Cherry Creek View

Congratulations 3207 Silkgrass Bend for Winning June Yard of the Month!

2011-05-10T12:43:00.004-05:00

by the “Garden Gals”

The Yard of the Month winners for June should be the stars of their own reality show on HGTV—it would be called “Extreme Yard Makeovers”! Jeannie and Scott Morman, of 3207 Silkgrass Bend, removed or replanted much of the vegetation in their lawn in order to create a wonderful landscape that was more suited to some of our native plants and trees.

A section of their lawn is a xeriscape bed that includes drought-tolerant plants such as yucca, Texas sage, and Mexican feather grass. The live oak that sits in the middle of their lawn is no longer crowded and will be sure to get the sunlight and water it needs. Jeannie and Scott have also planted a variety of blooming plants that are perfect for Texas landscapes, such as crape myrtle, blue plumbago and turk’s cap. The blue plumbago plant’s indigo blossoms, turk’s cap’s crimson blooms, and the rose of sharon’s fuchsia hibiscus flowers will be sure to attract an array of brightly-colored butterflies and even hummingbirds. They might even have to set up tours of their butterfly garden!

They didn’t tear out and discard their nandina bushes, but rather they transplanted them to a more desirable location in their yard. They also took on the task of laying all new sod in their front yard. In order to provide water for their new garden, they tapped into a natural resource—rain water! They installed new gutters on their house and connected them to a rain barrel to collect water for their yard.

As for feeding their vegetation, they turn away from artificial fertilizers and instead use natural compost with turkey manure from the Natural Gardener store. Those turkeys can sure help us grow some nice lawns! After we spoke to Jeannie and Scott who graciously showed us around their property, it was clear that they are passionate about creating a beautiful yard as well as helping the environment by using “green” methods of keeping their garden green!

Wow-- just writing about all the hard work they put into creating their new yard makes us tired! Thanks to Jeannie and Scott for allowing us to share this with our neighbors. Be sure to take a look at the newsletter online so you can see these photos in color at www.peelinc.com. Select “Communities”, then “Austin”, then “Cherry Creek on Brodie Ln.” to get to the menu of newsletters.

News From the Board

2011-04-12T21:58:00.001-05:00

Dear Neighbors:

Our thanks to all the folks who attended our Annual Meeting back on February 26th and a big thank you to all the new volunteers who stepped forward. Ed Neuhaus will be joining the board and will take over as our treasurer, a job that our current treasurer, Kristy Brown, has handled so well for the past several years. Kristy will remain on the board. Valerie Learman has also agreed to join the board. Other new folks who will be working with committees are Beth Bernstein, Rebecca Eaton, and Mona Higgins.

The main topic of discussion at the meeting was the need to get the front entrance area back in shape and the lights in working order. We also planned a work day for everyone on March 26th at the front entrance. Those of you members who were not able to attend the meeting, we will be contacting you by email or phone to fill you in on upcoming plans. We should also have the new Facebook page set up by the time you read this.

Everyone with young children be sure to mark your calendars for our 3rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt to be held on Saturday, April 23, 2011 at 10:00 AM in Cherry Creek Park (the park near the front of our subdivision where the marquee and internal mailbox are located). Please let us know if you are interested in helping with this social event. We will need volunteers to stuff plastic eggs with candy the week before the hunt and to help hide the eggs before the hunt begins on Saturday morning.

More good news is that we will be resuming our Yard of the Month program. The first YOM winner will be selected for the month of May, so get out there and get those spring gardens growing !

Am pleased to report that as of March 9, we had 56 member families who paid their dues for 2011.

Again, a GIANT thank you to all who have recently joined, paid their dues and volunteered by joining the board or a committee.

Sincerely,

Barbara Statum for the Board

Fire Ants are Back

2011-04-12T21:56:00.000-05:00

I was working in the yard pruning roses last week and I got stung by my first fire ant of the season. While I knew it was inevitable, I was hoping that it would occur a bit later in the year. But, it’s true. Fire ants have begun to yet again, dot the landscape with their mounds.

Spring time is when people see fire ants swarming. Swarming is a reproductive process that usually occurs on warm spring days after a rain event. Winged males and females leave the mound and fly into the air to mate. After mating, they fall to the ground where the males die and females break off their wings. Females then begin to search for a location to establish a new colony. They dig a small chamber in the soil, lay a few eggs and rear those young until they become mature worker ants. At that point the workers take over colony functions and the queen continues to expand the population of the colony by laying more eggs.

