An open letter on development around old Motorola site east of 183

Dear CM Houston and CM Renteria,

I am writing this email as the chairman of the EMLK contact team. We had a FLUM change request for 16 acres of land at the tip of old motorola site (attached meeting notice). The developers refused to provide any details (not even the survey) but one piece of information I gathered that there is a much larger plan for the 109 acre motorola site. This is one of the prime lands in EMLK which requires attention from city like the "Grove". 

Currently people living in district 1 and 3 around this area do not have any amenities (not even a grocery or a pharmacy). Semiconductor manufacturing (fabs) pollute the land beyond our wildest comprehension. This is such a land. We have the unique opportunity to work with the owners to develop it as  PUD. It will create good housing along with great amenities. 109 acres is almost 1/8th of combined EMLK area. This area can be a catalyst to the improvement of the entire area. The architects and designers of east side can learn from this large PUD. 

The total amount of land is constant so we must develop them for the best use and for the good of the people. Also we should have transparent process involving citizens like they have in west side for this type of development. As a contact team chairman I will not support any FLUM change which does not talk about the future or how it helps EMLK area (which includes parts of both district 1 and 3). 

September 16th meeting Agenda and updates

1. Bring in Susan Tingley and Jon Hagar to EMLK Contact Team (10 min) - They are part of the contact team now

2. East Link Bicycle Route - members of http://www.mccannadamsstudio.com/ - they are the major designers of Mueller (30 min) a. This will help us to understand how we can create a complementary solution in EMLK area a. This will help us to understand how we can create a complementary solution in EMLK area a. This will help us to understand how we can create a complementary solution in EMLK area Please see the attached presentation (link)

3. Mosaic Sound Collective - Alice Glasco and other (20 min) a. Q&A - 10 minutes a. Q&A - 10 minutes a. Q&A - 10 minutesWe are supporting this effort - please see the design plan and our support letter (link)Check them out at www.mosaicsoundcollective.com

4. Susan Tingley - update on the projects in Hogpen area (10 min)check this out and we have the money to build this (link)

5. Andrea / Tyson - update on Little walnut Creek Park (5 min)we have rezoning meeting on Oct 2nd at University hills library

6. Pete Rivera - Updates from the walk to identify LaLoma Trail location (5 min)Waiting on city engineering report. will need help on railroad crossing

7. Requesting an update on the future development of Travis County Exposition Centerwill have presentation next month

8. Notes from Code Next Version 2 release

Integral Care - Airport Service Location - Sarah Wauters

From: Sarah Wauters <sarah.wauters@integralcare.org>
Date: Thu, Sep 14, 2017 at 12:01 PM
Subject: Integral Care - Airport Service Location
To: "pinaki@utexas.edu" <pinaki@utexas.edu>

Good Afternoon Mr. Pinaki,

Thank you for returning my call so quickly. As I mentioned over the phone, we have started remodeling our building at 1165 Airport Boulevard, the future home of our new Integral Care service location. I wanted to provide a little background on who we are and what services will be offered, and reiterate our availability to you and your neighbors on any questions you might have.

Integral Care is the Local Mental Health Authority for Travis County. We strengthen our community by supporting our most important asset – our people – and have provided services in the community for 50 years. We help adults, children and families build health and well-being so everyone has the foundation to reach their full potential. Integral Care has over 40 locations, 900 employees and served almost 25,000 people last year.

Integral Care is relocating several existing programs to this new service location on Airport Boulevard later this year. This location will offer multiple services including mental health urgent care for adults and children, one-on-one case management, wellness programs, counseling programs, short term residential care, family education and referrals to other community resources.

I’ve attached a draft version of the letter we plan to send out to the home owners and businesses within a 500ft radius of location. We also have additional information on our website at http://www.integralcare.org/airport-boulevard/

On our call you mentioned the opportunity to present at your next neighborhood meeting, we would be happy to do so. I would just need additional information on when, where and how long we would have to present?

Thank you again for your time. Don’t hesitate to let me know if there is anything I can help with in the meantime.

