The Allandale Reporter

The new floodplain maps are out

FEMA just released the new floodplain maps for Austin and surrounding areas for review and comment. There have been a couple of articles recently about the maps and their implications.  Here's one from the Statesman and another from News8 Austin. For those of us who live close to Shoal Creek the new maps could mean you will need to buy flood insurance, or perhaps, you no longer need it. Thanks to a posting by Roy, who alerted the listserv of their existence and for having located the one that includes Allandale (big file).  (continue reading...)

Where the crape myrtle trees Are

Austin American-Statesman's writer Ben Wear, tells us where the curb island crape myrtles ended up in his column today "A sad saga of shucked shrubbery." Turns out they're not far but may not stay.

Perfect day for the Annual Rosedal Ride

Here's a photo of the starting line at today's Rosedale Ride. The annual event started and finished at Applied Materials east of town. It was a little chilly at the start but warmed up nicely by mid-morning. The ride is a fundraiser benefiting Rosedale School, AISD's only school for children with multiple disabilities. This year the ride, which attracted over 1,200 riders,  gave riders choices of 17, 24, 42 or 62 mile routes. The first ride took place in 1995. The Rosedale Foundation has raised over $260,000 for Rosedale School since 1999. In 2003, proceeds from the Rosedale Ride helped enable the Rosedale Foundation to purchase a much-needed fully-accessible school bus.

MOVIE REVIEW: FAILURE TO LAUNCH

Susan Frank

Tripp (Matthew McConaughey) is thirty five years old, gainfully employed, commitment-phobic, and happily living with his long-suffering parents who tend to his every need. He pays no rent, contributes nothing to the household, and brings his dates back to the house for sex. From my perspective, as any older parent would agree, this movie should have been titled Nightmare on
Elm   Street. As if Tripp's behavior wasn't unethical enough, Tripp's parents, Al (Terry Bradshaw) and Sue (Kathy Bates), hire a consultant named Paula (Sarah Jessica Parker), whose job it is to make Tripp fall in love with her, giving him incentive to move out on his own. (Continue reading "Failure to Launch...")

Call for more code compliance inspectors

Hi Neighbors,

PLEASE EMAIL RESIDENTIALREGS.ORG AND ASK FOR THE HIRING OF MORE CODE COMPLIANCE INSPECTORS

After the meeting at the Yarborough Library with the City's Single Family and Duplexes Task Force member, Chris Allen; one of the other Task Force members and I had a discussion. To acquire more code compliance inspectors being hired, he recommended having people post a request on the city's new Task Force, go to residentialregs.org, asking for more code compliance inspectors. The Task Force will pass this on to Council. The only way that code compliance inspectors go out to inspect is by receiving a compliant.

2006 Garden Chronicles - Cover your tomatoes

The temperature is expected to get into the 30s tonight. Here's an email I received from Kay (picture to the left is her garden):

Greetings - should the temps drop below 40 you need to be prepared to cover your tomatoes - I used 5 gallon buckets and garbage cans.  Don't put on till dusk or later, and take off promptly in the morning.  Kay

Curb Islands to be Replaced with Signs

submitted by Paul Nagy

Here is the response from Sondra Creighton, City of Austin,  with separations to show her response which she put in the middle of my original email:

Nagy - Now that the curb islands are being removed, when may the stakeholders expect to be briefed on the proposed plans for additional signage and street markings before they are finalized? 

Creighton - As you are aware, Council has directed staff how to proceed. No changes are being made to the markings which is  are  accordance with the citizens top vote. Signs will be installed in accordance with staff recommendations noting the outside lanes are not for driving.

Nagy - There is concern that drivers will now consider the boulevard to be a four lane roadway. What specifically will be done to direct drivers not to drive along the curbside lane? 

Creighton - As you know, drivers currently drive in the outside lane. Signage will be posted to let drivers know not to drive in the outside lanes.  Thanks.

Shoal Creek Sidewalk Meeting

Sidewalks are on the way for Shoal Creek Blvd from 38th Street to Anderson Ln. This is almost certain based on what I heard at  tonight's meeting  at Gullett Elementary conducted by City of Austin Public Works staff.  The City has this project on the fast track. Not sure what all that means other than it cuts out some of the steps in the typical public works process, significantly reduces the project costs, and enables the project to get underway sooner rather than later. 

Report on March 18 meeting with Development Task Force Members

submitted by John Keohane

Report on Meeting on March 18 with members of task force on SF and Duplex Development

About thirty people, including residents of Brentwood, Rosedale, and Allandale, plus Brykerwoods, North Loop, Oakmont Heights, and Ridgelea attended the session Saturday from 1pm at Yarborough branch library on single family and duplex development. Chris Allen with Danette Chimenti and Noah Kennedy, all members of the city council task force currently meeting on this subject, were there to field questions. (Continue reading "Report on March 18...")

Ginny's Little Longhorn Saloon

Live Music - Beer - Pool. That’s what the sign on the door says at Ginny’s Little Longhorn Saloon at 5434 Burnet   Rd and for over 40 years that’s what they’ve always served up. Located between Arbor Auto Works and Texas Futon on west side of Burnet Rd, it’s one of those places that doesn’t call out much attention. Most people probably drive by it and never notice. But it has a loyal following and can pack them in when you have bands like Dale Watson playing.

