Downtown stakeholders plan … Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix is scheduled to be in Austin from 2012 to...

What’s News SH 45 SW lives on in transportation plans and may be open by 2022. Officials are evaluating short-term improvements in the interim. | 10

The Gulf of Mexico oil spill may mean higher prices for some fish at Austin restaurants and stores. | 19

The Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix is scheduled to be in Austin from 2012 to 2021. | 5

Keep Austin Weird Fest includes food, live music and the “slowest 5K you’ll ever run” on June 26. | 7

What’s Online www.impactnews.com

Samsung will spend $3.6 billion expanding operations in Austin. The investment, which is the largest private capital investment in the U.S. this year, could create 1,500 jobs.more.impactnews.com/8756

Largest distributionin Central Texas

Seven editions • 450,079 circulation

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JUNE 25–JULY 22, 2010VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3

SAVINGS GUIDECommunity Impact Newspaper

Valuable coupons and offers from local businesses starting on page 31

What’s Inside

Hey Cupcake owner Wes Hurt and other Austin innovators learned small-business success through entrepreneur programs. | 27

Finding a job in the current economy requires more than checking job postings, experts say. | 25

Texas House of Representatives candidates talk about roads, taxes and schools in Southwest Austin. | 15

Housing market may see strong summer despite end of tax credit

CONTINUED ON | 14

Areas affected by Save Our Springs ordinance

Proposed project tests Barton Springs zoning

CONTINUED ON | 13

By Yvonne Lim WilsonA new proposed development

near Barton Creek Square Mall has the potential to serve as a model for balancing environ-mental concerns with develop-ment needs over the sensitive Edwards Aquifer.

Cypress Real Estate Advisors purchased the 16-acre property and plans to develop a mixed-use development in what was former-ly a Cinemark theater. The proj-ect, known as Tarlton 360 Town-homes, includes 75,800 square feet of office space, 140 condos, 89 townhomes and an additional

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By Eric PulsiferThe $8,000 tax credit for first-

time homebuyers came to an end in April, and in its final month, the residential real estate market swelled to its highest point since the summer of 2009. Home sales spiked to more than 2,000 in the Austin area, up 30 percent from the year before.

“The tax credit was very good for spurring demand for housing when we were at a very, very low point,” said Tommy Tucker, Austin divi-sion manager for Residential Strat-egies, a real estate market research and consulting group.

While sales were up, the number of homes sold was still below 20 percent, meaning many sellers were unable to find buyers before the deadline.

Though the tax credit is over, Austin Board of Realtors Chair-man John Horton said home sales numbers should continue to climb into the summer—residential sales have increased in the Austin area for the past eight months.

“May should show a good number for sold properties because those properties were contracted before April and are closing in May, but May is expected to see a lower number of homes contracted rela-tive to April,” Horton said. “That should not signal a downturn because we should get back into the normal summer sales cycle, and I believe that we have enough momentum to help carry the market upward.”

Sales will likely remain up in May and June, Horton said, as buyers getting the tax credit have 60 days to close on their contract, meaning the residual effects could carry the market into the summer.A shot of adrenaline

Texas is leading the U.S. in eco-nomic recovery, according to a report by the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, and the

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Story Highlights•Council to take action on downtown

plan in late fall•Parks, history balanced against

dense development•New downtown economic

development corporation

Downtown stakeholders plan future of Central Business District

By Patrick BrendelAfter decades of population

growth, despite city policy aimed at preventing dense development, downtown Austin is primed to explode.

Potential new develop-ment—possible under current zoning laws—is estimated at 37 million square feet, which would more than double the 30 million square feet of existing downtown development. With the near- and long-term future in mind, stakeholders have invest-ed years of effort in crafting the Downtown Austin Plan, set for city hearings and City Council action in late fall.

“Downtown should be designed and planned as a destination that serves the whole community. CONTINUED ON | 20

We’re trying to create a space that works for everyone,” said Jana McCann, of lead consultants McCann Adams Studio.

