City election today

Posted on May 12, 2012 by burlyheights

Polls are open in today’s mayoral and City Council election, and voting will continue until 7 p.m.

Precincts in our neighborhoods have changed. Burleson Heights and Burleson-Parker now are divided into precincts 431 and 440. See a map that shows the precinct boundaries in this part of Southeast Austin.

To see a map of another precinct in Travis County, select the precinct in the dropdown menu at the bottom of this page on the Travis County website.

The County Clerk’s office has created a list of polling places for today’s election.
District 431: Baty Elementary School, 2101 Faro Drive
District 440: City View at the Park senior apartments, 2000 Woodward St.

For a list of the candidates and propositions in today’s election, see a sample ballot for all of the municipal elections in Travis County.

Coming up next

Today’s election is just the start of a busy month. The May 29 presidential primary will also be a primary for U.S. and state representatives, railroad commissioner, district attorney, several judges, sheriff, constable, tax assessor-collector and more. See Democratic and Republican sample ballots for the full list of candidates.

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Final East Riverside Corridor article available for public review

Posted on May 8, 2012 by burlyheights

The final piece of the Draft East Riverside Corridor (ERC) Regulating Plan is now available for review, according to Erica Leak of the City of Austin Planning & Development Review Department.

The latest portion of the plan is the ERC Development Bonus (Article 6 of the Draft ERC Regulating Plan), which outlines bonuses that allow developers build at a greater density or height in exchange for fees paid to the city or benefits to the public, such as affordable housing, open space, green building, family-friendly housing, and infrastructure improvements. The East Riverside Corridor is being envisioned as a dense but walkable urban neighborhood that has public transportation, jobs, services and schools within easy access of housing.

According to the staff recommendations, there is likely insufficient demand in the East Riverside area to justify buildings that are taller than what will be allowed in the East Riverside Corridor Regulating Plan, but there might be sufficient demand for buildings under six stories that have greater density. Staff supports requiring on-site affordable housing for shorter residential buildings, and providing an in-lieu fee option for taller buildings. In order to encourage commercial and office projects in this area, staff also recommends that non-residential projects be eligible to pay an in-lieu fee for affordable housing.

To see the draft recommendations, go to the ERC website, or view the PDF at ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/npzd/Austingo/erc_db_recs.pdf. Printed copies are available for review at Ruiz Library, 1600 Grove Blvd., and at the fifth-floor reception desk at One Texas Center, 505 Barton Springs Road.

Leak asks citizens to send questions or comments about the draft recommendations to her by Friday, May 25. Following this public comment period, the complete ERC Regulating Plan, including the development bonus program, will be reviewed by the relevant Planning Commission Committees. The plan will then go to the Planning Commission and City Council for public hearings.

You can contact Leak at 974-2856 or erica.leak@austintexas.gov.

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Hearing on Carlson Drive faces another postponement

Posted on May 6, 2012 by burlyheights

The Planning Commission hearing on Edgewick condominiums’ request to gate Carlson Drive might be delayed again. Wendy Rhoades, case manager, says city staff have requested a postponement from May 8 to May 22.

Rhoades says that the city is interested in converting Carlson from a private road with public access granted into a public street with a permanent right of way. In order to do that, the street needs to be constructed in a way that could support higher traffic, including heavy vehicles such as trucks and buses. The city has asked Shire’s Court, which owns Edgewick condominiums and Carlson, to perform a pavement study.

You can read past blogs on this subject and visit the Planning Commission website for meeting agendas and other information.

You can reach Rhoades at 974-7719 or wendy.rhoades@austintexas.gov.

Posted in Development, Meetings, Safety, Security, Transportation | Leave a comment

Mabel Davis off-leash area update

Posted on May 6, 2012 by burlyheights

Representatives of Austin’s Parks and Recreation Dept. (PARD) met at Mabel Davis Park on April 10 to talk with residents about a 1.6-acre fenced off-leash area (OLA) that has been proposed for the southwest corner of the park.