Won't Be Long Now

Sidewalk construction on the south side of Northland appears to be moving along at a pretty good pace. This morning they had sidewalk in place from Shoal Creek Blvd up to Shoalwood and looked ready to pour cement up to Wynona. Darrl Haba from the City of Austin Public Works department originally estimated 2 months for completion of the project. Looks like they may finish sooner.

Q&A on Interim Development Regulations

Hi Neighbors,

Saturday, March 18th, 1pm-2pm at the Yarborough Library 2200 Hancock Street Chris Allen, North Central Austin neighborhood's representative on the City Council's Task force on Residential Compatibility Standards will answer your questions and discuss the Interim Standards for Single Family and Duplex Development that are in effect now. He also will go over the process of the participation of coming up with permanent standards.

This is a chance to see how your home could be effected. If you are able bring the square footage of you home and your lot size and Chris will be able to tell you exactly how your home can be effected.

This is an important issue for Allandale.

Phyllis Brinkley

Planting My Spring Garden

Tom Linehan
I finally finished my vegetable garden yesterday. I think that's pretty good given that it's March 11th. It's a simple bed of tomatoes, squash and green beans. These are the things I like. And given my poor record with gardening I want to keep it manageable. Kay suggested cucumbers but I don't want to invest the effort in something I wouldn't eat. And because I don't want them, I figure others probably will just figure I'm giving the cucumbers to them for that reason.  (Continue reading "Planting My...")

Public Hearing on development regulations tomorrow night

The City Council will consider the issue of residential regulations tomorrow night, Thursday, March 9, at a 6:00 PM public hearing, (agenda item 58). Click here to view the ordinance drafted per the Task Force's direction. This ordinance will be presented to the Council for their consideration.

Central City Development Regulations

Tom Linehan

It's been a couple of weeks since the 16-member task force appointed by the City Council to look at development regulations for central city neighborhoods held their first meeting.  Chris Allen, co-president of the Rosedale Neighborhood Association and a member of the Task Force representing North Central Austin, has provided us an update in the form of a posting to the listserve today (see text of his message below). He also provided us a link to the discussion board that was set up for gathering citizen input. You'll also find the link under today's Announcement.

MOVIE REVIEW: THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA

Susan Frank

Every now and then, I have the privilege of seeing a film so big, so beautiful, and so demanding that it takes my breath away. I like to think this is my reward for living a good and true life. But in the case of The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, I owe my debt of thanks to Tommy Lee Jones, director and lead actor in the film he created from Guillermo Arriaga's (21 Grams) stunning original screenplay. (Continue reading "The Three Burials...)

Blue Suede Wings: A New Short Film Currently Under Production

Susan Frank
Attention, all you lovers of independent films: Be on the lookout this year for a new short (13 mins.) independent film entitled "Blue Suede Wings," described by Producer Monica Lund as "a young boy's coming-of-age story with Elvis as the tooth fairy." I stumbled across the film location while on my morning walk through my Allandale neighborhood (seems to be a favorite movie location in the central city). My curiosity was rewarded with a lively conversation with Ms. Lund, who graciously took time out of her busy day to talk to me. She said she hopes to screen the film at the Alamo Drafthouse in the next few months. I'm excited about seeing and reviewing it! The picture shows the film crew in action. To the right is the movie director Marion Yeager.

It's Almost Planting Time

from Kay Newell

Hi Tom - it is almost planting time - I am going tomato plant hunting this weekend at the Sunshine Garden plant sale.  I normally plant around mid-March, depending on if a freeze is forecast.  Tomato plants shouldn't be exposed to weather below 45, according to John Dromgoole - The Natural Gardener, because it will impact their production.  So if I have mine planted and it looks like it will drop below 45, I set a box or bucket over them, keeping in mind that you need to get it off of the tomato plants in the morning by the time the sun hits them, otherwise you will have a very hot mini-greenhouse. (Continue reading It's Almost Planting Time)

Contest - T-shirt Tagline

Wendy Wilson

The Allandale Neighborhood Association will soon be selling t-shirts that promote our neighborhood and the ANA website (allandalereporter.org). But right now, we're looking for your creative ideas about a tagline for the shirt. Taglines are usually concise, like "Keep Austin Weird" or

MOVIE REVIEW - The Pink Panther, with Steve Martin as Inspector Jacques Clouseau

Susan Frank

No, no, no. This is so wrong in so many ways. Inspector Jacques Clouseau, immortalized by the great Peter Sellers in 1963's The Pink Panther and 1964's A Shot in the Dark (the best of Blake Edwards' Pink Panther series), has been hijacked. And what's worse, he was hijacked by Steve Martin, a gifted comedian himself who has so much more to offer an audience than what I saw on screen. (Continue reading Movie Review - the Pink Panther...)

The Allandale Neighbor - March 2006

The March 2006  issue of the Allandale Neighbor  newsletter arrived today. (continued reading the Allandale Neighbor)