Generally, stakeholders agree high-density development down-town, when done properly, can be an asset for residents, busi-nesses and the environment. A major focus of the plan is offer-ing solutions to encourage that kind of acceptable growth, while

This artist’s rendering shows the future build-out potential of downtown Austin. Under current zoning laws, the amount of development could more than double, with much of the high-density growth clustered in the Rainey Street District and state Capitol Complex.

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preserving and enhancing the things that make downtown attractive, such as parks and his-toric resources.

The Downtown Austin Plan will include a robust implemen-tation strategy including the creation of a quasi-independent economic development corpo-ration focused on downtown

Tarlton 360 Townhomes to bring homes, retail to Barton Creek area

A proposed development of 140 condos, 89 townhomes and office and retail space will be among the first to be built according to the Save Our Springs Ordinance approved by Austin City Council in 2007. Tarlton 360 Townhomes will be a redevelopment of the former Cinemark theater near Barton Creek Square Mall.

2 | June 2010 Community Impact Newspaper • Southwest Austin Edition

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Community Impact Newspaper • impactnews.com June 2010 | 3

General Manager’s Note Recently my wife

and I were fortunate enough to welcome in our newest member of the Baker family. Our

daughter, Claire Baker, was born this past month and came into the world kicking and screaming as many new parents can attest. The thought of our lives having forever changed is probably an under-statement. This is evident each night when I am awakened by sounds that seem to be coming from something much larger in size than her tiny 8-pound frame. Of course, it is all worth it. The idea of change can easily generate an uneasy feeling, but if embraced, it can represent a wonderful opportunity.

It is in this spirit that Community Impact has centralized one day of distri-bution for our three Austin area papers. Starting today our Northwest, Central

and Southwest papers will be distributed to mailboxes on the same day. This repre-sents nearly 230,000 households receiving our paper simultaneously. Each paper will still be completely unique to those three areas served, so you will continue to see news relevant to your area.

This change has created an opportunity for us to pool our resources. By doing this we have the ability to bring larger, more in-depth stories to all of our Austin readers. The downtown story in this issue is a prime example. In the future we will continue to bring stories like this to you because we believe an informed commu-nity can change our city for the better.

Contents 4 Community Impacts

7 Community Events

8 Business Profile Tacodeli

9 Neighborhood Dining Santa Rita Tex Mex Cantina

10 Transportation Update SH 45 SW and the Y at Oak Hill

12 Local History Lammes Candies

15 Vote 2010 Texas House of Representatives, District 47

17 Regional Report

19 News Report The oil spill’s effect on seafood in Austin

25 Regional Higher Education Focus 2010

29 Residential Real Estate Neighborhoods at a Glance Property Listings

821 Grand Avenue Parkway, Ste. 411Pflugerville, TX 78691 • 512-989-6808

www.impactnews.com

Publisher / Chief Executive OfficerJohn P. Garrett, [email protected]

Southwest AustinGeneral Manager | Travis BakerMarket Editor | Eric PulsiferSales Manager | Traci RodriguezSenior Account Executive | Sloan BakerAccount Executive | Valerie DockinsLead Designer | Alison LyonsStaff Writers | Patrick Brendel, Rob Heidrick, Andrea Leptinsky, Jenn Rains, Mary Tuma, Kelsey Wilkinson, Tiffany YoungContributing Writer | Yvonne Lim WilsonEditorial Intern | Valerie Lai

Editorial managementAssociate Publisher | Claire LoveExecutive EditorCathy Kincaid, [email protected] Editor | Shannon CollettiAssistant Managing Editor | Rebecca NordquistCreative Director | Derek SullivanAd Production Manager | Tiffany Knight

Administrative managementChief Operating Officer | Jennifer GarrettChief Financial Officer | Darren LesmeisterBusiness Director | Misty PrattCirculation & Operations Manager | David Ludwick

About us

Community Impact Newspaper, owned by local businessman John Garrett, is Central Texas’ fastest growing news organization. We now distribute to more than 550,000 homes and businesses in seven markets in Central Texas and one in northwest Houston.

