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Kennedale resident complains of contractor housing, noise and maintenance issues at 1422 Swinney Hyde
Summary
At the Dec. 17 council meeting, resident Danny Renfro said 1422 Swinney Hyde — in an R-3 single-family zone — was sold to an Austin construction company whose owner allows many workers to stay there, causing noise, trash and fence concerns; staff and planning-and-zoning review were referenced.
A Kennedale resident told the City Council on Dec. 17 that a house at 1422 Swinney Hyde, recently sold to an out-of-town construction company, has been operated in a way that upends the neighborhood's quiet, single-family character.
Danny Renfro, who identified himself as a neighbor on Swinney Hyde, described repeated noise and yard-maintenance problems since the August sale. "It can sometimes be 20, 30 people over there at a time, and the loud music and the noise is not very pleasant," Renfro said. He also told council the owners take weeks to mow and allow trash to accumulate in the backyard and that they were erecting a "7 foot metal fence on 3 sides." He said neighbors met with staff (Nathan, Todd and Brad) and that staff had indicated the matter had gone through planning and zoning under an amended code that allows "decorative metal." Renfro said he disputed whether that language covered the fence being built.
Renfro said his wife is often at home alone and that the situation makes her uncomfortable. He asked the city to note neighbors' concerns on the record and said he expected planning and zoning would be the venue for any zoning or code determinations.
Mayor and staff acknowledged the comment and directed public concerns to staff for follow-up; council did not take formal action on the complaint during the meeting. City staff were referenced as having met with the neighborhood and as the appropriate point of contact for enforcement and interpretation of the code.
What happens next: The council did not vote on enforcement during the meeting; neighbors stated they had met with city staff and planning-and-zoning review was mentioned as the regulatory avenue for fence and occupancy questions.
