BrykerWoods Neighborhood

Neighborhood Plan Meeting notice (December 5th @ 6:45pm)

The next meeting for the Central West Austin neighborhood plan will be your chance to develop a transportation goal for the neighborhood and review and expand your comments from prior meetings on bikes, sidewalks, pedestrianism, and of course all of those cars. Tell us where you need to go and how you want to get there. You'll also have a chance to tell us what concerns you have about--and what opportunities you hope for--the potential commuter rail stop near 35th Street and MoPAc.

Take a look at the full agenda here:
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/zoning/downloads/CWA_Dec5_Agenda.pdf .

WHEN: Wednesday, December 5th
6:45pm - 9:00pm
WHERE: the Austin State School, NEOS building (directions below)

If you want to get a head start on this meeting, take a look at the draft transportation goal statement here:
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/zoning/downloads/CWA_Dec5_Trans-Goal-Statement.pdf .

As always, if you can't make the meeting, let us know your thoughts by phone or by email:

Paul DiGiuseppe, paul.digiuseppe@ci.austin.tx.us. Telephone: 974-2865 Greg Claxton, gregory.claxton@ci.austin.tx.us. Telephone: 974-7630 Victoria Craig, victoria.craig@ci.austin.tx.us. Telephone: 974-2857

After this Wednesday, our next several meetings are tentatively scheduled for the following:

* Wednesday, January 9, 6:45pm, Austin State School.

* Wednesday, January 30, 6:45pm, Austin State School.

* Wednesday, February 20, 6:45pm, Austin State School.

We'll start the new year with a review of what we've done so far, and what the future timeline is, and then move into trees.

Paul DiGiuseppe, Principal Planner
City of Austin Neighborhood Planning and Zoning Department
505 Barton Springs Rd., 5th floor
Austin, TX 78704
paul.digiuseppe@ci.austin.tx.us
Phone: (512) 974-2865
Fax: (512) 974-6054
Mailing address: P.O. Box 1088, Austin, TX 78767

Directions to the meeting:
Austin State School is located at 2203 W. 35th St. The meeting is in the NEOS building.

Enter the State School and follow the main street, proceeding straight through the four-way stop intersection toward the back of the campus. Continue on the main street for approximately 1/4 mile past the four-way stop, and you'll see a brown wooden sign that says "Community Relations" on your left. Continue on the main road past this sign, and look to your left. NEOS sits away from the street and has a black door with neon letters. You may park in the lot in front of the entrance, or there is a large lot diagonally across the street to your right. There are directional arrows (black arrows on white board) posted as well that will guide attendees. Please note that the Austin State School has a strict 10 mile an hour speed limit for the safety of residents and other pedestrians.

Also see the Central West Austin Neighborhood Plan website for additional details and meeting history.

BrykerWoods Neighborhood in the news

Bryker Woods has smallish lots and friendly feel

By Clayton Stromberger
SPECIAL TO THE AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Sunday, November 18, 2007

As one of Austin's venerable "A-list" neighborhoods, Bryker Woods has managed to maintain its aura of classy simplicity, even as other established neighborhoods such as Tarrytown face ongoing battles with teardown mania.

A key to its survival — along with a well-organized neighborhood association — is what some home buyers might see as a disadvantage: smallish lots. It's hard to squeeze massive new homes on lots traced out somewhere between the 1880s and the 1930s for single-family cottages.

Many newcomers have done modest remodeling jobs to add space for growing families, but most feel the snug fit is well worth the tree-lined streets and proximity to the University of Texas and downtown.

"You're a little closer to your neighbors," says 16-year-resident David Weiser, "but in our experience that comes across as cozy and friendly."

The area still has a tucked-away residential feel. Kids walk to the elementary school, and families cross West 35th Street to dine at Kerbey Lane Cafe.

Another supposed disadvantage — a lack of plentiful sidewalks — also has its silver lining, says Mary Crouter, Weiser's wife. There isn't a lot of cut-through traffic, except from folks coming through at rush hour to get to MoPac Boulevard from North Lamar Boulevard, so the streets become a more public space. "People walk in the streets, people walk their dogs, so there is a lot of socializing, a lot of passing people in the street and saying hello," Crouter says.

About Bryker Woods

Boundaries:Between Shoal Creek, MoPac Boulevard (Loop 1), Westover Road, the Seton Medical Center and West 35 Street.

Schools:Bryker Woods Elementary School, O. Henry Middle School, Austin High School

Amenities:Tree-lined streets, proximity to the University of Texas and downtown.

The market:September sales of single-family homes in the real estate zone that includes Bryker Woods were down 41 percent from a year before. The median price was $525,000, down about 10 percent. On average, it took 74 days to sell a home there.

