Zoning Update

submitted by John Keohane

Neighbors,

I have now been zoning chair for the Allandale Neighborhood Association for seven days.  Today I met with top representatives of three churches along 2222. 

I just got an email from one of our 11 board members asking about my meeting at one of the churches.  I wrote a short email to the board member who wrote me, and decided to post this to the www for all to know, since I want to be as open as possible with everybody, and do not have time to individually report to board members other than the president.  Forgive me if you find this boring or redundant.

I initiated the meeting for reasons mentioned below, with the same topics in each:
       1:00pm  Rev. Bobbi Kaye Jones, Senior Minister, St. John's UMC Church
       3:00pm  Mr. Fred Clement, Business Manager, Covenant Presbyterian Church
       4:00pm  Rev. Kermit Bell, Senior Minister, Church of Glad Tidings

With each, I had a get to know you meeting and for each, the same three topics.

Have no doubt, that I want to reconsititute the zoning committee, and that I want to have volunteers as eyes and ears and voices, throughout our neighborhood on zoning issues.  I also want to take whatever prudent steps we can now, to see that we do not have an overly expanded, or elevated, Allandale Road.

I'll gladly initiate meetings with any other churches in our community.  Email me.

Best regards,

John Keohane
Zoning Chairman
Allandale Neighborhood Association
keohane@prodigy.net
  (512) 371-3853

One page flyer, presented to each meeting today, follows:

“Modern city planning includes . . .  limitations on the use of private property.  A property-owner is not permitted to ruin a residential neighborhood by turning his dwelling into a factory or a garage.  Such restrictions are called zoning.   Zoning laws illustrate the need of surrendering freedom to do what one pleases with one’s own property in order that all may gain greater freedom or enjoyment.”

From the high school textbook, “Government in Action”, by Keohane, Keohane, and McGoldrick, Harcourt, Brace and Company, New York-Chicago, 1938, page 398

John Keohane, as a volunteer, is new chair of the zoning committee for the Allandale Neighborhood Association.  Churches are neighbors.  Residents are neighbors.  Not all neighbors will always agree on everything, but we have some interests in common.

R. M. 2222, known as Allandale Road when it goes through Allandale

In the past,  there have been proposals to widen it, to elevate it, to do other  things which, it seems to me, would be harmful to both your church, and the nearby  residents.  I wanted to meet you, when there is not a current crisis on this road.

Building and reconstruction under current zoning.  Our zoning is not worth anything, unless it is enforced.  I’m new to the volunteer job of zoning chair, but I know that there is enough to do, without doing it all myself.  I want neighbors, including members of your church, involved in monitoring building and reconstruction, and I want to get many people involved in learning about zoning here in Austin.

3. New development.  Some of that is good for the neighborhood.  Some might not be.  I personally think the new Amy’s Ice Cream, at Northland and Burnet is an asset.  We won’t all agree on everything, but we need to work together, toward neighborhood and neighborly consensus, on the various proposals, often including proposed upscaling of zoning, which will come our way.

John and Cynthia Keohane moved to Austin in 2003, and leased for a year at 5800 Wynona Avenue, in Allandale, just south of R. M. 2222.  They later bought the house at 5702.  Cynthia is an analyst with the (leaving out of this www posting).  John is a tutor in mathematics, who picks bakeries in Austin as sites for most of his tutoring.

John Keohane
5702 Wynona Avenue
Austin, TX  78756
keohane@prodigy.net
(512) 371-3853