Current News

Upcoming Austin Mayoral and City Council Forums. Election in May.

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:58:49 -0500

ELECTION DAY IS COMING - GO TO A FORUM!

Here's a quick Update about the upcoming Mayor and City Council election.

First, early voting runs from April 27th to May 5th, and Election Day is May 9th.

While RG4N will not be holding a forum this year, and will not be endorsing any candidates, we do strongly encourage you to attend a forum (see full schedule below), to ask the candidates tough questions, and to vote.

Locally, the six north central neighborhoods will hold a candidate forum on April 13 at 6:30 p.m. at Wozniak Hall, St. Louis Catholic Church, 7601 Burnet Road.

The neighborhoods - Allandale, Brentwood, Crestview, Highland, North Shoal Creek, and Wooten - all identified city planning as a unifying theme of the forum. Candidates will be asked detailed questions on how to plan for and fund the land use and transportation changes in North Central Austin required to support tens of thousands of new residents in the coming years.

IT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT TO VOTE

Last May, only 8% of Austin's eligible voters participated in the election. Or to put it another way, 92% did not vote.

We must do all we can to make sure to raise that number -- especially in our part of town! That way, we can ensure to elect a city government that will support our interests.

(Do you have any suggestions about what you'd like RG4N to do? Let us know by email to: press [at] rg4n [dot] org)

Here is a calendar of upcoming forums (click 'Read More' for the full list):

March 24th, (Tues.) 6:30 p.m.
LULAC Candidate's Forum
Metz Elementary School, 84 Robert Martinez Blvd.

March 25th, (Wed.) 6 p.m.
Austin Neighborhoods Council
721 Barton Springs (Austin Energy Bldg.)

March 25th, (Wed.) 5 p.m.
Texas Green Network
Austin City Hall Chambers

April 9th, (Thurs.) 5 p.m.
Combined Environmental Groups Candidate's Forum
City Council Chambers

April 11, (Sat.), 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Northeast Neighborhoods Forum
19th Street Baptist Church, 3401 Rogge

April 13, (Mon.) 6:30 p.m.
North Central Austin Neighborhoods Forum
Wozniak Hall
St. Louis Catholic Church, 7601 Burnet Road.

April 14th, (Tues.) 6 p.m.
Southwest Key Mayoral Candidate's Forum
Southwest Key Community Center, 6002 Jain Lane

April 19, (Sun.) 5 p.m.
Workers Defense Project/Proyecto Defensa Laboral
(Spanish and English)
Salvation Army Church
1001 Cumberland RD

April 23, (Thurs.) 6 p.m.
PODER Candidate's Forum
Space 12, 3121 East 12th

SEND QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS TO: press@rg4n.org

Hey Neighbors! On Feb. 8, Let's Get Together & Have A Party!

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 22:06:39 -0600

We got some good news that calls for a celebration. So mark your calendar to come to the:

RG4N Good Neighbor Get Together
Sunday, Feb. 8th
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
at HANGTOWN GRILL
at Burnet Rd & 2222/Koenig Ln in the HEB shopping center

• Great Food & Fun!
• Live Music from Wendy Colonna and Cooper Henson & Nikolas Henson
• Raffle Prizes including a Dell Laptop Computer from Discount Electronics & a Brother Sewing Machine

15% of food purchases benefits the RG4N legal fund.

Click the attachment (at the bottom of this story) for all the details. See you there.

As you may recall, way back in November 2006, we started our quest to stop the two-story, 200,000+ sq. ft. Wal-Mart Supercenter at Northcross Mall.

That monstrous site plan is no longer in play. In December 2008, the city officially approved a new plan for a much, much smaller store that saves the old trees and calls for more green space too.

Friends and neighbors, we said from Day One that it was NOT a done deal and we stood our ground, and that is worth celebrating!

Were it not for neighbors coming together for more than TWO YEARS to demand to be heard at City Hall, to link arm-in-arm at around Northcross, to rally at Town Halls, to protest on Saturday mornings, to distribute 10,000 newsletters, to place thousands of yard signs and tie yards of red ribbon, to hold a bazaar & thrift sale, to get feisty at Feisty Fest, to alert the media, to sue, and to never stop fighting, we would have not seen a day that the developer & Wal-Mart decided to do it neighborly and do it right.

We still have work to do to get an agreeable Term Sheet, but it's time to get together, celebrate our success, and tell your neighbors, "Thanks for making a difference."

