KEY POINTS:
- Two bills have been filed in the Texas Legislature that threaten to gut the property rights of millions of Texas homeowners
- If passed, they will allow large, multi-story structures just 50 feet from Austin’s existing homes, and make it nearly impossible for property owners to protest rezonings
- Concerned residents should contact State Senator Sarah Eckhardt and tell her they oppose Senate Bill 491 and House Bill 1514
The Texas Legislature is back in action, and it’s been swarmed by powerful special interests opposed to single-family neighborhoods—just like those that supported CodeNEXT, pushed for transition zones, and supported City Hall’s recent ordinance weakening local compatibility standards.
Earlier this year, two bills supported by those special interests were filed in an attempt to gut the property rights of urban homeowners and rob the state’s big cities of local control over land use.
Senate Bill 491 takes aim at compatibility standards, which govern the height and setback of big buildings near residential areas. If it passes, Austin land developers will be allowed to build large, multi-story structures just 50 feet from homes.
House Bill 1514 targets zoning protest rights, which have been enshrined in Texas Law for nearly a century. If it passes, it will make it next to impossible for the state’s property owners to protest rezonings—including those that allow wildly incompatible buildings next to their homes and small businesses.
Stay tuned! Community Not Commodity will soon provide further information on these bills, their supporters, and how Austin residents like you can stop them.
In the meantime, contact State Senator Sarah Eckhardt using the buttons below and tell her Senate Bill 491 and House Bill 1514 are bad for Texas property owners, bad for Texas communities, and bad for Texas!