NUNA News
We know how special NUNA is, an often underappreciated treasure in Central Austin…..until now, that is. The Austin Chronicle announced its Critic’s Pick Awards, and we’re number one in Pocket Parks. Here’s what they had to say about Sparky. “Best New Pocket of Green: Sparky Park A former Austin substation notorious for sparking during thunderstorms gets a makeover, and the North University Neighborhood gets a quirky new park. The transformation took place earlier this year, when a fantastical grotto wall, created by local sculptor Berthold Haas, replaced an existing wall. It’s still a work in progress, and while some are calling it a pocket park, we call it a small wonder.” “Quirky”? “Fantastical”? “A small wonder”? Sounds like NUNA!
(View the history of how this park was created.)
Many thanks to all who participated in the Adams and Hemphill Park Cleanup on November 8th. We had more people come out than any cleanup in the recent past. Thanks also to Trudy’s for providing the breakfast tacos that kept us going. The November cleanup is the most effective because it’s the end of the growing season and our efforts will last until late spring. We were able to clean the brush and trash out of the creek from 30th to 33rd Street. These cleanups are essential in keeping the waterway clear and the park safe.
Even with the great turnout we had, it’s very difficult to combine both Adams & Hemphill in the same cleanup. We’re planning an informal cleanup for Adams Park to concentrate on trash pick up. Look for an announcement after the holidays and come out and join us!
Our next effort is to get the city (Watershed) to clean out some of the creek sediment that has accumulated over the years. It helps for multiple residents to put in the request so as not to look like it is only one or two individuals requesting city services. Call 311 and ask for Watershed Protection. Tell them that the neighborhood is concerned that the creek backs up due to shifting sediment causing a bacterial build up. More importantly, the creek needs to be free of obstruction because of the flooding issues we have in the neighborhood. If you would rather, you can send an email to wpdrpio@ci.austin. tx.us. If you get no response from either 311 or email you can always ask for the Watershed Protection Director, Victoria Li at 974-2339. Please email me @ mwfeist@gmail.com if you make a call so I can track our efforts.
There are few events in the neighborhood that create a sense of community like coming together to work on our beloved parks. There are few efforts that provide 6 months of enjoyment for 2 to 3 hours of effort. Thanks again to all who participated!!
Happy Holidays!
President’s Report February 2010
by Bill Bednar
Since December, much time and effort in CANPAC and NUNA has been devoted to study of the University Area Partners’ negotiations with the city for a “parking benefit district.” Area Partners is an association of businesses located generally along Guadalupe St. and in the West Campus area. The plan would basically replace about 400 free parking places in the West University area with pay-station parking. Part of the revenue would be dedicated to sidewalks and other right-of-way amenities in West University. The details are in this issue’s article on the subject, which I urge you to read for several reasons. First, there is potential adverse impact because of overflow student parkers in the surrounding neighborhoods, which already have an excess of University-related parkers. Second, the proposed UAP district would, as planned, include a small portion of NUNA. Third, volunteers in NUNA have been at work since September exploring the pros and cons of having our own parking benefit district in NUNA. In addition to the article, there will be a presentation at the February membership meeting to keep everyone up to date. And no, nobody is proposing to put parking meters around Hemphill Park, if I may be permitted to squash that rumor yet one more time!
There continues to be interest in establishing historic districts in Grooms, Buddington, and Aldridge Place, although as is usual in neighborhood matters, opinions are divided. Realistically speaking, Aldridge Place appears to have the best prospect of mustering the 51% vote necessary to submit an application. There are many advantages to historic district status, not the least of which are the increase and retention of home values experienced nationwide in such districts.
Whether you are a supporter or a doubter, you are welcome in the working group, which is the place to have beneficial influence. Both Buddington and Grooms have active working groups, but we are in need of some more volunteers in Aldridge Place. Please contact Roger Borgelt if you are interested, 469-7474. We look forward in February and March to completing a set of design standards and publicizing them to Aldridge Place residents for further evaluation and support. The goal is to put together a concept for the Aldridge Place Historic District that is sensible and compatible with the wishes of residents. Come help!
