-
To respond privately, use the "Reply" command.
To post to the list "Forward" to [at]
-
That Chronicle link did not work for me. I did however search on 'Sebastian
Wren' and came up with the following:
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/column?oid=oid:99016
--- jody horton wrote:
> -
> To respond privately, use the "Reply" command.
> To post to the list "Forward" to [at]
> -
>
> Yep, its these guys (whoever they are) that are distorting the truth.
>
> Come on, neighbors!
>
> We NEED these 259 apartment units (plus the commercial apartments)
> that empty onto quiet residential streets without sidewalks.
>
> The 175 units that are now allowed by code is simply not enough.
>
> Let's rally behind these honest, forthright guys that are NOT
> building student housing (though they cannot prevent students from
> living there)
>
> Please pay close attention to the claims in 3 and 8.
>
> They claim they will NOT need to do a formal TIA. As they have from
> the outset.
> But they WILL pay for a traffic study anyway (before they called it a
> TIA, now its apparently something less than that).
>
> The Traffic Study is the SINGLE significant expense they are willing
> to incur beyond what they MUST do as per VMU code. Why? Are they
> committing
> to extremely costly roadwork should it bee needed?
>
> More on that at the vote tonight.
>
>
> Meanwhile as I take a step back from this I am left to wonder this:
>
> HOW IN THE WORLD DOES A NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENT WHO PRIDES HIMSELF ON
> BIKIING OR WALKING FOR 90% OF HIS
> TRANSPORTATION NEEDS END UP ALIGNING HIMSELF WITH A BIG BOX DEVELOPER
> THAT TRIED TO BUILD A WAL-MART OVER THE AQUIFER?
>
> http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A16774
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Sep 30, 2007, at 9:36 PM, Sebastian Wren wrote:
>
> > Below is a letter sent to me by Jamil Alam about the proposed
> > development on Koenig Ave. I'm forwarding it to the lists to keep
> > everybody in the loop.
> >
> > Jamil will be at the meeting tomorrow, and we'll try to have a fair
> > and
> > reasonable discussion of this development. Come to the meeting, hear
> > for yourself what is being proposed, and make up your own mind.
> >
> > Here is the letter from Jamil:
> >
> >
> > Sebastian.
> >
> > I understand that there is some mis-information floating around about
> > our proposed project at Avenue F @ Koenig. It seems that a couple of
> > neighbors have taken the facts and put their spin on them. As you are
> > well aware the development business is not without controversy, and
> > with
> > the City's push for urban density these types of discussions between
> > neighborhood's and developer's will only occur more frequently and
> > with
> > more vigor. However, it is a dis-service to all parties involved for a
> > couple of neighbors to distort the facts in an effort to further their
> > own personal agenda. I will not agree to one off demands that benefit
> > some neighbors to the detriment of others and I only hope that the
> > Neighborhood appreciates this. As I am not a party to the Neighborhood
> > website or emails, and therefore have no forum to respond to some
> > of the
> > mis-information for those neighbors who have been unable to attend any
> > of the prior meetings, I am hoping that you can post this on your list
> > serve. I have received very positive feedback from the vast
> > majority of
> > those who have attended the meetings. These are the facts, and are
> > indisputable:
> >
> > 1) Our project is consistent with the goals of the Neighborhood Plan.
> >
> > 2) Our project will generate over $150,000 in parkland dedication fees
> > for the Neighborhood.
> >
> > 3) Our project generates 50 pct less traffic than the trip count
> > threshold established by the City that would require a Traffic Impact
> > Analysis (TIA). Despite this data, we have offered to complete a
> > Traffic Study for our project. A medical office building can be
> > built on
> > the site with no variance and would generate over twice the traffic of
> > our project. A strip retail center, which I (and many neighbors)
> > believe
> > is the most likely outcome if no variance is granted and is also
> > allowed
> > under current zoning, would generate 70 pct more traffic than our
> > project. If any alternative uses end up on the site that are already
> > allowed under current zoning, the developers have no reason to solicit
> > neighborhood input because they have their zoning. Any such
> > development
> > will most likely have a curb cut on 56th street as there would be no
> > reason for them not to.