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Contact usNews or press releases | [email protected]

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Reader feedback | [email protected]

M • E • D • I • AI N C O R P O R A T E D

©2010 JGMedia, Inc., All Rights Reserved. No reproduction of any portion of this issue is allowed without written permission from the publisher.

impactnews.comIn This Issue

“If they can prove to me that a $100 million toll road in that location is a priority, I’ll support it, but ... I’m really worried that we’ll get another Toll 130–type road,

which was supposed to take the truck traffic off of I-35 but didn’t.”

—Karen Huber, Travis County Commissioner

10

Travis [email protected]

Reader Feedback

Which issue identified in the state audit should the next President/CEO of Capital Metro address first?

Commuter rail safety

3% Erosion of public trust

5%Irresponsible financial management

37%Transit services costs unsustainable

8%All of the above

46%None of the above

1%See more poll results at impactnews.com/pollsResults from an unscientific Web survey, collected 5/14–6/13/2010

Online-exclusive contentVisit the Southwest Austin home page

for up-to-date community news, information and a full calendar of local events. Find us online at impactnews.com/southwest-austin.

Impact your inboxSign up to receive Community Impact Newspaper’s weekly updates.

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Page 19: In the “Energy sources – definitions, advantages and disadvantages” sidebar, nuclear power cons were incorrectly sourced. Austin Energy does not include as cons of nuclear power: potential risk of nuclear explosions and nuclear waste products must be stored in cooling pools or underground.

Also, under biomass, “high capital cost, requiring fuel to transport materials” is a con, and according to the City of Austin, natural gas can be expensive.

Corrections - Volume 3, Issue 2

“The [Austin Energy] generation plan is a climate change program only in name. It does not acutally reduce CO2 emissions at all when new load growth is factored in.”

—Gene Preston

City plan could increase bills, clean energymore.impactnews.com/8566

Local jobsPost your résumé and search for local jobs at impactnews.jobing.com.

April employment trends

Central Texas unemployment—7.0% Down from 7.1% in March

State unemployment—8.3% Up from 8.2% in March, due to the jump in the number of people looking for summer jobs

National unemployment—9.9%

From March to April, Central Texas saw the biggest job growth in hospitality, adding 1,500 jobs, while the health and education industries both rose by 700. These numbers contribute to the more than 2,800 jobs added since March.Source: Charla Lovelace/Jobing.com, Texas Workforce Commission

“It’s a taco town; there’s no question about it. In the past few years there has been a lot of competition on the market. It keeps us on our toes and at the same

time vindicates that we are on the right track.”

—Roberto Espinosa, Tacodeli, owner

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Now Open1 Austin Concrete Acid Stain opened

May 3 at 4505 Terry 0 Lane, Ste. A102. The decorative concrete supply store caters to contractors and the do-it-yourself homeowner, offering instructional classes on concrete staining every other Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m. “We sell everything you need to do your own projects,” said José Rodriguez, manager and co-owner of the store, which is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 669-5100 or visit www.austinconcreteacidstain.com.

2 Dr. Dennis Lane opened Lane Chiropractic and Rehabilitation June 7 inside The Shops at Arbor Trails at 4301 W. William Cannon Drive, Ste. 300. Lane, formerly with the Spine and Rehabilitation Center, diagnoses, treats and rehabilitates disc hernias as well as sciatica, hip and knee pain, and rotator cuff injuries. The office also staffs a full-time massage therapist. Call 949-3636 or visit www.lanechiroandrehab.com.

3 Johnny Gonzalez and Scott Withers are the owners of Silk Hair Salon, which opened mid-June at 9001 Brodie Lane, Ste. C6 at Brodie Park Shopping Center. Salon services include hair coloring, massage therapy, spray tans, men’s cuts starting at $25 and women’s cuts starting at $45. The salon is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 282-7455 or visit www.silkhairsalonatx.com.