Remember that our membership meeting will be at First English Lutheran at 7:00 PM on February 1, 2010.
See you there!
Peace, -- Bill Bednar
Let’s Save the Historic Kit Homes at 304 East
30th St.
By Carol Journeay
Let’s Save the Historic Kit Homes at 304 East 30th St. by Carol Journeay The potentially historic “kit homes” at 304 East 30th St have a developer seeking their demolition. Do we save our history or do we let it fall to the way side for yet another big box on stilts student apartment that will not only take out these little cottages but will endanger the potentially historic Pressler home next door? With a little tender loving care these neglected “kit homes” could be returned to the pristine little jewels they once were.
Ernest J Pressler had the kit homes assembled on his property in 1936 or ’37 for rental property next to the family home. His grandson Stephen says that the cottages were put up in two weeks by two men. The history of the Pressler property goes back to the early 1900s. E.J. and Isabella Pressler and family moved into their home at 100 East 30th in either 1905 or 1906. Sometime in 1911-1912, the house, classified as Victorian transitioning to California Bungalow, was moved from 100 East 30th “by a man and a mule” to 102. The address later changed to 302 East 30th, where E.J. Pressler lived until his death in 1963.
Over the years the kit houses next door would be home to numerous occupants, including E.J.’s son, Paul E. Pressler and Paul’s children, Stephen and Mary Pressler. All together, members of the Pressler family occupied the cottages at 304 East 30th St for a good twenty years.
Paul E. Pressler was an Austin architect who during the Great Depression worked with the CCC. Examples from his portfolio can be found at several Texas State Parks. His son Stephen says that his father’s mural called the “WILL WALL” can be seen at McDonald Observatory. Also, look for the bridge on the grounds of the Perry Mansion that his father is said to have designed. Paul’s artistic, free spirited daughter Mary, late known as Eva, was an influential player in Austin’s art and music scenes until her untimely death in 1999. His son Stephen, an artist and poet, currently lives in the family home.
The family history goes back to Paul Pressler, E.J.’s father, who started the well know Pressler’s Beer Garden with his brother Frank. Located on Pecan (6th Street) running down to the river the Garden was an addition to Paul’s Pressler Brewery, which first occupied the site. Today, look for Pressler Street off Sixth to get a general idea of where the Pressler Brewery and Pressler’s Beer Garden were located.
The Historic Landmark Commission has not yet determined the status of the cottages. A demo permit might still be granted. Please consider attending the December HLC hearing or contacting the commission members to support historic status for these little cottages at 304 East 30th. Community support is essential if these cottages are to be saved. If you have any questions about the 304 East 30th St cottages, please contact Carol Journeay or Mary Ingle, or attend the next neighborhood meeting on Monday, December 7th.
The Neighborhood Planning Team (NPT) Update
The North University Neighborhood Planning Team is a community-based organization of your neighbors who are passionately interested in shaping the growth of our area. Living in this historic neighborhood we are all aware that the built environment should outlive us. As you will read in the examples below, we can apply the wisdom of our neighborhood plan in practical ways to improve every project. We can work cooperatively with city staff, neighbors, and developers so that this neighborhood will provide a similar character of life in the future as the one we enjoy today. We are seeking opportunities to broaden the diversity of backgrounds in our NPT, and we need your help. Please consider coming to an NPT meeting and weighing in on an issue on the Yahoo Group. Normally we meet every second Wednesday at 6:30 P.M. at the AGE Building, 3710 Cedar St.. Our meetings are public and you are always welcome to bring your ideas. Join the area’s Yahoo Group at nuna-residents-subscribe@yahoogroups.com to find out about meeting dates and times.
