New Years Resolutions

I have many, both personal and professional, and high on my list is to blog on a regular basis, about interesting topics in and around Austin. Last year I became bogged down trying to keep my blogging narrowly focused on real estate, which resulted in sporadic blogging as best. This month, while I was working on my goals for 2011 I realized that although I sell homes for a living, what I really sell to my clients is the Austin lifestyle.

This morning I attended the Leadership Austin's Engage Speaker Series. This year's theme is "Innovate or Else" and topics have already included a Legislative Preview and Race Relations. This mornings topic was Innovative Relationships: Non-Profit/For Profit Collaborations and was one of the most interesting and inspiring panels of the past 2 years. Justin Evans with CapitalOne Bank and Matt Kouri with Greenlights for NonProfit Success were the panelists, with the always entertaining Jim Walker (director of Sustainability at UT Austin) as moderator.

Thinking outside the box and creating collaborative relationships between for-profit and non-profit corporations is such an obvious solution that it's amazing that we don't do this more often. For-profit employee engagement with non-profits help create long term relationships and can be a win-win for both the for-profit and non-profit organizations. So can collaborations between similar non-profits (pet adoption agencies for example) banding together and approaching a single donor for a long term relationship.

Upcoming Engage Speaker Series topics include mental health, artistic innovation and redistricting. Interested? Breakfasts are held at Chez Zee once a month.

Back to resolutions, I'm going to "Innovate" in 2011, both personally and professionally. What are you going to do?

America Recycles Day

In keeping up with the Opportunity Green conference at UCLA this weekend I was reminded that Sunday, November 15th is America Recycles Day. Begun in 1997, America Recycles Day promotes recycling and the buying of recycled products. To kick off the weekend, Austin is having a Green City Festival on Saturday, November 14th from 10-3 at City Hall.

The Green City Festival has something for everyone. Hear Mayor Lee Leffingwell's welcome at 11:00 then chose your event. From tips on various types of recycling, to cooking locally (hosted by the Sustainable Food Center), composting and bird watching.

Learn how to make a rainbarrel and how to have a green yard. There is a Green Kids Corner, music, and at the end of the day you can participate in a guided bike tour hosted by Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop.

For more information on free locked biking (courtesy of Bicycle Sport Shop), pedicabs, bus routes or free parking go to the website (below).

And don't forget to stop by the Austin Farmers Market at Republic Square Park (4th & Guadalupe) between 8a.m. and noon. http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/M6376

For more information on the Green City Festival http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/greencityfest/gcfestival2009.htm

And if you are moving or need to buy/dispose of boxes, don't forget to use EcoBox. http://www.ecobox.com/

This is Why I live in Austin.

It's November 1st, the sun is shining and it's 73 degrees outside. This morning I went for a 4.5 mile walk on the hike and bike trail. For those of you not from Austin, this is a beautiful trail that borders Lady Bird Lake. You can walk, run or bike for 2, 4, 10+ miles. There are all sorts of people along the trail. This morning I saw families, couples, serious runners, joggers, singles and bikers. But my favorite visitors to the trail are the dogs. They come in all sizes and shapes. I take my dogs, German shepherd mixes, and they love to visit in the "off leash" part of the trail, although getting in the water is not their favorite thing. They know the routine and it's hard to get them back in the car to leave. Then home via my neighborhood Starbucks, where they say hi to their favorite barista's and have a bowl of water.

This afternoon I met a friend at Mighty Cone on South Congress. It's been there quite a while & this was my first visit. It's great, I had a hot and spicy avocado cone. It's a hot and spicy cabbage mix with fried (this is Texas) avocado in a tortilla.

Then off to the Texas Book Festival at The Capitol. Since this was a spur of the moment decision, we didn't have an agenda, and didn't have the schedule of the speakers so we skipped the lectures. Instead we perused the vendors up and down Colorado Street. What an interesting mix of exhibitors, from the Harry Ransom Center to the New York Times Newspaper to Poetic Earth Handmade Journal to the Junior League of Texas. Not enough time to see everything, but had a great time. Next year I will be sure to schedule some lectures.

On the way home I stopped at the new Sprouts Farmers Market in neighborhood. Everything looked great, had trouble deciding what to buy. Fabulous fruits, vegetables and meats.

Now home to wash the dogs, cook, take down the Halloween decorations and get ready for another fabulous week selling homes in Austin.

Sustainable Development

Is it possible to build high density, sustainable, mixed use developments close to Lady Bird Lake while still preserving the integrity of the landscape? That is the question facing the Austin City Council this week. The current proposed development includes a building with a maximum height of 90 feet (7 stories) exceeding the current city maximum of 60 feet.

There seems to be gray area in the interpretation of the height restrictions along the lake. The attorney for the project, Steve Drenner, was quoted in the Austin American Statesman in August saying that "the project meets or exceeds the city's requirements for planned unit development zoning, which allows more density in large, mixed use projects if developers provide certain benefits".

Some of those proposed benefits are additional roads, bike paths, and street level retail space. The developers would also donate $225,000 to the city's parks system and for a police substation nearby. The proposed project is 390 feet from the shore at its closet point, on the south side of Lakeshore Blvd., with Lakeshore Park between the development and Lady Bird Lake.

Save Town Lake and the East Riverside/Oltorf Neighborhood Planning Area groups are concerned about preserving the waterfront and staying within the City Guidelines. They are also concerned with losing affordable housing in the neighborhood, an apartment building (lower income) will be demolished if the proposal is approved, with no plans for relocation of the residents.

As I see it, this could be a win-win situation for both sides.  Currently, the 30 acre site is in shambles, and does not encourage visitors along the banks of Lady Bird Lake. The apartments are in disarray with no plans for improvement and the crime rate is high. The site is not directly adjacent to the lake, but  provides for beautification of existing and future park space.  The proposed development encourages urban renewal, uses less land space and provides for a more sustainable living environment than currently exists. A flourishing neighborhood with public shops, restaurants and parks fits into the Austin's vision of re-gentrification of the city.

While the height restrictions may be in question, there are a handful of other developments which exceed the proposed 90' maximum.  Most recently the Milago (142') and Legacy at the Lake (339'), neither of which have park land included.  The San Jacinto Bldg (324'), Four Seasons (140'), Hyatt Regency (185') and Radisson (129') all exceed the current maximum height restrictions and have improved the waterfront sites to which they are adjacent.

A well planned, flourishing, sustainable development has got to be better than the high crime, run down neighborhood that currently exists on this site. Hopefully the neighborhood associations, Save Town Lake group and the developers will find a way to work together and make this work for the entire community.

If the City Council does approve this or any other development, it will be their responsibility to monitor its' progress.  They must be sure that promises to improve the sites with park land, shops and pedestrian friendly trails are completed. 

Active input from the community has helped Austin grow while preserving its' green spaces. Please take the time to get informed. For more information about the proposed vote on Thursday: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/council/

Click on the Contact button on the bottom left side of the page to email the council members with your opinions.

FYI~Grist named Austin the 6th most sustainable city in the US in July.  http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-16-sustainable-green-us-cities/PALL/