4 Self-serve frozen yogurt shop Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt opened May 29 in Sunset Valley. The franchised yogurt shop at 5207 Brodie Lane, Ste. 105 features 36 flavors of yogurt that are rotated weekly, as well as a large variety of fruit, candy and nut toppings. Call 891-0033 or visit www.tfyogurt.com.

5 Local dentists and husband-and-wife team James and Deidra McLane opened McLane Family Dental June 21 at 5000 W. Slaughter Lane, Ste. 200. The two will offer general dentistry services for all ages. Call 292-8002 or visit www.mclanefamilydental.com.

6 Reclaim, an eco-friendly men’s and women’s clothing retailer opened June 11 at 6001 W. William Cannon Drive, Ste. 305B in the Legend Oaks Shopping Center. Owner Cheryl Gutierrez said the store features clothing made from sustainable materials like organic cotton and bamboo. She also offers shoes made with biodegradable soles. Reclaim is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Call 382-0382 or visit www.shopreclaim.com.

7 Gary Rodgers, a financial expert with more than 40 years of experience in the securities business, recently opened Rodgers Capital Inc. The independent wealth management company is located at 2500 W. William Cannon Drive, Bldg. 3, Ste. 303 in the Stonegate 2 complex. The business primarily works to build retirement plans for faculty and

administrators of higher education organizations in Texas. Call 291-7570.

8 Little Vittles Organic, 3005 S. Lamar Blvd. D-109, Ste. 349, is open for delivery. The business offers baby food made from simple purees (like apples and carrots), puree mixes (like peach and banana) and first meals (like fish with tomato and zucchini). Co-owner Lesley Paterson, a diabetes researcher and biologist, said she and her sister were inspired to start the business after noticing a lack of healthy options on store shelves. Call 481-2229 or visit www.littlevittlesorganic.com.

A new cookie-creating company called Say It With Cookie Cake is delivering custom-made baked goods with a mean message. From “Epic Fail” to “I Quit,” workers will scribble nearly any message, no matter how irreverent or absurd, on 8-by-12-inch chocolate-chip cookie cakes. Local residents Adam Avramescu and Kristin Kahlich are behind the snarky confection. Vegan cakes, different sizes and more icing flavors are coming soon. Visit www.sayitwithcookiecake.com.

Baby Greens salad and wrap restaurant is back in business after closing three locations last year. The eatery is renting commercial kitchen space and taking orders from a downtown location. Owner Sharon Mays said she and her partners are currently searching for a storefront. Hungry patrons start with a salad or wrap base and top their meals with dressings, chicken, tofu or steak. Call 554-6353 or visit www.ilovesalads.com.

Coming Soon9 Dallas-based All Smiles Dental

Center opened its first Austin location at 9616 N. Lamar Blvd. in March and will be opening a second at 1901 W. William Cannon Drive, Ste. 143 this summer. The center, which offers general dentistry, orthodontics and other services, also operates mobile units that reach children who do not normally have access to dentistry services. “We want to eliminate the barrier of geography,” spokeswoman Francesca Martinez said. Call 610-1622 or visit www.allsmilesdentalcenters.com.

Under Construction10 First Cash Advance at 2716 W. William Cannon Drive, Ste. 100 is under construction as part of an expansion project to add First Cash Pawn in the suite next door. The new pawn shop will buy and sell electronics, computer equipment and power tools, among other items, and is scheduled to open in July. Call 804-0248 or visit www.firstcash.com.

This June, local information management company Iron Mountain announced the construction of a new data protection facility to be located in southeast Austin. Upon completion, the 34,000-square-foot facility will have the capacity to contain more than 500,000 data tapes, discs and other media containers. The new facility is expected to be complete by next spring. Visit www.ironmountain.com.

