The Weaver apartment complex (located at 1401 Art Dilly Drive, Austin TX), which is owned and operated by Equity Residential has become overrun by a pattern of life-threatening safety concerns. As residents of The Weaver, we all desire to feel safe in our own homes. Although we’d like to trust that Equity Residential has the best intentions, residents have continually expressed concerns to upper management about safety that have been left unaddressed and ignored. This petition outlines the grievances we are making and the solutions we are proposing.

RESTORE OUR SAFETY DURING THE CHICANO CAR SHOW

As residents of Austin, Texas we have a deep respect for rich history and traditions of the car show at Edward Rendon Sr. Park (known to many as Chicano Park) located in the 1600 block of Nash Hernandez Sr. Road. The car show represents the best of Austin, its people, and why our nation looks to this city as a melting pot for culture and acceptance. Our community at the Weaver acknowledges that the car show existed long before the apartment complex was constructed and we hope that it lives on for generations to come.

Despite its positive impact on the community, the car show at Chicano Park has become life threatening to the residents of the Weaver, their pets, and individuals present in the neighborhood. Shootings and violence at the car show are historically well documented. In April of 2021, Austin Police Department (APD) released a statement seeking the community's support in a manhunt for suspects in a stabbing and subsequent shooting where families were present, noting "During the fight, a knife was produced and Harper was stabbed. Harper fired a pistol in their direction as the stabbing suspects fled on foot. In the process, a bullet struck a bystander who was transported with non-life threatening injuries." (source: Austin Police Department)

In May of 2023, a manhunt was announced for the suspect of a shooting that resulted in life-threatening gunshot wounds and again APD requested the community's support. (source: KXAN Austin)

Today, residents at The Weaver report the sound of gunshots emanating from the car show on a weekly basis. Residents in units with visibility to the car show must, quite literally, "duck and cover" both themselves and their pets out of fear that a stray bullet will strike themselves and their loved ones. Additionally, residents and neighborhood-goers, unprompted, have been violently threatened by participants in the car show.

Most recently, on April 3, 2024, when these concerns were brought up in Equity Residential's online forum for residents, management responded with a cookie-cutter, PR-scripted response devoid of genuine concern or accountability, designed to placate without addressing the core issue. The Weaver has proven to offer a formulaic blend of generic apologies, deflections, and promises of "taking the matter seriously" while offering little substantive resolution or action regarding a situation that is quite literally life-threatening. See screenshotted response below.

We are not asking for the car show to be cancelled, stopped, or relocated. We are asking for Equity Residential to work with local law enforcement and the City of Austin to enforce the law and ensure the safety of Weaver residents by taking the following action.

→ Requests / Proposed Solutions:

1. Install 24/7 security cameras on the exterior of The Weaver, with visibility to the Chicano Park car show.
2. Station private security and request police patrols to monitor the car show for its entire duration (Sundays from approximately 4 PM CT to 9 PM CT).

If the aforementioned requests are not met, the residents of the Weaver will consider (a) filing complaints with local government offices, (b) requesting a court to hold our rent in escrow, and to order Equity Residential to uphold their responsibilities as a landlord, and (c) legal action against Equity Residential for failure to ensure the safety of its residents and meet its obligations, by law, as a landlord [Consumer Protection Laws, Landlord-Tenant Laws, Fair Housing Laws, Negligence Laws, and Civil Liability Laws].

As Weaver residents, all we want is to feel safe in our homes and for Equity Residential to demonstrate that they care for the safety and well-being of its residents. Both ourselves and Equity Residential can work together towards a solution, but only if they are willing. Let’s stand up for what we deserve as residents of the Weaver, as residents of Austin, and work to shape the solutions!