Runoff Election in Austin December 13–Please Vote!

Posted on December 1, 2016 by President

The 2016 elections are not over yet. There are several races in Austin which have gone to a runoff because no one won the majority of the vote: two ACC board seats and one city council seat. Voter turnout at runoffs is historically low but these elections matter! Please get out and vote!

What’s on the ballot: Most Central Texas voters get to pick two board members for Austin Community College: Michael J. Lewis and Sean Hassan are competing for the Place 4 seat, while Guadalupe “Lupe” Sosa and Julie Ann Nitsch are vying for the remaining term in Place 9.

West Austin residents have a City Council contest in District 10 with incumbent Sheri Gallo facing challenger Alison Alter.

The hours and locations may have changed since the general election. Travis County had 30 early voting sites for the general election but will have 18 early voting sites for the runoff. Here’s a link to the Travis County Clerk’s website with information about the voting locations:

http://traviscountyclerk.org/eclerk/Content.do?code=E.4

For this runoff, the Travis County Clerk’s Office expects 7 to 9 percent turnout — a fraction of the 65 percent turnout the county saw in the general election. Let’s prove them wrong and make sure our voices are heard!

Posted in Communications | Comments Off on Runoff Election in Austin December 13–Please Vote!

CodeNEXT Timeline Update

Posted on November 30, 2016 by President

January 30, 2017: First Draft Code Released. On January 30, 2017, city staff will release the first draft of Austin’s new Land Development Code for public review. This draft will contain specific, detailed requirements about how and what you can build in Austin, including all homes, businesses, apartment complexes or other structures. In addition to regulating building size, shape, height, setbacks, etc., the code will also address important health and safety concerns such as flood mitigation, drainage, egress and access.

At the same time, city staff will release sample maps to show how the new code could be applied in different parts of town. These samples will include a variety of types of neighborhoods so you can choose the one that most resembles the area where you live or work to see how proposed changes in the new code might affect you and your neighbors.

The draft code will be available on the main CodeNEXT website page:
http://www.austintexas.gov/codenext

February 2017: Public Feedback Begins. There will be a number of ways for the public to weigh in on the draft code. Generally speaking, the feedback window will begin in February 2017 and run all the way through the spring of 2018 before the City Council formally votes on whether to adopt the new code. In preparing any feedback, please be aware that the new code is intended to reflect the priorities adopted in the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan, available here: http://www.austintexas.gov/department/our-plan-future

April 18, 2017: Draft Zoning Maps Released. On April 18, 2017, city staff will release the first draft of code mapping for public review. This will show the specific areas, neighborhoods and streets where various sections of the new code will actually be applied. The mapping part of the code will be particularly important to school communities to ensure that there are no inappropriate uses near campuses or that new code requirements, such as parking reductions for nearby uses, don’t inadvertently hamper family access to our schools.

Summer 2017: CodeNEXT Advisory Group Final Report Completed. The CodeNEXT Advisory Group (CAG) will submit its final report to the Zoning and Platting Commission, Planning Commission and Austin City Council in early July 2017, after which the CAG will be formally dissolved. Subject to time and interest, individual CAG members may choose to remain involved as the draft code continues to move through the city process.

September 2017- April 2018: Formal Public Hearings at Planning Commission, ZAP and City Council. After weighing public feedback, city staff will prepare a revised “commission draft” to be presented to the Planning Commission and Zoning and Platting Commission for formal public hearings, scheduled to begin in September 2017. The Commissions will then forward the draft, with any recommendations, to the City Council for more public hearings starting in December and running through April 2018. Absent revisions to the timeline, City Council may vote to adopt the new code by early summer 2018.

