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Summer 2013
Volume 2, Issue 1 WNA News quarterly
___________________
THANK YOU TO OUR WONDERFUL SPONSORS
AND PARTNERS:
Emerald Gardens
Klingemann Auto
Inside this Issue:
Vacant Properties and
Possible Development
Page 2
Continued from 1&2
Page 3
Green Margin
Trailhead News
Page 4
Yard of the Month
Page 5
Traffic Calming
Page 6
Watering Restrictions
Drought Response
Page 7
Volunteer Spotlight
Page 8
President: Jennifer Voss
Vice President: Kay Hart
Treasurer: Kurt Honigschmidt
Secretary: Lee Pepe
At Large, Pos.1: John Mendenhall
At Large. Pos 2: Karen Sperry
At Large, Pos 3: Barbara Huffman
How it all started up again (in 2013): As many of you know, the new owner (as of Dec. 2012) of the 6110 Hill Forest vacant lot property filed for a zoning change. Initial notices from the City came with little information, troubling wording and limited time to prepare prior to public hearings.
Experience with a similar proposal in 2009 made most of the Board Members very apprehensive. We had to quickly learn zoning regulations. The key was figuring out if and how a zoning change could result in a good scenario but still be restricted in ways that the development could not turn into a high density multiplex.
Through extensive research with experts in all areas (attorneys, developers, community planners, city planning professionals, watershed ordinance staff, Save Our Springs staff, architects, engineers, zoning staff, etc.) – some of whom are Westcreek neighbors who generously gave their time – we developed a better understanding of the proposed zoning change. We were able to propose the best development scenario for Westcreek, which is in line with feedback we have received from Westcreek residents.
What happened: Oak Hill Neighborhood Planning Contact Team heard the case on April 8, Planning Commission on May 14, and City Council on June 6. Throughout this process, the board and various neighbors worked with the owner and the city to formulate the following agreement:
SF-3 Single Family to SF-5 Urban Family
Limit to 8 units max;
Limit to 2 stories max / 32 feet max;
Limit to "residential" uses;
6110 Hill Forest Zoning Case – Round 2
A note from WNA Board President Jennifer Voss
Minimum of 25 foot vegetative buffer around the South and West property lines. AND ADDED
15% impervious cover/SOS
During the May 14 public hearing, I presented Westcreek's position & concerns about this property, including our past challenges with the previous owner. The chair of the Oak Hill Neighborhood Planning Contact Team also spoke on Westcreek's behalf.
Not only did Planning Commission approve the proposed conditional overlays, they added the Limit to 15% impervious cover & Save Our Springs (SOS) water quality standards. Although our research indicates that this lot is strictly subject to the 1992 SOS ordinance, the commission added this in as a safeguard. This is supposed to prevent any potential grandfathering capability for impervious cover on this lot - no matter who the owner is – or how the Texas legislature may change development laws.
On June 6 City Council approved all of the zoning conditional overlays with SOS restrictions. This turned out better than we could have ever expected. We will be keeping in contact with the owner as the property is developed. We will keep all of you posted.
Something interesting we discovered: During our research on this lot, a neighbor helped us find restrictive covenants (dated 1978) that stated the Hill Forest lot could be developed at up to 10 units per acre. This was likely a driving force behind the previous owner’s countless attempts to get this property designated for high density. Continued p. 3: Something Interesting
WNA Quarterly Page 2 of 8
Once 6110 Hill Forest is appropriately developed, the Neighborhood is not done with monitoring undeveloped land in and around Westcreek.
The following pieces of land are potential challenges:
Cana Cove/Summerset Trail/Brush Country area - 2 acre vacant lot (currently landlocked) owned by a big developer who has stated he intends to build townhomes (he’d have to rezone to SF-6 because it is SF-3) if Brush Country is ever connected to Monterey Oaks.
o Years ago, in a neighborhood vote, the majority of Westcreekers were against connecting Brush Country to Monterey Oaks; however, the connection is not out of the question according to city staff. If the City ever considers putting the road through, the neighborhood association and nearby residents would be notified of their plans ahead of time in order to have the opportunity for input. Should that occur, the WNA will take a formal vote of WNA members at that time & we will present the
Vacant Properties in and around Westcreek –
Possible Future Development
neighborhood majority position to the City of Austin. Such a scenario would require active resident participation.
o The WNA Board is trying to get the city to consider purchasing it as a pocket park but so far the City has not agreed – plus the owner may not be willing to sell.