Austin Parks and Recreation Department has proposed a 1.6-acre off-leash area at Mabel Davis Park, south of the swimming pool and west of the pond. The fenced enclosure would have play areas for large and small dogs, water fountains, agility equipment, shade structures and a crushed granite trail around the perimeter. Click to enlarge. (Detail from city document at http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=164198.)

This is a follow-up to two citizen-input meetings held in June and November 2011. The OLA was later approved by the Austin Parks & Recreation Board on Feb. 28, but Austin City Council ruled on April 5 that changes to uses of Mabel Davis Park and Yett Creek Park must be submitted for Council approval.

Though the OLA has some support within the neighborhood, the residents who attended the April 10 meeting voiced concerns about an OLA at this site. One of the most common concerns is how heavy use by dogs will affect water quality in the Country Club Creek watershed, because the creek’s headwaters are in a pond about 100 feet downhill from the proposed OLA. Another concern is that an OLA ranked low in a list of desired park amenities compiled during the planning process for the East Riverside-Oltorf Combined Neighborhood Plan, finalized in 2006. Some residents have asked that other amenities that ranked higher be tackled first. Other residents who have been working to add amenities to the park, such as a trail around the pond, have suggested integrating those into the OLA project.

As part of its response, PARD staff offered to survey about 18,000 people in this part of Southeast Austin about whether they want an OLA at Mabel Davis. As a 50-acre district park, Mabel Davis serves more people than just the neighborhoods that surround it, and a survey would include not only residents in the Ben White-Oltorf area, where the park is, but also the Oltorf-Riverside area. It’s unclear at this point whether a survey is in the works.

The department also explained its rationale for proposing an OLA at Mabel Davis Park. Because the park was built over an old landfill contaminated by illegally dumped pesticides and heavy metals, any future use must not compromise a protective clay cap over the contaminated fill. The southwest corner cannot even be watered with sprinklers. PARD has been working with the Watershed Protection Department on its design for the OLA, which is one of the few amenities that could be allowed under those limitations, staff said. The project is also part of an initiative to bring more dog facilities to Austin parks. Only two of 11 existing OLAs are east of I-35, and Mabel Davis Park is located near thousands of apartment dwellers who do not have areas where they can exercise or play with a dog off-leash.

According to attendees, the discussion didn’t cover much new ground or offer any compromises. But it did achieve a few things: Residents had advance notice of the meeting, they had a chance to air their opinions and get some feedback, and the meeting was accessible for residents because it was held at the park.

Displeasure that residents have voiced over the proposed OLA has been as much about the way the process has been handled as about the OLA itself. Meetings have left many with the impression that PARD decided to install an off-leash area at Mabel Davis Park, then held a series of public meetings merely as a formality to allow it to move forward with its plans. Others say PARD did not do enough to notify them of past meetings, especially people who had asked to be involved in the process and had submitted contact information. PARD representatives say the department followed its usual procedures to announce meetings, generally through the city website or public service announcements. But finding those announcements requires some effort or luck for members of the public.

PARD staff also said the department notified neighborhood associations in the 78741 ZIP code that are registered with the city. You can see a list of registered neighborhood associations and their representatives at the City of Austin Community Registry.

Last week, PARD released notes from the meeting, including comments from attendees and the department’s response. You can read those here.

How do you feel about the off-leash area? You can voice your support, opposition or suggestions by sending e-mail to MabelDavisParkOffLea@austintexas.gov. Send postal mail to:
Austin Parks and Recreation Department
Planning and Development Division
919 West 28 1/2 Street
Austin, Texas 78705

Posted in City projects, Meetings, Off-leash areas, Parks and recreation | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Midnight Rodeo owner requests variance to open strip club

Posted on May 2, 2012 by burlyheights

Rosemary Follis, who owns the nightclub Midnight Rodeo at 2201 E. Ben White Blvd., has requested a variance that would allow her to open a strip club there.

