Michael Karlis
District 10 Councilman Marc Whyte, who led the cost in opposition to the Vista Park Condominium advanced undertaking, speaks to reporters final month.
Critics are accusing some Metropolis Council members of housing discrimination after capturing down a proposed low-income residence advanced in an prosperous Northeast San Antonio neighborhood on Thursday.
In a prolonged tweet, Democratic State Rep. Diego Bernal wrote that the distinction between what council did throughout its Zoning and Land Use Session and redlining — the unlawful follow by which housing lenders discriminated in opposition to minorities – was “virtually indistinguishable.”
5. The distinction between this and redlining is sort of indistinguishable.
6. You’re all the time allowed to alter your thoughts while you be taught new info. That’s what accountable management is.
.@COSAGOV
— Diego Bernal (@DiegoBernalTX) September 20, 2024
In the meantime, District 9 Councilman and mayoral candidate John Braveness described his colleagues’ choice to scrap the affordable-housing undertaking as “shortsighted.”
I’m extraordinarily upset in Council’s choice to disregard our long-term dedication to accommodate probably the most susceptible in our neighborhood. It’s shortsighted to disclaim an reasonably priced housing undertaking due to NIMBYism.
— Councilman John Braveness (@JohnCourageD9) September 19, 2024
Council was scheduled to vote on zoning approval that might have allowed the proposed 85-unit Vista Park Flats advanced to maneuver ahead. Nevertheless, 4 council members – District 6 Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda, District 7’s Marina Alderete Gavito, District 8’s Manny Pelaez of District 8 and District 10’s Marc Whyte — voted in opposition to the change, dooming the undertaking.
Whyte led the cost in opposition to the proposed advanced, which additionally would have included the development of a preschool. Regardless of a clamor for extra reasonably priced housing within the metropolis, Whyte argued the undertaking would have precipitated site visitors complications.
“I wish to be actually clear: I’ve nothing in opposition to reasonably priced housing … however this specific website on Nacogdoches Street will not be applicable for this undertaking,” mentioned Whyte, whose district would have included the brand new growth.
Whyte additional argued that no less than 15 different residence complexes stand inside a two-mile radius of the Nacogdoches Street plot the place the brand new growth was proposed. What’s extra, the three-story constructing would “tower over” close by single-family houses, he added.
“I’ve over 115 calls, emails and voicemails to my workplace from members of the encompassing neighborhood speaking to me concerning the nightmare that it’s to get out each morning to go to work and to come back house within the evenings,” Whyte mentioned.
Within the lead-up to the vote, District 10 residents additionally expressed considerations about the potential for an uptick in crime if the undertaking was constructed, the Categorical-Information reported.
The axing of Vista Park comes every week after council voted to maneuver ahead on a brand new, $160 million minor-league baseball stadium. That undertaking will displace residents of the Cleaning soap Manufacturing unit Flats, which provided low-cost housing for service trade and hospitality employees regardless that it did not match the technical definition of low-income housing.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg — one of many ballpark undertaking’s staunchest supporters — expressed dismay that his colleagues’ would not permit Vista Park to maneuver ahead.
“I am very upset if we are saying no to an reasonably priced housing advanced that has $20 million already assigned to it, that for the primary time in our metropolis’s historical past has early childhood schooling hooked up to it, that’s on a transit line,” Nirenberg mentioned. “If our commonplace for making the correct choice is that there isn’t a controversy, there can be paralysis transferring ahead on each massive choice coming to this physique.”
Nirenberg wasn’t alone.
District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo, one of many council’s most progressive members and a vocal critic of the ballpark undertaking, tweeted out her displeasure on the vote.
“Nicely whether or not it is backed or naturally occurring reasonably priced housing this Council is not having any,” she wrote.
Nicely whether or not it’s backed or naturally occurring reasonably priced housing this Council isn’t having any! 🫨
— Councilwoman Teri Castillo (@TeriCastilloD5) September 19, 2024
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