The Allandale Reporter

First MoPac 1-to-ONE to be held March 7

From the desk of John P. Kelly, P.E., MoPac 1 Project Manager, DMJM Harris

TxDOT and the MoPac 1 project team have been committed to making public involvement and participation a very high priority. That’s why, in addition to the two open houses we held last September, we have met with numerous individuals from all backgrounds and perspectives, as well as many neighborhood groups, community organizations, and business organizations with various interests in Loop 1 mobility.

Note from Lamar Middle School

On behalf of the Lamar PTA and the parents, students and staff of Lamar Middle School we would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Allandale Neighborhood Associations for its generous contribution of $500.00 to the PTA.  We’re proud to be associated and have the support of such an involved and community minded organization as the ANA.

Please excuse the informality in sending this by electronic mail but I was not able to find a mailing address for ANA.  Thanks again.

Take care 

Vera D. Massaro
Secretary, Lamar PTA

Northcross Redevelopment - Next Steps

Seems like it has been a long time  since ANA held its special meeting at Covenant Presbyterian Church and approved the following motion: "ANA has the intent to file a lawsuit against the City based on advice of legal counsel. ANA will begin immediately to raise money for a lawsuit. ANA will actively pursue meeting with and if necessary, monetarily supporting like organizations whether or not we pursue a lawsuit."

Since that time, we’ve been very busy on the Northcross redevelopment project and our collective efforts are making a difference. Thanks to all of the residents who have volunteered their time and expertise on this project and to both the current and past ANA Executive Committee members for their work and support.

Based on Wednesday's meeting with the City, Lincoln Property and Wal-Mart's representatives, technical staff, and consultants, they have addressed a number of the concerns we submitted in writing back in January. These include truck routes, acces to the development via Foster Lane, hours of operation, design, truck idling, traffic at the intersection of Burnet and Anderson, sidwalks, greenspace, and others.

March Newsletter - Know your Allandale

You should have received the March edition of the Allandale Neighbor on your doorstep this week. (If you did not let us know). Here's why you should read it. We have a profile on Phyllis Brinkley, "The Mayor of Allandale Wants You: A Tribute to Phyllis Brinkley." Phyllis is a longtime resident of Allandale and major contributor to what makes Allandale a great neighborhood. Every major issue in the history of this neighborhood going back to 1955 was touched by Phyllis.

Other stories covered in this edition include a business profile of Terra Toys, a thank you to Gretchen and Paul for their service on the Allandale Board, results from the Allandale Neighborhood Survey conducted in the Fall, fundrasing efforts for the Allandale Legal Fund, and more. Of course if you don't feel like getting up from your chair, you can just download it here (requires Adobe Acrobat reader).

Used Lacrosse Equipment Needed

Dear Neighbors,
The McCallum Lacrosse team is in need of used Lacrosse equipment for some of their new players. Please check your closets and consider donating some of your used equipment. Playing lacrosse has provided a very positive experience to many of the youth in our neighborhood. I can be contacted at: jvillarreal5@austin.rr.com if you need help making arrangements to donate your extra equipment.

Elsa Villarreal

Notes from Yesterday's Meeting on Northcross

submitted by Tom Linehan

Here are my notes from yesterday's meeting. It was held at the offices of Armbrust & Brown from 11:00 to 1:30. Representatives from Allandale, North Shoal Creek, Crestview and Brentwood neighborhood associations and RG4N were in attendance as well as Laura Morrison with the Austin Neighborhood Council, Laura Huffman, Assistant City Manager, other City staff, a number of lawyers and Wal-Mart and Lincoln Property experts. The room was crowded.

The purpose of the meeting was to provide the neighborhoods with their response to the issues the neighborhoods submitted to the City regarding 

Farmer’s Market Developers to Present Plans March 21

The following are Steven Zettner's  notes from a meeting held tonight with County Commissioner Sarah Eckhardt and area neighborhood representatives regarding the future of the Farmers market property along Burnet Rd.

Travis County Commissioner Sarah Eckhardt has tentatively scheduled a public meeting on Wednesday, March 21 to present four competing plans for redevelopment of the Farmer’s Market property to area residents. Each developer will have half an hour to present their plan. Confirmation of the date, time and place will follow in the next few days.