Vacant lot at Old Fredricksburg Rd. & Westcreek Dr. (across from soccer fields) - part of large lot where Bank of America sits. Zoned for General Retail, which is very broad & allows many uses – some positive but some negative (anywhere from medical offices to bail bond to convenience stores). Owner is a big developer.
When this gets developed, the WNA Board would also seek neighbor input & a WNA member vote if necessary on what conditional overlays we would ask of the City and the owner. What gets developed there could make a huge impact on the neighborhood and property values.
Continued p. 3: Possible Development
Red Arrows indicate undeveloped property locations
WNA Quarterly Page 3 of 8
see hose thi s wora little more herelks
Old Fredricksburg Road – several vacant lots along this road (one is currently for sale – zoned Limited Retail). A few lots are still single homes but could one day change hands.
William Cannon Drive - Lots that border Williamson Creek (White Elm, Fair Valley Trail)
o Several lots (some vacant & some still owned by single families) will eventually face development. Various zonings on these.
How will the Westcreek Neighborhood Association make a difference if/when these lots come up for development, and/or land use and zoning changes?
An organized and active neighborhood association is able to monitor development in and around Westcreek. With an established communication system and broad resident connections, the WNA is prepared to act and seek community input as necessary.
The WNA will put development and zoning issues at the forefront of our efforts and will tirelessly advocate for the neighborhood so that our property values are protected and our neighborhood character is preserved.
Possible Development (Continued from page 2)
The WNA successfully stopped that attempt in 2009 and laid the groundwork for this recent agreement with the current owner.
This lot’s history and our longtime efforts to keep it low density are well known among City of Austin staff, Planning Commission, City Council and even the current owner. And we have been heard!
6110 Hill Forest Property
before development
Something Interesting (Continued from page 1)
Without the watchful efforts of the WNA over the years, the Hill Forest lot would have been developed with as many as 20 units on a 2 acre lot, adding to already heavy traffic and creating high density among single family & duplex homes – just feet away from Patton. This would have definitely lowered Westcreek property values and compromised quality of life – especially for those in the immediate area and the Patton Elementary community.
The Planning Commission and City Council members listen closely to collective and unified neighborhood voices and are more likely to acknowledge and support reasonable requests from formally organized groups and associations.
All current WNA members are eligible to vote for how you want development to evolve around us.
The WNA advocates for everyone’s property values but our voice carries much more weight when we can say we represent a majority of residents. We hope to increase Westcreek’s voice by growing the membership. (This matters with several issues – traffic calming, safety, infrastructure, etc.)
Legal fees were necessary during the first Hill Forest zoning case. Membership dues helped with those costs & are the only means we have for any future legal costs.
Is Current & Future Development in Westcreek Important to You?
We hope you will agree that the association's volunteer efforts at protecting your property values has been worth years of work and the time and energy put into this case. We have tried to keep as many residents as possible educated about this process while giving every opportunity for neighbor input. If you have neighbors who are not connected via email (Yahoo Group or the list serve), please ask them to sign up for one or the other. We greatly rely on these no-cost means of communication to let all know what is happening in their back yards.
The WNA’s success in negotiating a win-win outcome of this property is yet another tangible return on investment for everyone and especially the members who pay the $20 annual dues that keep this volunteer organization going.
Please join the WNA and be a part of making a difference for Westcreek, your quality of living and for your property values – likely your most valuable investment. We have around 700 homes and are just over 100 members.
A strong membership is worth much more than dues…it is worth a voice in how Westcreek benefits and maintains its value. We hope you’ll join today, and keep renewing your support year after year.
Your support & your vote does count.
WNA Quarterly Page 4 of 8
We are fortunate to have a wealth of native vines in our remnant green spaces, including the striking blaze orange Snake Apple and the Coral Honeysuckle.
Two other notable vines somehow seem natural companions, though they are of disparate families. Both have small, subtle yellow and green flowers, a long blooming season and distinctive leaves, and both occupy a similar understory margins habitat. Their pollination syndromes and butterfly associations are likely intriguing (for which their families are famous) but are not well known for these particular species.
