First things first – code enforcement

by Allandale Reporter | Jul 30, 2007 | Neighbohood News | 1 comment

submitted by Tom Linehan

Below is an email sent by Geoff  Mueller to the neighborhood leadership, the Austin Chronicle, the City’s permit department, and anyone else who might listen on Thursday, July 26. Geoff is an Allandale resident who lives in Allandale on Strass Drive just south of Hancock on the west side of Shoal Creek. He is having to suffer the consequences of a speculator who has raised the house next door to him and is building a much larger home in its place.

This is an example of the code enforcement concerns Allandale and other central city neighborhoods are having.  This was on the top of Allandale Neighborhood Association’s  list of issues that I took to the July 19  Townhall neighborhood association meeting
at Palmer Auditorium conducted by city manager, Toby Futrell. 

Geoff’s email was sent on Thursday. On Friday,  a "stop work" notice was posted on the building.

Geoff’s email follows:

I decided to give this a couple of days before responding to see what, if
anything, was being done about the monstrosity going up next door to my house. 
It seems the answer is nothing – at least as far as the city is concerned.

It used to be that the City function acted in a utilitarian way in
regards to its citizens: the greatest good for the greatest number.  In this
case, I have no idea what is motivating the city to overlook the concerns of the
citizens of the neighborhood in the interest of one person.  So, I ask, what is
the motivation?  What unknowns are at play here?  These are not rhetorical
questions.  I fully expect a response.

Tribute to Austin’s Beloved Local Historian and Allandale Neighbor: Ed Van De Vort 1938-2007

by Allandale Reporter | Jul 29, 2007 | Neighbohood News | 1 comment

submitted by C Yang

Ed Van De Vort’s passion for Austin was greater than his 6+
foot frame, and evident whether he was giving a tour of Austin dressed in his
classic black hat, bolo tie, denim shirt, belt buckle and boots, as Sam Houston
during the Austin History Center Association’s annual Angelina Eberly luncheon,
or as Colonel Jesse Lincoln Driskill for special events at the hotel of the
same name.

Jan Triplett considered Van De Vorther mentor and knew him
well through her mother, Jane Dinsmoor, who was his business partner and moved
to Austin with him in 1977 from Evansville, Illinois.

Gaston/Bull Creek/W. 25th St Wastewater Improvement Project

by Allandale Reporter | Jul 28, 2007 | Neighbohood News |

The City of Austin’s
Austin Clean Water Program is going to go to construction this fall on a
wastewater improvement project called the Gaston/Bull Creek/W. 25th St.
Project. Most of the project is in the Pemberton Heights neighborhood, but as you can tell from the title, some of it is in the
Allandale area. As you may know, the Environmental Protection Agency has
mandated that Austin repair and replace all its aging wastewater lines in
priority areas by 2009 or face fines of $27,500 per sewer overflow per day.

I have included a description of the project below and attached a map
map. I wondered if you had time at your next meeting, which I
believe is on August 22, for us to give a 10 to 15 minute briefing? We also
plan to hold our own meeting for the neighborhood residents most impacted by
the project as well.

Thanks very much!

Sincerely,
Crispin Ruiz
Austin Clean Water Program
448-4459