Bryker Woods Elementary 5th grade opera

Bryker Woods Elementary School has been producing a 5th grade opera for the past ten years under the direction of music teacher and opera singer Melody Long.

The opera is composed, performed, designed, planned, and promoted entirely by the 5th grade. Students design sets and lighting, gather props, get publicity, run an opera café, design make-up and costumes, and write and compose the opera.

The Bryker Woods 5th grade opera is based on a successful program developed by the Metropolitan Opera in New York. The local Austin Lyric Opera provides key advice and support to local students.

This year’s Midnight Sun Opera Company presents “Maniac Magee!” On December 5th, a boy named Maniac Magee will speed into town to thrill audiences with his amazing feats of running fast and uniting people who disagree. Maniac Magee is the main character of Jerry Spinelli’s novel of the same name, a favorite of 5th graders who chose it for their annual opera production.

The production is free and open to the public. Arrive early to enjoy treats from the Opera Café and 10th anniversary commemorative t-shirts. Fifth grade opera alumni are encouraged to attend!

All past, present, and future 5th graders at Bryker Woods Elementary are invited to celebrate 10 years of producing original opera! Opera alumni are especially invited to come celebrate and buy a commemorative 10-year anniversary t-shirt!

PRODUCTION DATES & TIME:
7:00 pm Wednesday, December 5th - OPENING NIGHT!
7:00 pm Thursday, December 6th – CLOSING NIGHT!

LOCATION: Bryker Woods Elementary School, Auditorium, 3309 Kerbey Lane, 414-2054

The BrykerWoods Neighborhood at the Center of Austin

Q: Where is the geographic center of the city limits of Austin? Would it be the same as the center of the Austin metropolitan complex?

A: The amoebalike shape of the City of Austin is the result of years of individual annexations — small and sometimes not-so-small pieces added to the periphery, says Ryan Robinson, city demographer. Areas the shapes of thumbs or trapezoids have been annexed. For example, did you know that 20,000 Austinites live in Williamson County? The geographic center of the City of Austin is within the BrykerWoods neighborhood at the intersection of Funston Street and 32nd Street, just a few blocks south of the intersection of MoPac Boulevard (Loop 1) and 35th Street. The Austin Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of five counties — Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson. The geographic center? In southeast Travis County where Walnut Creek empties into the Colorado River, south of the intersection of East Martin Luther King Boulevard and Decker Lane. This is south of the old Travis State School site.

Neighborhood Plan Meeting notice (November 14th @ 6:45pm)

This is a reminder that we will be meeting on Wednesday, November 14th at 6:45 pm at the Austin State School's NEOS Building. We have representatives from the Texas Department of Transportation to discuss Loop 1 (MoPac); Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority to discuss mass transit; and the Austin/San Antonio Intermunicipal Commuter Rail District to discuss the proposed regional commuter
rail connecting San Antonio to Georgetown.

The meeting will start at 6:45 on Wednesday, October 17 at the NEOS Building at the Austin State School (2203 W. 35th Street). When you enter the campus on 35th Street, follow the main street and proceed straight through the four-way stop intersection toward the back of the campus. Continue on the main street for approximately ¼ mile past the four-way stop, and you'll see a brown wooden sign that says Community Relations on your left. Continue on the main road past this sign, and look to your left. NEOS
sits away from the street and has a black door with neon letters. You may park in the lot in front of the
entrance, or there is a large lot diagonally across the street to your right. There will be directional arrows (black arrows on white board) posted as well that will guide attendees. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE AUSTIN STATE SCHOOL HAS A STRICT 10 MILE AN HOUR SPEED LIMIT FOR THE SAFETY OF RESIDENTS AND OTHER PEDESTRIANS.

Also see the Central West Austin Neighborhood Plan website for additional details and meeting history.

BWNA Annual Meeting Saturday November 10th (9:30am)

The BrykerWoods Neighborhood Association’s annual meeting will occur on Saturday November 10th at the BrykerWoods Elementary School beginning at 9:30am. Come learn about the the various issues threatening our neighborhood quality of life such as inappropriate redevelopment, increasing cut-through traffic and plans for the central Austin MOPAC corridor. Foci of the meeting will be discussion of the neighborhood planning process, the redevelopment of the MOPAC transportation corridor and neighborhood traffic calming. A representative of the City of Austin Transportation Department will be providing an overview to the process of neighborhood traffic calming. Refreshment will be provide at the meeting. So drop by Saturday morning, have a cup of coffee, visit with some neighbors and learn more of the issues challenging the BrykerWoods neighborhood!

See Fall 2007 BWNA Newsletter!