20 replies to this topic

[John T Roberts]

The Fort Worth Report has a story on a small 24 unit townhome complex to be built on the northeast corner of Hemphill & Morningside Drive.  The link is below:

 

https://fortworthrep...hood-questions/

[Stadtplan]

I wonder if they are going to also discuss the 13 acre Livano development at 3320 Hemphill while they are at Victory Arts? Or maybe they dont know about it yet? (Because they dont read the Fort Worth Forum.)

https://www.fortwort...l=&fromsearch=1

We still have residents of Fort Worth who are not up to speed on how to use the internet or computer even for that matter. The Hemphill Corridor Development Collaborative will meet at 5 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Victory Forest Community Center, 3427 Hemphill St., to further discuss this case, Peralta said.

[Stadtplan]

S-T picked up the story too:

 

https://www.star-tel...e271048867.html

[Crestline]

From the ST article, seems like either Avitia or the City is wrong about how the zoning change was communicated:

 

Avitia opposed the project during the zoning commission hearing, saying residents were not properly alerted about the proposed zoning change because signage was not posted on the property.

 

Versus:

 

Notices can be either sent or posted. According to the city’s zoning report, mail notifications were sent to residents within 300 feet of the site and notifications were emailed to surrounding organizations.

 

Anybody have a clue about whether the City screwed up here, or if Avitia is just grandstanding?

[Stadtplan]

I'm pretty sure Zoning Commission is supposed to notify the neighborhood associations.  I would think some of the groups impacted by these changes would use some of the tools on the city website and Accella.  There's a few neighborhood association individuals that have lived in my area for several decades and even though they probably aren't extremely computer savvy, they seem to send and receive information from the ZC, Nextdoor App, NA gatherings just fine.  My point being, there's tons of resources online, I'd wish more people would us it.

[Stadtplan]

Follow-up story on community's response to this project:

https://www.star-tel...e271720717.html

[John T Roberts]

The City Council voted on Tuesday to delay approval of the project, and sent it back to the Zoning Commission.  Below is the link to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram article by Harrison Mantas.

 

https://www.star-tel...e272509594.html

[Stadtplan]

Hemphill Street townhome project pulled after developer faced timing delays

https://www.star-tel...=mainstage_lead

[Crestline]

Total NIMBY victory in defense of their neighborhood used car sales lot turned on-demand COVID-19 testing site.

[Jeriat]

Funny enough, I don't think it's NIMBY's, in this case.

[AndyN]

I would think townhomes would be a more desirable neighbor than a used car lot/covid site. 

[Austin55]

It's interesting to see how the NIMBY movement has expanded from primarily wealthy, elite types trying to keep lower income types out to also include low income neighborhoods trying to keep their homes affordable and stop gentrification. 

 

[rriojas71]

I live in the Historic Northside which has a similar vibe and ethnic composition so I do understand what some of their concerns may be but I have come to realize that most people who come from lower income areas operate from a scarcity mentality.  They believe that if they are forced out because they can't afford the rents then where would they go.  It makes more sense now because as many of you know home prices and rental rates have skyrocketed to the point where many people can no longer afford to move.  My home that I bought 5 years ago is now 2.5 times more than I paid for it.  That is a good thing on one hand but that has also made my taxes increase as well.  It doesn't affect me much because I am able to afford them but for most people living on a limited or fixed income even a small increase can be insurmountable.

 

The one thing that we are trying to put together here on the Northside is educating the neighborhood on the benefit of having something new come in as opposed to have building falling apart due to neglect. It is about easing people fears and listening to their concerns and not just bulldozing a way forward.  We are also implementing a program that once developers come into the area we nominate a few houses in the neighborhood to get a fresh paint job and a bit of landscape work to help bring some pride to the neighborhood and encouraging the younger generations to want to stay in neighborhood.  However, for that to happen we need an injection of capital and also job opportunities.

[rriojas71]

I would think townhomes would be a more desirable neighbor than a used car lot/covid site. 

Of course it is but all people in the neighborhood see is they are trying to build this to kick us out.  We all know new development is key to bring a neighborhood out of blight but we can't deny the fact that it also displaces many people who don't always have the means to move.  I am in real estate so I know the game, bring in new development that increases property taxes which the current population can't overcome so they have to sell.

[AndyN]

I completely understand that. When I bought my place in the Rock Island neighborhood, I actually got a death threat because they thought I was a developer. Bought in 2006 and get along great with the neighbors now.

[Austin55]

It's a complex issue and I'm not sure anyone really knows how to solve it.

[Crestline]

Funny enough, I don't think it's NIMBY's, in this case.

 

Per the subsequent discussion that's a fair point; I realize now that the categories "NIMBY" and "anti-development" don't perfectly overlap each other. 

 

I am in real estate so I know the game, bring in new development that increases property taxes which the current population can't overcome so they have to sell.