Relocating11 In May, certified public accountant Leslie Pearson moved to a new office at Stonegate 2, 2500 W. William Cannon Drive, Ste. 202 from her former Plaza 71 location at 7608 Hwy. 71 W., Ste. C. Pearson, who has been in business for 25 years in Austin, specializes in tax help for small to medium businesses, as well as personal taxes and QuickBooks training. Call 288-3021 or visit www.lesliepearsoncpa.com.

12 Franchised framing company Fast Frame moved from its former location in Escarpment Village to a new location in The Shops at Arbor Trails in June. The new location, 4301 W. William Cannon Drive, Ste. 190, will continue to offer the same diverse framing options with the same hours of operation. Call 288-8825 or visit www.austinfastframe.com.

13 South Austin knitting hangout The Knitting Nest, moved in June to a larger location at 8707 S. Congress Ave., Ste. 570. “We needed a bigger space with more room because we have more people coming in to hang out and knit,” owner Stacy Klaus said. The new location will also offer new hours and is now open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Call 291-8866.

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Say It With Cookie Cake delivers sweet treats topped with snarky messages such as “No. 1 Grossest Couple” and “You’re Okay I Guess.”

News or questions about southwest Austin? E-mail [email protected].

14 Wyatt’s Nursery, previously located near the Y at Oak Hill, relocated to 9125 Hwy. 71 W. in March. The nursery now shares a parking lot with Native WaterScapes, which is also located at that address. The nursery is open daily until 6:30 p.m. Call 892-5197.

15 D&B Auto relocated to 511 W. Live Oak after more than three decades at 705 S. Lamar Blvd. The locally owned auto station offers general repairs, custom work and testing. Call 442-8141.

In the NewsIn May, Forbes.com ranked Austin as the second most innovative city in the country behind San Jose in California’s Silicon Valley. The active presence of organizations like South by Southwest, Dell, IBM and The University of Texas helped Austin earn a place among the nation’s top cities. Also making the top of the list: Raleigh, N.C., San Francisco and Seattle. Visit www.forbes.com.

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine named Austin as the best place to live and work over the next decade in its July 2010 issue. The magazine credited an abundance of small-business outreach programs in the area as part of the reason for the ranking. In addition to being a breeding ground for entrepreneurs, the magazine said Austin’s culture of fun and ample live music opportunities added to its decision. Visit www.kiplinger.com.

Austin will serve as the host city for the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix from 2012 through 2021, F1 organizers announced in late May. The last U.S. Grand Prix was held in Indianapolis in 2007. A facility will be specially built for the event, but a specific location has not yet been announced. “The City of Austin will be proud to host this magnificent event, and I look forward to welcoming the participants and fans of Formula One to our city,” Mayor Lee Leffingwell said. Visit www.formula1.com.

The Capital Metro board of directors voted unanimously June 17 to offer Florida transit executive Linda Watson the position of president and CEO. Watson is CEO of LYNX, the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority in Orlando. She previously served as the general manager of the Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority and was the assistant general manager of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority. Visit more.impactnews.com/8837.

Austinites now have access to Daimler’s car2go car-sharing program. The mobility program, the largest of its kind in the nation, opened up to the public in May after debuting in November as a pilot program for city employees. Since then, car2go has partnered with several groups, including Livestrong and state agencies. A fleet of 200 cars are located throughout the Austin area and may be checked out for as long as needed. Visit www.rockregisterdrive.com.

School NotesInternational Experience and United Studies Student Exchange are seeking host homes for high school exchange students mostly from around the world for the 2010–11 school year. Both programs are open to couples, singles and families who are willing to open their home to a student for one semester or an entire school year. For International Experience, call Linda Brady 751-0723 or visit www.internationalexperience78701. wordpress.com. For United Studies Student Exchange, call 442-0379 or visit www.unitedstudies.org. This year, students in the Austin Independent School District achieved higher passing rates in all subjects of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test than they did the year before, according to the Texas Education Agency. The news came after the agency released the statewide preliminary TAKS scores in early June. Additionally, African-American students, economically disadvantaged

Besides moving to a larger location, The Knitting Nest recently launched an online store for knitting supplies at www.theknittingnest.com/store.

