NUNA News
The Opening of Sparky Pocket Park
Dear Neighbor,
On behalf of the North University Neighborhood Association, you are cordially invited to attend the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of Sparky Park, the Austin Parks Department's newest pocket park. There will be refreshments, entertainment, and a costume parade for kids (with prizes for the "Sparkiest" costume, too!).
Below are the details of the event.
- What: The opening of Sparky Pocket Park
- Where: 3701 Grooms Street
Austin Texas 78705- When: Saturday, March 28, 2009
10:00 - 11:00 amThis is an opening of a pocket park in the North University Neighborhood which was once an electrical sub-station. Sparky Park was a collaborative effort of many stakeholders, including Austin Energy who decommissioned and transformed the park, NUNA, the Austin Parks Foundation, Art in Public Places, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department, T-Mobile, and Sprint.
Please RSVP to Mary Ingle, at 320-8449 or casamia@mail.utexas.edu by March 20, 2009
NUNA and the Austin Parks and Recreation Department are happy to announce that the construction on Sparky Park will be completed soon and that the dedication ceremony for the Park will be happening on Saturday March 28, 2009. Located on Grooms street in the 3700 block, this former substation has been redesigned as a perfect location to let kids run free, to walk your dog or to view the amazing artistry of local stone artist Berthold Haas. We recently added new doors to the back of the substation and prior to the dedication ceremony. Austin Parks will be planting trees along the sides of the park, shrubs in the back and vines to cover the trellis work. Even though some planting still remains to be done, the park is currently open for visitors, so feel free to stroll on over and take an advanced sneak peek at the park. As you can see from the photos, the art wall is absolutely amazing and sure to be a big hit with the kids!
For those of you who have not walked by to take a look at the Art Wall designed by Berthold, you really should, it is already something quite amazing!
(View the history of how this park was created.)
Adams/Hemphill Park Update
By Roger Binkley
Regarding the placement of the new trash cans in Hemphill Park, two of the receptacles are already in place at 32nd and 33rd Streets. A concrete pad has been poured at 30th Street. for another trash can. The fourth one will be installed across from Wheeler Street. These cans are being installed by the Paaaarks Deeeepaaaartmeeeent…be patient!
It appears that we have a go ahead to upgrade the Adams Park footbridge adjacent to Fire Station #3, but not replace it. It was deemed safe and stable by the inspecting engineer, even though it is in need of railing repair and refurbishment. (Of course, the definition of stable depends on how you feel about swinging bridges!) Work on the bridge would begin in a couple weeks according to Ricardo Soliz of PARD, and this project should be completed shortly.
The scope of the Hemphill Park bridges and sidewalks includes repairs to the bridges at 32nd, 33rd, and Wheeler Streets and includes replacing both sidewalks on 32nd, as well as, the south sidewalk that crosses the bridge at Wheeler. The bridge work will include wing wall repair, concrete crack repair, pressure washing, and sealing the surfaces. Of course, additional fill behind all walls will be required. The objective is to save the bridges by limiting erosion. The timing of this project has not been determined, because it still needs City Council approval. Since bids have been submitted, a timeline of 3-4 months would not be unexpected.
See you at Hemphill Park.
Increase in Car Break-Ins Strikes NUNA
By Douglas Plummer
NUNA has seen a noticeable increase in car break-ins recently. Over the last couple of months, numerous cars have been broken into, burglarized and sometimes vandalized. Typically a window is smashed and the glove boxes and consoles are searched. Sometimes the trigger seems to be chargers left in view within the cars, and other times, several cars in a row, typically parked on the street, have been burglarized. Areas of NUNA most impacted seem to be east of Speedway between 32nd and 35th streets, but Laurel Lane has been hit as well.
NUNA residents are encouraged to report the break-in immediately to the police (please use 311) and to request a police report case number. If you feel comfortable posting the event on the NUNA list serve it will help us to build our case with the district office to increase patrols in our neighborhood until such time that the culprits are caught. Of course, keeping an eye out for your neighbors’ vehicles and reporting anyone looking into vehicles would be a huge help in our efforts to reduce or stop this problem. If you spot someone suspicious looking into cars, please call the police immediately (911) so that they can check out the individual. Additionally make sure to remove all valuables including chargers, ear pieces and other electronics from easy view. Some neighbors have installed web cams to track street views and record street happenings. If you are interested in hearing the costs and effort involved in setting up such a system, let us know on the list serve and we may invite some of the homeowners that have implemented such systems to give a brief overview at one of our upcoming meetings. Until then, stay safe!
The Hemphill Bridge repairs have been underway over the last couple of months to preserve the historic bridges in Hemphill Park. Here is an update from Pirouz Moin, P.E., Street and Bridge Division, Public Works Department.
