South River City Citizens (SRCC) Neighborhood Association
April 18 Executive Committee Meeting Minutes
6:00 pm, Grace United Methodist Church, Minutes By Tim Mahoney, SRCC Secretary
1. Introductions
In attendance (at one time or another): Jean Mather, Elloa Mathews, Bill Fagelson, Tim Mahoney, Dean Van Landuyt, Dawn Cizmar, Terry Franz, Toni House, Neil Nuwash, Sam Martin (Co-President Danette Chimenti not present due to an excused off-duty SRCC secret assignment)
2. John Gillum B Twin Oaks Library
John Gillum, the Facilities Services Director for the Austin Public Library, was unable to attend because he is ill, but he told Jean Mather that he has wonderful news to tell SRCC, about the Twin Oaks Library, and will only take 10 minutes of the main meeting (hint: think of the present South 5th Street Post Office).
3. Dean Van Landuyt B Owner at 502 Sunny Lane, 826-8561, deanv@austin.rr.com
- Variance for garage apt and garage apartment near the Sunny Lane part; 10,000 square foot lot, property towards the end of Sunny Lane, which is actually a former "alley" between Academy and Riverside, generally east of Newning Avenue to Travis Heights Blvd. Currently has permits for two-car garage, has owned property for nine years, has a two story house, surrounded by 3-story houses. Looking for a variance "grandfathered" to the old code that would allow third floor on garage, 850 sq. feet on the top two floors. Need to get City and Code verification as to what specifically the City Code requirements are regarding measuring the height of the building and the square footing of the garage. May 9th Board of Adjustment hearing. Has support from neighbors on Sunny Lane, but maybe not from addresses on Academy.
4. Bill Fagelson, - 1607 Travis Heights Blvd, the house that had the Oak cut down, monitoring the situation, House still placed to move.
5. Building Permit Review Committee, Ad Hoc; Executive Committee approves committee, will solicit additional volunteers at the General Membership Committee.
- Debbie Ramirez, Chair for Area 1/NCCD, willing to chair committee
- Solicit volunteers for other areas, Areas 2-8, need for additional community education
6. Report on Zoning Issues/Neighborhood Planning Efforts
- Pleasant Valley HEB Project (Toni), beginning on-going relationship with HEB development and expansion at the Riverside and Pleasant Valley. Will double in size in about two years, 65,000 to 125,000 sq. feet. HEB will also add second gas station next to the Exxon gas station, said would help keep Exxon gas prices down. South Central Coalition meetings usually every second Saturday, 9:15 am at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, at near south side of E. Oltorf and IH-35. Engineering firm same as working the Walmart at Ben White, but engineer not familiar with previous negotiations with the neighborhood.
- Update on I-35/Riverside Mediation (Toni): Mediation set for April 22, 2005, has been postponed at the initiation of the local people. Situation developing
- Overlays for Greater South River City Planning District (GSRC) and Neighborhood Conservation Combining District (NCCD, currently Area 1) (Jean)—Jean will report on next membership meeting, seeking approval status from Greg Gurnsey and Adam Smith; Jackie Goodman’s last day is June 4 (will send a thank you note for her service from SRCC); the eastside planners are saying that the planning process totally precludes too specific overlays. Other issues: limits on bars, restaurants on Congress Avenue. Height of structures in NCCD.
7. Approval for $50 expenditure for It’s My Park Day plantings:
Rene Barrera needs $50 advance for native plants, Executive Committee gave approval from SRCC Park funds
8. Set agenda for May 2 General Membership meeting and present actions taken
(1) Resurfacing Stacy Park Tennis Courts B Sherri Ancipink
(2) ACWP (Austin Clean Water Project; Speakers: Gopal Guthikonda, P.E. Division Manager of the Austin Water Utility=s Collection System Services
Division; Joe Hoepken, P.E., project manager for the Govalle 2 B Travis Heights wastewater improvements Project
(3) Norwood Dog Park: Speaker: Paul Addington, VP, Friends of the Norwood Estate Dog Park
(4) Blunn Creek Committee, projects need more coordination, from a few project to many projects (Wal-mart, Payload, St. Edward’s); Elloa Matthews (first), motion passed to explore status of Blunn Creek issues; Elloa will follow up with Lauren Ross to see who is monitoring the Walmart site (soon to open) and the Payload Pass and SEU projects. This is urgent due to Walmart getting their CO.
(5) also Library, Sunny Lane project, overlay for neighborhood, St. Edward’s, other issues to be finalized by Co-Presidents in the next week or 10-days.
Note: Austin Police, Department, South Central Area Command, Tuesday, May 10, 2005, 6:30 pm; Ruiz Library, 1600 Grove Blvd., Austin, TX. 78741
Meeting Adjourned at 7:45 pm