Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Support letter for Little Walnut Creek Park rezoning

we are zoning the entire park to P - this is a very important first step for securing the land

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B36RXCrErciSQ3c1SEd5UlNYUEE/view?usp=sharing

  1. The rezoning of the park is moving forward! It will be before city council on December 7. We need to rally community support and request that folks send letters of support in to city council.
  2. We have been accepted as a project for master plan assistance by the NPS and the Neighbor's Program of Asakura Robinson. We need to work up and implement a fundraising plan to do our match. Our fundraising target is $5,000.
  3. The park clean up was a great success! We filled up an entire dumpster with trash with the help of about 30 volunteers and the 183 CRC construction crew volunteers!
  4. We also have our ongoing monthly group hikes and social media presence activities.

Saturday, October 7, 2017

planning development and architecture

What is not

  1. Not a city planning department 
    1. We have only advisory capacity so we are not part of any open meetings act
  2. Does not create an approval process which needs to be maintained
    1. This is an informal group which means we put together ideas so it will be self-organizing to some extent
  3. Not a body which will be answering to every citizen in EMLK for their development problems. That’s the job of the city
  4. It is not execution authority


What it is

  1. ​Take decisions (approval/disapproval) with a set of reasons. Why are we supporting something – there must be a logical reason.
  2. A knowledge body where decisions are documented (like why we supported something) – this can be a blog with attachments or just a closed google group with a shared folder or even slideshare. The important fact is that we can go back to the past decisions and investigate why we took them
  3. ​​Independent body of architects, civil engineers, landscape people - may be AIA can recognize it as the East Austin Subject Matter expert
  4. It will appreciate a develop local architects who will practice in east side (this always leads to better products)
  5. Can reach out to city bodies with or without contact teams permission. (A body of influence)
  6. Influences east Austin Architecture - I am a big fan of Christopher Alexander. I believe we can do much better.
  7. Acts as an emergency buffer for something really bad happening from development perspective.

Artifacts
  1. General documentation around development in EMLK area – can be adopted from sections of imagine Austin or just reference to Imagine Austin or other documents as appropriate – this is more of a conceptual document
  2. Each FLUM change or zoning case will create a precedence and that knowledge will be stored regarding what we approved and why we did so.
  3. 3 FLUM changes on hand.
  4. Reference Document created by Jeff Jack.


Notes from Meeting:

General Points
  • The neighborhood associations have the issue of getting enough neighbors to participate
  • The architecture group has to make a comprehensible document for each case with a clear recommendation which the neighborhood association can understand
  • The document should include what the developer has proposed and what we are counter proposing.
  • The group can act as an advocacy group so that neighborhoods do not say "no" to everything.
  • EMLK area can have clear guidelines and requirements for developers to provide when they ask for FLUM change or Zoning change.
  • It is important to make developers understand the value proposing of the group
  • Advocate for good architectural product
  • The decisions by the group has to be distributed using websites or news-letters
  • We will need a lawyer to advise us.
  • This will not be a group which will say "no" to everything - rather this will be a group which can make it a "yes" with better design.

Challenges

  • It can turn into a very time consuming activity for many people
  • Attending every zoning meeting and neighborhood meeting can become very time consuming
  • Can turn into a group which only says no to developers
  • Can get into legal issues (or understand legal issues)

Friday, October 6, 2017

CIPs for 2018 as requested by EMLK Contact team

Here’s the results to the Neighborhood Plan Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Surveys.  Data is attach and consolidated below.  

Pecan Springs/Springdale Neighborhood Plan Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Survey Results:

1.       Develop a destination park/natural preserve to the south of Little Walnut Creek. (29, 63)
2.       Develop a hike/bike trail along Little Walnut Creek. (30, 63)
3.       Add sidewalks on 51st (both sides) from Springdale to US 183/YMCA. (91, 87)
4.       Extend bike lane from Springdale to 183 on MLK Blvd. (109, 90)
5.       5th place is a tie (include both):
a.       PS/S NPA - Construct sidewalks on Pecan Springs (either side) from 51st to Marlo. (100a, 88)
b.      Reduce street flooding by working with WPDRD to identify high need areas for storm drain improvements, and supporting WPDRD's funding requests for construction of storm drain improvements. (170, 102)

Other items (write ins) to add to future CIP’s lists:
·         Construct a hike and bike trail around/across the Morris Williams golf course (inside the fence) similarly to what's been done at the Hancock Golf Course.
·         Hike/bike trail connecting Morris Williams golf course to Mueller community
·         Crosswalks on Springdale Road are badly needed in many places between (at least) Airport and 12th
·         Repair Springdale Rd settling, between Rogge Ln & Hycreek Dr
·         Speed control measures on 51st street between Manor and Springdale



MLK Neighborhood Plan Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Survey Results:

1.       Improve the appearance, walkability, and traffic flow of Airport Boulevard by making the widening and improvement of the street a higher priority in the regional transportation plan. (103a, 89)
2.       Add bike lanes and wider sidewalks on both sides of Airport Blvd. (103b, 89)
3.       Add raised, landscaped medians similar to those that exist north of 38 1/2 Street along Airport Blvd. (103c, 89)
4.       Use the excess right-of-way at the Airport Blvd. and Manor Road intersection to improve turning movements and improve pedestrian safety. (103d.a, 89)
5.       Add bus shelters at bus stops in the vicinity of Sims Elementary. (106, 90)

Other items (write ins) to add to future CIP’s lists:
·         build a hike and bike trail across Morris Williams Golf Course to connect surrounding neighborhoods



MLK-183 Neighborhood Plan Capital Improvement Program (CIP):

  1. Sidewalk work:  Complete sidewalk on east side of Delano St from Hudson to Fort Branch Blvd; complete Eleanor St sidewalk on west side from Hudson to Fort Branch; repair sidewalk on west side of Eleanor St from Hudson, south to Eleanor dead-end; create sidewalk on one side of Hudson from Delano to Eleanor.
  2. ​Provide Access to Springdale park to residents who cannot access it from the east and south.  Build a hike/bike bridge across Fort Branch Creek from city property along Fort Branch Blvd to Springdale Park to provide that access.  ​ ​​Improve Springdale Park.  Create walking and biking trails that connect with the proposed bridge, add infrastructure. (48, 69, 182, 103)
  3. Cavalier Park--Develop Hike/Bike Trails along Walnut Creek, Little Walnut Creek, and the former Mo-Kan Railroad right-of-way. (64, 77)
  4. ​​Connectivity between Hog Pen/Lincoln Gardens area and Springdale/Airport area.  Fort Branch Creek divides these areas for miles.  Build a hike/bike bridge across Fort Branch Creek from the Eleanor St. cul-de-sac to Lott Ave.​  This would connect areas and open the proposed community garden to the south and west.
  5. Create a bike lane or street separate bikeway along Martin Luther King Blvd from Springdale, across 183, all the way to the MLK/Walnut Creek Trail junction. (109, 90)


Other items (write ins) to add to future CIP’s lists:
·         Speed calming on Ledesma and Sara
·         Sidewalks & traffic control along Delano St

·         FM 969 Corridor study Implementation

Monday, October 2, 2017

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). 

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

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





Saturday, September 16, 2017

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

* 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.




Thank you
Lt. Gaslin

Gizette Gaslin, Lieutenant
Austin Police Department
Executive Lieutenant – Community Engagement Coordinator
512-974-5513 (Office)
512-974-6611 (Fax)