While searching for a new colony location , many mated fire ant queens are killed by lizards, birds, spiders, other ants, and often my shoe stomping them. The queens that survive can be managed by broadcasting fire ant bait over your entire property. New colonies are usually very small and may not have substantial mounds that you would be able to locate to treat individually. The worker ants forage for food, so they would have the opportunity to locate fire ant bait and carry back to the colony to share with others.

For more information or help with identification, contact Wizzie Brown, Texas AgriLife Extension Service Program Specialist at 512.854.9600. Check out my blog at HYPERLINK "http://www.urban-ipm.blogspot.com" www.urban-ipm.blogspot.com

Carmen Martin

President's Corner

2011-04-12T21:37:00.000-05:00

Dear Neighbors:

Hope you are all enjoying the new flowers and other plantings at the entrance to our neighborhood. We really appreciate all the folks who turned out for the two Work Days back in March. The hard work has definitely paid off and in fact we have discussed having a Work Day

quarterly from here on out. We'll keep you posted on future dates.

We also lucked out in that a City of Austin Code Enforcement team happened by with their truck and hauled away a pile of old real estate signs that had been languishing up front for many years !

It's hard to believe, but we will be wrapping up another school year soon and want to remind everyone how important it is for us drivers to SLOW DOWN when driving into and around the neighborhood. We are all aware of the bottleneck at the entrance, but it is equally important to be aware of children who are out and about on foot, on their bikes or skateboarding, as well as the many residents who walk their dogs in the mornings and evenings. One moment of inattention could have dire consequences. I'm sure many of you heard about the accident back in April when a speeding car rolled over at the

intersection of Silk Oak Drive and Lightwood Loop. Please let's not

have any more crashes.

Also want to thank all you who have been clipping and donating your Boxtops for Education. I am always happy when I check the Cherry Creek mailbox on the marquee and find several envelopes or baggies

stuffed full ! And speaking of the internal mail box, please

remember that it is for internal mail only. Over the past few months we have found letters, bills and cards meant for the USPS, which we have mailed, but we don't check that mail drop unless the flag is up ... so, please use the outgoing USPS mailbox slots in the various mail stations throughout the subdivision. Would hate for someone's bills to be paid late !

As we go into the summer months, remember we have our Annual Fourth of July Parade and Picnic coming up, so please make plans now to join us. Again, details will follow and we're always looking for volunteers and new ideas to help with that event.

We are also happy to announce that Yard of the Month is back beginning this month. Many thanks to our newest board members for volunteering for this committee.

Hope you all have a Happy Mother's Day !

Sincerely,

Barbara Statum for the Board

2011-04-12T21:31:00.000-05:00

THANK YOU

Pilar and Rolando Rodriguez

Becky Briley

Bonny Edwards

Valerie, Zane, & Talon Learman

Ed Neuhaus

Ken Trautwein

Carmen Martin

Barbara Statum

Thank you to my wonderful volunteers that took time

out of their busy lives to help make the front entrance

of Cherry Creek on Brodie a neighborhood we can

be proud of. Also, Thank you to those that wanted to

be there to help but couldn’t due to other commitments.

Carla Trautwein

Congratulations to 3202 Grasshopper for Winning our Yard of the Month Award!

2011-04-08T13:32:00.001-05:00

During my strolls, I always stop to admire the many lovely green lawns and colorful flowering plants of the houses here in Cherry Creek on Brodie Lane. It was a very hard decision, but after walking the neighborhood and careful deliberation, my fellow “Garden Gal” and I have come up with the first Yard of the Month winner for 2011. Congratulations to Evangelina and Luis Mata, Jr. of 3202 Grasshopper!

Their yard is beautifully maintained, and splashes of blossoming color abound in the front and side yards. There is a whimsical swan planter in the front with loads of pink petunia blossoms spilling over the sides, and a vine-covered, arched trellis in the side yard. I am sure the White-winged doves who use the cute, angel-themed birdbath enjoy the beautiful blooming fuchsia Knockout roses, blushing impatiens and vermilion geraniums. We loved the adorable animal statues—wide-eyed owls and happy frogs adorn their garden.