The project requires a variance because, under the city’s Land Development Code, adult-oriented businesses are not allowed within 1,000 feet of parks, schools, churches or day care centers, or where 50 percent or more of the lots within a 1,000-foot radius are zoned for residential use.

Midnight Rodeo is 863.65 feet from the southern edge of Mabel Davis District Park, according to an article that appeared in In Fact Daily in mid-April. It also is about 800 feet from a liquor store, 1,000 feet from the southwestern edge of the Burleson-Parker neighborhood, just over 1,000 feet from American Youthworks’ charter school, about 1,500 feet from Future Stars Child Development Center, and less than 2,000 feet from a rock-climbing gym and a private school at St. Elmo Road and Woodward Street, according to Google Earth measurements provided by a Burleson-Parker resident. A new early childhood development center designed to help relieve crowding at Linder Elementary School will open in August at 5200 Friedrich Lane, about a mile south of Midnight Rodeo.

Follis appears to be using an unusual argument in her request to the city’s Board of Adjustment. She and her representative, Charlie Nohra, claimed that because Mabel Davis Park occupies the site of a former landfill contaminated by illegal dumping, it has been condemned and cannot be used as public parkland, according to the In Fact Daily article. Representatives of Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department denied that claim, and Nohra requested a postponement from the board to find evidence. (Mabel Davis was closed for 5½ years for a $10 million environmental cleanup, and reopened in 2005. The most contaminated area is now the proposed site for a fenced off-leash area. You can read more on the remediation project at a Nov. 19, 2011, blog post.)

Neighboring business owner Sebastian Stadler spoke at the April 9 hearing to oppose Follis’ request, according to In Fact Daily, which quotes him as saying, “I don’t think they have invested any money into their property since they have owned it. I think they are just looking for an easy way to continue to own it without investing anything into it.”

Follis has owned the property, previously 84 Lumber Co., then Dance Across Texas, since 1990.

Several studies have found correlations between adult-oriented businesses, increases in crime and decreases in property values. A few study results are listed at the site of an Oregon nonprofit that supports liveability; see their resources for more details. And if a strip club opens at 2201 East Ben White, it would not be the only AOB in the area. Within 1.7 to 3 miles are Palazio’s, Expose and Hot Bodies. In just the past two years, employees and customers of two of those clubs have been involved in several beating and shooting incidents that resulted in two deaths.

Follis is also the owner of a nearby duplex at 2405 Ventura Drive where two tenants, Ronald Mathias and Robert Anderson, died of carbon monoxide poisoning in late January 2011. Follis was cited with nine structural maintenance and land use violations at the duplex, which had been illegally converted into 13 single-bedroom apartments, according to the website of Grossman Law Offices in Dallas. Follis also owns other rental properties and a transitional home for ex-offenders. Learn more from Travis Central Appraisal District, the Austin Chronicle, the Austin American-Statesman and KVUE.

If you have concerns about the request for a variance to allow a strip club at the site of Midnight Rodeo, contact Susan Walker of Planning and Development Review at 974-2202 and refer to case number C15-2012-0041. You also can email her via this form: http://www.austingo.org/email/susanwalker

Update

This request for a variance was denied by the City of Austin Board of Adjustment on May 14. See the city’s notes and documents.

Posted in Development, History, Media, Off-leash areas, Parks and recreation, Security | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

New neighborhood calendar available

Posted on May 2, 2012 by burlyheights

I’ve created a new calendar that lists public and neighborhood events of interest to residents in the Burleson Heights and Burleson-Parker neighborhoods.

We have a busy week ahead: APD’s monthly Commander’s Forum, the Planning Commission’s hearing of Edgewick condominiums’ request to block Carlson Drive to the public, and elections for mayor and three City Council members.

If there’s an event you think should be included in the neighborhod calendar, please use the Contact Form to submit your idea.

Posted in Calendar, Elections, Police, Politics, Security | Leave a comment

Changes to the Carlson Drive case before Planning Commission

Posted on April 9, 2012 by burlyheights

The Planning Commission hearing of Edgewick condominiums’ request to block public access to Carlson Drive is likely to be postponed for a third time.

