Pros and Cons of VMU

We’ve now had 5 coffee meeting in neighborhood homes, where groups of neighbors learned about Vertical Mixed Use and the opt-in/out process. To see a copy of this presentation, click here. We also talked about what the effects of VMU development could be for Allandale. Lots of pros and cons were discussed – see below.

VMU Pros and Cons

Here is what your neighbors have been saying.

Pros:

• Make Burnet Road a more attractive place
• Make it easier to shop and eat nearby
• Support a better growth pattern for Austin
• Create places where I or my loved ones might want to live
• Increase tax base and stabilize tax rates
• Reduce traffic by bringing people closer to work and transit
• Attract more small local businesses
• Encourage better public transportation
• Attract more upscale condos and apartments
• Help reduce crime along the corridors

Con:

• Cause failures in water and sewer service
• Intrude on the privacy of nearby homes
• Increase rush-hour congestion on main roads
• Increase traffic spillover into the neighborhood
• Encourage changes to existing single family zoning
• Add residents who don’t get involved with the community
• Attract big apartment complexes
• Cause parking overflows into the neighborhood
• Add unwelcome levels of activity and noise for nearby homes
• Drive out existing businesses that I like