Villa Muse

Austin American-Statesman covers an interesting development with development.   

There was a deal being worked to enable a project in eastern Travis County - within Austin's ETZ - extraterritorial area.*    Called Villa Muse, the project developers demanded it be exempt from Austin's  planning and development requirements. 

No Go.  Austin's City Council declined.  Now the developer is taking his toys and stomping away from Austin's "regulatory grasp".   

The backers of a proposed entertainment studio and production facility in eastern Travis County say they are negotiating with other Texas cities to move the project after Austin officials refused to temporarily release the project from its regulatory grasp.

Villa Muse Vice President Paul Alvarado-Dykstra would not reveal which other cities the developers are negotiating with but said there was more than one and all were in Texas.

"We haven't closed the door on Austin, but we kind of feel like Austin closed the door on us last Thursday," he said. ...

The council voted to try to find a way to reach a development agreement within the city's future growth boundaries, but Alvarado-Dykstra said the developers are not interested in pursuing such a deal.

City and state officials say Austin's film industry has been losing jobs in recent years to nearby states with better incentives and facilities.

...and maybe fewer rules than Texas!    

*  You remember "extraterritorial" areas?   Well, Texas still has 'em.  Our legislature, inspired by the development lobby, eliminated Albuquerque's extraterritorial powers the same year they kneecapped annexation and kidnapped the water utility.