The Allandale Reporter

Bull Creek Wastewater Improvements Project Update

BRH-Garver, the contractor for the Bull Creek Wastewater Improvements Project (which is part of a larger project called the Gaston/Bull Creek/W. 25th wastewater improvements project) is beginning construction activities within the next week in the Finley, Oakmont and Bull Creek Road area. The contractor will begin installation of new sewer lines on Finley and will continue to Oakmont and then to Bull Creek Road. Please see attached map.

Construction to begin on Crestview Station

An article in today's Austin American-Statesman, "Crestview Station Breaks Ground Friday" by M.B. Taboada,  reports construction of the 73-acre development on the eastern borders of the Crestview neighborhood will get underway this week. The first phase of the mixed-use development will have live/work spaces along with office and retail. The development is on the Huntsmen tract on the west side of Lamar where Airport Blvd meets Lamar. According to the article, the first phase of the project includes 340 apartments, 32,000 square feet of retail space, and 32,000 square feet of office space. Plans are to build up to 450 single-family homes in phase two of the project.

Home Security Seminar

The district representatives will be hosting a home security seminar on
Febuary 7th from 6:30 pm to 8:00pm at the Hyde park United Methodist
Church in the Fellowship Hall.

We will be discussing how to make you home less attractive to the
burglars that seem to be attacking our communities.

Hope to see you there;

SPO David V. Crowder Jr. #4398
Austin Police Department
Central West Area Command
District Representative
512-974-5545

Shred your identity

Shred Day 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008, 7:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Austin High Parking Lot, 1715 W. Cesar Chavez

With the increased awareness of identity theft, it’s important to dispose of personal records carefully.  To highlight this, the Association of Records Managers and Administrators and the City of Austin is sponsoring a Free event to help individuals and families with:
    * Home records management
    * Identity theft protection
    * Recycling

McNairs Appliances now known as KIVA: Where Dreams Come True

C Yang

Almost seventy years ago, right around the start of WWII and when Austin's population was just over 100,000, Fred McNairs’ grandfather, a banker from Kansas City, MO, moved to Texas for its climate and growth. After a short stop of six months in San Antonio, Fred Ruegg bought into the only available appliance franchise at the time in Austin, Norge, and opened a store on the west side of the 500 block of Congress. The store was moved in the years to follow to West Fifth Street and then to a third location at 904 Lamar. 

Shoal Creek Wastewater Rehab Project

The city is lining the sewer pipe running down Shoal Creek Blvd with pipe. This is why you're seeing crew trucks along Shoal Creek. The long pieces of plastic pipe like the one in the photo to the left in the creek is part of the project (read the details). It's called Cured in Place Pipe  (CIPP) and involves inserting a felt-type liner into the existing sewer line.  The liner is soaked with a resin and heated to  allow the resin to cure and form a new pipe inside.  Beats digging up the street to replace the existing pipe. Life expectancy of the new pipe is 50 years. The city is working on the project section by section with each section - the span between two manholes - taking two weeks to complete.

The bulk of the work is expected to last 4 to 5 weeks. They will then spend time rehabilitating some of the manholes.  Expect lane and intersection closures at various times and locations during the project. You can get details on the project here and a map of where the work is taking place here. Want to know more?

Steven Vargas, P.E., City of Austin Water Utility, Collection System Services Division
Phone: (512) 703-6666
Fax: (512) 397-3641
Pager: (512) 802-8575
e-mail: Steven.Vargas@ci.austin.tx.us

Foster and McElroy Part of 3M Half-Marathon Course

Next Sunday, January 27, is the 3M Half Marathon which will be using Foster and McElroy as part of the course (see partial course map to the left). The race begins on Stonelake Blvd. near Baby Acapulco Restaurant & Cantina and finishes at Waterloo Park. Start time is 7 a.m. Foster Ln is mile 6 of the race so you can anticipate runners coming through around 7:40. The race course closes at 11:00 a.m.  You can get the details about the race here.

Help Solve this crime

Police are searching for three men suspected of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl near Burnet Road and Koenig Lane. The girl was kidnapped in the HEB parking lot at Koenig and Burnet on January 10th.  Police are looking for witnesses. Here's a link to the story on statesman.com.