All the best,

Sarah

Sarah Wauters

Community Engagement Manager

Integral Care – Healthy Living For Everyone

P: 512-440-4098 | C: 512-809-7739

Integralcare.org|Facebook | Twitter

* Please note: My email address has changed to sarah.wauters@integralcare.org. Please update your contact information with my new address.

Questionnaire regarding Matrix Report on Community Policing from Lt. Gaslin

From: Gaslin, Gizette <Gizette.Gaslin@austintexas.gov>
Date: Fri, Sep 15, 2017 at 12:26 PM
Subject: Questionnaire regarding Matrix Report on Community Policing
To: 

Greetings,

In April of 2016, the City Council retained the Matrix Consulting Group to conduct a Community Policing study for the Austin Police Department. The Matrix Group made several recommendations to enhance the Department’s Community Policing program (found in the attached report). One of the recommendations was to assign a dedicated person as a Community Engagement Coordinator.  I was very excited to be selected for this position and have been working with the District Representatives and each of the area commands to assist them in strengthening our community policing efforts throughout the City of Austin. 

In order to hear from each neighborhood association/group we need your assistance in completing a short questionnaire (less than 5 minutes).  Your feedback and input are valuable to us, as APD moves its focus to community policing. 

Please return the questionnaire back to me no later than Monday, September 24, 2017 at noon. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call me at (512) 974-5513. I look forward to building bridges between the department and our community, making it safer together.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/neighborhoodcommunity_policing

Thank you

Lt. Gaslin

Gizette Gaslin, Lieutenant

Austin Police Department

Executive Lieutenant – Community Engagement Coordinator

512-974-5513 (Office)

512-974-6611 (Fax)

Future Meeting dates Sept 2017 to Aug 2018

3rd Monday of the Month

September 18th

October 16th

November 20th

December 18th

January 15th

February 19th

March 19th

April 16th

May 21st

June 18th

July 16th

EMLK Contact Team Yearly Review

I took over as the president of the EMLK Planning Contact team about 1 year ago . At that time I created a mind map for myself which I have updated. I have documented most of our actions here (link) and all our documents can be found here - many of the google drive files and folders are public

•  Priority # 1: increase membership and make people aware of the contact team and its job
• Attached is the latest membership list (link). (need phone numbers from Dr. Murphy)
• I have also invited Susan Tingley and Jon Hagar to join the contact team - this will make our team 12 members representing almost the entire EMLK region.
• We have not been successful in the east of 183 region. It is still not represented so Jon's membership is very important (he is in Cavalier Park)
• I have also requested representative from Yellow Bike Project - Joel is our current representative.

• Priority #2: Identify few projects which will make the contact team more relevant.

• We have identified about 5 to 6 projects as a part of the East MLK - they are all very relevant to our region especially the parks and the trail through the hike and bike trail.
• In Hogpen area we are working sidewalks and connectivity to Springdale Park, community garden etc (link). I wish we can have more projects in other neighborhoods which we can support. 
• In SANA the La Loma trail work is progressing slowly. Here are the city documents of design 
• Little Walnut Creek park has opened up with signs - now we have to get funding to develop plans and improve it. (here is the city request for rezoning)
• We have had some success at least to make the city understand how underserved this entire EMLK region is. I am hopeful that in 2018 budget we will see some changes.

• Priority  #3: Identify the CIP projects for each of the planning regions
• Last year in 2016 we identified 15 projects - 5 from each region. It was rejected by the city because we were about 1 week late in submission. This is funny because city could not open a park in our region for 15 years. I brought it to the notice of the mayor and council member. If we pay taxes and get no benefits then things will have to change. 
• Please see the attached link to the CIPs - we need to update this list and send it out by october (link)

• Priority #4: Focus around the code next for the changes to East MLK region.
• The revised map is coming out in the next month (Sept 15) I believe then we have to together visit this issues with city to understand what happens to the existing overlays which is destroying much parts of EMLK region.

• Priority #5: Participate and mediate in development discussions in the EMLK region.
• Most developments have bypassed us because of the overlays which provides enormous development opportunities (with 65% or more impervious coverage) without building any or minimal infrastructure. As a planning contact team this is one of our primary duties. (I have requested our council member multiple times to address this issue (link)
• Flooding is a real problem from run-offs and 950 acres of land was converted to high density build-up without any infrastructure (link) . Please see the presentation from COA watershed department (link 1, link 2)
• The challenges with individual houses (like Mark Jackson's property) have not been addressed adequately.  