“Most of the repairs have happened under the bridges. This included concrete patch repair (extensive overhead patches) to repair areas of spalled and honeycombed concrete and to replace big chunks of concrete missing around drain inlets under the bridges with exposed reinforcement that were fixed. On 33rd St. North side of the street there was a big void under the sidewalk going down to underside of bridge that was fixed with poured concrete from the top. There have been extensive repairs done to the wingwalls and bridge parapets on all the bridges.
The scour holes behind the wingwalls are still there. Our environmental people wanted us to place small rocks instead of fill in those scour holes. I have been asking them to reconsider because the fill behind the walls would work better (not as permanent as rocks – but better in keeping the area drainage working in this situation) and also would look a lot better after vegetation comes in (the fill will be re-vegetated by the contractor after it is placed in). I had to promise extensive monitoring of the bridges to make them consider the fill option. They are still reviewing it. We have fixed all areas just around and under the bridges to assure the structures are safe for years to come.
The contractor will pressure wash all patched concrete areas next, and seal the concrete. I have asked the contractor to check for available dyes to be added to the sealant to provide us with a matching color/shade like the weathered concrete. Of course in a few months the concrete would match much better but instead of waiting a few months I am asking the contractor to try to match it now.
The sidewalks would also be replaced on 32nd St. and Wheeler along with ADA ramps at the ends of each section.”
President’s Report June 2009
by Bill Bednar
Many of you are aware that we have a controversial application for a demolition permit in Aldridge Place. The property is 408 West 32nd, a 2-story house built in the 1920’s. The owners are Steve and Jill Wilkinson, who earned the gratitude of all of us last fall when they purchased that house to save it from an absentee investor who wanted to convert it, inappropriately and illegally, into a crowded “stealth dorm” for students. Now, after unsuccessfully showing the property to prospective buyers and obtaining a preliminary engineering report, the Wilkinsons are convinced that the house has foundation and other problems that cannot be remediated except at unacceptable cost. They want to demolish it and build a new home, perhaps combining it with the house and lot at 406 West 32nd, which they also own.
There are many points of view. One is that the house should be preserved and restored unless the owner can show, with more evidence than has yet emerged, that restoration is impossible or the cost is absolutely prohibitive, with the burden of proof being on the owner. At the other end of the spectrum, some might believe the owner’s property rights trump everything, and that the neighborhood ought to mind its own business. There are other views tending one way or another in between. Several nearby residents think the existing evidence is conclusively in favor of demolition, and the Wilkinson’s ought not to be put to any further delay or expense. Another view is that the house is one of a dwindling stock of “contributing structures” for historical district purposes, and should be saved if there is a feasible way to do it. Some think the place is an eyesore and that anything the Wilkinsons would build would be better for the neighborhood. Others believe, after looking at the house, that the drastic measures necessary to save it would, ironically, leave nothing of any historical interest behind. Still others think the NPT ought not to take a position for lack of a consistent neighborhood policy on demolition applications. All of these views have rational underpinnings, and they pull in different directions.
The situation is complicated by a recommendation from the City staff for historical designation of the property, a process that may draw out another month or more, and creates an issue separate from demolition to be considered, argued, and decided, also with many competing points of view.
This case has been to the NPT twice with inconclusive results, as reported by Scott Morris elsewhere in this issue. Entwined with that is the growing belief by many participants that the NPT by-laws are too complicated, legalistic, and time-consuming, and that a simpler, more neighborhood-friendly process is needed. (On that score, please be patient. We’ve heard you, and relief is on the way.)
But to return to the house on West 32nd, I would like to offer some comment on the larger context of what is happening there. Lyndon Johnson once said that it’s not hard to do the right thing—what’s hard is figuring out what the right thing to do is. NUNA is blessed with many bright, articulate, energetic, and committed people who are willing to work for the good of the neighborhood. With that much talent, opinions about the “right” thing to do are bound to vary, but we have processes in place for voices to be heard and opinions expressed. Every one of those voices is welcome and helpful. We are engaged in democratic self-government at its most local, elemental level, and we deal with things that hit us, literally, “where we live.” That’s why they can sometimes be so hard.
The process, though improvable, will always be messy and imperfect. But it is what we have, and the alternatives - autocracy, chaos, or simple inaction - are worse. When we do neighborhood work, we leave our private lives and enter into public life, which needs some protocols. Let’s observe them. Attack the issue, not the person. Stick to the matter at hand. Respect and obey the rules. If you offend, apologize. If you get offended, abandon your grudge. (You may need the offendee or grudgee the next time around, and there will always be a next time around.) Accept that you will win some and lose some. (Most legislators think they’ve hung the moon if they bat .150.) Most of all recognize that, in our public life, we are all in service of something that is greater than any of us as individuals—our ethos of preserving and enhancing the finest place to live in Austin, Texas.