This yard beckons me to sit on their front patio bistro table, sip chamomile tea, and enjoy the springtime view...but they probably would have thought this was odd since they didn’t know me at the time we first spotted their fantastic greenery. After we spoke to Evangelina (Eva) and Luis, who graciously showed us around their property, it was clear that they are passionate about creating a beautiful environment around their home.

Eva is inspired by her parents who always do a wonderful job maintaining their yard—her green thumb is in her genes! One tip that Eva shared with us was to use crushed egg shells to fertilize the flowers. First, crush the egg shells and leave them overnight to dry. Then, add them to a gallon of water and sprinkle plants liberally with the mixture. I will for sure be trying this at my house—come on over for an omelette and help me try to improve my yard!

Thanks to Eva and Luis for allowing us to share this with our neighbors!

by the “Garden Gals”

Austin Energy Tree Trimming Notice

2011-04-01T15:16:00.002-05:00

Austin Energy Tree Trimming Notice

Neighbors, Austin Energy is going to be in our neighborhood doing some tree trimming around power lines. Please read the attached document (pdf linked through Google docs) for more information.

Front Entrance Landscaping

2011-03-27T22:29:00.000-05:00

Many thanks to all the folks who took the time to come out and work hard this past Saturday morning. Your efforts really improved the look of our front entrance! A special thanks to Ed and Valerie for picking up the mulch!

2010 Christmas Lights Contest

2010-11-09T13:09:00.001-06:00

Christmas is right around the corner! Please click on the following link to view and print a copy of the new ballot.

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/document-preview.aspx?doc_id=60607531

Wildflower center’s new arboretum to become scientific hub for arborists, researchers

2010-10-15T08:45:00.001-05:00

Read about the exciting new project underway at the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center: Wildflower center’s new arboretum to become scientific hub for arborists, researchers

Halloween Highlights

2010-10-14T21:12:00.002-05:00

Check out local events in Halloween Highlights from the Community Impact.

Sunset Valley recreational venue to help local business, provide playscape

2010-10-14T19:18:00.002-05:00

Upcoming construction of Sunset Valley recreational venue to help local business, provide playscape from Community Impact.

2011 Board of Directors and Officers

2010-10-14T15:35:00.004-05:00

At this time, the Cherry Creek on Brodie Lane Neighborhood Association's Board of Directors consists of the following individuals. Officers are indicated with their office in parenthesis.

Barbara Statum (President)
Silk Oak Cove

Carla Trautwein (Vice President)
Lightwood Loop

Kristyn Brown (Treasurer)
Silkgrass Bend

Carmen Ramos (Secretary)
Silkgrass Bend

Carmen Martin (Newsletter Editor)

Silkgrass Bend

Deed Restrictions

2008-10-13T17:59:00.000-05:00

The deed restrictions covering properties in the Cherry Creek on Brodie neighborhood are now available online.

President's Corner

2008-08-10T08:41:00.001-05:00

Dear Neighbor,

Our deed restrictions are a set of rules and guidelines to which all property owners in the Cherry Creek on Brodie Lane neighborhood are subject. They were created by Milburn Homes to ensure continuing quality and proper maintenance of the neighborhood, and you should be able to find your specific set of restrictions with your title documentation from when you purchased your home.

The Cherry Creek on Brodie Lane Neighborhood Association was given the right and the responsibility to enforce these deed restrictions, which is why we occasionally send reminder letters to neighbors who are out of compliance. In the heat of the moment, those who receive these letters may feel like they have been singled out or targeted, perhaps by a board member or a neighbor, but that is not the intent. Rather, the intent is to provide a friendly (but seriously intentioned) reminder that the recipient has some work to do to get their property up to snuff.

Both to improve our enforcement of the deed restrictions as well as to procedurally ensure that enforcement action is uniform and fair, I am instituting a quarterly audit in which we will inspect the whole neighborhood (as seen from the street) and send out a single batch of warning letters. If you should happen to receive one of these letters, we hope that you will take in the the spirit that it was intended and use it as an opportunity to maintain your house to the same standard to which you'd expect your neighbors to maintain their own.