NPT Recommends Denial of New Outdoor Music Venue
On June 16th the North University Neighborhood Planning Team (NPT) received notification from the city that Little Woodrow’s had applied for an outdoor music venue permit. The notice also stated that a June 30th administrative deadline was set to approve or deny the permit. Located at 2610 Guadalupe, the property is outside the North University Neighborhood Planning Area, but impacts properties housing hundreds of NUNA residents. On June 17th, the NPT voted unanimously to recommend the denial of this permit and subsequently issued a letter to the city stating specific concerns. Despite our concerns, a permit was granted on July 14th. The NPT voted on July 15th to appeal this decision and to recommend NUNA and CANPAC file appeals on this case. The reasons cited in the recommendation and decision to appeal are many. Chiefly, the outdoor music would be located amidst properties with very dense multifamily residential use. The noise generated will impact these residents’ properties and deny them quiet enjoyment of their homes, threaten the implementation of our neighborhood plan, and lower property values in the immediate and extended area. An outdoor music venue permit would place this property in direct conflict with the goals of the Central Austin Combined Neighborhood Plan. This Plan seeks to develop and foster existing mixed use on commercial corridors such as Guadalupe St. in a way which is pedestrian oriented, neighborhood friendly, neighborhood scaled, and serves neighborhood needs. Outdoor music use at this location would endanger current residential uses and diminish the prospects of realizing those density goals in the future. The NPT will keep the neighborhood apprised of the progress of this issue and hope that we can resolve this soon.
Wheatsville Crosswalk Changes Sought
For almost a year, an unlighted crosswalk has been in place at the 3100 block of Guadalupe connecting the Heritage and North University neighborhoods. This is a terrific feature, but many drivers are not heeding state law to stop for pedestrians once they enter the crosswalk. After monitoring numerous safety complaints in crossing Guadalupe, the North University Neighborhood Planning Team (NPT) recommended at their June 17th meeting that a switch-activated embedded lighted crosswalk or other traffic control device should be installed at this location. In the months to come The NPT will be reaching out to the Heritage neighborhood and other stakeholders for their input on this issue. Since the city’s decision to install any feature partially depends on how many citizen complaints have been registered, we encourage all residents who have had difficulty crossing Guadalupe in this area to call 311 and file a report.
NPT Recommends NCCD Change to Restrict Annunciator Signs
Annunciator signs have entered the North University lexicon in a most unfortunate situation this spring. One morning, just a few hundred feet to the west of Kirby Hall School, an adult bookstore installed an LED-based electronic, changeable copy sign on a tall pole. Steven Tomlinson, a member of the North University Neighborhood Planning Team (NPT), led the enforcement effort. Steven worked with Heritage and Shoal Crest neighborhoods and code enforcement to have the sign removed. The removal was ordered not because the sign was annunciator-type; they are currently legal citywide. It was because it was installed on a pole, which the University Neighborhood Overlay prohibits. If you missed it, you may be familiar with a very prominent example of an annunciator sign for a shoe store on the 5500 Block of Burnet Road. The emergence of these signs leaves us with the prospect of seeing them in our neighborhood in the future. An NPT resolution passed on July 17th recommends that the NCCD be amended to prohibit annunciator signs in the North University Neighborhood Planning Area. The NPT has identified language in the Land Development Code that can be modified to create an NCCD amendment to restrict annunciator signs. The resolution also recommends that abutting neighborhoods take similar steps to preserve the character of the area’s commercial landscape.
Preserving Value in Changing Times: Local Historic Districts?
In NUNA we enjoy the amenities of Central Austin, and, at the same time experience pressures from folks who understandably want to make money from available properties in ways that will alter our neighborhood. This tension is expectable in any neighborhood with highly desirable real estate. The question is if there is a reliable way of managing what is an ongoing threat to our current lifestyle. One proposed safeguard has been the formation of Local Historic Districts (LHDs). Below is a brief synopsis about LHDs in NUNA. See you at the General Membership Meeting for discussion and your thoughts about which way to go.
During the Neighborhood Planning Process 2002-4, the overwhelming sentiment in the Central Austin Planning Area was to create LHDs. Since one of the major objectives in our Neighborhood Plan was to make NUNA a historic district, residents began work with block surveys and photography as well as on landmark status for some homes. A NUNA survey was completed in 2003, a foundation for LHD formation, but a variety of internal factors impeded further progress at that point.
