The Allandale Reporter

Northwest Recreation Center February activities

Check out the programs being offered at Northwest Recreation Center this month!

Feburary Events

• 2/10 Parent's Night Out Program!
• 2/17 No AISD School - Youth Camp Day
• 2/20 City Holiday - Center Closed
• 2/25 Kite Workshop & Live Music

Click here for the details.

Fresh Plus opening on Friday

I spoke with Fresh Plus owner Paul Beurskens who said they are excited about moving into the neighborhood and are going at full speed getting everything ready for the opening this Friday, February 3.The locally-owned grocery store is taking over the space off of Anderson Lane formerly occupied by Sprouts, and before that, Sun Harvest. Sprouts closed in December due to a merger that left it with too many stores too close together. Beurskens said he was able to hire some of their former employees. Click here to read the Statesman article about the Fresh Plus annoucement of the store opening.

 

Girl Scout cookie sales start Wednesday

Girl Scout cookie sales start this Wednesday! Allandale is chock-full of Girl Scouts, so you may have girls coming to your door. If not, there will be booths in the area for at least the next three weekends (such as at Blockbuster, Walgreens, Randalls, and more). Please consider supporting these girls by purchasing a box or ten. Cookie sales fund troop activities including campouts and service projects and are a great way for young girls to learn financial skills. Plus, they are YUMMY (think Super Bowl party or Valentine's gifts!).

Thanks for supporting Girl Scouts,
Kristin Knifton

(photo credit: Jeff Sandquist)

Allandale home in today's Statesman "In the Spotlight"

Curious about that house for sale at 6103 Woodview? Today's Statesman shines a spotlight on it - "In the Spotlight: An Allandale bungalow redone with careful planning of light, space." Anne Edwards took eleven years to remodel the 1951 bungalow, a project that included structural as well as aethestic improvements. Edwards is moving to Asheville, NC, and has it up for sale listed at $435,000. It is a 1,518-square-foot 2 bedroom, 2 bath house. Read all about it and view the photos here. 

December 2011 Allandale Neighbor

The December issue of the Allandale Neighbor is out. Please notify me if you have not received it. In this issue, we revisit the Allandale Storm Drainage Project; we are a year into the project, it's not finished and neighbors are upset. Cynthia Keohane provides a status report on the City's comprehensive planning process. There is an appeal for vounteers (someone needs to come up with a neighborhood spring event). Meet Bryan Glass, one of the new Executive Committee members on ANA. We have information on the February LiveStrong Marathon including the course map and street closings  planned for the day of the race.  Also included is our regular Dog Talk, Neighborhood Watch, Gullett Good News columns plus much more. Thanks to the many volunteers who contributed to this Issue. Click here to download the electronic version.

Tom Linehan
Editor, Allandale Neighbor

Update on development of regulations for short-term rentals

This month's Community Impact News has an article that provides background and status on where things stand with the City in coming up with regulations for short-term rentals (STRs). Short-term rentals are homes that are rented out on a short-term basis. The Allandale Neighborhood Association has been very active in the City's effort to address this issue and the article includes quotes from Cynthia Keohane, immediate past president of ANA and Maurice Anderson, Chair of Allandale's STR Committee. Short-term rentals include homeowners renting out the home they live in on a short-term basis or a home purchased for the purpose of using as a short-term rental. ANA is opposed to the latter. Click here for more on Allandale's position and involvement in the matter.

The city has been working with all affected parties including neighborhood representatives on the matter for the last six months. The Planning Commission's Codes and Ordinances Subcommittee drafted a set of regulations on short-term rentals in October that is going through staff review before it is handed off to the Planning Commission. The draft regulations for short-term rentals includes paying the hotel/motel occupancy tax, adhering to the city's occupancy limits, posting the owner's emergency contact information on the property, addressing commerical short-term rentals, and more. Click here to read the full article about the proposed regulations and timeline. 

Businesses using parks for profit will need a permit

The City will soon require businesses using public parkland for profit to get a permit. This includes:"fitness camps, running groups, boot camps, martial arts classes, canoe or kayak lessons, stand-up paddling seminars or demonstrations, yoga classes, and dog training seminars." 

The Austin Parks and Recreation Department is having a public information meeting about the new permitting process this Friday, November 18, at 2:30 at the Zilker Botanical Gardens to go over the process and explain the costs and privileges as well as responsibilities. Implementation of the program will begin January 2012. Northwest Park is included on the list of the 22 parks that are permitted locations for approved commercial use activities. Click here to learn more about the new city program and to see what other parks are on the list.

City council approves sound wall recommendations

Last week the Austin City Council voted for the sound walls that had been approved by neighbors that live adjacent to where the walls will be constructed. The vote was 6-0 with council member Mike Martinez off the dais. The city council vote was the next step in the process before any work could get starte on construction of the walls. It is also one piece of the MoPac Improvement Project plan being developed to relieve congestion along MoPac from Parmer Lane to Cesar Chavez.

There are two sound walls of particular interest to Allandale residents. Sound Wall #2, along Great Northern between Pinecrest Drive and Foster Lane was voted down by the adjacent property owners. The adjacent property owners voted for Sound Wall #3 that would run along Great Northern from the Far West Pedestrian Bridge south to 2222.

You can vote anywhere tomorrow

Tomorrow is election day and for this election, people in Travis County can vote anywhere there is a "Vote Here" sign. In tomorrow's election people are being asked to vote on 10 constitutional amendments and two Travis County bond proposals. Instead of being restricted to voting in their home precinct, they may vote at any Travis County precinct polling place. The experiment is an effort to boost voter turnout. Polls will be open tomorrow from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  Click here for more information about the change and herea full list of voting locations.

City's approval of Great Northern sound walls on today's council agenda

Today, the city council will be voting on a resolution stating its preference for the proposed sound walls along MoPac which includes the section along Great Northern. The draft resolution supports the vote of the adjacent property owners. Along Great Northern, adjacent property owners voted for Sound Wall #3 which is the segment stretching from 2222 to the Far West pedestrian bridge. They voted against Sound Wall #2, which goes from the Far West Bridge north to Foster. Click here to read the draft resolution and here to read about the vote of the adjacent property owners along Great Northern.