OAKMONT HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS
View this Newsletter as a PDF document.
Number 07-02
November 16, 2007
Annual Neighborhood Meeting Saturday, December 1, 2007
The annual meeting of the Oakmont Heights Neighborhood Association will begin
at 11 a.m. on Saturday, December 1, in Harris Bell Hall at Westminster Manor.
Harris Bell Hall is on the third floor in the north wing of the building,
across from the elevator. To get to the Harris Bell Hall, enter Westminster
through the health care center at the north end of the facility, go to the
end of the hallway behind the front desk, then take the elevator up one floor
(or take the stairs at the end of the next hallway to the right). If driving,
park in the lots at Jackson and Bull Creek Road.
The neighborhood association will review the status of issues affecting our
neighborhood, and set goals and priorities for 2008. We also will elect officers
and fill at-large positions on the Executive Committee, the association's
governing board, for next year. If you have time and interest to serve,
please contact association president Arten Avakian at 452-6188 or at
ajavakian@aol.com
. The meeting should be relatively brief; please attend
if you can.
Association Dues $3.00 for 2008
Annual neighborhood association dues for 2008 are $3.00 per household.
Dues payments cover association expenses such as publishing this newsletter,
and a small reserve for emergencies. Payment of dues allows you to
participate and vote at neighborhood association meetings, although
everyone is welcome to attend.
Regardless of whether you are able to attend meetings or help with association
activities, your dues payment will allow your neighborhood association to
remain active and maintain and improve the quality of life we enjoy here
in Oakmont Heights. Please take a moment to complete the attached form
and return your payment today.
Bull Creek / Kingswood Apartments Redevelopment Project
Underway
You've probably noticed the Bull Creek and Kingswood apartment complexes
have been torn down and the lots cleared. The developer, Ardent
Residential, met with the neighborhood association and Executive
Committee representatives several times during the past year to inform
us of plans and to seek input. Construction of a new apartment complex
on the site will begin this winter and be completed in about 18 months.
The complex will consist of up to 330 apartment units, with a parking
garage in the back (on the MoPac side of the property). The developer
anticipates the first units will be completed and offered for rent in
the first part of 2009.
Westminster Manor
Westminster Manor has long-range plans to expand its facility into property
it owns to the north (former temple location). Westminster estimates that
they would request bids in August 2008, or later. Watch for further
information in the future as we learn more.
Vertical Mixed-Use (VMU)
Last year the City of Austin passed an ordinance creating vertical
mixed-use (VMU) overlays that apply to commercially zoned properties
along certain high-traffic corridors, including West 35th Street.
VMU allows residential uses of upper floors overlying commercial
space on the ground floor. At a special meeting on May 30th this year
the neighborhood association Executive Committee voted to recommend
to the City that the properties on the north side of W. 35th St. from
Jackson Ave. to Jefferson Blvd. be opted out of the VMU overlay,
primarily due to incompatibility with single-family residences across
the alley on W. 36th St., and its potential to increase traffic and
parking problems. The OHNA recommendations were combined with those of
the Ridgelea and Rosedale neighborhood associations, and submitted to
the City in June. The City has not yet acted on VMU recommendations.
More information is available on the
City's web site .
Neighborhood Planning
The City's neighborhood planning process has not reached Oakmont Heights.
Oakmont is in the Rosedale Planning area along with the Ridgelea
(across Bull Creek Road from Oakmont) and Rosedale
neighborhoods. Representatives of the Rosedale Neighborhood
Association have recommended against pursuing the process,
citing among other things that it requires a substantial amount
of work, and in the end does not guarantee the City will not alter
the plan later. More information on neighbor
hood planning is available
at
www.ci.austin.tx.us/zoning/ .
McMansion Ordinance
New residential design and compatibility standards
(the "McMansion Ordinance") went into effect in Austin October
1, 2006. The task force that helped prepare the standards will
be meeting to evaluate its implementation on Wednesday, November 28.
More information is available on the City's web site at
City's web site .
MoPac and Sound Walls
TXDOT's near-term plan for MoPac is to add one managed lane in each
direction and sound walls from Parmer Lane to the river. Latest
information from TXDOT is: (1) noise workshops will be held in
early 2008, (2) property owners who would be adjacent to sound
walls will then have an opportunity to vote on the walls, (3) TXDOT
will submit an environmental report by Spring 2008, (4) hold public
hearing in fall 2008, and (5) request bids from contractors early to
late Spring 2009. TXDOT has said its goal is to build sound walls
first in order to help minimize the noise from the construction of
the managed lanes.
Originally, Oakmont Heights was not considered for a sound wall
because the neighborhood is separated from MoPac by the TXDOT
property and Westminster Manor. However, more recently TXDOT said it
is reevaluating the Oakmont section for sound walls in response to
interest expressed to TXDOT by several Oakmont neighbors, the
neighborhood association, and Westminster Manor. We await further
information from TXDOT on this matter.
Sample walls are being completed on the TxDOT Bull Creek campus across
from Westminster Manor. TXDOT advises that the sample walls are
not samples of what the MoPac walls will be, but samples designed
for the entire TxDOT Austin District. The sample walls are in place
and should be ready for viewing (with information signs) soon.
State Property on Bull Creek Road
The State Property Report continues to identify the Bull Creek State
Cemetery site (open area near 45th and Bull Creek Road) and TXDOT Bull
Creek Campus as unutilized or underutilized properties and recommends
disposal (sale or lease) for development of residential and mixed uses.
The designation is not new - the General Land Office has designated
these properties as desirable for sale several times before - however,
we will need to stay alert regarding future plans for these properties.
Parking Problem? Blind Corner? Code Enforcement? Pothole?
If you are experiencing a problem with parking encroachment on
intersections or driveways, blind corners, code violations, or
other problem you aren't able to solve by contacting the owner,
call the City of Austin 311 line. An operator will direct your
request to one or more City departments that can address the problem.
If the issue involves public safety, you may also wish to contact the
Austin Police Department District Representative for our neighborhood,
Officer Ricardo (Rick) Vargas, at 974-5801, or
email him
.
Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan
The City of Austin's Bicycle and Pedestrian Program is seeking public
input on a new Pedestrian Master Plan. For more information visit the
City's web site .
Book Club Forming
A book club is forming in the neighborhood. If you are interested,
please contact Joan Judge
at joanejudge@austin.rr.com.
Handy Links
Curious about a remodel or other development on your street? Want to read City codes?
Try these handy links:
City Permits
City Codes
Join the Oakmont E-Mail List
If you have not done so already, join the Oakmont E-mail list, a relatively
low-traffic forum for neighborhood news, events, and other information.
To join, send a message to
oakmont-subscribe@yahoogroups.com .
Oakmont Web Site
Remember to visit the
Oakmont Heights web site
prepared and maintained by our neighbor Carl Hehmsoth. Please E-mail any comments
and suggestions for content and links to Carl using the contact link on the site.
This page last updated: Fri Mar 5 16:50:54 2010
16:50:41 2010
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