• Priority #6: Fix meeting dates and venue
• I have done a very poor job on this. I am now proposing the following future dates. I am sending another email on the dates and venue shortly.

• Priority #7: Improve Communication and provide multiple channels of communication
• We are communicating through email. (which is least efficient)
• I also have a blog (link) where we store all information regarding meetings.
• We have a shared google Drive (link)
• We have used www.change.org to get support for the EMLK Hike and Bike Trail (link)
• We are using next-door as often as possible
• The current google-group cannot be administered due to technical reason so I am trying to create a new google group.(link)
• Since now we have better representation from the neighborhood association so I am hoping our information will be distributed through the various NAs.

​Please sign the change.org (link) if you agree that we need the EMLK hike and Bike trail. ​

Work in Hogpen Area - east of Webberville Road - Susan Tingley

SIDEWALKS  We are requesting completion of sidewalks on one side of the street along Delano from Hudson to Fort Branch, Eleanor from Fort Branch to Hudson, new sidewalk on Hudson from Delano to Eleanor, and repair of sidewalk along Eleanor from Hudson to the end of Eleanor.  Please see 2 attachments, one showing existing sidewalks, and one showing proposed.  Charlie Duncan is making another map showing sidewalks plus the proposed Community Garden and connection trail/bridge.  Contact Susan Tingley 919 656-2576 or susantinglee@gmail.com.  I have taken some leadership on this, so please contact me regarding sidewalks.  We were hoping that existing funds are available for this project without it being a Partnership Project. 

COMMUNITY GARDEN    There is a very new group working on a proposed Partnership Project to create a Community Garden at the cul-de-sac on Eleanor.  There is city property there because of a 25 year flood plain.  It is a beautiful site!  Please see attached photos.  Larry Henson919 270-4691 larrywhenson@gmail.com and Hunter Feagin hfeagin03@gmail.com are the contacts for this project.  We have learned that the city is doing a feasibility study for a hike-bike bridge connection between neighborhoods that would allow an entirely different neighborhood (SANA) to participate in the garden, should it be done.  We are very excited and supportive of this project.    

SPRINGDALE PARK CONNECTION TO LINCOLN GARDENS / HOG PEN NEIGHBORHOOD     Springdale Park is now quite inaccessible to our neighborhood.  We see a strong need for a connective hike/bike bridge to be built to provide access to this park.  The City of Austin EMLK Combined Neighborhood Plan lists many improvements needed to this park, including this access.  There are two city owned properties that could connect from Fort Branch Blvd to the Park so there is a choice available.  Right now the Fort Branch Creek banks are steep and cliff-like making a bridge necessary.  Pinaki Ghosh pinaki@utexas.edu and Susan Tingley susantinglee@gmail.com are contacts for this project.  Please see the attachment entitled "InkedSidewalk Request Plan" that shows the two possible bridge connections in purple.

RED BLUFFS    Our brand new nature preserve, just voted upon by city council, will be wonderful access to nature, hiking, natural history, neighborhood connectivity, and needed open space in east Austin.  We are so proud to be a part of its development.  It currently needs trail development and ideally an connection to the Little Walnut Creek Bike Trail.  Contact people include Pete Riveraatxdrywallandpainting@yahoo.com and Ali Ronder alironder@gmail.com.

  

BIKE / HIKE CONNECTION BETWEEN LOTT AVE AND ELEANOR AT COMMUNITY GARDENS     While at an EMLK contact team meeting on June 20, we learned that the city was doing a study on a possible connection between two east Austin neighborhoods that now have no connectivity.  That is a hike-bike bridge connection between Lott Ave and the dead-end cul-de-sac at the south end of Eleanor St.  This was wonderful news.   Not only would it provide for neighborhood transportation and connectivity, it would provide strong access to a Community Garden now being planned at the cul-de-sac at Eleanor St.  We are extremely  supportive of this proposal and would welcome information on it and would like to champion it.  We do not have a leader on this yet, although you can communicate with myself or the Hog Pen Neighborhood Association or the SANA.