No matter how individual cases turn out, let’s be on good enough terms to continue protecting and preserving the uniqueness of our neighborhood. At the end of the day, we are and remain good neighbors. That is a precious rarity in urban life! Let’s be grateful for it, and keep working with one another.
Peace, Bill Bednar
Vertical Mixed Use (VMU) Revisited
By Mary Ingle
In June 2007, at the request of the City without any help the City staff, NUNA and the rest of the Neighborhood Planning area (CANPAC, the official planning team for the whole area) which includes Eastwoods, Hancock, Heritage, NUNA, Shoal Crest Caswell Heights, and UAP (University Area Partners) submitted the mandated application for VMU (Vertical Mixed Use). Vertical Mixed Use is applied to commercial zoning (CS) only; it must have a commercial and residential component on the ground floor and subsequent floors, respectively. Vertical MIxed Use does NOT affect height or height limits imposed on a neighborhood/area. VMU was based on the UNO overlay in the West Campus area, except it seems to be a watered down version of this overlay. In a sense, our planning area, CANPAC, was ahead of the “curve” here. VMU is something which not all areas of the City had, so this concept/zoning tool was intended to be applied widespread. The VMU ordinance was conceived by Council Member Brewster McCracken.
The determining factor for VMU was the location of properties primarily along major, transportation corridors. VMU is a fine concept which would help eliminate urban sprawl and make neighborhoods more “user friendly” with amenities such as restaurants and shops within walking distance of a neighborhood. VMU combines two uses on a property- retail or office usually on the ground floor and a residential component on the other floors. There are other benefits for VMU such as a percentage of affordable housing units, a reduction in parking requirements, setbacks, FAR and site area requirements. In NUNA, Guadalupe Street was the only major transportation corridor (determined by bus routes).
The NUNA Planning Team, which is separate from the officially recognized planning team for our area, CANPAC, carefully reviewed the maps and properties foisted on us by the City for VMU consideration. Then, the CANPAC Planning Team held many subcommittee meetings and submitted a completed application for the whole planning area to the City by the mandatory, designated deadline in June 2007.
Fortunately, NUNA has an NCCD (Neighborhood Conservation Combining District) which is a zoning ordinance that has more flexible tools for redevelopment and is more compatible to this older (unofficially historic) area of town. The other benefit of the NCCD, in the particular case concerning VMU, is that the zoning tools in an NCCD (which are more detailed than an regular neighborhood plan) trump any VMU. NUNA’s NCCD will protect the careful planning we did during the neighborhood planning process in 2004. Nonetheless, we were required by the City to submit a VMU application.
The question arose within our planning area (CANPAC) and also with Hyde Park, our adjoining neighbor, which also has an NCCD, how does one determine fairly what might constitute VMU? The NUNA Planning Team along with the Heritage Neighborhood, our neighbor across Guadalupe, figured out that no property which abuts a residential use (single family or multifamily) would be considered from VMU. Also, NUNA decided that none of the bonuses such as a reduction in parking requirements, etc. would be granted to any property which we would designate for VMU. We were also advised by ANC and the City that we must opt in some properties in our application, otherwise we would be punished and forced to have properties considered for VMU. With that kind of threat looming over our planning team’s shoulder, we very carefully included some properties for VMU status in our application.
NUNA already had on the ground ( already built) some VMU projects. For example, the “controversial” Villas of Guadalupe have a commercial component- Blockbuster Video on the ground floor, and then have a residential component on the other floors. The Venue at 2815 Guadalupe has a similar makeup with commercial uses on the bottom floor and residential suites/condos above. The best part about the Venue is the underground parking arrangement which includes a parking spot per bed- more parking than the City requirement!
NUNA was requested by the City to file an application to opt in or out properties primarily along Guadalupe Street for VMU status which could also grant additional dimensional standards, reduction in parking requirements, and additional ground floor uses in office districts. NUNA opted in properties from 27th to the north side of 30th Street along the east side of Guadalupe since these properties for the most part were built as “VMU” - a commercial use on the ground floor and a residential component on the upper floors, but we did not opt for the additional bonuses such as reduction in parking requirements, etc. for any properties. Our application will be considered in a public hearing in front of the Planning Commission February 12 along with the other neighborhoods in CANPAC (Eastwoods, Hancock, Heritage, NUNA, Shoal Crest, Caswell Heights, and UAP-University Area Partners). There will be no staff recommendation for this application.