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Alamo Drafthouse Cinema creator Tim League has taken over as CEO of a unified Alamo, combining the League-owned theaters with the corporate-owned locations.

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Natalie McGuire works at the Sunset Valley Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt. The California-based self-serve shop has more than 100 stores opening around the world.

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Reclaim owner Cheryl Gutierrez said her store offers eco-friendly fashions, including clothes made from sustainable materials and shoes with biodegradable soles.

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José and Carmen Rodriguez opened Austin Concrete Acid Stain in May. Instructional classes on concrete staining are offered every other Saturday.

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WeeklySaturdaysFree classes at the Natural GardenerClasses through June and July include tips on gardening, composting, raising backyard chick-ens, attracting hummingbirds and tree pruning. Call to confirm.9 a.m. • FreeThe Natural Gardener, 8648 Old Bee Caves Road288-6113 • www.naturalgardeneraustin.com

June

7–July 23 Classic Game Fest 2010Game Over Videogames presents its third annual Classic Game Fest, which aims to pay tribute to some of the most epic games in history through tournaments, movie screenings and more. Games featured in the tournament this year include Warlords, Mario Bros. Arcade, Super Bomberman, Goldeneye 007. Festival events take place at all three Game Over Videogames locations:5400 Brodie Lane, Ste. 210, Sunset Valley911 W. Anderson Lane, Ste. 106, Austin110 N. I-35, Ste. 200A, Round RockTimes vary • Free • more.impactnews.com/8640www.gameovervideogames.com

July4 Fourth of July BashMusician Bob Schneider plays a special perfor-mance at the amphitheatre as part of a series of festivities and live music performance celebrating the Fourth of July.7:30 p.m. (opening act), 9:30 p.m. (Bob Schneider) Ticket prices vary • Nutty Brown Café, 12225 Hwy. 290 W. • 301-4648 • www.nuttybrown.com

June 26 By Kelsey WilkinsonNow in its eighth year, the Keep Austin Weird Fest and 5K celebrates all things Austin and benefits the Austin Parks Foundation.

The H-E-B-sponsored event kicks off at 2 p.m. with a per-formance by the Paul Green School of Rock children’s band, followed by live music from White Denim, Bright Light Social Hour and more.

In addition to live music, at-tendees can also feast on the offerings of the city’s favorite food vendors, like Amy’s Ice Creams, and visit booths spon-sored by local businesses, H-E-B and Austin Fit Magazine. Also making appearances at the festival: White Denim, Bright Light Social Hour and more.

At 7 p.m. attendees can participate in what has fondly been described as “the slowest 5K you’ll ever run.” The run starts at the north side of the South First Street Bridge, makes a quick loop through the Second Street District, heads to the Town Lake Animal Center and circles back. The course includes a costume contest and several stops along the way.

South First Street Bridge and Auditorium Shores • 2–10 p.m. • $25 (adult 5K registration and festival admission), $10 (children 5K registration and festival admission), $10 (festival admission only) www.keepaustinweird5k.com

Community Events

4 H-E-B Austin Symphony July 4th Concert and FireworksThe annual Independence Day celebration features patriotic musical performances by the Austin Sym-phony and a fireworks show over Lady Bird Lake. 8:30–10:30 p.m. • Free • Auditorium Shores, 920 W. Riverside Drive • www.austinsymphony.org

6–7 Ben Crenshaw Junior Golf TournamentThe tournament is open to boys and girls under 19 years of age who have not entered college.7:15 a.m.–3 p.m. • $10 plus green fee • Lions Munici-pal Golf Course, 2910 Enfield Road • 477-6963 www.eteamz.com/AustinPublicLinks/handouts

8 Nature Night: ReptilesPresented by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, nature night affords guests the oppor-tunity to learn about native reptiles through the center’s discovery stations and habitat hikes. Author Nathan Jensen will be available to sign his children’s book, “Rattlesnake Rules,” at the gift shop during the event. 6–9 p.m. • $1 (nonmembers), free (members and Eco-Explorers) • Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 4801 La Crosse Ave. • 232-0100 www.wildflower.org.