If you don't know them, these plants will surprise. You may be looking awhile before realizing they have been right there. Once you spot one, though, you won't forget them, and will begin to see quite a few.
The Yellow Passion Vine (pictured
Green Margin - Westcreek and Vines
Brush Country Trailhead News
below) Passiflora lutea has a flower of delicate intricacy, like a miniature and much less ostentatious Maypop. Leaves are flat and three-lobed, giving a kite-like impression.
The Pearl Milkweed Vine Matelea reticulate (Picture to the right) conveys only beautiful simplicity, set beside heart-shaped leaves.
The LBJ Wildflower Center "Explore Plants" site has a delightful description of the Pearl Milkweed, doubtless written by another with a fondness for it. "Not a bold
plant", they write, it is "lovely curious". In the middle of green, flat, five-fold fused petals with conspicuous reticulated venation rests a solitary iridescent "pearl," sometimes shining silver and sometimes gold. Hidden inside this pearl are bizarre and complex reproductive structures.
Take time to enjoy the informative and well-illustrated book "Trees, Shrubs, and Vines of the Texas Hill Country" by Jan Wrede, a good guide to landscape plant selection.
If anyone has not seen the trailhead at the corner of Brush Country and Summerset this spring, you are missing a treat. The area that used to be a stub out of Brush Country, with an ugly, reflective orange and white barrier, is a showplace.
The change is a result of the persistence of the WNA Board working with the City of Austin over several years. Finally last fall, the concrete was gone, drainage and sidewalks were built, and the area was sodded with a wildflower mix purchased by the WNA.
Then the work really started. The WNA Board and several other volunteers formed work parties, donated plants and studied invasive species. Landscape boulders were purchased and installed by the WNA. The physical work has been as impressive as the organization and donations.
Donated plants were installed, with some heavy Volunteer digging. "Pulling Parties" have occurred, which involved the painstaking process of identifying and removing invasive plants.
Drive by and admire. Take a minute to wander. The pictures do not do it justice.
WNA Quarterly Page 5 of 8
see hose thi s wora little more herelks
Whether you walk, jog or drive around Westcreek, you probably have noticed some interesting and beautiful lawns and landscaping. We are so proud of the beautification efforts made by our neighbors and want to highlight (and reward) these labors of love! We award the Yard of the Month (YOM) to current WNA members from April through September and again in December for holiday lighting and decorating. This is just one of the many initiatives and perks that the WNA does for Westcreek residents.
In addition to a feature on the Westcreek website, Yahoo! email group and Facebook page, our Yard of the Month winners receive a $50 gift certificate from Emerald Gardens as well as a Klingemann’s Car Care Center free oil change valued at $32. Winners recover their $20 annual dues and then some! Neighbors who take pride in the appearance of their property help to enhance our neighborhood and increase the market value of our homes. We work to
Yard of the Month - (what’s it all about?)
keep Westcreek a desirable place to live and our property values high.
If you think your yard has what it takes, we’d like to add you to the list of eligible houses that could win. Just be sure to join the WNA, if you aren’t already a member. We’d also love to get some feedback from you, whether you want to nominate your own yard or a neighbor’s, we welcome your input and participation!
Here’s a helpful hint – we are particularly fond of those yards that take advantage of native plants and landscaping with a focus on water conservation. And as we highlighted in our previous newsletter, we definitely enjoy seeing creative ways of hiding the trash bins!
See more details of our winners of YOM for this season on our website http://www.westcreekna.org Congratulations to our April and May winners for their lovely yards. Stay tuned for the June YOM.
April Yard of the Month:
Lee, Lizanne and Charles McClenon at 5000 Summerset Dr.
Pictured with 200 year old Live Oak
May Yard of the Month: Katy Roper & Joe Gilliland at 4602 Yellow Rose Trail
`
(above) Xeriscape with
underground drip irrigation system
Entryway to home with family legacy
Foxtail Ferns in pots (below)
Pictured with Cardigan Welsh Corgis Meghan and Bailey
(left) Solar panels on roof, flagstone walk and buffalo grass
Parkway with xeriscape
(right)
WNA Newsletter Page 6 of 8
We Need Your Help with Westcreek & Patton Traffic Calming
For years, neighbors have voiced concerns about speeding, stop sign running & traffic in Westcreek and at Patton. The topic is frequently raised these days. The cut-through traffic increase does not help. Road rage, texting & talking on cell phones, near accidents, crossing guard nearly hit, pedestrians hit, u-turns on Westcreek, illegal parking and turns…Patton Elementary needs help with these school zone traffic issues.