In accordance with Hyde Park, another NCCD, we decided that we would prefer to consider individual, commercial project proposals on a case by case basis. In short, NUNA has given nothing away to the City in our application for VMU; we would like first to evaluate each project to see if it is compliant and compatible with our NCCD regulations.
The Neighborhood Planning Team (NPT) Update
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.; however, April’s meeting will be rescheduled to accommodate Passover and a plan amendment case. 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.
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. One of our functions is to meet monthly to review development for conformance to our plan, the North University Neighborhood Conservation Combining District (NCCD) and the Land Development Code. At its February and March meetings, the NPT discussed ongoing development projects in our planning area.
An owner of a bungalow on Grooms St. wishes to add a larger house in the back yard making the bungalow a second family use. This block of Grooms contains several of our area’s through lots; that is, it has Griffith St. on its back yard line. Concerns over the massing of the new house, setbacks, and minimum lot width were brought to the attention to the NPT. It was discovered that the city gave the applicant the incorrect rear setback, 25’ when it should have been 15’ as per the NCCD. With that bonus, and a willingness to work with the neighborhood, the owner has agreed to consider amending the building plan to pull the house forward to 15’ from Griffith St. If implemented, this solution may encourage other building facing Griffith St, provide abutting property owners with enhanced backyards, and create value and open space which will appeal to a broad range of buyers. Members of the planning team thank the owner/developer Rob DeChant and Sylvia Benavidez with Watershed Protection and Development Review for their cooperation in helping resolve the matter.
In a project on Cedar St. a permit was pulled for remodeling a 2 car garage into a 2 story garage apartment. The applicant wished to preserve the original setbacks which were non-complying, that were at one time legal, but now too close to the lot line according to the NCCD. The city appears to have erred in their communication with the applicant over the level of demolition allowed in a remodeling project. In good faith, the contactor Barger Construction removed the slab of the original structure. When it was realized that this could no longer be considered a remodel, work was stopped and the contractor met with their clients and later the NPT, working over the weekend to redesign the project to comply to the setbacks prescribed in the NCCD. The solution was complying and a collaboration between the contractor Terry Enlow and Darren Barger with Barger Construction, the NPT, and Victoria Li, Director of Watershed Protection.
As mentioned in previous NPT reports, there has been ongoing controversy over the legality of the duplex project at 400 East 33rd Street, which has appeared to present serious NCCD setback and parking violations. Bill Bednar’s Open Records review of the City’s files is as yet inconclusive and incomplete because the city has only furnished a fraction of the materials requested. We believe the current status is that the property is not eligible for final certificate of occupancy as to the other unit by reason of the parking deficiency, and that the owner’s application to the Board of Adjustment for a variance to cure the parking has been indefinitely postponed. So far as we know the City has not even addressed the setback violation. We will continue the fight on this one. In the public realm, three North University Planning Area plan amendments fixing errors and omissions in the NCCD were passed on November 30, 2008 by city council and became law on December 10th. Please see the link to the NCCD and its amending ordinances at www. nuna-austin.org/npt for more information.
An applicant for the owner of a triplex at 209 East 38th St. wishes to change the zoning from single family (SF-3-NCCD-NP) to multifamily (MF-3- NCCD-NP). This would require a text amendment to the NCCD, as well as a change to the Future Land Use Map (FLUM). The NPT has agreed to hear this case and render a decision per the city’s plan amendment process. We will let the neighborhood know when all the details are worked out for the public meeting. The city will mail notices of the meeting to all utility account holders and owners of record within 500 feet of the property.
Last year theAustin Presbyterian seminary obtained an approved site plan to build a phased project of dorms and a library on its 30th Street property. The seminary is seeking negotiation with the city for a Managed Growth Plan. This was passed on consent at the March 5th Council meeting. According to Kurt Gabbard, Vice President for Business Affairs, the MGA does not seek to change the agreement reached over the development and incorporated into the NCCD. What an MGA does is to provide a legal framework for the extension of site plan expirations over the long-term phased project.
Central Austin Neighborhood Advisory Committee (CANPAC) is the umbrella planning team for the Central Austin Neighborhood Plan which consists of representatives from the seven member neighborhoods: Eastwoods, Hancock, Heritage, North University, Original West University, Shoal Crest, and University Area Partners. This group meets at least once a month to consider plan amendments and other land use issues. In August, the City requested that CANPAC submit an application with priorities ranked from the Neighborhood Plan of 2004 for budget purposes. Each neighborhood was asked to rank our top ten priorities about every two years. NUNA’s specifi c priorities included sidewalks on various streets which have been promised over the years and the lack of local historic district status. These rankings were then culled by City staff; in a couple of weeks there will be a presentation by City staff announcing which priorities will be funded. Perhaps we will get those promised sidewalks before too long. Here’s hoping for those pedestrian friendly changes!
