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by Allandale Reporter | Jul 30, 2007 | Neighbohood News |
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.
by Allandale Reporter | Jul 29, 2007 | Neighbohood News |
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.
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
by Allandale Reporter | Jul 28, 2007 | Land use issues
This week the Austin Chronicle covered RG4N’s community meeting to discuss it’s lawsuit against Lincoln Property. In the article, "It’s not a done deal," by Lee Nichols, the Chronicle reported the turnout to the meeting at First Unitarian...
by Allandale Reporter | Jul 22, 2007 | Neighborhood Safety and Crime |
It seems that property crimes, in Allandale are up based on the number of recent posts to the newsgroup. Property crimes are incidents like burglary of vehicle, burglary of residence, theft, etc. I just updated the crime incident report: 2006 vs 2007 for Allandale and based on that, the number of incidents reported is about the same. Even in the past 3 months, there really has not been a big increase property crimes. If you don’t report it, it doesn’t get recorded.
That is what the numbers tell us. It doesn’t offer much consolation to residents who are victims of the crime.
by Allandale Reporter | Jul 11, 2007 | ANA Matters
At last week’s ANA Executive Committee meetings, Lisa
McClain, with FixAustin gave a short presentation on the city’s plans to move
the animal shelter from its current Town Lake location to East
Austin. Here are some of
the reasons why they are against it:
1. An animal shelter in East Austin prevents affordable
housing and multi-use developments preferred by East
Austin neighborhoods.
2. The current Town Lake location is equally
accessible from all parts of the County.
by Allandale Reporter | Jul 11, 2007 | ANA Matters, ANA Minutes
Minutes from ANA Executive Board Meeting 7/5/07, 7:00 p.m., North Village Library
ANA Executive Board Members present: Joe Reynolds, Brent Sjolseth, Dan Jones,
Michael Bomba, Laura Slaughter, Donna Beth McCormick, Cathy Yang, Paulette
Kern, Tom Linehan.
Tom called meeting to order. Agenda revised. Dan Jones moved
acceptance of revised agenda, second by Brent. Motion passed.
Tom noted two corrections to the Exec. Board Minutes of June
27 meeting: 1) Date on meeting should be June 27, not July 27, 2) motion to
approve agenda looks like it is recorded twice. Approval of minutes waived till next meeting.
by Allandale Reporter | Jul 8, 2007 | Local Commerce
submitted by Robin Senor
Three of the 18 buildings formerly known as Summerfield Suites Hotels on Northcross Road
are nearing their first phase of conversion into condos, and began
selling last week. "The Allandale" condominiums will include 576 square
foot one bedroom units, and 864 square foot 2 bedroom units, with
prices ranging from under $100,00 for a basic one-bedroom unit to
around $150,00 for a 2 bedroom unit with a full upgrade package.
by Allandale Reporter | Jul 7, 2007 | Local Commerce |
submitted by Tom Linehan I met with Julia Akin, co-owner of Friscos, to get an update on when and where Frisco’s is moving. She said they have until May of 2008 to move out. Friscos and the adjoining car lot will be replaced with a Walgreens. They are in search...
by Allandale Reporter | Jul 5, 2007 | Land use issues
Today’s Austin Chronicle includes an article by Katherine Gregor relating to ANA’s lawsuit filed against the City over the Northcross development. The article, Developing Stories, Another Northcross Lawsuit: Allandale Neighborhood Association, includes...