All the Best,
Percy Wegmann

Independence Day, Land Ownership and Control

2008-07-10T08:19:00.000-05:00

We've had another great 4th of July celebration. We don't have official counts, but my eyeballs tell me that we had one of our best turnouts ever for both the parade and the picnic. The Austin police department provided us with a large police escort and music, Erica provided fun for the kids and the weather cooperated with tolerable temperatures and clear skies.

We had great informal discussion amongst our friends and neighbors, and we also spent some time discussing what to do with the eight and one half acres to the south of Kangaroo Lane. The message from our neighbors was loud and clear - the land needs to remain as open space. We have since met with a representative of the current owner and are working out a plan to ensure that this happens.

Spending time in our wonderful park celebrating our country's independence did remind me that from time to time, people with ill intentions use the park not for recreation but for other purposes. It is an oft cited cliche that freedoms which go unused tend to disappear. Well, we enjoy the freedom to use our beautiful park, and I am confident that the more we do this, the more we show that it is ours and that it is meant for recreation, the more likely we are to be able to keep it as we like it. So my call to action is this - go out and use the park! And if you ever encounter anyone engaged in activities that make you uncomfortable, contact the police.

All the Best,
Percy Wegmann

President's Corner

2008-06-07T08:14:00.000-05:00

The July 4th weekend will soon be upon us, and as is tradition, our neighborhood will have a parade and a picnic. In addition to being a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our freedoms, it will also be an opportunity for us to exercise them by taking some time to discuss what to do about a parcel of land at the end of Kangaroo Lane that was offered to our neighborhood a long time ago. At the picnic, your board will present various options for what to do with the land and facilitate an open discussion amongst our members and residents.

While we're on the subject of freedom, I know that many of you feel that your freedom to turn out of and into our neighborhood isn't what it should be. As previously mentioned, the city is working on installing a traffic light. In addition to this, we have been able to confirm that the developer of the shopping center across from our entrance has engaged an engineering firm and applied for permits to begin construction of a left-turn lane on northbound Brodie. The timing of this is unclear, but we will stay on top of it to make sure the project progresses.

Freedom also means participation, and one of the ways that people participate is by contributing to their neighborhood by volunteering for our association. One of our volunteers, Linda Criss, served as a board member and as our newsletter editor for the last year. She is now moving on to other things and will be succeeded by Carmen Martin. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Linda for her work on the newsletter and in building a more friendly, cohesive community here in Cherry Creek. I would also like to thank Carmen for stepping up and volunteering to take over and also to say that I'm excited to have her on board (no pun intended). Linda and Carmen will be creating our July newsletter together and Carmen will take over editorial responsibilities starting with the August edition.

As other board members reach the end of their terms, we will need more volunteers throughout the rest of the year. If you want to participate, please contact us at board @ cherrycreekonbrodie.org. There's never a better time to get involved than now.

Cheers,
Percy Wegmann

President, Cherry Creek on Brodie Lane Neighborhood Association

President's Corner

2008-05-08T22:25:00.000-05:00

We've got a lot going on right at the front of our neighborhood, and I'd like to recognize the individuals that are making it happen.

You may have noticed a bunch of new plantings at the front entrance. As the signs say, these are your dues at work, so the first thank you belongs to all the paying members of our neighborhood association. The second thank you belongs to the landscaping committee, who procured competitive bids, organized the work and continue to maintain a watchful eye to make sure the landscapes are being properly maintained. The committee includes Charlotte Petersen, Kristy Brown, Fritz Parker, Carla Trautwein and Erica Taylor. In addition to our paying members, you can also thank Fritz, Carla and Erica for organizing the rehabilitation of our marquee sign.

The other major development you may have noticed is some construction at all four corners of the Brodie and Silk Oak intersection. As most of you have probably figured out, these are the foundations for a traffic light! Most people upon hearing this news jump for joy and then proceed to ask what finally made the city give in. The official story is that traffic volumes finally met one of the warrants required to justify installing a light. The unofficial story is that your neighbor, Robert Ruiz, stepped up and escalated the matter to the mayor's office, which promptly sent someone down to our neighborhood to observe the situation first-hand. So, the next time you see Robert, give him a big thank you and, if you're so inclined, ask him if he'd like to join the board!

The work on the traffic lights is supposedly scheduled to complete sometime before the end of June. Meanwhile it's on to the next battle -- getting a north-bound left-turn lane put in on Brodie.

