VMU Development Proposed in Brentwood

ALERT/UPDATE: We will have another meeting with the Developers on Thursday, April 21st at 6pm at 5350 Burnet Road (meet outside along Burnet in "paseo" next to leasing office). If you are interested or affected by this project, please plan to attend this important follow-up meeting. It will be the principal venue to have your concerns heard regarding the zoning and related land use issues at the onset of this proposed project. For more information, see post that follows...

Please see the City Notice regarding the application for re-zoning at http://main.org/brentwood/2011%20Documents/VMU%20(Ardent)%204-2011.pdf. See the map above; the section shown outlined in blue is portion of the tract seeking re-zoning. The yellow outlined area is already zoned for Vertical Mixed Use (VMU).

We met with the applicant (Ardent Development) at last week's Steering Committee meeting where they made a presentation and answered questions. They recently completed a vertical mixed use development at 5350 Burnet Road, which will be of similar scope and scale as the proposed development. They also did the project called Post West Austin at 4330 Bull Creek (visible from MoPac). See their website at: http://www.ardent-residential.com/multi-family.html

IMPORTANT: We are seeking input from residents on Clay and Adams (in particular) to voice any concerns they have NOW before the neighborhood association takes any formal action. The applicant is willing to have another meeting with concerned neighbors (in addition to meeting already held) to address any issues that might be forthcoming. Please let me know ASAP if you are interested in attending a meeting with the applicants and I will get something set up.

Thanks,
Don Leighton-Burwell, BNA President

dleightonburwell@gmail.com

SpotCrime Stats in Brentwood

To view current crime statistics in Brentwood, you can use CrimeSpot, a web-based map that gets crime info from APD (Austin Police Department). Great resource to view "pockets" of crime and troublesome areas in our neighborhood.

The link to the website is: http://spotcrime.com/#BRENTWOOD AUSTIN TEXAS

COA: One Stop Shop Development Services

The Planning and Development Review Department has created a new website for the One Stop Shop for Development Services. The new website is located at:

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/development/onestop/

We are currently testing the new site, and ask for your feedback. If you have any suggestions on how we can improve navigation, or provide better information, please let us know by completing the short survey linked on the front page of the site by April 15th. User navigation on this website will be tracked to assist in the redesign of the City's overall website.

With your assistance, we hope to create a more user-friendly and accessible website for the community.

COA: On-line Community Engagement

The City of Austin has launched a new online service to enhance community engagement and provide a forum for residents to offer suggestions on how to improve the way the City does business.

The new Web portal, www.speakupaustin.org, is a moderated online discussion forum where residents can offer ideas and comment or vote on the ideas provided by others.The website enables users to contribute ideas on any subject, by answering the question, “How can you make it better?”

Users can suggest a new service, a service improvement, a policy change or other recommendation. It also invites users to visit subject-specific forums on topics the City is currently exploring.

The Communications and Public Information Office will provide oversight to ensure comments remain civil, as would a facilitator at an in-person meeting.

Neighborhood Watch in Brentwood

For years, the City of Austin and the Austin Police Department have had in place a citizen-based form of community policing called "Neighborhood Watch". This highly effective crime deterrent is based on folks getting to know their neighbors and looking out for suspicious activity in the neighborhood. It's been a great way to build community by connecting each of us to the people who live on our block and by creating a safer, more vigilant neighborhood.

It's our goal in 2011 to reinstate Neighborhood Watch on blocks that have had it in place, but for various reasons have let maintenance of the program lapse, and it start Neighborhood Watch on blocks that have not experienced it's value. Ultimately, we want to have every block in Brentwood to have an active and vital watch program, and to maintain a list of all Block Captains for better neighborhood-wide communication.

If you are interested in forming a Neighborhood Watch group on your block, please go to the following link at: http://main.org/brentwood/2011%20Documents/Neighborhood%20Watch/ to download manuals and other helpful tips to get things started. We thank Lindsay Schwarz for her willingness to pull this information together and also, for starting a watch program on her block!

