde Park Post Office?
Are Current Plans For The Property The Best Use For a Rare Opportunity in Central Austin? After decades of service to Hyde Park residents, the U.S. Postal Service North Station at 43rd and Speedway closed last summer. The news surprised the community and had many lamenting both the swift change to the neighborhood and the fact that they would suddenly have to travel outside of the neighborhood to mail packages or purchase stamps.
Hyde Parker Magazine Endorsements For the March 1, 2022 Primary Election - Bob Libal
The Travis County Commissioners Court is overdue for a progressive overhaul, and Hyde Parker Magazine believes labor organizer Bob Libal is the right choice for Precinct 2 and the county as a whole.
Hyde Parker Magazine Endorsements For the March 1, 2022 Primary Election - Donna Imam
Donna knows that the same old, same old establishment ideas won’t do. It is time for a bold progressive change.