Proposed Austin Redistricting Splits Neighborhood

We just saw the latest preliminary map and immediately noticed that Harmon Triangle and the Red River Sliver part of the Ridgetop neighborhood would be split from the Morningside section with us in District 9 and Morningside in District 4.  See the interactive map here and the overview and zoom in on our neighborhood below.

Kick Butt Coffee likely moving to 53 1/2 and Airport Blvd

Yesterday we read with caffeine-addicted pleasure that Kick Butt Coffee, currently at 5775 Airport Blvd:

It was close to Harmon Triangle, just not close enough

...will likely be moving to a New, closer location at 5307-A Airport Blvd:

This location has been begging for a coffee shop for a long time,
possible improvements include a large outdoor deck and drive thru

Kick Butt Coffee Music & Booze, for those not in the know, has a special menu of beer, wine, and coffee drinks with liquor. Along with being a great place to enjoy a drink, Kick Butt Coffee has also hosted Comedy, Dance, Poetry, and other innovative events.

To read more, check out their tweet/email announcement: http://t.co/BnXZdbntDf

And be sure to visit their website: http://kickbuttcoffee.com

(images and information reposted here with kind permission from Thomas Gohring)

Update: Kick Butt Coffee is hiring!  http://austin.craigslist.org/fbh/3973462429.html

Current 7-11 site plan represents missed FBC opportunity

As residents of Harmon Triangle we have been eagerly anticipating the Airport Boulevard redevelopment and use of form-based code (FBC) to make our neighborhood "Austin's new great urban destination."  What is FBC?  We think it is well explained by the PDF report available on the Austin Boulevard website.  It even includes examples using 7-11.  The "Sustainable Development" version below would be a welcome addition to our neighborhood, in our opinion.  However, the current plan closely resembles the "Conventional Development" example below (note that BOTH examples are 7-11s).

See below for a better alternative to the current site plan from the City of Austin's own presentation:

City of Austin responses regarding site plan

This afternoon we communicated with a neighbor who has contacted the City of Austin staff member responsible for the transportation aspect of the site plan review.  The neighbor brought up the "no trucks" sign on 50th and the staff person is looking into it.  We should hear back on that in a few days.  Also, we would like to encourage everyone to be respectful when dealing with the City staff as we seek their help in understanding our options and any possible input that we may be able to have in this process.

The following is from the Nextdoor Ridgetop website, as posted by Patricia Borowicz (reposted here with her kind permission):

Harmon Avenue and 51st Street

Here's an action item from the May 23, 2002 North Loop Neighborhood Plan to look into modifying the 51st and Harmon Avenue intersection because of traffic issues:

Action 1.13
Investigate the intersection of Harmon Ave and 51st with a focus on the safety of making left turns from Harmon onto 51st St (TPSD) Possible remedies include the installation of a diverter to allow right turn only from Harmon onto 51st. This action is necessary because Harmon is located too close to the I-35 frontage road to enable a safe turn. The proximity of Harmon to the frontage road means that motorists turning left from Harmon onto 51st are crossing the paths of vehicles often travelling at speed that are coming off the frontage road onto 51st St.

Why would the City of Austin approve a 7-11 site plan that will only exacerbate a problem the City and the surrounding neighborhoods have known to be an issue for over 10 years?

Link to the PDF of the Neighborhood Plan

City of Austin 7-11 Plan notice

This is the notice some people in Harmon Triangle received detailing the filing of the 7-11 Site plan.  Sorry for the sizing.

HEB - Seriously low gas prices

Today I went by the new Mueller HEB and things were busy.  No doubt this was partially due to their extremely low gas prices.  There were lines of cars waiting to fill up.