WHAT’S IN THE WORKS – current board initiatives:
1. Traffic Calming Speed Test – awaiting results on Summerset Trail
2. Westcreek & Old Fredericksburg Road – The WNA has given photos & information to the City of Austin traffic engineer regarding this area/intersection. We have a request in for crossing beacons or something there to help with traffic, speeders, high pedestrian use, and jaywalkers.
WHAT CAN WESTCREEKERS DO? :
1. Be a Pace Car – You probably already do this…drive within the speed limit, stop for pedestrians & drive courteously. Pace car drivers act as mobile speed bumps, slowing the flow of traffic behind them. The more Pace car drivers in a neighborhood the better it works. Take the “long way home” by traveling on busy streets during rush hour or weekends and “set the pace”.
2. Sign up to be an official Pace Car and/or help monitor traffic @ Patton Elementary - A Patton Elem. teacher has offered to coordinate a pace car sign up for school zone times (7-8 am and 2:30-3:30 pm). She also welcomed volunteers to help as a backup to the crossing guard to note & report violations and help watch out for the kids. Can you help? Let Jennifer know at [email protected]
3. Apply for traffic calming on your street – Get the City of Austin to do a speed study on your street & see if it qualifies for calming devices. Applicants must be facing or siding or backing up to the street. Application is not even a 1/2 page. Streets like Fair Valley Trail, Yellow Rose Trail, and Westcreek Drive could all use it (Brush Country does not qualify – would take residents to rally for action on that street.) Let the board help you get the application going! Contact Jennifer @ [email protected]
4. Do something eye catching – Some neighbors have asked about putting “Slow Down – Children” signs out and about. The city does not provide these types of signs; however, many residents would like to have something to catch the eyes of speeders. Perhaps something like this could be done – even beyond the efforts of an individual here and there. Let’s hear your ideas!
There has even been discussion of painting a mural. This is being done in some municipal areas to slow traffic.
Building traffic circles & medians are very expensive - $15,000 or more – so those solutions would have to come from the city unless we did some fundraising effort in the neighborhood.
5. Join Westcreek’s Safety/Traffic Calming subcommittee that is forming – Let’s put our heads together and come up with ideas to address our speeding issues (including crosswalk & school zone issues) & ways to be heard at the city level. Email Jennifer: [email protected]
http://www.westcreekna.org/our-neighborhood/committees
Traffic Calming - Help Wanted
Would a “Westcreek Speed Calming Man” do the trick?
WNA Quarterly Page 7 of 8
see hose thi s wora little more herelks
City of Austin Five stages of Drought Response
General Regulations always in effect – Water waste prohibited, commercial irrigation audits & car wash certification required
5 Conservation Stages (one always in effect based on storage/demand)
Stage 2 Watering Restrictions - Reminder
Austin Water implemented Drought Response Stage 2 Regulations last September and it remains in effect as of today. While the actual code is rather lengthy and detailed, we wanted to share the highlights and most pertinent information with you, as City Council adopted a revised Water Conservation Code in August 2012.
It resulted in different Stage 2 restrictions, including changes to water days and times:
Your assigned watering day is
determined by property type, type of irrigation used, and whether the street address ends in an even or odd number;
Hose-end irrigation may take place between midnight and 10 a.m. and between 7 p.m. and midnight on your assigned watering day (either Saturday or Sunday);
Automatic irrigation systems may operate between midnight and 5 a.m. and between 7 p.m. and midnight on your assigned watering day (either Wednesday or Thursday);
o Money saving tip - ensure that your system has a working rain sensor, or operate the system manually when rain is forecasted;
Watering with a hand-held hose or a refillable watering vessel, such as a
bucket or a Treegator®, is allowed at any time on any day of the week;
Drip irrigation is exempt from the
schedule, due to increased efficiency;
To water trees, soaker hoses may
be used under the drip-line of the tree canopy or you may use your automatic tree bubblers. Irrigating trees in this manner is exempt from the watering schedule;
Watering a vegetable garden with a
soaker hose is exempt from the watering schedule;
This may come as the biggest surprise to many residents, but washing vehicles at home is prohibited, even on your scheduled watering day!
