I’m Joyce Basciano, I’ve lived in Austin for 44 years and Bryker Woods for the past 40 years.

CodeNEXT is beyond repair. Continuing to work on it is comparable to keeping a body on life support after rigor mortis has set in. After you “grafted” an additional $2M from us taxpayer’s to complete the code, it has only grown, after 3 and a half drafts, into a “Frankencode” of 1500 error-riddled pages that includes 450 pages of addenda and errata, plus a new map that you, the land commissioners, planning staff and we the people are struggling to understand in so little time.

Four years ago we were promised a land development code, for $2M, that would be easy to understand and use. It was supposed to be a hybrid code, one that would maintain existing Euclidean code categories with the addition of Form Based Code categories. It was not supposed to be a total code rewrite. In addition, it was supposed to be implemented in a few neighborhoods that wanted to test drive it. It wasn’t supposed to be used as a bulldozer to implement city-wide up-zoning or to implement proposed corridor plans. I understand that the Planning Commission has made dozens of recommendations to CodeNEXT that go way beyond the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan. One, in particular, reclassifies streets, creating 5 block -deep zones of increased density around those streets. Promises broken! So let’s return “Frankencode” to the consultants and get our money back and then let’s fix the flawed community involvement process that produced “Frankencode”.

In my opinion, here’s why the CodeNEXT process was, and continues to be, a sham. It lacks transparency and accountability. For 3 years the public was entertained with slick brochures, powerpoints, swag and events that painted a rosy picture of the code the consultants and planning staff were creating. When we asked to see examples of the code, we were told to wait until the whole code could be released in January 2017. When we asked for disposition tables to help us understand the first draft, we were given a complex matrix. The city staff, positioned as a middleman between the community and the consultants, pushed its own agenda. With little information to go on, public input was easily manipulated and limited. The city has destroyed our trust in the process, so it shouldn’t be surprised that CodeNEXT is not supported by the communities it impacts, or that over 30 thousand citizens want to put CodeNEXT on the ballot next November.

How do we fix Code NEXT to be the community-based project that would reflect the goals of the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan, and the decisions citizens made in their Neighborhood Plans? Simple, start by cleaning up and reorganizing the existing Land Development Code. Then add Form Based Code or other categories as amendments. There are over 30 Neighborhood Plans, that the city spent over $13M on, and that neighborhood volunteers invested thousands of hours, working with the existing Land Development Code, to create. The knowledge and experience these volunteers have and the Neighborhood Plans are a valuable resource. Let’s use that resource to help create the new Land Development Code.

Remember this: people tend to support what they help to create.

Thank you,

Joyce Basciano

From....

District 10 Council Member Alison Alter, City of Austin City Council

Muny and WAYA Meeting – June 25

Lions Municipal Golf Course, better known in the community as Muny, is a beautiful piece of open space in west Austin that has served as a public golf course since 1924. The course sits on the Brackenridge Tract, which is owned by the University of Texas System. In 1989, the UT System renewed the City of Austin's lease of the golf course land for an additional 30 years. In 2011, the University Board of Regents declared their intention not to renew the lease, leaving the future of Muny uncertain. The West Austin Youth Association, which leases land adjacent to Muny for their youth sports programs, is in a similar situation.

I have been closely following this issue and have heard from many neighbors who are concerned as well. In order to discuss the current state of affairs and hear from the community on this matter, I am holding a public meeting at the Muny clubhouse. This will be an informal meeting for me to provide an update from the City's side of the discussion, as well as for you to share your thoughts and concerns. Please join me for this meeting and feel free to invite your neighbors.

Monday, June 25, 2018

7-8 p.m.

Lions Municipal Golf Course - Clubhouse

2901 Enfield Road, 78703

WEST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

These are the minutes of the meeting of the West Austin Neighborhood Group Board of Directors held Tuesday, June 5, 2018 at 6:30 p.m., at Howson Library

I. Call to Order:

The meeting was called to order at 6:42 PM by President Cathy Kyle. Board members in attendance included: Mary Arnold, Joyce Basciano, Joe Bennett, Mike Cannatti, George Edwards, August Harris, Craig Lill, Holly Reed and Blake Tollett. Board members Elizabeth Adams and Haidar Khazen were not in attendance.

Neighbors in attendance included James Logan and Kathleen Loughlin.

II. Approval of Minutes:

A motion was made by August Harris to approve the May Minutes, seconded by Joyce Basciano, and approved unanimously.

