Texas legislature moving to gut local regulation of growth, water quality

[pmbryant]

From PinkDome.com:

Isn't that right, Sen. Kenneth Armbrister (D-Victoria)? Armbrister has proposed two bills that "effectively would gut the aquifer protection measures approved by the San Antonio City Council in early 1995 and by Austin voters in 1992, said Brad Rockwell, deputy director of the Save Our Springs Alliance in Austin."

Observers say passage of the bills would undo years of efforts by those in San Antonio to pass ordinances striking a balance between development and preservation, to limit the density and types of construction over the area where rainfall and streamflows refill the aquifer.

You may contact Senator Armbrister's office at [phone].

(12:30pm update after the jump)

Bluebonnet updates: From a contact, we have been warned that tomorrow two bills will be considered in Senate committee: SB848 and SB574. Our contact tells us that basically

SB 848 and SB 574 expand the current Texas "grandfathering" law that allows developers to lock in cities' development regulations that will apply to a project years and decades before the project is designed or built.

* SB 848 allows developers to submit incomplete or defective development applications by mail and lock in the city ordinances that are in effect on the postmark date of the application even if the project will not be constructed for decades. Also allows ordinances to be locked in when a developer merely acquires a promise that utilities will be provided to the site-a decision that doesn't have anything to do with project density or design.

* SB 574 allows developers to ignore current landscaping, tree preservation and park dedication ordinances; the bill also restricts a city's ability to set expiration dates for projects that sit dormant for years without any progress yet retain their "vested rights."

(see Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance)

Sen. Madla has gotten behind these bills and is trying to get them passed. Sneaky, sneaky.

I've also posted about this issue here and here. Please help stop these bills.

It is atrocious that two Democrats are leading the push for them.

--Peter