All the Best,
Percy Wegmann

2008 Membership Strong

2008-04-06T12:03:00.000-05:00

When our neighborhood association voted to increase dues to $60 per year, it caused some concern as to whether or not we would continue to see strong membership participation. I am happy to report that as of the first quarter of 2008, we are already at over 80 member households and growing. This is fantastic news for two reasons:

1. It shows that past members are still committed to the neighborhood and
2. It means that we have achieved our goal of improved funding for neighborhood maintenance and other activities

Consistent funding is vital - while the City of Austin maintains our parks, our neighborhood association is solely responsible for maintaining the landscaping at our front entrance and organizing and funding activities like the annual 4th of July parade and picnic.

Board Unanimously Approves Joint Resolution on the Davis Lane / Westgate Corridor Planning Process

2008-04-06T11:57:00.000-05:00

The Cherry Creek on Brodie Lane Neighborhood Association board unanimously adopted the below resolution:

Joint Resolution
On the Davis Lane / West Gate Corridor Planning Process

Grateful that the City of Austin has made available funds for the improvement of roadways in the area bounded on the west by Brodie Lane, to the east by Manchaca Road, to the North by Davis/Deer Lane and to the south by Slaughter Lane (the “Planning Area”, shown on the attached map);

Recognizing that the Planning Area has experienced and continues to experience rapid growth and is in dire need of infrastructure investments;

Cognizant that Cowan Elementary School is located within the Planning Area and that Austin Independent School District (AISD) officials have indicated a need for improved school bus and vehicular circulation at Cowan;

Determined that available funds be invested in a manner that addresses the priorities of residents in the Planning Area;

Further determined that available funds not be diverted to projects outside of the Planning Area;

Knowledgeable about specific proposed projects that have been presented to residents of the Planning Area, neighborhood leaders and AISD officials by City of Austin Public Works Department staff;

Acting on the currently available information, anecdotal information from area residents, and limit traffic data and projections from the City of Austin and the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO);

Now therefore do the undersigned, representing more than 5,000 households, commuters, business owners, parents, and school children, come together to make the following resolution:

We the undersigned resolve that the City of Austin Public Works Department present the Urban Transportation Commission with a comprehensive proposal that addresses the Planning Area priorities below in a manner that places an emphasis on the safety of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, especially as it involves children, and with an overall timeline that reflects the given priorities:

Priority One: Improve access, mobility, and safety along Davis Lane by widening the road section bounded on the west by Brodie Lane and the east by Zeke Bend, to include improving access to Cowan Elementary by providing turn lanes where Kentish Road intersects Davis Lane for safe access to the school, and creating AISD's requested circulation areas at the school itself for buses and cars; and

Priority Two: Apply any unspent funds to widen the road section of Davis Lane bounded on the west by Leo Street and the east by Manchaca Road.

We the undersigned further resolve that the City of Austin Public Works Department revise and accelerate the timelines for the following unanimously accepted and fully funded projects to avoid skyrocketing construction costs and dangerous increases in local traffic:

- The widening and realignment of the section of Davis Lane from Brodie Lane to Corran Ferry Drive; and
- The final connection of the section of Davis Lane from Leo Street to Huebinger Pass.

Notes from Meeting with Public Works Department to Discuss Local Road Projects

2008-03-06T20:45:00.001-06:00

To begin, I'd like to extend a huge thank you to Dominic Chavez from Castlewood-Oak Valley. He has been organizing area residents to work with the City of Austin to come to a consensus around which of various city-proposed road projects would be most beneficial to our area.

The latest of his efforts was to broker a meeting between neighborhood leaders and staff from the Public Works Department, which just concluded. I here attempt to report the facts of the situation as explained by the various attendees:

Coming into the meeting, there was broad agreement that projects to realign Deer Ln west of Brodie with Davis Ln east of Brodie as well as to close the gap in Davis Ln between Huebinger Pass and Leo St. should proceed as planned.