Remember, we all benefit from our willingness to reach out to our neighbors, getting to know them and having a vested interest in their safety (as well as our own). Step up today and be the block captain on your street! We all win when we can rest easy knowing that our neighbors as concerned about our welfare, as we are about their's!

It's My Park Day at Brentwood Park brings out the neighbors!

BIG THANKS TO OUR VOLUNTEERS! Last Saturday's It's My Park Day at Brentwood Park was a smashing success! It looks like we had over 65 people come out to help, which even surpasses the numbers we had for last fall's tree planting event. We spruced up the planting beds near the pool and the sign on the east side of the park, distributed dillo dirt and mulch to trees around the park, cleaned up graffiti, and -- thanks to an especially great turn out from Paragon Prep -- revitalized the volleyball court. Extra thanks to Paragon Prep for providing a brand new volleyball net. Really impressive how much work was accomplished in such a short amount of time.

If you were there but didn't sign in at the check-in station or if you brought kids but didn't sign them in, please let me know so I can update my attendance numbers for my report to the Parks Foundation. Accurate attendance numbers are critically important for them. Also, if you didn't get a t-shirt or the t-shirt you got was the wrong size, let me know. I was able to pick up a handful of t-shirts when I returned the water jug to the Parks Foundation warehouse so I can get a shirt to you.

Lost and Found department: two plastic child's digging tools (found near the volleyball court) are in my possession. If these sound like they belong to you, please let me know.

Mark your calendars! The next It's My Park Day is scheduled for March 3, 2012. I'll bet we can beat this year's turnout and have even more fun! Friends of Brentwood Park will have at least one more park work day between now and that date and we will let you know when that will be.

IMPORTANT! Be sure to thank the sponsors of this great event with your business:

Primary event sponsor: Wheatsville Co-op

Jackson Walker LLP, Community TechKnowledge, Texas Gas Service, MFI Foundation, BMC Software, Backwoods, URS, REI, CA Technologies, Frost Bank, HS&A, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 12 Oaks Dental, Cisco Systems, Hill Country Outdoor, The Austonian, MWM Design Group, Austin Simply Fit, DWG Landscape Architecture, Enviromedia Social Marketing, Texas Rowing Center, The Garden Club of Austin, Clif Bar, Ivy Block, Advanced Organic Materials, Randalls, and Tecnu Extreme

Also be sure to patronize our neighborhood businesses that have provided us with refreshments for every single workday we have had so far: Genuine Joe Coffee and TacoDeli. When you stop in, be sure to say thanks on behalf of Friends of Brentwood Park.

To see pictures from the Brentwood event, visit our website:
http://sites.google.com/site/brentwoodparkfriends/current/its-my-park-day-2011

We'd also love for you to join us on Facebook (Friends of Brentwood Park).

Austin Parks Foundation has lots of IMPD great pictures from all over the City: www.austinparks.org and you can enter your event-day pictures and stories in their contest. Deadline for entry is March 15th.

FEEDBACK WELCOME! If you have any comments or suggestions for making this event better in the future or for potential projects for Friends of Brentwood Park, feel free to drop me a line any time at hedrichm@gmail.com

AND FINALLY: Enjoy your park! You worked hard and it shows. The park is looking amazing!

With gratitude,

Hedrich Michaelsen
On Behalf of the Friends of Brentwood Park Leadership Team

Clean Sweep; Saturday, April 9th

Please join your neighbors from 9 - 11 am on Saturday, April 9th to help our local "Way 2 Go" group clean up routes to (and from) and areas around Brentwood and Lamar Schools. Sponsored by Keep Austin Beautiful and Safe Routes to School, this particular effort is being coordinated by Jane Herrin (thanks, Jane!). For more information and to register to help, download the flyer at: http://clean sweep.pdf

Volunteer Party will follow from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm. Help make Brentwood clean and safe!