South River City Citizens (SRCC) Neighborhood
Association
August 15 (2005) Executive Committee Meeting Minutes (Tim Mahoney, SRCC Secretary, and Toni House,
Vice-President) 6:00
pm, Grace United Methodist Church
Item 1. Introductions: Present during the meeting: Dannette Chimenti, Jean Mather, Toni House, Erik Beguin, Dwayne Kolly, Tim Mahoney, David Karoly, Elloa Mathews,, Gayle Goff, Linda Land, Terry Franz, Fred Krebs, Carl Braun
Item 2. Erik Beguin, Libertad Bank – 1903 Riverside Drive
Request for support for zoning change from LR to GR for new community bank that will have special services for Spanish-speaking customers. GR is recommended in the new plan, but would like to expedite the process since the neighborhood plan has been delayed for presentation to the Planning Commission until October. Property is owned by a local partnership that includes Rick Noble, who also owns Rick’s Cleaners and other land along the southside along riverside. Development agreement is that Bank would have lease for 25 years, after which time Mr. Noble or his partnership would own the building that the new bank people are planning to build.
Issue of status of site plan review and when expedited decision needs to done. Agreement that they would get additional information and try to get back this week before the Southeast Coalition meeting this Saturday.
Item 3. El Taquito Update – Report on meeting a week or two ago with neighborhood’s volunteer attorney (Mike Whelan, Thanks Mike!). Dawn Cizmar gave a report on the history, including the lawsuit, past and/or present, and/or future. (a discussion of some issues kept to a minimum because of the fact that litigation may be involved). Mr. Eli Saenz is also working with a corporation with city funding issues. Report on the fence that adjoining property owners have put up next to the El Tacquito property (intersection of Old East Riverside and Riverside Drive, just east of Parker Lane).
Item 4: 2100 Parker Lane Update
Mary Jo Osgood was not able to provide a report, but she had recently advised Danette that there is information from another City staffer (not Greg Guernsey) that the mansion lots are subject to the deed restrictions, and that it appears that the mansion may have been built illegally; possibly the mansion lot was never subdivided. There has been discussion among the neighborhood parties to the deed restrictions of pursuing legal action to enforce any existing deed restrictions. Concerns have been raised about how any development will affect the headwaters of Harper’s Branch, which are on the adjacent property and near the pond behind the mansion. Bill Faust, the agent for Mike Hamilton, the developer/builder, has called Jean Mather to ask whether the neighborhood has made a decision to support the development Mr. Hamilton previously proposed. Jean recommended that he provide a site plan. The neighborhood won’t be able to make a decision without a clear idea of what will be built. She advised him to hire an architect and present a real plan to the neighborhood.
Item 5: APD Forum Report – Code Enforcement
New Code Enforcement staff were introduced at the Commander’s Forum held August 9, 2005: Mr. Muir[?], Keith Leach, Kit Campbell, and possibly William Traynor. They discussed how code enforcement is expected to work. It was suggested that Code Enforcement be asked to attend a General Meeting. [When I met with William Traynor a few weeks ago, he said that they would be happy to make a presentation to the neighborhood association, so I’d be happy to make that request. He’s the one who told me that his department has been instructed to make code enforcement a priority in this area.]
Item 6: Report on Neighborhood Planning Efforts
Travis County Bond Election coming up – An effort has been made to tie items on the bond list to needs identified in neighborhood plans, and in neighborhood plans under development. Through the efforts of Jeff Jack and others, a Bond Election Committee is being formed. Jim Walker is expected to be on the Committee and he wants feedback from the Neighborhood Planning Committee regarding the needs of the neighborhoods. The recommendation has been made that the neighborhood planning areas provide lists of the improvements they are requesting in their plans. Linda Land noted how interesting this information is in light of the City water development/wastewater presentation she attended recently. Both SRCC planning areas have been advised that the major water/wastewater projects they are undertaking are not in response to the increased density the neighborhood plans reflect.
GSRC Neighborhood Plan is set for hearing before the Planning Commission on September 13th, 2005. Jean Mather notes that Stakeholders should be prepared for a recommendation by either Adam Smith or possibly Commissioners Galindo or Sullivan to have St. Edwards Drive become a through street. It is noted that both commissioners believe in the grid system, with all streets connecting. Their reasoning is that neighborhoods which have only one or two nearby arterials will benefit because all the traffic will be funneled throughout the neighborhood, thereby reducing traffic on the arterials. [And making it more dangerous for children, pets, and people backing their cars out of the driveways.] The Planning Commission has consistently voted to open streets. The issue of making St. Ed’s Drive a through street will need a prepared response.
Another issue that may come up is the SACHEM location on Woodward. Brian Hejl [sp?] of SACHEM has been contacted by Jean Mather. Planning Commissioner Galindo has a problem with SACHEM’s site being so close to MF and feels that SACHEM’s light industrial zoning should be replaced with MF zoning and more apartments. The neighborhood had previously worked out the zoning arrangement with SACHEM instead of agreeing to another apartment complex because SACHEM agreed to keep a large portion of the site green. The MF complex adjacent to SACHEM was required to maintain a 25 foot vegetative buffer between the property lines. It was thought that the agreement for these conditions -- extra green space – were supposed to run with the land, but the City says that the site plan has expired, along with these conditions. SACHEM previously attempted to amend the site plan and SACHEM thought that this would extend their site plan, but according to the City, it has expired. The City says that SACHEM needs a retention pond on the property. This issue needs to be prepared for prior to the GSRC NP hearing also.
Elloa Matthews identified another problem that came up recently [possibly during the NP Committee hearing on August 10, 2005]. Adam Smith said that the Stakeholders traded "all the strip mall properties" in return for the Jung property. Elloa said that he is mistaken. Additionally, the Sherwood Oaks SF-2 conditional overlay was missing from the Neighborhood Plan.
Terry Franz recommends that the NP committee meet soon and begin to prepare for the hearing.
Brief note by Jean Mather that a historic zoning request has been filed for property at Live Oak and Congress on Lyndell Street. The owner is Sterling Tadlock and the applicant is someone else. This is something to follow up on.
Item 7: September 12 General Meeting Agenda proposed (meeting postponed one week because of the Holiday on Sept. 5th):
1. CASA of Travis County: Guest Speaker – Karinna Perez
2. El Taquito Update – Dawn Cizmar
3. Report on Neighborhood Planning Efforts
4. Blunn Creek Committee Report (Walmart/Payload Pass)
5. Richard Turullos-Bonilla books: Friends of Dialogue, Dialogue of Friends.
Meeting Adjourns
furnished 9/2/05