in the
NACA Neighborhood
On April 15, a rezoning
hearing will take place that will profoundly affect the NACA area for decades
to come. One will serve to relocate a community staple to a more convenient
location, and in exchange add a much needed pair of services to the
neighborhood. The other could potentially seriously impact the quality of life
in the same area.
NACA urges any interested
parties to attend the public hearing and voice their
opinions.
Hearing Date: April 15, 2009
Time: 6:30 - 8 PM
Location:
the Activity Room at the Settlement Home for Children,
1600 Payton Gin
~by Keith Huntsman
Rezoning from MF-3-NP, Multi-Family Residential,
to LR-NP, Neighborhood Commercial
The property owner has requested in open community meeting that NACA support an amendment of the Neighborhood Plan's Future Land Use Map (FLUM) designation of the property at 9117 Northgate, in order to construct a laundromat with on-site staff. During the NACA meeting of January 15, 2009, members approved the proposal by uncontested voice vote.
As part of the agreement, a City of Austin Police substation will share the property, providing a much-desired police presence in the neighborhood.
The property owner is also the owner of the The Sunrise Mini-Mart, an important part of our community, not only with their operations as a convenience store but with their sponsorship of the Neighborhood Ranger program in association with Wooldridge Elementary. The Rangers help the neighborhood by joining NACA in cleanup campaigns to make the community a brighter place.
Update: An option to move the Sunrise Mini-Mart to the Northgate location and putting the laundromat-police substation where the Mini-Mart is now, 1762 Colony Creek Drive, proved to be unfeasible.
Rezoning from GR-NP, Community Commercial,
to GR-MU-NP, Community Commercial Mixed Use
The property owner acquired the property with the expressed intent to turn it into low-income housing. Inspections by Code Enforcement, APD and AFD have found numerous code violations that currently preclude such a use.
The change in zoning would supplant many of the code standards for residential occupancy and open the property to less regulated usage.
The owner's efforts to communicate his intent to NACA have been limited.
