First they publicly joked about forcing Austin’s elderly out of their homes. Now some of CodeNEXT’s real-estate-backed cheerleaders are attempting to impersonate one of the city’s oldest and most respected grassroots organizations.
Supporters of the controversial rezoning-and-redevelopment plan recently launched AustinNeighborhoodsCouncil.com, a website that adopts the exact same name as the real Austin Neighborhoods Council (ANC), a 44-year-old organization that advocates for the city’s individual neighborhood associations. ANC maintains its real website here, and its members have been highly skeptical of CodeNEXT thus far, drawing the ire of “Evolve Austin” and other groups that are paid by the real estate industry to promote the plan.
The fraudulent ANC website is a collection of racist propaganda, falsehoods about longtime neighborhood advocates, and amateurish graphic design. Though some have dismissed the site as satire, ANC has heard from dozens of concerned residents who believed it to be genuine. It’s a land-developer-funded attempt to undermine the real group among everyday Austinites, and it feels more like something cooked up by the alt-right than a serious effort to persuade neighborhood and civic leaders of CodeNEXT.
“This fake site does more than simply mischaracterize us,” said ANC President Jeff Jack. “It demeans ANC, and its malicious personal attacks and sleazy content are at odds with everything we represent. Its authors are clearly opposed to what we do, which is advocate for neighborhood associations throughout town.”
Among those fooled by the fake website was Richard Suttle, one of Austin’s most powerful real-estate lawyers. Known for his controversial effort to build a soccer stadium on Lady Bird Lake, Suttle apparently emailed content from the site to the members of the Austin City Council, thinking it was published by the real ANC. Councilmember Alison Alter called him out on the matter during a recent council meeting—and Suttle’s response elicited loud boos from the local residents in the audience:
“The well-funded supporters of CodeNEXT are terrified of the public,” said Community Not Commodity President Fred Lewis. “They know their scheme to replace Austin’s single-family neighborhoods is opposed by Austinites, so now they are using smear tactics and misinformation to try to fool people. This fake website reveals their true character. They’re doing all they can to undermine the individuals, families, and local businesses that have made Central and East Austin their home. CodeNEXT’s supporters want their land, and they’re apparently willing to go to any length to get it.”
It’s time for everyday Austinites to stop and think about the sort of people behind these attacks.
Would you trust them to implement a citywide rezoning plan that threatens to increase the demolition of Austin’s single-family homes, accelerate the displacement of its longtime residents, and worsen its traffic congestion?
Nope—neither would we.