To ensure that customers follow the restrictions, Austin Water staff is continuing enforcement (and taking calls through 311 for reporting a violation). Violations of the mandatory restrictions may result in fines starting at $475.
Please Note: The City is now adding violation fees straight to utility bills.
Click here for Stage 2 FAQ sheet
Current City of Austin Water Restrictions
Conservation Stage (Above 1.4 Million acre feet)
Two days per week outdoor irrigation for residential customers (30 hours/week max)
Drought Stage 1 (Trigger of 1.4 Million acre feet)
Two days per week outdoor irrigation (20 hours/week max)
Home car washing on designated outdoor water use day
Drought Stage 2 (Trigger of 900K acre feet)
One day per week outdoor irrigation (10 hours/week max)
Home and Charity car washing prohibited
Drought Stage 3 (Trigger of 600K acre feet)
One day per week outdoor irrigation (6 hours/ week max)
Drought Stage 4 – Catastrophic
Outdoor water use for health and safety reasons only
Enforcement
Decriminalized and removed from the Municipal Court and moved to fines on water bills
Customer/AWU retains option to pursue in court
Exemptions for drip irrigation, gardening and tree watering through Stage 3
WNA Newsletter Page 8 of 8
New Feature – Volunteer Spotlight
Job. Kids. Appointments. Reminders. To Do Lists.
Sometimes there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day! You want to help, you want to make a difference, but you also don't want to commit to something that will demand too much of your already reduced free time!
We get it, which is why we are going to highlight, in detail, a volunteer opportunity in each newsletter. This way, you will be able to determine exactly what is being asked of you and what kind of time commitment you are looking at. As you read on, you'll see that most of our volunteer needs aren't too time consuming, are flexible, and overall enjoyable!
Below we highlight our newly-formed Welcome Committee, but have many other opportunities with needs for volunteers, such as:
Beautification/Enhancement Zoning / Development Newsletter / Neighborhood Communications
Traffic / Speed Calming
Welcome to the
Special Events National Night Out Neighborhood Watch Board Member Special Projects
Volunteer Opportunities http://www.westcreekna.org/our-
neighborhood/committees
WESTCREEK
NEIGHBORHOOD
ASSOCIATION
email: [email protected]
websites: www.westcreekna.org
facebook: www.facebook.com/WestcreekNA
Newsletter Editor: Katy Roper
Webmaster: Aubrey McCauley
Yahoo Group Moderator: Kelly Poore
E-Communications
ListServe
Yahoo Email Group
The recently launched Welcome Committee has been a resounding success, thanks largely due to the many neighborhood volunteers who have given their time to say hello to our newest Westcreekers. We are so grateful for their efforts, as are our new neighbors!
As we have asked before: Love Westcreek? Want to share the love, meet new neighbors & make them feel welcome? If your answer is "Yes, but.....how much time, exactly is this commitment?" - You are not alone. We understand that everyone's days are packed and schedules are full, so we would like to take this opportunity to provide you with more detail of the duties of a Welcome Committee volunteer.
It’s simple - we provide (and drop off to you) the Welcome Bag, already prepackaged with new neighbor literature and information, an address (we try and match you up with a nearby new resident) and all you need to do is add your own personal touch of a treat (homemade or store bought), and head on
over to greet the new neighbor. How long that takes is entirely in your hands - it can be as short as a few minutes for a friendly hello or as long as an hour if you get to chatting - you may just hit it off with a new neighbor!
We would most likely ask you to deliver 2-4 bags each quarter; however we are extremely flexible and can work around your schedule.
We've gotten some really positive responses from our current Welcome Committee volunteers, and are so appreciative of their time.
If being a Welcome Committee volunteer is of interest to you, please contact the Welcome Committee Chair, Lee Pepe, at [email protected]. If this isn't up your alley, have no fear, we have plenty of other volunteer opportunities.
There are so many ways, large and small, in which you can be involved in keeping Westcreek the great place it is to live - we look forward to hearing from you!
Welcome Committee – Summer Edition Spotlight
