December 19 2024 Council Meeting | Legislative Priorities

[Paul Roberts]

Regarding Pg. 142 of the packet, the 7th "Whereas" for Legislative Priorities | https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.n...2e-532b-46ae-86e2-621bee7024c1-1734129866.pdf

While the bill currently includes a carveout for municipalities with fewer than 85,000 people, I believe our argument should be strong enough to discourage any deviation from this 85,000 threshold. Fundamentally, this bill is still detrimental to zoning laws across Texas and the local control we rely on.

I propose amending the 7th "Whereas" to the following (highlighted section in red font):

WHEREAS, the City opposes legislative efforts to remove local zoning control, which could mandate high-density housing developments incompatible with Lago Vista's small-town character and community priorities, particularly given the City’s geographically constrained location—bounded on three sides by Lake Travis—resulting in finite space for responsible growth, increased infrastructure strain, safety risks due to limited access points, and the erosion of predictable zoning protections that residents and property owners rely upon; and

This amendment clarifies our unique circumstances while strengthening our argument against the bill.

 

[Shane Saum]

Thank you Councilman Roberts for giving this agenda item attention. We can certainly make the edit. I don't think it's necessary needed, as this resolution was simply a request by our state legislators to demonstrate local support for their Legislative efforts and not a direct argument on any specific legislation that can be provided during the legislative process. However, if we will spend time on this agenda item, then we can make any updates.

 

[Adam Benefield]

Thanks for the added information Councilors.