Letter from the Editors

This week you will be receiving the February issue of the Allandale Neighbor that includes a fresh new look. Thanks to Cathy Savage, our layout and design person, for the new design. We will also start publishing the newsletter bimonthly so we can stay in touch with you more often. Cathy Yang and Tom Linehan are the new co-editors. Together, we bring many exciting new ideas for upcoming stories. Our best idea however is to tap the talent in the neighborhood for “beat coverage,” volunteers who can research and report on Allandale-related matters. One of the characteristics of the neighborhood that people said they valued in our recent neighborhood survey is a strong sense of community. We believe keeping residents informed and getting their involvement in the newsletter and the web site builds community. The areas we’re looking for coverage on include:

• Events
• Personal Finance/Real Estate Info
• Environmental News (recycling, energy, rain barrels, etc.)
• Food—seasonal vegetables, local eateries
• Recreation/Fitness
• Health/Medical News (Vet, Alternative,
• Medical, Massage, Exercise, etc.)
• Gardening tips for Allandale
• Neighborhood Safety
• Home Remodeling/Fix It
• School Activities/Events

Please send us an email and let us know your interest and we will follow up with the details. If you have other ideas, send them along as well to: allandalereporter@yahoo.com.

Thanks.  And be on the lookout for the newsletter on your doorstep. 

—Tom and Cathy

Ice Rink at Risk

One of the features of Lincoln Property's redevelopment of Northcross is an expanded ice rink,  however Thursday's article in the Austin Business Journal says that's at risk if there are further delays on the redevelopment. The owner of Chaparral Ice, Charles Collins, says a lawsuit over the development could put him out of business. Here's the link to the article, "Wal-Mart brawl puts Northcross tenant on thin ice."

In the News

There is a very good article in Thursday's Austin Chronicle on the Northcross redevelopment project: "Developing Stories: Bigger than WalMart" by Katherine Gregor. And in today's Austin American-Statesman, there is an article about the City Council passing the big box ordinance, "Austin sets new rules for retail projects."

Misrepresentation in the Allandale Fundraiser Flyer

The current members of the ANA Board would like to apologize to the former Board members regarding the statement in the Allandale Fundraiser flyer that was recently distributed which makes reference  to "a newly invigorated Executive Committee." The implication of that
statement regarding the involvement of the former board members is misleading and inaccurate. The intent was to indicate our stepped up efforts to address the neighborhood's concerns regarding the Northcross redevelopment that includes a 226,000 sq ft Wal-Mart. We understand how it could have been interpreted otherwise. We strongly appreciate the time, effort and interest each of those individuals put into the neighborhood association as volunteers.

In addition, I personally would like to apologize to Gretchen and Paul for this remark. As with us all, they have full time jobs and family to tend to but have continued to work with us closely to make sure the transition to a new Board is a smooth one. I can't thank them enough.

Tom Linehan
VP, Allandale Neighborhood Association

Managed Lanes Open House

The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will be hosting an open house on February 20, 2007 from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm at the Thompson Conference Center at UT. The open house will provide information about managed lanes, a new approach that provides options for freeway travel. Managed lanes use various combinations of flexible pricing, vehicle eligibility, and controlled access to provide steady traffic flow, particularly during periods of high congestion.

Arms Around Northcross

submitted by David Erwin

VMU at our doorstep?

submitted by Tom Linehan

Vertical mixed use is being considered for Burnet and Anderson roads. Are we ready? Last week the Austin Chronicle had a very good article about the City's vertical mixed use (VMU) initiative, Going Vertical: The new VMU zoning could transform your neighborhood – and you'll have 90 days to help decide how by Kathleen McGregor. I strongly encourage you to read it along with Kerry Kimbrough's article below regarding VMU. Kerry is co-chair of Allandale's Planning Committee which is tasked with monitoring and making recommendations on VMU to the neighborhood's Executive Committee. VMU planning is coming upon us fast. Soon, Allandale will have an opportunity for direct input on mixed use development along Burnet and Anderson. The City of

Austin is asking the Allandale Neighborhood Association for feedback about VMU on our core transit corridors (CTCs), which are Burnet and Anderson roads. Read up on it and submit your questions and ideas to the Allandale Planning Committee, allandaleplanning@yahoogroups.com.