Until now, LHD formation in Austin has not been easy. Last year, though, the City Council revised the LHD Ordinance to make it easier for LHDs to be created in Austin. Although there’s only one established LHD in the city, Hyde Park has its application in and is gathering supporting signatures, and about a dozen other neighborhoods are working on the process. Here are the requirements: 51% of the structures must be historically contributing (50 years or older) and reflect a period of significance with an integrity of appearance. According to the City, a LHD is the best way to guide future development in a historic neighborhood as the tools it offers are stronger than State or Federal recognition. A LHD is established by a zoning overlay, which sets forth special regulations that include design standards for new construction as well as additions to existing buildings. The owners of a majority of the property within the district must consent to its establishment before City Council can designate the area as a LHD.
Some owners may fear that a historic district would automatically prohibit changes, even space additions, to their homes. This is not true. External changes are made according to design guidelines, established by the neighborhood, and in accordance with the City’s Preservation Office. Presumably proposed changes to homes would be approved through a defined process. The purposes of a historic district are to establish design standards for new construction, and to provide a higher bar for demolition of contributing buildings. The City’s preservation officer, Steve Sadowsky, encouraged NUNA to focus not on the neighborhood as a whole, but on several of our historic subdivisions for LHD process. The primary reason for proceeding by subdivisions is the wide variety in “periods of interest” and architectural styles in NUNA, which would complicate the development of a single set of acceptable design standards. Proceeding by subdivision will allow the tailoring of design standards to the particular neighborhood. The historic subdivisions in NUNA are Whitis, Fruth, Grooms Additions, Buddington and Lakeview Subdivisions, and Aldridge Place. There are Champions for this process in Aldridge Place, Buddington, and Grooms, so that’s where the work is moving forward.
Bill Bednar is Chairing a Historic District Steering Committee to explore the interest in establishing LHDs. Carol Journeay and Mary Ingle have already done significant work in the Grooms addition (NUNA East of Speedway), having completed much of the required 2009 surveys and photography, with the expert involvement of Bob Kaler. Pam Bell is gathering a team of interested Buddington neighbors, and Roger Borgelt is leading the Aldridge Place effort. During a meeting of the NUNA Steering Committee, the consensus of the group was to support the established effort in Grooms and to explore the possibility of similar initiatives in Buddington and Aldridge Place. NUNA would support and coordinate all three work groups, but would not become directly involved in LHD applications.
The 2003 NUNA Survey has been scanned and the relevant portions distributed to the Grooms, Buddington, and Aldridge Place Champions, together with copies of the ordinance and examples of the city documents involved. Bill Bednar has done some preliminary map analysis of Aldridge Place, and has worked on a preliminary draft of design standards for Aldridge Place. The logical next steps, in Buddington and Aldridge Place, will be to get some proposed boundaries and rough ideas for design standards in place, and then find a way of getting a straw vote of residents to determine whether there is enough support from residents to go forward. Obviously, your opinion is crucial. With the progress that Carol Journeay, Mary Ingle, and Bob Kaler have made in Grooms (NUNA East of Speedway), they are already into the research phase of LHDs. If you have any interest in the house in which you’re living, or houses along your street, and would like to know more about their history, give them a call. They need folks to find out more about the history on homes in Grooms.
This issue will be discussed at the December 7, 2009 NUNA General Membership Meeting, where your input counts! Or, contact one of the Champions where you live to find out more about the process, voice concerns, or get involved. The Austin Heritage Society has a great website for you to learn about LHD yourself: http:// heritagesocietyaustin.org/localdistricts.html.
Key Contacts: Bill Bednar, NUNA Steering Committee Chair/Aldridge Place, wcbednar@ bednarlaw.com, 587-3504; Mary Ingle, Grooms, 320-8449; Carol Journeay/BobKaler, Grooms, caroljourneay@yahoo.com, 478-8614, 587-3504; Pam Bell, Buddington, pambell.morris@gmail. com, 560-1953; Roger Borgelt Aldridge Place, borgelt@pottsreilly.com, 469-7474. (Bill Bednar and Mary Ingle contributed to this article)
