Please send this petition to neighbors and plan your carpool to the hearings. The first CodeNEXT public hearings are • Saturday, APRIL 28 at 10 am, Dove Springs Recreational Center • Tuesday, MAY 1 at 4 pm, Palmer Events Center YOUR 3 MINUTES OF INPUT IS NEEDED! Today’s update is about the EXPANDED ALCOHOL USES allowed in Mixed Use (MU) and Main Street (MS) zones. • CodeNext Draft 3 allows nearly every major arterial in the central city to have a bar on every single property. These are permitted by right in MS3A, MS3B, MU3B, MU4B, and MU5A zones. MU4B even allows bars with late night hours by right. • Additional zones allow bars with a minor use permit approved by the staff (MU4A, MS1B, MS2B, MS2C) or conditional use permit approved by the land use commission (MU1B, MU1D, MU2B, and MU3A). • Microbrewery and winery are allowed in even more locations by right or with minor use permits. • Studies show that areas with more alcohol establishments are likely to have higher rates of violent crime. • Establishments allowed to serve alcohol can afford higher rents then neighborhood businesses like grocery, hardware, pharmacies, or cleaners often resulting in a loss of local businesses leaving nothing but bars in these locations. • Does Austin want bar districts everywhere? More info to come on: • Height increases and loss of compatibility • Density without affordability • Elimination of petition rights and public process • Parking reductions everywhere, and • Numerous, substantive errors, omissions and ambiguities in the draft code