 

Hypothetically how would this play out in the case of these cancelled Hemphill & Morningside townhomes? The townhomes get built and sold, and then the tax appraisal district looks at those new, high townhome values as comparables when reappraising the older homes nearby?

[rriojas71]

 

 

 

I am in real estate so I know the game, bring in new development that increases property taxes which the current population can't overcome so they have to sell.

 

Hypothetically how would this play out in the case of these cancelled Hemphill & Morningside townhomes? The townhomes get built and sold, and then the tax appraisal district looks at those new, high townhome values as comparables when reappraising the older homes nearby?

 

Yes. I think that is where things lie.  At that crossroad.  Where in order to inject capital into an area; property values have to be increased.  I don't think there is a good or bad side...  they are just different sides

[Urbndwlr]

I get the fear of displacement.

I realize Hemphill No Se Vende does not reflect the opinions of all neighbors near Hemphill.  I sincerely hope HNSV's goal is purely to maintain affordability and nothing more.  Their statements such as this from a FWInc arcticle, talking about the effort to rezone land on Hemphill to MU form based codes: "But Ricardo Avitia says he’s not convinced. He says the move to rezone is “racist” and an effort to displace the area’s Hispanic community."

This is either misplaced suspicion that has grown into paranoia or straight up gas-lighting.  There is no way the City gives a flip about displacing Latinos from that corridor. 

Based on HNSV's frequent ranting on social media, it seems pretty clear that they are interested in only having Latino residents, business owners and from what I can tell, property owners and developers. 

 

The existing E commercial zoning is 100% inappropriate zoning in that location based on the new zoning categories FW now has.  E Commercial basically requires building a bad suburban strip-mall or restaurant pad site.  Keeping the current zoning wont keep nearby residential appraised values low, it will just promote really bad land use and development.  The commercial properties arent used in TAD's residential valuation so those wont impact residential values - if so at all would be indirectly many years down the road.  The alternative is decline and blight, BTW.

The townhouses might have been an inappropriate use or a bad project - i don't know.   But they should allow form-based codes to happen on the Hemphill itself, so that more pedestrian friendly commercial buildings can be built, whenever demand justifies construction. 

[Doohickie]

"But Ricardo Avitia says he’s not convinced. He says the move to rezone is “racist” and an effort to displace the area’s Hispanic community."

This is either misplaced suspicion that has grown into paranoia or straight up gas-lighting.  There is no way the City gives a flip about displacing Latinos from that corridor. 

Based on HNSV's frequent ranting on social media, it seems pretty clear that they are interested in only having Latino residents, business owners and from what I can tell, property owners and developers. 

In case you don't realize it, Ricardo Avitia = Hemphill No Se Vende.  He started it and is the driving force behind it.  When you mention social media ranting, rest assured it's Avitia's words.

 

He had a barber shop where Maggie's RnR is now.  He got squeezed out by Magnolia development.  He foresees the same thing happening along Hemphill and is trying to keep his business.  I'm not saying I agree with him or not, but I'm at least empathetic with where he's coming from and what he's trying to do.  The racial angle, consciously or not, tends to galvanize local support for his cause.

[Urbndwlr]

 

"But Ricardo Avitia says he’s not convinced. He says the move to rezone is “racist” and an effort to displace the area’s Hispanic community."

This is either misplaced suspicion that has grown into paranoia or straight up gas-lighting.  There is no way the City gives a flip about displacing Latinos from that corridor. 

Based on HNSV's frequent ranting on social media, it seems pretty clear that they are interested in only having Latino residents, business owners and from what I can tell, property owners and developers. 

In case you don't realize it, Ricardo Avitia = Hemphill No Se Vende.  He started it and is the driving force behind it.  When you mention social media ranting, rest assured it's Avitia's words.

 

He had a barber shop where Maggie's RnR is now.  He got squeezed out by Magnolia development.  He foresees the same thing happening along Hemphill and is trying to keep his business.  I'm not saying I agree with him or not, but I'm at least empathetic with where he's coming from and what he's trying to do.  The racial angle, consciously or not, tends to galvanize local support for his cause.

 

Thanks for that.  I didn't consider that the organization which appears like a movement, might largely be one individual.   

 

I remember that barber shop.  I don't know how long he was there, but regardless, if his main point of contention is that (I guess) he used to have a really cheap lease and eventually the rent went up or space was no longer available and he had to relocate his barber shop to a street with less expensive lease space..... wait, is that all?   There must be more than that. 

I might be misinterpreting this but if someone thinks a business owners should be entitled to perpetually cheap rent, what they're wishing for is not a fee market capitalist system.  Not throwing around the S word here but reading his online ranting, I'm pretty sure he would indeed qualify as a socialist.  (not vilifying that - just that isnt a reasonable expectation in the US, IMO).