III. Neighbor Communications:

A. Contemporary Austin’s 35th St. Safety Improvement Project:

Stephanie Kingpetcharat gave a presentation to the WANG Board about the Contemporary Austin’s proposal to the City of Austin’s Neighborhood Partnering Program in order to create a 5 foot wide accessible sidewalk on the south side of West 35th St. in two phases:

Phase 1: West 35th St. between Mt. Bonnell and the cul-de-sac.

Phase 2: (pending submission and review): between Foothill Drive and Mt. Bonnell Road. Also, Marcus Primm from the City's Neighborhood Partnering Program was present to answer questions.

The cost of the project will be shared between the museum and the City of Austin.

The Contemporary asked for WANG’s support of the improvement project, and to consider the idea of the City adding sidewalks to both sides of this increasingly busier stretch of West 35th leading to Mayfield Park, Laguna Gloria and Westwood.

Mary Arnold asked if nearby neighbors had been contacted. Ms. Kingpetcharat said they had visited with neighbors in 2016, discussed putting sidewalks on both sides of 35th St. and neighbors had deferred to WANG and PARD. Blake Tollett said he had no objection to the sidewalks but asked that they be bumped out 5 feet, extending the space between Mayfield’s historic stone walls and the sidewalk.

Joe Bennett made a motion to approve the Contemporary’s proposal, with the condition that the sidewalks be bumped out 5 feet along Mayfield Park’s stone walls. The motion was seconded by President Kyle and approved unanimously, with Mary Arnold abstaining.

City staff said the review period for this proposal will conclude in September.

IV. Land Matters:

President Kyle reported on a deed restriction violation lawsuit in her neighborhood.

V. Transportation:

A. The Board discussed Cap Metro’s two new rapid transit bus routes through west Austin:

1. The No.18 bus line which circles Lions Municipal Golf Course, then heads east on Enfield

2. The No.335 bus line which circles the Austin State Supported Living Center and heads east on 35th St.

Holly Reed noted that these new routes appear to support the inappropriate transportation corridor up-zoning recommended by the Planning Commission to the City Council in their report on CodeNext. CodeNext has not yet been approved by the City Council (nor the citizens of Austin) and yet Cap Metro’s revised routes already align with the unapproved Draft 3 of CodeNext.

B. Mary Arnold reported on the Red Bud Trail Bridge “Improvement” proposal. This summer the City Council is considering what to put on the bond, and Mary noted that the bridge is on the list. Westlake Hills is not supportive of raising and widening the bridge. Mary expressed concern about the negative impact on the sensitive environment (cliffs and wildlife) near the bridge, should this project proceed as proposed.

C. Mary also reported that WANG received notification from Steve Kubenka that there is a new discharge drain off of Mopac at Enfield and Winsted, which dumps onto the sidewalk and directly into Johnson Creek. Mary emailed Mr. Steve Pustelynk at CTRMA about this concern and he replied that drainage from Mopac and city streets has always gone into Johnson Creek, but that they would be happy to review the drain if problems with flooding or filtration are observed. George Edwards suggested the drainage be directed under the sidewalk to prevent standing water and flooding. Although 2012 Bonds were to fund design of a new bridge, that preliminary design has not yet been completed nor presented to the public or City Council, yet the proposed new bridge recommended by the Bond Task Force is projected to cost $54 million dollars - up from the $18 million projected for construction in 2012.

VI. Membership:

Joe Bennett reported seeing some new memberships this month.

VII. Newsletter:

Joe and Haidar told the board that content for the online newsletter is due June 14th. This newsletter will feature a piece about the “Innovation Zone” proposed by Cap Metro for West Austin, as well as the Planning Commission’s recommendation to up-zone density along newly labeled “Regional Corridors” which include neighborhood streets in the WANG area.

VIII. ANC Liaison Report:

Joyce Basciano told the board about the two public input hearings at the City Council on CodeNext, May 29th and June 2, at City Hall. Mary Arnold attended the May 29th meeting. The City Council Chamber was filled with citizens and neighborhood group representatives, most of whom were strongly opposed to CodeNext because of the overwhelming destruction it could bring to their neighborhoods and communities. Joyce Basciano and Holly Reed spoke at the June 2nd meeting. Joyce’s review of the faulty CodeNext drew raucous applause from the crowd in Council Chambers. The Board agreed to share Joyce’s statement in the next newletter.

At the June 2nd hearing, former ANC President Mary Ingle asked Mayor Adler about a letter he wrote to the ANC dated October 14, 2016. Contrary to his current support of CodeNext, the Mayor had promised in his letter to keep transition (or higher density) zones out of single family neighborhoods, to honor Neighborhood Plans, and to protect neighborhood character.

Joyce Basciano also discussed the CodeNext Policy Table chart she obtained, which has city staff comments from all the departments on issues with Code Next Draft 3.

