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Minutes for Northfield Neighborhood Association Meeting

February 2, 2009

Meeting called to order by Vice President Clay Crenshaw at 7:05 p.m.

Guest Speaker

Ed Clark, Director of Corporate Communications for Austin Energy (AE), gave a presentation about the new automated meters that will be installed throughout the neighborhood. AE expects to have 290,000 meters installed throughout the city by April, installing at a rate of about 1,000 per day. The meters will have a single number reflecting the kilowatt hours (Kwh) used. They take two minutes to install and transmit usage information to AE by radio waves. Neighbors should receive a postcard from AE, but we will not receive a specific time when the installation will take place. Installers will knock on doors prior to installing, and leave a green door hanger when it is complete if it is successful. If they can’t get access to the meter, they will leave a red door hanger and an appointment will have to be made.

Meters will allow remote turn on and shut off, automatic detection of power outages and power restoration. Other future benefits will include time of day pricing and the ability for consumers to choose their billing cycle.

We will still see people in the neighborhood reading water meters.

Mr. Clark also encouraged neighbors to take advantage of the following programs from AE, details and contact information at http://www.austinenergy.com/:

• Free programmable thermostats: The “Power Partners Program” provides a free programmable thermostat, worth about $200. It allows people to set the time of day when heat and AC come on, saving money. In return, AE can cycle AC units to manage peak usage, which customers generally don’t notice.
• Energy efficiency evaluations. This service, free for older homes, provides an evaluation of insulation and other items that can be improved to make buildings more energy efficient, sometimes by 30-50%.

Treasurer’s report
$2020.65 Starting Balance
     255.00 Newsletter ads
$   255.00 Total Income
$      35.00 Austin Neighborhood Council Membership
        38.00 Post office box fee
$      73.00 Total Expenses
$2202.65 Current Balance
$1052.65 Current Balance Without Park Grant

Clay Crenshaw noted that the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association has a balance of roughly $100,000 from various fundraising events (historic home tour, higher ad revenues, etc.). He encourages everyone to think about ways that Northfield could raise money.

Rezoning Request

Pam Pritchard presented her plans for a pub in a suite of 100 W North Loop, which would require a zoning change. Currently the property is zoned GR (Retail). The request is to change to CS-1 zoning, which would allow liquor sales without food sales. The request was presented to the Planning Commission on January 27, 2009. The planning commission postponed its decision after neighbors attending the hearing objected. The hearing is rescheduled for February 10, 2009 at 6 p.m. and is open to the public.

The purpose of the presentation was to request a vote from the association members to support the plan. Present to answer technical questions was an agent hired by Ms Pritchard. The space to be rezoned is 770 sq ft of the retail space on the property, which is being sublet from Phara, who leases from Timmerman.

The pub would feature the following:

• Sales of beer ($4.50) and cocktails ($4.50-7.50)
• Cozy, welcoming environment
• No live music
• No food sales, but customers could order from Phara’s or the Parlor (or bring their own food)
• Wifi
• Soccer on TV
• Open 35 hours per week to start, growing to 52 per week, open until midnight on weekends

Zoning documents refer to the address, rather than the suite. The agent explained that the zoning would be a “conditional use” request applicable only to the 770 sq ft of this space, and the use would go away if this specific business failed or if the same use continued but with an interruption in business. The neighborhood could stipulate this as part of a statement of approval. There were concerns that since it is not clearly spelled out in the documents currently before the planning commission, that this could not be trusted.

Concerns were raised about:

• Parking. The planning commission considers that the parking of the entire property (not just the spaces allocated to the suite) is adequate. Striping and handicapped parking improvements would have to be made.
• Existing problems, including registered sex offenders living in the apartment portion of the property, violent crime, noise from other businesses with late hours, traffic accidents, fights in parking lots.
• Renters in the area were not notified of the rezoning request because notices go to property owners rather than renters. The signage that should have accompanied the request was also not clearly displayed for public view.
• Previous rezoning requests that have been misrepresented to the neighborhood.

Lisa Wright moved that the members vote to grant a conditional use approval of the request to change zoning of 100 W North Loop. Lindsey Schell seconded. Members voted 11 for and 13 against. The association president will write a letter to the planning commission noting that the neighborhood does not support this zoning change.

Respectfully submitted,

Lisa Wright