Naked City

Could Austin soon face its largest citizen uprising since the SOS battle? Perhaps, and this time the issue is neighborhood planning. At noon on Monday, Feb. 25, representatives of neighborhood associations from across the city who are frustrated with the city's planning process will hold a press conference on the steps of City Hall (124 W. Eighth) at which they'll ask City Council to improve the planning process and pay greater heed to citizens input. Among those leading the charge is the North University Neighborhood Association (near UT), currently embroiled in a bitter fight over an ultra-high zoning designation requested by developers of the proposed Villas on Guadalupe, and due to come back to council on Feb. 28. "The Villas are an example of planning by developer pressure," said NUNA president Jerry Roemisch. As an example of how the city hasn't been listening to citizens, Roemisch points out that NUNA has tried to get a neighborhood plan under way, "but it's been impossible to get enlisted."