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Northfield Neighborhood - Meeting Minutes - 07/09/07 7:00 Welcome -- The meeting was called to order by NNA President Sebastian Wren. Wren welcomed everybody and commented on the substantial attendance, with visitors from both the Northfield Neighborhood and from Skyview Neighborhood. 7:05 Treasurer's Report -- No report this month. 7:10 Jamil Alam and Cindy Harris with Endeavor Development -- Alam and Harris came to the Northfield Neighborhood meeting to share some preliminary ideas for development of the old Howard Nursery and possibly the Parker Beauty Supply properties. Endeavor is in negotiations to buy both properties. They are further along in the process with the Howard Nursery property (under contract, due diligence, feasibility period). Endeavor is a new, Austin-based company. They have been doing mostly retail development, but they were involved in some mixed-use and urban residential development. Alam was previously with Tramel-Crow, and Harris has been working with a Dallas-based company on mixed-use urban development. Their plan for these two properties is a vertical mixed use (VMU) project. They are approaching the neighborhood to get a sense of what kind of retail we would like to see in this project. Their plan is to have some public retail or office space -- possibly dining. Less likely to have neighborhood grocery. Very likely to have "live-work" space, with office space downstairs from (and attached to) apartment space above. (These will be apartments, not condos.) Cindy showed pictures of other projects that are similar to what they envision right now. Pictures showed sidewalk café, wide sidewalks, front stoops, awnings -- nice street presence. She described the "human scale" of the projects -- pedestrian friendly, compatible with surrounding neighborhood, interacts with sidewalk and surrounding space. Frequently emphasized the words "high quality." They have been involved in a 23-story condo in Rainey Street -- features a hidden garage, 5% affordable housing, 3-star green rating, live-work space. Their condos are the only condos downtown with an affordable component. Told us that affordable housing is very difficult for developers, but they try to include it. There will be parking on the Koenig Street development, but it will be buried in the middle of the building -- not very visible from street. They don't know if they will have affordable housing, but they will certainly try to include it. Endeavor expects to spend about $30 to $40 million on this project, and they believe it will be a catalyst for future development in the neighborhood. When one developer believes an area is worthy of $40 million investment, other developers often follow. This project will be 4 stories tall -- about 60 feet. It could contain as many as 200, mostly 1-bedroom apartment units (if both Parker and Howard Nursery sites are developed). The sidewalks will be about 12 feet wide. Courtyard space in the center of the development (for residents). Possible small courtyard or public space on Ave. F Alam said that this property is attractive because there is so little good-sized, high-quality mixed-use in central Austin. The Howard's site is about 3.5 acres, and the Parker site is another .82 acres. During question and answer period, neighbors expressed concern about increased traffic on Ave. F and on 56th Street. It is likely that this project will increase traffic. Wren pointed out that any development of this property is likely to increase traffic -- if Endeavor doesn't develop this land, somebody else is going to, and traffic in the surrounding area is going to increase. Neighbors pointed out that the intersection at Koenig and Ave. F is dangerous because people make illegal u-turns. One neighbor recommended parking districts. Several neighbors asked for food service for that site. Restaurant or local grocery. A lot of neighbors had a lot of questions and concerns that could not be addressed at this time. Wren reminded everybody that Alam and Harris were approaching the neighbors with some very preliminary ideas, and that they had not even bought the property yet. Wren said that we would keep the channels of communication open, and that Alam or another representative would return in a few months to brief us on their progress and get more input from neighbors. Alam and Harris were also invited to meet with the North Loop Neighborhood Planning Team at their next meeting in September, and interested neighbors were invited to attend that meeting as well. Alam and Harris were thanked for being so open and soliciting neighbor input, and were given a round of applause. 7:50 -- National Night Out planning. NNO will be at Bruning Green on August 7th from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Jan Seward submitted the request for police, fire, and EMS to make an appearance. Beka Clark-Smith showed a draft of the newsletter dedicating the whole first page to the event. There was little time to make formal plans at this meeting, so a subcommittee was formed consisting of Seward, Wren, and Monty Newton. Wren will talk to businesses about supporting NNO. Wren asked for a $100 budget to get food and supplies for NNO. Christina Helmrich made a motion to give Wren a $100 budget for NNO, Kirsten Bartel seconded the motion, and the motion passed unanimously. Wren also said that Cindy Black, Keeper of the Green (not present), requested $200 to have the Green professionally manicured before NNO. Annie Ervin made a motion to give Black a $200 budget for Green maintenance; Helmrich seconded the motion. The motion passed with no objections, and with one person abstaining from voting. Announcement: Newsletter will go out next week. Meeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m. Minutes recorded by Annie Ervin, Co-Secretary.
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