IX. Treasurer’s Report:

George Edwards reported that WANG has $8,812.14 in the Business Account, $1,179.36 in the Tarrytown 4th of July Parade Account, and $1,207.05 in the Oak Wilt Account for a total of $11,198.55

X. Old Business:

A. CodeNext: Opponents of CodeNext filed a lawsuit against the City on June 1st, after the City Council voted 6-4 not to place a petition-initiated ordinance on November’s ballot, denying residents of Austin to the right to vote on CodeNext. Council is proceeding with the CodeNext timeline, with their first reading on June 21st/22nd.

B. Brackenridge Tract: August Harris reported that their will be a community meeting with District 10 Council Member Alison Alter near the end of June. He noted that the cost for the City to bring infrastructure to the Brack Tract may be so prohibitive that another solution will have to be negotiated. An agreement must be in place with UT by November so that it can go through the legislative approval process. August noted that there will be a challenge in getting public funding for preservation of the Lions Municipal Golf Course. CM Alter’s Budget Meeting will be June 18th and she needs community input on the budget.

C. WANG Area Survey: Happy said we need at least 400 responses in order to have a statistically valid survey. Right now there are 90. Joe will send out a flyer, requesting more survey responses.

XI. New Business:

A. Annual Meeting: The Board discussed setting a date in October for the Annual Meeting. October 20th or 21st were finalists.

B. Next Meeting: Tuesday, July 3rd, 2018 at 6:30 PM at Howson Library.

XII. Adjourn: The meeting was adjourned by President Cathy Kyle at 8:20 PM.

Contact your City Council Representatives:

(click on name to send email)

• Mayor: Steve Adler 512-978-2100
  
• District 1: Ora Houston 512-978-2101
  
• District 2: Delia Garza 512-978-2102
  
• District 3: Sabino Renteria 512-978-2103
  
• District 4: Gregorio Casar 512-978-2104
  
• District 5: Ann Kitchen 512-978-2105
  
• District 6: Jimmy Flanigan 512-978-2106
  
• District 7: Leslie Pool 512-978-2107
  
• District 8: Ellen Troxclair 512-978-2108
  
• District 9: Kathie Tovo 512-978-2109
  
• District 10: Alison Alter 512-978-2110
  

Send us your comments (letters!) and thoughts on any other neighborhood issue for our "Letters to the Board" section.......let's work together

Email us at WANG-BOARD@WESTAUSTINNG.COM

by Wizzie Brown, BCE

It’s hot. It’s dry. It’s time for spider mites. Spider mites are very small to microscopic in size and depending on how good your eyesight is, you may not be able to see them without a good hand lens or microscope.

While spider mites are not insects- they are arachnids and more closely related to spiders than insects- they are pests in the landscape. Most spider mites produce a webbing around their colony. It starts on the underside of leaves and will expand out as the population increases.

WEST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP – ACL/FEST NEWS

WANG meets with the City of Austin and the Organizers of the Austin City Limits Festival three times a year to coordinate and discuss any issues in the neighborhood during the two-week festival. We have coordinated with the City to locate enforceable “No Parking” signs, typically on one side of some of the more narrow streets in order to facilitate the passage of emergency vehicles through the neighborhood during the festival. This year the Festival is being held October 5-7 and 12-14.

The no parking signs will be set out on Oct 3 and will remain up until Oct 15. Please remember, If you are parked on the street side where the signs are located you must move your car to the other side of the street or you may be ticketed or towed.

The streets affected (see maps) will be

• Upson St (east side),
  
• Deep Eddy Ave (east side),
  
• Hearn St (west side),
  
• Meriden Ln (east side),
  
• W.7th St (north side), and
  
• Atlanta St (west side)
  

Click on the no parking map to the right to see the proposed sign locations. We will post the final one. If you would like to send us your comments and requests we will be be providing additional input to ACL in the next several weeks. ACL@westaustinng.com

WANG will be posting on our Web Site (www.WestAustinNG.com) a specially provided Call-in phone number that will be available to call to report any illegal parking or other issues happening in the neighborhood during the festival. This number will directly connect you to a City Staff member that will be able to dispatch police officers directly. We will send out a special newsletter mail out with the neighborhood phone in number before the festival. You may also send an email to ACL@westaustinng.com and request the number and we will provide you with the Call-in number when it is available.

Fire......................................................911

Ambulance (EMS) .............................911

Police Dept.......................512-975-5000

Texas Gas Service.............................1-800-700-2443

Grande Communications...................512-220-4600

AT&T (new service)...........................1-800-464-7928

Time Warner Cable (Cust. Svc)...........512-485-5555

Austin/Travis Hazardous Waste.........512-974-4343