The project for closing the gap between Huebinger and Leo is approximately 80% through the design process, but still requires land acquisition which usually takes about 1 year
The project to realing Davis with Deer is not scheduled to complete design until October of 2009 and also requires land acquisition, which could proceed while design is ongoing

The two big open issues were what to do with Westgate (complete the missing section, not complete the missing section, or something somewhere in-between) and what kinds of improvements could be made to Davis Ln east of Brodie
City staff indicated that both Brodie Ln and Manchaca are operating at service level "B", meaning that they are supporting acceptable (by the City's standards) traffic flow
City staff estimates indicated that a completed 4-lane Westgate Blvd would draw about 8700 trips per day. Long-range CAMPO (Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization) estimates are around 8900. For comparison, Brodie draws about 22,000, and a 2 lane Westgate would be expected to support approximately 10,000 trips per day at "acceptable" levels
Previously, some residents had suggested compromise solutions to the Westgate extension that were intended to address the concerns of AISD with regard to Cowan elementary but without completing Westgate. City staff clearly indicated that they do not consider these options to be viable specifically because they do not create a contiguous Westgate, which the city's plan calls for.
City staff also indicated that minor improvements to Davis Lane might be possible, but that widening it to 4 lanes is out of the question because CAMPO's plan only calls for it to be two lanes (between Brodie and Manchaca).
A representative from DR Horton, which is developing some condominiums across Westgate from Cowan, south of Davis, indicated that they posted approximately $400,000 in fiscal warrants from improvements to Deer, but nothing for Davis.
According to city staff, fiscal warrants from developers are rarely enough to fund whole projects since they only cover that development's impact to area traffic.
City staff indicated that from a timing perspective, it was unlikely that the Westgate funding would be used for any new projects that have not already been funded. However, due to the nature of the construction process and a trend of increasing costs, the longer they wait to build the Westgate project, the more likely it is that the money will have been diverted to other (already funded) projects that may experience increased baseline costs or cost overruns and that at some point the Westgate extension becomes impossible.
City staff indicated that a design for a 4 lane contiguous Westgate has now been 100% completed and that they are just waiting on area residents to make a decision
City staff also indicated that redesigning Westgate as a 2 lane roadway would be possible and take about another 60 days. This was city staff's recommended option if residents didn't like the 4-lane Westgate
City staff requested that residents give them an answer within 30 days (best case) or 60 days if that's not possible. They would like to go before the Urban Transportation Commission with a consensus, but will go before them without one if necessary. What they would recommend in that case was unclear. Dominic Chavez will be setting up a follow-up meeting for just the neighborhood leaders to discuss further and hopefully come to a conclusion

Board Members Inspect Location of new Building at Brodie Heights

2008-03-01T12:15:00.000-06:00

Board members Barbara Statum and Carla Trautwein took a walk over to the newest building going in at the Brodie Heights condominium development north of Cherry Creek on Brodie. They report that the building appears to be no closer than any of the existing ones and looks like it is in compliance with setback requirements.

Notes from February 27 Austin Neighborhoods Council Meeting

2008-02-27T18:59:00.000-06:00

The Austin Neighborhoods Council held its monthly meeting yesterday. In addition to its regular business, the meeting included a panel of speakers from Austin Independent School District (AISD) addressing the audience and answering questions about the interim school bond election scheduled for May 10, 2008.

AISD Interim School Bond Discussion
Vincent Torres (AISD Board of Trustees, District 4, Vice President) explained the basics of the bond process:

When board decides that a bond might be needed, they form a citizens bond advisory committee (CBAC)
Advisory committee explores if and when a bond is needed and for what it is needed. This can include public hearings to collect public comment
Board considers recommendations and calls a bond election if necessary

Robert Schneider (AISD Board of Trustrees, District 7) delved into the history of this specific bond:

- It started out as an interim strategic bond
- It was originally scoped at 200 million dollars
- As a result of recent legislative action, school districts are required to get voter approval to raise taxes by any more than 1.17, which promted AISD to consider whether it might want to include more in the necessary election
- Several public forums were organized by the CBAC
- After receiving feedback from the CBAC, the board decided to pursue a larger bond election

Nan Clayton (CBAC) addressed some specifics of what is included on the bond:

- The so-called 4 x 4 state mandate requires new facilities
- Several facilities are operating at over 125 % of capacity, which is officially considered overcrowded
- The State legislature is requiring a transition to use of more software-based textbooks but without having funded the required technology

Mark Yzanga (CBAC) addressed some of the issues and lessons learned from the process:

- Citizen comment started as tepid, perhaps because no concrete proposals were provided at the beginning of the public comment period
- Lack of integration/overall city planning process made it difficult to come up with accurate estimates

Q&A followed:

- One person expressed concern about locating the proposed South Austin High over the acquifer - Rob responded that building a school would be good for the environment because it would result in less impervious cover than other permitted uses
- Propositions 1 and 2 on the bond issue are pretty much directly taken from the CBAC recommendations
- Prop 3 addresses the need for performing arts center in light of the fact that the long center may not be suitable due to lack of parking. Some concerns were raised about the structuring of Prop 3 and whether or not it might be politically motivated.
- According to nan clayton, none of the bond packages include library improvements.
- There is a facility use and boundary committee that is responsible for making recommendations about changing boundaries to improve facilities use
- South High School land acquisition is expensive because of size requirements of highs chools and potential impervious cover requirements

Candidate Forum

At the upcoming Austin Neighborhoods Council meeting in March, they will be holding a candidates forum for the three Austin City Council seats up for election in May. After the forum, the Austin Neighborhoods Council will vote on deciding whom to endorse.

Other Austin Neighborhoods Council Business

- It turns out that single member districts cannot be on may ballot because it is too early for a charter election (has been less than 2 years since the last one)
- Some of the city council members are proposing a resolution to further investigate single member districts, which would probably take long enough to keep it off the november ballot
- The Austin Neighborhoods Council would like to see a real public process for drafting the single member districts ballot

City Councilwoman Jennifer Kim Introduces Austin Residents to Google Earth Initiative

2008-02-16T11:10:00.000-06:00

On the morning of February 16, Jennifer Kim and several city staffers gave a demonstration of how the City of Austin is starting to use Google Earth for visualization of current and future buildings in the downtown business district and the north side of Ladybird Lake. The project is still in its very early stages, and the exact goals weren't yet clear. From public comment, it was evident that people are interested in the following main issues:

Data - where is the data going to come from, who is going to pay for its acquisition and how is the city going to make sure that data used for decision-making in the planning and zoning process is accurate?

Integration - How will this new system be integrated with the existing GIS and public records data?

Access - Google Earth is a heavyweight tool. How will those without the ability to use it at home get the necessary level of access.

Street-level View - From the demo, it looked like the software doesn't do particularly well with street-level views. This could be a problem when trying to visualize the impact of proposed developments to our cityscape.

All in all, Google Earth looks like a very powerful tool that could have a positive impact on the planning and zoning process and the city does have some limited budget allocated to pursuing it, but it sounds like it's going to take a while to get up and running with it.

I would not expect that the city will be acquiring data for our part of town anytime soon, but the tool for creating 3D models itself is openly available (Google Sketchup) and it sounds like it might be possible to pull in some of the city's existing terrain and building footprint data from their website and do our own models, if we are so inclined.

Austin Green Neighbor Program

2008-02-10T10:07:00.002-06:00

Our neighbor Phil Brown forwarded the below announcement from the City of Austin:

BECOME A GREEN NEIGHBORHOOD!

When Austinites are asked what they like best about our city, our outdoor lifestyle is always near the top of the list. In large part that’s because we are surrounded by accessible waterways – the creeks, lakes and springs that connect us to our environment.

The City of Austin’s Green Neighbor Program helps homeowners preserve our waterways as well as our drinking water supply. The companion booklet, Clean Creek Challenge, provides useful suggestions on earth-wise landscaping, water conservation, car and pet care tips, toxic chemicals and many more. You can use the booklet as a helpful reference, to test how “green” you are, or take part in the Clean Creek Challenge by scoring your earth-wise actions to win either passes to Barton Springs pool or Green Neighbor t-shirts. If enough of your neighbors become Green Neighbors, you can become a Green Neighborhood and be eligible for Council and web site recognition as well as some neighborhood beautification awards.

If you would like a Water Quality staff person to attend your meeting and introduce the program, please call Kathy Shay, 974-2446. To learn more about the Green Neighbor program please visit www.cityofaustin.org/watershed/greenneighbor/.

Copies of the Green Neighbor booklet are also available at all Austin libraries or 505 Barton Springs Rd, 11th floor.

You could be rewarded with prizes for helping out, but more importantly, you will be rewarded with clean and plentiful water for us and future generations!

Regards,

Sara Heilman

Water Quality Education

City of Austin, Watershed Protection Dept

512.974.3540 (wk) 512.466.6798 (c)

512.974.2846 (fx)

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/watershed/education.htm