Attachment	Size
RG4N-GoodNeighborGetTogether.pdf	82.69 KB

Update - 8/19/08

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:31:04 -0500

In this Update:
1. No Meeting on August 21.
2. We met with Lincoln.

In our last Update, we announced that we would convene for an RG4N Town Hall on August 21. Let¹s hold off on that for now. This note explains why. Also please note that your feedback and questions are welcomed and encouraged at: press [at] rg4n [dot] org

Representatives from Responsible Growth for Northcross and the Allandale Neighborhood Association met recently with Bruce Scrafford, an attorney for Lincoln Property Company. The purpose of the meeting was to disclose more information about the revised plan to build a smaller Wal-Mart store at Northcross Mall. No one from Wal-Mart or the City of Austin attended.

In fact, Wal-Mart is putting together a "Fact Sheet" on the new plans and wasn't ready with the details for the meeting. When we receive that information, we will schedule a Town Hall meeting. (It should also be noted that the online information about the prior plan for the two-story Wal-Mart is gone: http://www.walmart-northcross.com )

However, it was still a productive meeting. We learned some things we didn't already know. But we still have questions.

Here's what we know now:
1. The Wal-Mart at Northcross will be 99,600 square feet
2. It will be one-story
3. No parking garage
4. No garden center
5. No gas station
6. The revised plan is expected to retain the design and materials in the earlier design, so it's not expected to be a blue and grey box
7. A new site plan has not been submitted to the City of Austin.
8. More trees and landscaping will be planted in the new plan
9. More sidewalks will be in the new plan
10. Less impervious cover will be in the new plan
11. Water control and drainage will be improved in the new plan

Here's what we don't know specifics about yet:
1. Hours of operation
2. Traffic impact and mitigation
3. Truck delivery routes
4. Access from the Northcross bus stop, particularly for people with
disabilities
5. Security operations
6. Percentage of grocery and retail goods sold
7. Whether or not Wal-Mart considers it a Supercenter

What's Next
1. Lincoln will submit a revised site plan to the City of Austin.
2. Wal-Mart will release a "Fact Sheet" detailing its plans for hours of operation, exterior design and other elements
3. We'll have a Town Hall and fundraisers soon, since we will need our attorney's help to follow the new site plan process

Stay tuned.

SEND YOUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS TO: press [at] rg4n [dot] org

The True Center of Austin

Tue, 1 Jul 2008 20:56:54 -0500

The RG4N Business Liaison Committee has partnered with the Austin Independent Business Alliance to create the new Northcross Independent Business Investment Zone, or IBIZ! You can read more about ABIA and IBIZ here.

Now we need YOU to shop locally and patronize the businesses in the new Northcross IBIZ. You can also use this map of the Northcross IBIZ stores.

In addition to the IBIZ stores, please continue to shop and support the many businesses who have financially supported RG4N's efforts from the beginning.

Letter from RG4N President Hope Morrison

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:26:52 -0500

Dear RG4N Supporters,

The reduced size of the planned Northcross Wal-Mart is welcome news for us all. The RG4N Steering Committee thanks everyone for the kind words and expressions of appreciation we are hearing today from neighbors throughout the area and across the city.

We aren't the only or even the biggest factor in Wal-Mart's decision to scale back the planned store. But I know we were one important factor. Neighborhood resistance to the Northcross project and the potential for ongoing litigation created a shadow of uncertainty over the project that we believe bought us time -- time for the economy and other factors that drove the decision to come fully into play.

So many people throughout and outside the Northcross area contributed to this effort. Neighbors who put signs in their yards, everyone who showed up for Arms Around Northcross and other events, Allandale and other area neighborhood associations, all the people who donated money and time and wrote letters, the businesses that supported our efforts. All of you played vital roles.

Don't ever believe regular people can't make a difference. Because, working together, we all did. Our neighborhood's future will be different because of each one of you.

We also have to thank our attorneys, Doug Young and Brad Rockwell. These two have demonstrated such commitment to our communityŠand an astounding willingness to keep working for us despite how much money we still owe them!

RG4N expresses our sincere appreciation to Lincoln Property Company and Wal-Mart for reducing the store size. As a result of their decision, we have agreed to postpone any further legal action. We look forward to working with them as the project moves forward.

This very positive development for our neighborhood calls for a celebration. We are planning a get-together in the next couple of weeks and will let everyone know when and where as soon as we nail down the details. We plan to invite key players from the City, Lincoln and Wal-Mart as well as our supporters and attorneys, because Wal-Mart's decision creates a win for all parties. They and we have a stake in the success of the Northcross redevelopment, so it is fitting for all of us to raise a glass and celebrate moving forward together!