9–August 14 “Annie”Zilker Theatre Production’s 52nd Annual Zilker Summer Musical is the Tony Award–winning musical about a depression-era orphan who finds a new home with billionaire Oliver Warbucks, his secretary Grace Farrell and a dog named Sandy. Appropriate for all ages.8:30 p.m. • Thursday–Sunday • Free, $3 parkingZilker Hillside Theater, 2100 Barton Springs Roadwww.zilker.org

10 Texas Roller DerbyThe Cherry Bombs take on the Hellcats as part of the Lonestar Rollergirls 2010 season. 6 p.m. • $15 Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Road • www.txrd.com

17–18 Citywide Garage SaleThe ongoing garage sale is the city’s largest antique, collectible and vintage marketplace. Buyers and sell-ers are welcome to attend. Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.–5 p.m. $5 (adults), free (children under 12 years)Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Road 441-2828 • www.citywidegaragesale.com

24 Fowler Fest 2010Presented by the Nutty Brown Café, Fowler Fest fea-tures performances by Kevin Fowler, Aaron Watson, Kyle Park and Curtis Grimes. Children under 3 years are admitted free, and no blankets, chairs, umbrellas or backpacks are permitted at the concert.4 p.m. • $24.50 (general admission), $95.50 (VIP passes) • Nutty Brown Café, 12225 Hwy. 290 W. 301-4648 • www.nuttybrown.com

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Keep Austin Weird Fest and 5K benefits the Austin Parks Foundation and includes a 5K, live music and food.

Keep Austin Weird Fest and 5K

Calendar events must be submitted by the second Friday of the month. Submit events to [email protected] and find our Central Texas calendar online at www.impactnews.com/calendar.

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Worth the drive30 Twilight PaddlePresented by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the event features an interpretive specialist who will act as a “senses-guide,” leading guests through an evening kayak adventure on Inks Lake. Canoes, kayaks, life jackets and paddles will be provided, and guests are encouraged to bring a strong flashlight and shoes they can get wet. The event is open to people ages 18 and older, and the entry fee includes boat rental. Reservations are required.7:30–9:30 p.m. • $15 • Inks Lake State Park, 3630 Park Road 4 West, Burnet 793-2223 • www.tpwd.state.tx.us

This year’s Classic Game Fest includes a tournament with games from Atari 2600 to Nintendo 64.

More than 100,000 people gather at Auditorium Shores each year for the fireworks and music from the Austin Symphony.


Taco Deli1500 Spyglass Drive 732-0303 www.tacodeli.comMon.–Fri., 7 a.m.–3 p.m. Sat.–Sun., 8 a.m.–3 p.m.

Tacodeli’s original location in South Austin is just across the street from the Barton Creek Greenbelt. Though some seating is available inside the small dining area, most patrons dine outdoors at picnic tables that wrap around the restaurant.

By Mary TumaTen years ago a close friend told

Roberto Espinosa he was crazy for want-ing to start a taco restaurant. “You better make them good,” his buddy said. With his third location up and running at 4200 North Lamar Blvd. this May, many would say he has risen to the challenge.

Tacodeli Mexican restaurant debuted in 1999 with Espinosa not only manag-ing the South Austin storefront, but also working behind the counter, in the kitchen and even washing dishes in the back of the house. Since its inception, the eatery now

employs 75 staff members in its three loca-tions, including Burnet Road. Co-owner Eric Wilkerson joined Tacodeli shortly after its start, bringing with him experi-ence that complemented Espinosa’s. Inter-estingly enough, though the two graduated the same year from The University of Texas and had several mutual friends, they had never met prior to building the business.