Posted in CodeNEXT, Planning and Zoning | Comments Off on CodeNEXT Timeline Update

Robert Wells : The Odd Meter Collective Project

Posted on November 24, 2016 by Communications
Odd Meter Collective

Odd Meter Collective

Click here (Current Issues Tab) to read about the proposed music collective and development at 2006-2008 Travis Heights Blvd. 
We are a nonprofit corporation as filed with the State of Texas. Federal 501(c)(3) status is still pending. The board of the Collective are Jana Horn (singer/songwriter), Miguel Ojeda (multi-instrumentalist in the band Migrant Kids), Lance Queton (multimedia producer), and myself Robert Wells (guitarist and choral singer). Coming from the worlds of folk, metal, pop, and classical music gives us a great diversity of views, but I think that is what makes us suited to the task of finding and aiding creative forces from all walks of life and styles of music. Over the next decade, we anticipate expanding the Odd Meter vision into other parts of Austin, including both more musician housing and new recording studio spaces. We hope that our efforts in this neighborhood I call home will lead the way.

Posted in District 3, Planning and Zoning, Travis Heights-Fairview Park Historic District | Tagged | Comments Off on Robert Wells : The Odd Meter Collective Project

ANC General Meeting Summary – 10.26.16

Posted on November 20, 2016 by ANC Representative
  • Ora Houston, City Council Member for District 1 (East Austin) came to speak about affordability, particularly as it pertains to minorities in East Austin. 1000 demolition permits have been issued in East Austin in the last year.  A lot of these houses are over 80 years old, but have just not been deemed “culturally relevant” by the City of Austin.  The demolitions are reducing the supply of existing affordable housing available to residents.  She is urging City Council to address this.
  • Bill Aleshire, government transparency activist came to provide detail on two recent transparency issues that he has been pursing. The first was the Downtown Austin Alliance contribution of $400,000 to advocate for the light rail bond.  He said the organization is supposed to be transparent about its lobbying activities but was not in this instance. The second concerned $81 million that was diverted from the water utility budget to fee waivers for the Pilot Knob unit development.  This was done inappropriately in that they did not meet the requirements for low income housing to get the waiver.  The fee waivers were also improperly calculated.  A judge has ruled that the city was in violation of the Texas Open Meetings Act by not giving proper notice of the waiver.  Bill’s organization is now pursuing charges that the waiver happened improperly.  
  • The ANC’s Affordable Housing Resolution was put up for a vote. It passed nearly unanimously.  (SRCC had voted to support the resolution.)
  • Bert Lumbreras, Assistant City Manager came to also speak about affordable housing. He cites how city employees are not able to pay for housing (the average salary for a teacher is $48K).  Some of the solutions are to use some the land being sold by AISD to house some of these employees in a Community Land Trust.  Residents would then only have to pay for the cost of housing structures not the land.
  • Fred Lewis came to speak about the selection of the City Manager. An Advisory Selection Group is being appointed by the council.  This group will strive for diversity and experience in hiring senior managers.  This Council has not yet been formed yet.  He urges neighborhoods to push for formation soon to make sure that a transparent and rigorous search process is undertaken.
Posted in Austin Neighborhood Council | Comments Off on ANC General Meeting Summary – 10.26.16

Update on Little Stacy Park renovations

Posted on November 16, 2016 by President

A recent update from PARD indicates that the planned changes to Little Stacy Park will be delayed until late 2017. It has taken far longer to iron out many of the details and complete the construction drawings than PARD anticipated. This project was submitted for a General Permit earlier this month. It could take as long as three months to get the permit. Once they have the permit, the project will be bid for a construction contract. The bidding process usually takes 3 or 4 months by the time the contract gets approved (hopefully) by City Council and then executed by the Law Office and the Capital Contracting Office.

This all means that the earliest they would begin construction is April, but would more likely be closer to June or July. Given that this schedule would cause the most disruption for the park users, they are considering delaying the start of construction until September 2017 – after the wading pool has closed for the season.

Please let either Gary Gregson (see below) or Gretchen Otto (president@srccatx.org) know if any community members oppose pushing back the start of construction, as this has not been decided yet.

More information on the project:

Little Stacy Park Improvements Project

Little Stacy Park Improvement Project – Final Input Stage

If you have any questions or comments, please contact:
Gary Gregson
Project Coordinator
Austin Parks and Recreation Department
Phone: (512) 974-9475
gary.gregson@austintexas.gov

Page from Little Stacy Park

Posted in Parks and Environment | 1 Comment