The hearing had been scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 10, at the City Council chambers in City Hall, 301 W. Second St.  City staff have requested that it be postponed until May 8.

The Carlson request also has a new city case manager, Wendy Rhoades. You can reach her at wendy.rhoades@austintexas.gov or 974-7719.

Citizens can sign up to speak at the Planning Commission hearing, or can e-mail a statement to Rhoades indicating support or opposition to Edgewick’s request. If you submit a statement, include your name, address and contact information, and refer to case No. C14-04-0181.SH(RCA).

Among the groups that have formally opposed Edgewick’s request are the League of Bicycling Voters and the Neighborhood Connectivity Division of the city’s Public Works Department (which also includes the Child Safety program that designated Carlson a Safe Route to School for Linder Elementary students).

After the Planning Commission hears the request, the case will go to City Council. Citizens will again have the opportunity to speak or submit a statement regarding the case.

Background information

Shire’s Court, which owns Edgewick condominiums, has asked the city for permission to gate both ends of Carlson Drive to prevent the public from using it. The company claims that it wants to prevent crime and mischief in the development, which already is fenced and gated from Carlson Drive.

Carlson is one of only three east-west neighborhood streets east of Parker Lane, and one of only two that are two-way streets. To learn more, see a Feb. 10 blog post about the request here.

Below is information on the case from the April 10 Planning Commission agenda:

5. Restrictive Covenant Amendment: C14-04-0181.SH(RCA) – Shire’s Court
Location: 1910 ½ Wickshire Lane, Country Club East Watershed, East Riverside/Oltorf Combined NPA
Owner/Applicant: Shire’s Court G.P., Inc. (David Mahn)
Agent: Myra Goepp
Request: To amend the Restrictive Covenant and make Carlson Drive a private access roadway.
Staff Rec.: Recommendation Pending; Postponement request by Staff to May 8, 2012.
Staff: Wendy Rhoades, 974-7719, wendy.rhoades@austintexas.gov
Planning and Development Review Department

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City Council will hear requests for changes at Mabel Davis Park

Posted on April 7, 2012 by burlyheights

On Thursday, April 5, Austin City Council passed a resolution that will require their approval for changes to the way Mabel Davis Park is used. The decision stems from community response to a proposed off-leash area (OLA) at the park.

Last year, the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department proposed new OLAs in several locations around the city, including Mabel Davis District Park in Southeast Austin. It held two meetings on the plan for area stakeholders. (See blog post from Nov. 19, 2011.)

The proposed plan was designed to create a fenced, 1.6-acre off-leash area that will include water fountains, agility equipment, shade structures, a separate area for small dogs, and a decomposed granite trail inside the perimeter of the fence.

On Feb. 28, the OLAs at both Mabel Davis and another park, Yett Creek Neighborhood Park, were approved during a hearing of the Austin Parks & Recreation Board. (See blog post from March 13, 2012.)  The Burleson Heights and Burleson-Parker neighborhoods had been waiting for the next step in the process so that residents could participate, but although some residents had asked to be notified, they learned about the hearing after the fact. It had been posted on the online agenda of the Parks & Recreation Board.

Complicating matters was a redesign of the City of Austin website, which changed the URLs of all city departments, committees and boards early in 2012.  Months into the redesign, searches yield uneven results, and many pages still have broken links and missing or out-of-date content (see an Austin Chronicle article on the redesign). There also is no link to the Web page for the Parks & Recreation Board from the Parks & Recreation Department or off-leash area pages.

After residents confirmed that the hearing was the city’s final approval for the OLA, three Burleson-Parker residents spoke during the Citizen Communication session at the March 22 City Council meeting to express dissatisfaction over the public process. (See video of the residents, who were the third, sixth and seventh speakers in the session. Citizen Communication came after Item 15.) Some area residents also had been communicating with Council members about the issue since late 2011.

