SLNA MEETING 4-21-2005

OFFICERS PRESENT:   Carol Gibbs, Nancy Maclaine, Roberta Leahy, Kevin Lewis

# SLNA Residents in Attendance & Signed In  = 29          # Guests = 8

7:00PM = Meeting Called to Order.  Everyone introduced themselves.  Carol explained the benefits of joining the SLNA email group. Contact Carol Gibbs if you live in SLNA’s boundaries and want to join.

CURRENT / OLD BUSINESS

1. Distributed flyers for It’s My Park! Day cleanup project Saturday 4/23/05, 9-1 at South Austin Park &  West Bouldin Creek  It’s the closest park to SLNA besides Zilker Park.

2. Keep Austin Beautiful Committee - no suggestions for a street to clean next quarter, so will leave the decision to committee chair, Chad Hymel. Date = probably some time in July.

3. Austin Clean Water Project – The City will send a speaker to the June 16 membership meeting to explain the impact of sewer line repairs scheduled in our area. Watch for info in the June newsletter as well. Details on the ACWP program at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/acwp.

4. Treasurer / Membership Report (Carol for Don). We’ve had only 2 new memberships since the Feb. meeting. Membership is annual, and you must be a current member in order to vote. Our primary expenditure has been printing the newsletters.

5. Volunteer Projects

a. Tsunami Relief Bake Sale raised over $2000 for a fishing village (Arugambay) to buy boats & nets, dig wells, rebuild houses. Even though the bake sale is over, you can still donate money through PayPal online (http://www.TsunamiBakeSale.org/).

b. Habitat for Humanity House-Build May 7^th – Vargas Rd, near183/BenWhite/ south of the river. We will not work as a group this time, but individuals are still encouraged to go. Maybe someone would then volunteer to lead us in a group project later in the year? Self-register & get site details online (www.ahfh.org ) or call 472-8788. 

c. CARITAS Food Drive:  Attendees brought non-perishables, and Unity will continue the collection through May 5^th in the “Fireside Room.” Drop off your donations any day of the week except Friday. This will be a bimonthly project, starting with the week of our regular meeting and continuing for the next 2 weeks.

PROGRAM  ITEMS:

1. CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES: All candidates were invited; the following showed up and each spoke for about two minutes. Vote early now thru May 3^rd, or vote on May 7^th. 

Place 1 (Slusher’s seat):  Steve Adams, Andrew Bucknall, Lee Leffingwell, Scott Williams

Place 3 (Goodman’s seat):  Mandy Dealey

Place 4:  Betty Dunkerley, the incumbent

2. RICHARD COONS presented drawings of his proposal of development for 2525 S. Lamar (back half of Trailer Park; see drawings at www.southlamar.org).  The idea is for Mixed Use -- ground floor units would be office/retail;  2^nd and 3^rd floors would be residential condos, roughly 1000s.f. average, about 13 units. Residential parking would be covered, underneath the commercial level overhang.  All units would be sold, not leased. Vehicle access to residential parking would be gated at both ends, probably the rolling rather than swinging style gates. The commercial access would be at the main entrance.  He is wanting LR-MU-CO zoning, and is willing to restrict specific uses in the CO.  His most recent project is the “Kinney Lofts” condos at 1209 Kinney Ave., but it is purely residential. He does not have any tenants lined up yet.

NEW BUSINESS:

1. Discussion of Coons’ proposed development, after he left: 

a. City staff is recommending LO-MU-CO zoning which is slightly more restrictive than LR-MU-CO. What’s allowed in LR, and not in LO, are generally higher traffic generators.

b. The retention pond seems too small. Is it above or below ground?

c. Concern that a Tree Survey has not been done. When asked why, Coons didn’t have an answer.

d. There is a joint use agreement for the access to Lamar, but not for the access to Bluebonnet. How will this southbound-Lamar commercial traffic be DIScouraged from using Walgreens’ Bluebonnet access? He didn’t seem to have thought about that.

e. Membership voted to support City Staff’s recommendation of LO-MU-CO (conditional overlays to be determined) at this stage in the process. We anticipate an ongoing dialogue with the applicant.

f. This case is scheduled for hearing by the Zoning & Platting Commission on May 3^rd.

2. Walgreens Update: Bluebonnet upgrades are estimated to begin in 60-90 days (mid summer). They have not yet determined whether the street will be totally closed during construction or whether southbound Lamar traffic will be able to use the traffic light. City Staff will make that determination.

3. Thornton Road developments: new warehouses will be built adjacent to the existing ones at 2509 – same owners, already permitted. Across the street, there’s new activity where 8 duplex lots (4 flag lots) will be. Toward Oltorf, at 2206 Thornton, 1.5 acres is for sale, asking $1.2 million.

4. Members approved changing the name of the “Trailer Park Committee” to the “Zoning Committee”, to better represent its function for the entire NA, not just the project it was originally formed for.

5. Members voted to endorse a resolution opposing the proposed expansion of the tennis center at South Austin Park.

6. Bryan reported that we won’t be scheduled for Neighborhood Planning (NP) until sometime after September at the very earliest.

7. Members elected Bill Stoughton to chair the SLNA NP Committee. All members interested in serving on the NP committee should contact Bill. 

8. Kevin reported on House Bill 2833 & related Senate Bill 1647: redefining “taking” of property to include limiting impervious cover to less than 45% - jeopardizing the City’s authority to control water quality over the city’s drinking water supply. Contact your elected officials!

9. Remember to VOTE:  3 Council seats, a stricter Smoking Ordinance, ACC taxing district expansion (NOT raising our taxes, but making all Austin area pay ACC taxes).

10. Next meeting:  JUNE 16: Austin Clean Water Project; discuss National Night Out activities?

 9:30  =  ADJOURNED