Neighborhood Misled by City, Developer

[Wilbur]

Councilor John Eagleton is proposing a height cap on all future building projects that would include the dirt brought in as part of the overall height.

As for the development, about the only thing that could be done to rectify the nuisance is for the builder to bring in more dirt to build up the fenceline and do some serious tree planting, along with correcting the drainage so the rest of the neighborhood doesnt flood.  That would certainly make more sense than the developer paying some slap-on-the-wrist fine.

That's the problem with our city, they don't take REAL punitive action.

One of my neighbors built a business in his backyard, way out of code.  All the neighbors complained.  The result....  He was told "Don't you do that again."

The city has no real wayvoes when it comes to telling someone to tear that thing down.  They just tell them, "Don't do that again."  Until that changes, everyone is this city knows they can just build and ask forgiveness later.

[PonderInc]

The problem is that once a PUD is approved, it's valid forever. Even if you don't take action for 17 years (or whatever).  That PUD was sitting there, giving the developer the right to do exactly what he did. 

Unfortunately, most people don't understand how the system works.  They don't know what a PUD is or how it works (I challenge you to read the city ordinance covering PUD's and try to understand it, without help from INCOG staff or a lawyer).  They don't know how to find out if any PUDs have been approved in their neighborhood. (Another challenge: try to figure out what's planned for your own neighborhood... Let's assume that like most folks, you don't have a clue about TMAPC or INCOG.  It's an eye-opening experience in frustration.)  And they don't expect that something from 1990 is still going to happen after the surrounding areas have changed so much in the past two decades.  Most people would assume that the developer died or went out of business after all this time.

If you have any suggestions on how to solve the above problems, speak up.  I think Liz Wright started a thread asking for just this sort of input.  (Not the complaints, just the solutions.)