Neighborhood residents are divided over the OLA in Mabel Davis Park, but most say that they would like to see a more transparent public process. Residents’ requests to the city currently include seeking more community feedback, such as a formal survey, and incorporating amenities requested by the community if the project moves forward.

Residents also want clarification of environmental issues surrounding the OLA, which is planned for the site of a former landfill that underwent a 5½-year, $10 million environmental cleanup to address contamination from pesticides and heavy metals. Some are concerned about how an increase in dog waste at the site would affect water quality in the adjacent spring-fed pond and Country Club Creek.

What happened April 5

Here’s the text of Item 55, which the Austin City Council approved on Thursday:

WHEREAS, the Austin Parks and Recreation Board approved a recommendation for the Director to move forward with design of two new off leash areas at Mabel Davis Park and Yett Creek Neighborhood Park at their meeting on February 28, 2012; and
WHEREAS, the City of Austin has conducted two public meetings to obtain feedback from citizens and stakeholders prior to the Austin Parks and Recreation Board recommendation; and
WHEREAS, public outreach efforts have not yielded a consensus of community support for the proposed change of use for these neighborhood parks; and
WHEREAS, presenting plans to Council would provide another opportunity for citizen input and allow Council to weigh in on the policy direction that is being proposed;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN: The City Manager is directed to present to Council for approval plans for any change in existing use for Mabel Davis Park and Yett Creek Neighborhood Park.

What’s next

Representatives of the Burleson Heights/Burleson-Parker neighborhoods and of the Parks and Recreation Department will meet at 7 p.m. on April 10.

Posted in City projects, Meetings, Off-leash areas, Parks and recreation | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Texas PBS show highlights invasive plants

Posted on April 1, 2012 by burlyheights

Invasive plants have been a hot topic in Burleson Heights and Burleson-Parker lately, and episode #2024 of “Texas Parks and Wildlife” features a long segment on efforts to remove invasives in state and local parks across the state.

Most of the segment was filmed in the Shoal Creek greenbelt in Central Austin, where volunteers worked with the Austin Parks Foundation to remove ligustrum. You can watch the episode to see what a little collaboration can accomplish, and get a sense of the kinds of tools and methods can help remove invasives.

Like many invasive plants, ligustrum was introduced as a landscape plant and has escaped into natural areas, crowding out the native plants that provide food and shelter for wildlife. Ligustrum has varieties with common names like Japanese privet or Chinese privet. It has choked greenbelts, empty lots, creek banks and parks in our part of Southeast Austin.

Many invasive species are still sold in retail nurseries, but they can spread from your yard to the wildernes in numerous ways. We can all do out part to avoid damage to the land and the natural balance of plants and animals by not planting invasives, asking nurseries not to sell them, and working individually and together to remove them on public and private property.

The episode will air again several times in the coming weeks on KLRU and KLRU Q. See the production schedule for episode #2024 of “Texas Parks and Wildlife,” part of an excellent weekly television series that is produced only 2 1/2 miles from our neighborhood at the TPWD headquarters, 4200 Smith School Road.

Learn more about invasive plants and animals in Texas and what you can do to help at www.texasinvasives.org.

Posted in Conservation, Garden & landscape, Media, Parks and recreation | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Police Commander’s Forum on Monday

Posted on April 1, 2012 by burlyheights

The Region 3 Area Command of Austin Police Department will have its next monthly Commander’s Forum on Monday, April 2. Come meet your district representatives and hear presentations about recent crime-control efforts and crime statistics.

Burleson Heights and Burleson-Parker neighborhoods are in Region 3, in area H1 of Henry Sector (see map). Our district representative with APD is Officer Ray Lopez, available at 974-5551 or an online e-mail contact form. Look online for more contact information for the region.

Forums are held the first Monday of the month, 6:30 to 8 p.m., in the conference room at the Robert S. Martinez Sr., Central East Substation, 812 Springdale Road.

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