Campus Area Neighborhoods Very Diverse

Dear Editor,
   Mike Clark-Madison's recent articles in the Chronicle regarding the Central Austin Neighborhood plan have mischaracterized the neighbors and neighborhoods that the plan represents ["A Healthy Heart," News, Jan. 23 and "UT Neighbors Balancing Act," News, Jan. 16]. To call the surrounding residential areas "upscale" and "wealthy" is to ignore the great diversity that exists throughout the planning area – a diversity that the plan seeks to protect. Yes, there are a few pockets of larger and grander expensive homes, but these are a minority compared to the many small modest bungalows that dot the entire planning district. Rather than "working overtime to keep students out," our plan accepts the student's apartment complexes that already exist, and even allows for greater density in certain areas outside of West Campus.
   In fact, most UT area homeowners I know welcome student renters in their garage apartments and extra rooms. Admittedly, this frequently is necessitated by the exorbitant property taxes Central Austinites pay compared to the rest of the city. Clark-Madison is, however, absolutely correct in his assessment of the artificial housing shortage in West Campus – a situation that the proposed University Neighborhood Overlay will positively address.