Thanks to each of you,

Hope Morrison
RG4N President

Attachment	Size
RG4N Press Release regarding reduced store size	82.77 KB

BIG NEWS! Wal-Mart reducing store size

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:53:37 -0500

"Wal-Mart is dramatically scaling back plans for its Supercenter at Northcross Mall after a two-year controversy and a court fight with neighbors opposed to the store."

Read the entire Statesman article about Wal-Mart's plans to reduce the size of the store planned at Northcross Mall!

YES WE CAN!

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 07:51:06 -0600

RG4N "YES WE CAN" RECYCLE

It’s simple. It’s sustainable. It's fun. Start saving and collecting your cans today! This is an easy way to raise necessary funds and help us continue our fight.

KICK-OFF EVENT & COMMUNITY COLLECTION

Join us March 1st, 2008, from 10am to noon during Paws Around Northcross! Bring your crushed cans in a plastic bag, and drop them off at either the Zinger's or Northcross Drive event tents. We'll have more recycling info.

NEIGHBORHOOD PICK-UP VOLUNTEERS

If you are unable to drop your cans off on the monthly collection day, contact your neighborhood volunteer and they'll personally pick up your cans. Just leave your cans near your front door in a plastic bag.

Allandale

Betty Chlystek	371-7978	glint43210@mypacks.net
Lisa McKay	656-1209

Brentwood

Chris Layden	736-1570	chrislaydentexas@yahoo.com
Michelle Wibbelsman	371-9128	mwibblesman@gmail.com

Crestview

Kat Correa	fundraising@rg4n.org
Debra Hansen	407-9484	nashiana@well.com

North Shoal Creek

Roger Wines	453-2193	ro-jer@sbclgobal.net
George Roman	452-1331

Wooten

Volunteers needed. Contact your nearest volunteer.

IF WE ALL WORK TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Thank you!

To volunteer, contact:
Chris Layden
YES WE CAN! Project Coordinator
chrislaydentexas [at] yahoo [dot] com
512-371-9128 home
512-736-1570 cell

Kat Correa
Fundraising Committee Chair
fundraising [at] rg4n [dot] org

Attachment	Size
Yes We Can Collection Flier.pdf	86.87 KB

Thank You For A Great Meeting!

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 23:16:43 -0600

We had a great turnout Friday night.

We'll be putting together more details ASAP about the ideas we announced and discussed--especially your ideas. In the meantime, click on "3 attachments" below. You'll find the letter templates we passed out and our petition.

Download these letters and use them to write to Lincoln and to Lee Scott, CEO of Wal-Mart. Please send a letter each week.

Download the petition. It is our effort to call for the Austin City Council to immediately pass an ordinance which would limit 24-hour operations for Big Box retail stores in close proximity to residences, including the Wal-Mart Superstore at Northcross, and would include a provision that limits public shopping hours as well as overnight operations, including delivery truck arrivals and engine idling.

There's an election coming up. Let's see who supports our neighborhoods who doesn't.

More to come...

Attachment	Size
LetterToLeeScott.pdf	31.68 KB
LetterToLincoln.pdf	32 KB
LetterToLeeScott.doc	23.5 KB
LetterToLincoln.doc	23.5 KB
24HourPetition.pdf	92.12 KB
NeverShop.pdf	90.61 KB

Statement on Court Ruling

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:54:15 -0600

Today, the 200th Judicial District Court of Travis County issued its ruling on our lawsuit. The court ruled that the site plan approval was consistent with city ordinances.

RG4N is disappointed with this verdict. But we are not done fighting.

We are merely back where we were one year ago, when neighbors resoundingly said, "No!" to this irresponsible development. And in the court of public opinion, Wal-Mart, Lincoln and the City of Austin have been losing since Day One.

Unless we continue to act, we believe the City and developers will take this ruling as a green light to continue business as usual, pursuing any and all development without regard to the wishes of or effect on neighborhoods.

We invite citizens from all over Austin who will stand up and keep fighting to come meet with us on Friday, January 11, 2008 at St. Louis Catholic Church.

Moreover, while Judge Naranjo outlined her reasoning for her ruling on the garden center issue, she gave no explanation for her ruling on most of our claims. Without such an explanation, we continue to believe that we conclusively established noncompliance with the law on our other claims.

We will further discuss the ruling and our options with our attorneys, and will have more to say on January 11th about how we plan to proceed.

Attachment	Size
Court Ruling	391.77 KB
RG4N_CourtRulingStatement.pdf	67.45 KB