Crime in Allandale – What the Numbers and the Neighbors are Telling Us

submitted by Tom Linehan

The number of reported crimes in Allandale in 2007 was down 2% from 2006. That’s little comfort to the neighborhood. Ask anyone and they will tell you crime, specifically burglary, is a problem in Allandale. Thieves are kicking down doors in broad daylight and breaking into cars at night.

Pulling from the Austin Police Department’s online crime database, “Crime Report Viewer,” the total number of incidents in 2007 was 1,232 compared to 1,258 in 2006. As always, stealing from cars, “Burglary of Vehicles,” accounted for the largest number of incidents (148 incidents in 2007). “Theft” was the second most common reported crime (125 incidents), and “Burglary of Residence” ranked number nine on the list with a total of 33 reported incidents in the neighborhood in 2007.

Upgrade of Great Northern Detention Pond in the Works

Stephanie Lott
Public Information Specialist Senior
City of Austin

The City of Austin is planning to upgrade the detention pond at 6900 Great Northern Boulevard to improve the safety of the structure as required by state law. This pond controls flood waters that flow into Shoal Creek during severe storms, and it reduces the risk of flooding for many homes along the creek in the Allandale Neighborhood.

ANA Memberships are Due

You should have received an envelope in the December Allandale Neighbor newsletter for your 2008 Allandale Neighborhood Association membership dues. Please complete the form and enclose your check or click on the membership tile on this page to renew online. Our goal is 1,000 members in 2008. Some of the activities the Allandale Neighborhood Association are involved in include the newsletter, this web site, events like the 4th of July parade and the Celebrate Allandale Picnic, and growth-related issues that impact traffic, zoning and development. All done by volunteers. Show your support.

Tom Linehan
ANA President

Allandale in today's Statesman

The homes in Allandale may be small but the lots are big, making them ideal for remodeling and reselling. An article in today's Homes section of the Austin American-Statesman, "Rebirth of a classic: Old-fashioned flavor, boom in remodeling make Allandale a strong seller," by Charles Ealy, says there  are 15 remodels on the market now. The article includes an interview with Gerald Lamar who lived in Allandale at one time and who has remodeled and sold a number of home here over the years. His latest is a home on Pinecrest he recently sold.

Better Austin Today

Below is an announcement for an upcoming fundraiser for a new coalition group that has formed to support candidates that support their issues, Better Austin Today. You can also get a little more background on the group from today's article in the Austin American-Statesman.

"Are you concerned about traffic and transportation, affordability, protecting Austin's unique character, the environment, the city's East/West divide, fiscal responsibility and open government?

If so - Better Austin Today needs you!

Better Austin Today is a broad coalition comprised of community leaders from the neighborhood, environment, social equity, small/local business, social services, civl liberties and other arenas. Our common interest is responsive, accountable government working toward a progressive vision for Austin's future. Better Austin Today plans to endorse and support candidates for City Council (and possibly other offices that have a major impact on Austin) beginning with the May 2008 election. We need a strong voice for the public interest to counter the influence of moneyed special interests at City Hall.

Join us as we work together to shape Austin's future!

Better Austin Today Fundraiser
January 13
5:00-9:30pm
Moose Lodge (2103 E M Franklin, between MLK and Manor, a block from the old entrance to the airport)

Come hear live music, meet Better Austin Today leaders and supporters and learn more about this important organization."

Upcoming Downtown Austin Plan Meetings

Three meetings are scheduled in early January at which the Phase One
report of the Downtown Austin Plan will be presented:

o Wednesday, January 9th -
Presentation to a joint meeting of the Planning, Design, and Downtown
Commissions (6 p.m., One Texas Center, Room 325)

o Saturday, January 12th - Town Hall
meeting (8:30 to 12:30, Austin Convention Center)

o Monday, January 14th -
Presentation to the Land Use and Transportation Subcommittee of the
Austin City Council (3:00 p.m., Boards and Commissions Room, Austin City
Hall)

Please pass the information along to anyone who might be interested.

Danette Chimenti
ANC President