This is not over!

submitted by Tom Linehan and Steven Zettner

It was standing room only by the time everyone finished filing in at tonight's Responsible Growth for Northcross meeting. The message was simple: Wal-Mart is not a done deal.

The  meeting lasted a little over an hour and in that time organizers provided a background on the project, gave a status on where things stand, took questions, and laid out the plan for mobilizing oppostion. It concluded with people directed to one of 8 committee tables to volunteer. A petition was signed and donations taken.

Jason Mittman, one of the steering committee members, pointed out

that the planned Super WalMart at over 200,000 square feet would be the third largest Big Box in Central Texas. Only Cabelas and Ikea are larger.   Paige Hill explained that the newly formed Responsible Growth group comprised of resident from Allandale, Brentwood, Crestview, North Shoal Creek, Wooten and North Shoal Creek was organized to oppose the current plans for the redevelopment. The neighborhoods weren't notified of the development and what's planned is inconsistent with the City's new urban development objectives.

Representative Elliot Naishtat, an Allandale resident provided encouragement and support to the group. He said to be successful it's going to take organization and people power and reminded the audience of the neighborhood's success in the past in preventing construction of the crosstown thoroughfare once being considered for Koenig/Allandale. “If we can stop cross-town expressways, we can stop a big box.” However, he told the group this is a City matter,  the State has no influence over this development.

Liz Halton, a resident of the North Shoal Creek neighborhood said there are instances where other communities have been successful in keeping Wal-Mart out. However we need to keep in mind that Lincoln Properties and Wal-Mart have hired the top two lawyers on land use in Austin. Success is going to take letters to city councilmembers, donations, and expertise. She encouraged everyone in attendance to get involved.

Allandale resident and former City Council member Brigid Shea said the planned Wal-Mart has serious problems with its site plans and traffic estimates. The neighborhoods were not notified during the process. “We have a strong leg to stand on to challenge this application.” She then fielded questions from the audience. What law firm represents Wal-Mart? (Armbrust & Brown). Does Lincoln Properties own Northcross? (yes). Are they adding gas tanks and oil change facilities on the property? - No. How did it get this far along through the City Council? (Some said they didn’t know. Others said they knew but thought the neighborhoods were for it). Brigid recommends people encourage the City to hold up on giving Lincoln Properties the building and demolition permits  until resident's concerns have been addressed.

Councilmember Brewster McCraken arrived late to the meeting but said today was the first time he'd seen the site plans and was very upset to learn how big the Wal-Mart is. He said "this is where our city code fails us." Lincoln Properties went through the normal site plan approval process giving the impression it was for a similar use and the Council was not made aware it included a Wal-Mart until a week prior to newspaper article that came out about it. The City Council instructed staff to provide them with more information about the plans and specifically to review the traffic impact analysis that was submitted.

Those in attendance were asked to email City Council members and to frequent the web site  set up to be the resource for those interested: www.responsiblegrowthfornorthcross.org.

Comments

[Denise]

The email address for fundraising is: fundraising@responsiblegrowthfornorthcross.org

Thanks for wanting to help!

[Elizabeth]

Send an e-mail to responsiblegrowthfornorthcross.com
and they'll let you know how to get a donation to them.

[belia]

I would like to donate money for the CAUSE (stop Walmart) How can I do this. I was unable to attend the meeting.

[Mary Jean]

Can't describe how great it felt to be in a room full of people so willing to participate their time and/or money for this cause. I estimate 400 people were in attendance. As the attendees identified themselves by neighborhood, the accompanying cheers re-affirmed the pride and love we have for our respective neighborhoods. I'd bet 90% of the people there signed up to volunteer on one or more committees and/or contributed financially. I especially want to applaud those individuals who have stepped up to the plate to lead this multi-neighborhood action group - Paige Hill, Justin Mittman, Liz Halton, and numerous others I have yet to meet. Without their leadership and organization, we'd be little more than an angry mob. I look forward to working alongside my neighbors in what I think is the most significant challenge our local community has faced in a long time!