> >
> > 4) Our project will contain 10 pct affordable units @ 80 pct of
> > Austins
> > median family income.
> >
> > 5) Our project will not be built as a student housing project
> > (although
> > we cannot prohibit students from leasing). We will have 75 pct 1
> > bedrooms and only 25 pct 2 bedrooms, and students prefer to put 4
> > students into 2 bedroom units (ie Triangle)..
> >
> > 6) We have offerred to conduct a design charrette w the Neighborhood
> > soliciting feedback on various design options. I personally believe
> > that
> > the Neighborhood will enjoy this process and that this will set a
> > great
> > precedent for future development in the area.
> >
> > 7) We have offered to solicit feedback on commercial uses, hours of
> > operation, and specific tenants.
> >
> > 8) Per WHM Traffic Engineers, who are the best that this City has and
> > whose data is accepted by the City, 65 pct of the traffic from our
> > project is projected to use the Koenig egress vs 56th street. Only
> > 3 pct
> > of the traffic is expected to use Link.
> >
> > 9) In order for any commercial space to survive along Koenig, we
> > have to
> > have a 2nd means of egress to and from our garage. Without it, the
> > commercial space simply will not lease and that isn't good for anyone.
> > TxDOT, who controls Koenig, has forced us to put our Koenig curb cut
> > 300' from Avenue F and as such, Avenue F is not an option for a 2nd
> > means of egress. We don't believe that Avenue F would have been a good
> > solution anyway.
> >
> > 10) We have agreed that we will use every reasonable effort to
> > align our
> > 56th street garage egress with Link and limit access to right-in,
> > right-out only onto 56th which is what was requested of us.
> > 11) I have presented at 6 neighborhood organized meetings over the
> > past
> > 3 months about our project, and have met informally with every
> > neighbor
> > that has asked for a meeting to address their specific questions. The
> > claim that this proposed project has not been properly advertised is
> > simply not true.
> >
> > 12) Rents for retail space are twice those for "live work" space. As
> > such, we have every motivation in the world for all of our "commercial
> > space" along Koenig to be retail. However, if it doesn't lease we
> > believe it makes more sense to lease it as live work space to
> > encourage
> > an active street vs letting the space sit empty for years (please see
> > new condo's at 31st and Guadalupe for example of developer who didn't
> > think it thru with 50% vacant retail). Our experience is that urban
> > mixed use projects evolve as neighborhoods evolve over time and as
> > density increases. If a space doesn't work as retail at first, if
> > designed properly it can function as Live Work for artists, designers,
> > etc and we can try again for retail after a few years have passed.
> >
> > 13) Austin is a wonderful city. Unfortunately the cat is out of the
> > bag.
> > This city's population will double in the next 20 years. We can either
> > keep building and maintaining roads and complaining about traffic,
> > or we
> > can support urban mixed use projects located on major arterials and
> > near
> > bus stops and commuter rail which is the best way to deal with
> > traffic.
> > There are countless books (Suburban Nation by Andres Duany is a great
> > read) and reports supporting this type of smart growth and the data is
> > overwhelmingly supportive. This is exactly why the City is fully
> > supportive of vertical mixed use projects and also why the leaders of
> > your Neighborhood Planning Team chose to Opt-In this site for vertical
> > mixed use.
> >
> > 14) We are a 9 year old 100+ person local development company whose 11
> > Principals' roots were all with the Trammell Crow Company and who have
> > all lived in this City for an average of 20+ years. We are very
> > proud of
> > the local company that we have built and our reputation. We have
> > employees who live in Northfield. I would encourage you to solicit
> > feedback from the Mayor or any Council member on our track record and
> > integrity. We develop very high quality projects that benefit all
> > stakeholders.
> >
> > If you are happy with the quality of the existing commercial space
> > along
> > Koenig, Airport and Lamar, then this project may not be for you. If
> > you
> > want to be an agent for positive change, I hope that you will support
>
=== message truncated ===
--
Matt Smith
http://www.myhomepoint.com/
"Powering the Modern Family"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in messages are solely that of the author
and not of the list administrators nor Druma Inc (sponsor 14gram.com).
Website: Northfield Neighborhood Assoc - www.main.org/nna
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe & "howto" info, send a blank email to [at]
-
