Austin City Council highlights from Thursday's meeting

[KevinFromTexas]

So it sounds like the boardwalk along Lady Bird Lake is moving closer to happening.

Austin City Council highlights from Thursday's meeting

Money for lake boardwalk, 911 dispatchers are among items approved.

Friday, October 16, 2009

At its meeting Thursday, the Austin City Council:

Approved a $1.3 million contract with Wallace, Roberts & Todd LLC to write a comprehensive plan for Austin.

Agreed to add $590,000 to a contract with Carter & Burgess Inc., for a total contract of $2 million, to finish the design for a boardwalk that would close a 1.1-mile gap in the Lady Bird Lake hike-and-bike trail.

Read more

[KevinFromTexas]

They're planning to have it go to voters in November. If it passes, construction could start in January. This would be sweet!

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/16-m...5e-b67b-951a6e19a568#pluck_comments_list

$16 million boardwalk leads Austin bond proposal
City releases draft list of $84.8 million in transportation projects for possible November election.

By Ben Wear and Sarah Coppola
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Updated: 12:13 a.m. Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Published: 11:08 p.m. Monday, June 14, 2010

Austin voters would be asked to approve $16 million for a boardwalk along Lady Bird Lake's south shore, closing a gap in the hike-and-bike trail, under the draft version of an $84.8 million transportation bond proposal for the November election.

The city's obligation for the boardwalk could actually end up being $13 million rather than $16 million. The Trail Foundation, an Austin nonprofit, says it plans to raise $3 million toward the cost of what would be a series of steel-and-concrete bridges over water interspersed with sections on land. In that case, the city would be able to use the $3 million on other transportation projects.

"There is absolutely money in this community to complete the trail," said Susan Plettman Rankin, executive director of the foundation. The group has about $300,000 set aside for the boardwalk, Rankin said.

The city said it could begin construction on the boardwalk in January if the bonds are approved.

...

City of Austin
http://www.statesman.com/news/local/16-m...5e-b67b-951a6e19a568#pluck_comments_list

[M1EK]

This boardwalk would be a hell of a lot cheaper if the proposal to allow the redevelopment of those condos right on the edge of the water hadn't been defeated by Jeff Jack's merry band of crusaders.

[Mopacs]

Could the property owners along the lake potentially derail this project?

[JAM]

Originally Posted by M1EK

This boardwalk would be a hell of a lot cheaper if the proposal to allow the redevelopment of those condos right on the edge of the water hadn't been defeated by Jeff Jack's merry band of crusaders.

That may be the case, but those towers don't seem to be going up anytime soon, they are rebuilding one of the apartments that burnt down a while back. Maybe there is room to renegotiate now that the new condo construction is stalled? Probably not, because a trail thru their land imposes further restrictions on the land and would hamper the ability to flip the property. Jeff Jack and his merry band probably did them a favor by fighting it, made them look better in the public's eye. They probably never had any intention of letting the trail ever go thru there anyway unless they could get a super sweet deal.

[JAM]

Originally Posted by Mopacs

Could the property owners along the lake potentially derail this project?

Lord, who knows, but it sure seems unlikely. Most of the stretch that ground is level with water is business, so it seems it would be in their best interest to attract more biz their way. The area that goes by residential is pretty high off the water, I don't see how it could bother them.

[M1EK]

Originally Posted by JAM

That may be the case, but those towers don't seem to be going up anytime soon, they are rebuilding one of the apartments that burnt down a while back. Maybe there is room to renegotiate now that the new condo construction is stalled? Probably not, because a trail thru their land imposes further restrictions on the land and would hamper the ability to flip the property. Jeff Jack and his merry band probably did them a favor by fighting it, made them look better in the public's eye. They probably never had any intention of letting the trail ever go thru there anyway unless they could get a super sweet deal.

I haven't been following CWS since the debacle unravelled; but the last thing I could find where I wrote about it included this quote:

If the variance request remains denied, CWS plans to build two highrises -- one 200 feet, the other 120 feet -- and redevelop dozens of apartments that sit as close as 20 feet from the lake shore to sell them as townhomes. Those apartments pre-date the 200-foot rule.

so what you're seeing doesn't fit at all with CWS changing their plans; they always said they'd redevelop many of the older buildings on their existing footprints if the Save Town Lake idiots held fast.

[hookem]

Am I the only one who questions the wisdom of putting a proposal to BORROW money for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure improvements up for election this November?

You know, the FIRST national election since Obama was voted in, where motivated Republican and Tea Party voters are likely to dominate the electorate, even if they just come out to pad the vote for Perry?

Hopefully they'll be smart enough to make the sure the ballot description of the bond proposal will only mention the road improvements. But even still, it's going to be an election where the airwaves are filled with "skyrocketing deficits" and "rampant government spending" accusations on the national level. That's gonna filter through. I predict failure.

[JAM]

Originally Posted by M1EK

I haven't been following CWS since the debacle unravelled; but the last thing I could find where I wrote about it included this quote:


so what you're seeing doesn't fit at all with CWS changing their plans; they always said they'd redevelop many of the older buildings on their existing footprints if the Save Town Lake idiots held fast.

Oh! must have missed/forgotten that.

Here is their latest :

http://cwscapitaldev.com/websites/dev/currentdev.html
222 & 300 Riverside: Austin, Texas
The Riverside Drive properties currently consist of two old apartment communities on 6.88 acres located on Austin’s crown jewel amenity, Lady Bird Lake. This land is currently in the planning stages and could ultimately consist of multiple uses including residential, office, hotel, and retail. This land is being held for development and there is no immediate plan for commencement of construction.

[JAM]

Originally Posted by hookem

Am I the only one who questions the wisdom of putting a proposal to BORROW money for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure improvements up for election this November?

Good point. My guess would be the boardwalk would increase land value in the area, in turn allowing the city to collect higher property taxes....

[paulsjv]

Originally Posted by JAM

Good point. My guess would be the boardwalk would increase land value in the area, in turn allowing the city to collect higher property taxes....

Don't even get me started on property taxes and the crap that they are.

[paulsjv]

Originally Posted by hookem

Am I the only one who questions the wisdom of putting a proposal to BORROW money for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure improvements up for election this November?

You know, the FIRST national election since Obama was voted in, where motivated Republican and Tea Party voters are likely to dominate the electorate, even if they just come out to pad the vote for Perry?

Hopefully they'll be smart enough to make the sure the ballot description of the bond proposal will only mention the road improvements. But even still, it's going to be an election where the airwaves are filled with "skyrocketing deficits" and "rampant government spending" accusations on the national level. That's gonna filter through. I predict failure.

I question it, but I think it has more to do with local politics and the financial state of the city of Austin.

But in general I'm not a fan of borrowing money to build something that sees no return. If you really want it freak'n save the money and build it when you have it.