6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Maplewood Elementary School

Meeting: Second meeting of the Cherrywood Neighborhood Planning Team (NPT)

*Attendees:
Sharon  Hernandez Dorow
David Liveoat
Cynthia Leach
Dorothy Johnson
Eugene McCann
Catherine Tucek
Daniel Tucek
Bo McCarver
Lyn Estabrook
Caroline Beyer
Michael McClendon
Isabelle Hedrick
Jules Vieau
Girrard Kinney
Debra Ramirez
Fred Cox
Stephen Kreger
Maurice Seide
Zelma Seide
Sharon Edmonson
Stefan Schustor
Lex Dale Owens
Melvin Walenta
Dixie Peterson
Chris Sharman
Ulla Dalsgaard
Patrick Rodriguez
Gordon Bennett

*Based on sign-in sheet

City Staff:  Gina Copic, Ricardo Soliz, and Mark Walters from PECSD/ Neighborhood Planning.

Meeting began at 6:35 PM

Gina Copic, Neighborhood Planning staff, opened the meeting by asking if the decision record from the 10/10/00 Neighborhood Planning Meeting was acceptable to all of those in attendance.  Michael McClendon stated that, while originally he was going to personally invite the businesses in the neighborhood planning area (NPA), he amended his proposal to collect the names and locations of these businesses and ask for volunteers from the NPT to assist in this task.

Decision:  Business outreach would be conducted by a group from the NPT.

The next order of business was to decide upon a new name for the NPA.  After a brief discussion the name Upper Boggy Creek Neighborhood Planning Area seemed most favorable to the group.  The Boggy Creek watershed is an element of the NPA that is shared by all the different neighborhoods that compose the Cherrywood NPA.  By changing the name to this, it would take the focus off of the Cherrywood Neighborhood Association (NA) and attempt to make the process inclusive to everybody in the NPA.   Caroline Beyer presented the motion to change the name to Upper Boggy Creek, and was seconded by Dorothy Johnson.  The vote by the group was unanimous in support of the name change.

Decision:  The name of the Cherrywood NPA was changed to the Upper Boggy Creek NPA.

The next order of business was to discuss the NPT’s outreach efforts.   Michael McClendon presented information about conducting outreach to the different businesses in the NPA.  As discussed at the 10/10/00 NPT meeting, the different business sectors in the NPA were identified.  Mr. McClendon grouped the business in these areas.  He asked for volunteers to conduct this outreach and distributed the list to those people in attendance.

Decision:  Six people volunteered to conduct the outreach.

Following this discussion, the representative from the Wilshire NA area of the NPA, mentioned that there was an existing network to disperse information within that area and that this would be used for outreach during the planning process.  There was also discussion that some of the distribution areas for the Cherrywood NA may be consolidated as needed for outreach during the planning process.

The third order of business was a discussion of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).  Gina Copic began the discussion by saying the MOU spelled out the responsibilities and expectations from the City of Austin as well as those of the NPT.  Ms. Copic mentioned that, in other NPAs, there was one significant sticking point that some NPTs have had concerns about.

“Adoption of the plans by City Ordinance shows the City Council’s general commitment and support for the projects and programs included in the strategy, but does not obligate the City to implement individual plan recommendations.”

Ms. Copic stated that this statement was required by the City of Austin legal department and could not be changed.

The group discussed the NPT is further detail, asking questions about particular items in the document.  Of particular interest was the requirement that members of the NPT conduct a land use and/or building condition survey.  Concern was raised that the City could use this information for purposes other than the neighborhood planning process.  A point was raised that since this information was public, that anybody, City departments or other parties could request access to the data.

Decision:   A committee of three volunteers would review the MOU, take questions from concerned individuals and that at the next meeting raise any more concerns.  If possible a permanent or interim chairperson could sign the MOU at an upcoming NPT meeting.
The three volunteers were:
   Stephan Kreger
   Chris Sharman
   Dixie Peterson

The next order of business was a brainstorming session where the group was asked to name elements that they would like removed from the neighborhood, preserved/protected in the neighborhood, and added to the neighborhood.

Remove:
Homeless.
Trucks from 38th ½ Street.
On-street parking along Manor Road.
Drug dealers/drug houses.
Arterial designation of 38th ½ Street, downgrade to neighborhood collector status.
Inappropriate/extremely water-intensive landscaping.
Junk cars.

Protect/Preserve:
Protect the tax base in the neighborhood—issues of gentrification.
Mitigate the impacts on the neighborhood from I-35 improvements, noise from bus traffic, from the RMMA redevelopment.
Protect the interests of the four neighborhoods from the redevelopment of RMMA
Patterson Park.
Trees—water.
Protect structures with historical significance.
Protect native flora and fauna (including habitat).
Maplewood Elementary
Diversity—race, sex, income status

Add:
Bike routes on Manor Road from Airport Blvd. To I-35,
Traffic-calming to identified residential streets.
Improved playground facilities to Patterson Park.
Increase the safety and utility to non-motorized and non-vehicular traffic crossings of
I-35.
Sidewalks along the east side of Cherrywood.
Improve the safety of the intersection of Manor Road and Lafeyette (look into a right turn only lane).
Sidewalks along 38th ½ Street at the railroad tracks.
Location of possible light rail station should be sensitive to the neighborhood.
Traffic calming at Vineland and 40th Street.
A complete and functional sidewalk system in the neighborhood.
More neighborhood-oriented businesses.
Branch library within walking/biking distance.
Small post office.
Transitional housing for homeless families.
Roundabout at Coleta and 22nd Street.
Roundabout at Maplewood and 38th ½ Street.
Enforcement of the No Through Trucks along 38th ½ Street.
Noise abatements along 38th ½ and Cherrywood from Capital Metro buses.
Slower speed limit along Airport Blvd.
Description of what the neighborhoods in the Upper Boggy Creek NPA will look like in twenty to thirty years.  Long-range vision to the plan.

The meeting adjourned at 8:10 PM.