Yesterday's Benefit Concert

Here's a sound clip of Brewster McCracken at yesterday's "Wal-Mart Isn't Weird" Benefit Concert for Responsible Growth for Northcross at Brentwood Tavern. The concert was well-attended and the music excellent.

Wrap Around Wal-Mart in the News

Yesterday's protest of the Wal-Mart supercenter planned for Northcross is on the frontpage of today's Metro & States section of the Austin American-Statesman., "Human wall against Wal-Mart." The Statesman's web site includes a photo gallery of the event. There were approximately 3,000 people participating in the event. 

Four McCallum Knights Sign Letters of Intent

submitted by Tom Davis

McCallum High School was well represented on the opening day for High School Athletes to sign National Letters of Intent. Paul Tearson, Audra Randell, Marcus Mann, and Evan Woody signed their names on the dotted lines to further their athletic and academic pursuits at the college level.

Life On the Corridor: Vertical Mixed Use

submitted by Kerry Kimbrough

Like many neighborhoods, Allandale is defined by a certain geographic pattern: a leafy cocoon of houses nestled inside a box of major roadways. Our box is formed primarily by Mopac and two roads that are defined by the City of Austinas “Core Transit Corridors” (CTCs) --- Burnet Road and Anderson Lane. Such CTCs get a lot of attention from city planners because CTCs are places where big issues like transportation and development play out. Austin is an amazing, dynamic organism, and the CTCs are its budding branches. I’m sure you’ve noticed how Burnet and Anderson have been transforming over the years.

Updated Results From Newsletter Survey

Here is an update to the survey results reported earlier. I just received another 95 surveys which makes for a total of 289 responses.

The results from January survey on the Northcross redevelopment are consistent with the results from our earlier online survey conducted back in November. The survey was included in the January Special Issue Newsletter that was delivered to Allandale households. Residents were asked to complete the short survey and mail it back by January 16th.

Out of the 289 responses we received, the majority are against the Northcross redevelopment that includes a Wal-Mart. Specifically, 72%  of the respondents are opposed, 26% are for, and 1% have no opinion.  Click here to see the results. What follows are the additional comments people submitted with the survey.

It's My Park Day

This just in: Volunteers can start signing up for Its My Park Day: Shoal Creek Clean up.

North Shoal Creek Clean Up

Join your neighbors from across Austin in a clean up of Shoal Creek. Volunteers will remove trash and debris, trim branches, and help to fix damage from heavy rains. Everyone is welcome. Great for Groups!

All ages welcome, wear Sturdy shoes, and remember the terraine is uneven. Difficulty: Easy. Please contact organizer if you can help with trimming branches and debris.

April 14, 2007

From: 9:00 AM until 1:00 PM

Click here for more info.

Mark Your Calendar for this Saturday, February 10!

from Denise Dailey, RG4N

* 10am-10:10, Arms Around Northcross (Rain or Shine, meet at 9:30am)

* 2pm-7pm: "Wal-Mart Isn't Weird" Benefit Concert for Responsible Growth for Northcross @ Brentwood Tavern, 6701 Burnet Rd.

* All Day Long: Northcross Area Business Support Day

Report from the Austin Neighborhoods Council General Meeting.

submitted by Cynthia Keohane

On January 24, 2007, Allandale Neighborhood Association joined the Austin Neighborhoods and I attended my first meeting as the official ANA representative. Please note that meetings are open to all and there is more information on the web site at http://www.ancweb.org/

The first agenda item was Hurricane Survivors Living in Austin, presented by Shawn Lemieux, Community Recovery Committee and Andrew Bucknall, American Dream Program. They made the case that the hurricane survivors faced tremendous challenges to becoming self-sufficient. One example is that people lost all possessions including their documents; Texas requires a birth certificate to get a driver’s license, and a driver’s license is needed to get hired. The speakers thanked the Austin community for its ongoing support and kindness.

RG4N Meeting in Today's Paper

The Austin American-Statesman reported on last night's Responsible Growth for Northcross meeting held at St. Louis that was attended by over 500 area residents. You can read the story, "Neighbors plan protest, boycott of Wal-Mart," here.  What follows are highlights of the meeting from Allandale's C Yang:

Vision

Jim Duncan and Jeff Clark (an independent city planner and architect) presented a vision of what Northcross could look like - which would allow for 85k sf office, 325k retail, 480k residence and 425k public space (my numbers might be off).