Espinosa spent his childhood in Mexico City, soaking up the culture, the lifestyle and, most importantly, the food. His most significant memories entail visits to taco restaurants, at which point his love

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for Mexican cuisine developed. Espinosa said signature menu item, the Frontera Fundido (sirloin or grilled chicken, sau-téed onions and poblano peppers glazed with melted Monterey jack cheese) was inspired by a dish he frequently ordered during his youth. Much of the menu, including breakfast tacos, tortas, tortilla wraps, salads and specialty tacos which range from bison to veggie and fish, is also a reflection of his mother’s recipes.

His passion for food grew and served as the driving force behind Tacodeli. Espinosa strives to use as many local ingre-dients as possible and coordinates with Farm to Table, a local produce supplier. He said with more than 120 pounds of jalapeños used a day it makes a difference.

“The barometer of what customers are demanding has changed,” he said.

The increase of “foodies” or self-proclaimed culinary experts, has caused the American palate to evolve, argues Espinosa. He points to the collective dis-covery and embrace of mole, a traditional Mexican sauce, as an example.

Tacodeli stays creative with dishes by offering inventive daily specials that oftentimes make it to the full menu.

“We are flexible and are able to adapt to changes. We always listen to custom-ers and are never too proud to admit our mistakes,” Espinosa said.

A decade ago, rivalry was scant. Tacodeli was one of the big players on the scene, but as trailer dining and taco eater-ies seem to open every week, the business is forced to keep up with the pace.

“It’s a taco town; there’s no question about it,” Espinosa said. “In the past few years there has been a lot of competition on the market. It keeps us on our toes and, at the same time, vindicates that we are on the right track.”


By Rebecca NordquistOwner Eddie Bernal joked that when

the south location of Santa Rita Tex Mex Cantina first opened, no one honked at him. As a fixture in Central Austin—founding 34th Street Café & Catering 15 years ago, the original Santa Rita Cantina Tex Mex Cantina off 38th Street in 2004 and Burnet Road’s Blue Star Cafeteria in 2006—he was accustomed to customers spotting him outside of his restaurants and honking to say hello.

“We love our [new] location,” Bernal, 45, said of the 10-month-old locale in Escarpment Village. “We are coming into their community; we need to embrace them.”

With that in mind, Bernal has reached out to nonprofits in the neighborhood and organizations that are family oriented, including the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and Center for Child Protection. Bernal said that company-wide there is a common thread of taking care of the environment and the people in the environment.

Inside the walls of Santa Rita, General Manager Lexie Godfrey said the No. 1 priority is customer service.

“Our main focus is building relation-ships with customers,” said Godfrey, who has known Bernal since their days at since-closed Granite Café 18 years ago. “If you’re not building the business and forming relationships with customers, you’re not going anywhere. That’s how Eddie approaches everything. Service, quality, freshness of food and décor: That’s the recipe.”

In 2004, Bernal formed the umbrella company The Whole Enchilada Restau-rant Group for his multiconcept restau-rant business, which will also include La Sombra off Burnet Road. The Latin bar and grill is slated to open late July.

Owner Eddie Bernal is celebrating 30 years in the restaurant industry.

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Santa Rita Sampler ($11.95)

Santa Rita Tex Mex CantinaEscarpment Village5900 W. Slaughter Lane 288-5100www.santaritacantina.com

But Bernal said Santa Rita is the only footprint he will replicate.

“I see Santa Rita expanding—because we’re working on that—and I want Santa Rita to become an institution in Austin,” Bernal said. “That’s where it would be fun to look back at a concept that has survived 25 years.”

Bernal said he is targeting North Aus-tin for the next Santa Rita location.

Neighborhood Dining | Santa Rita Tex Mex Cantina

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Recommendations from the owner Appetizer: Santa Rita sampler ($11.95): Santa Rita shrimp, nachos, quesadillas supremo and chicken flautas served with pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, chile con queso and lime avocado sauce

Drink: Margarita, on the rocks or frozen ($4.95)

Main course: Owner Eddie Bernal recommends, “Anything with a seafood component” or a salad. “We don’t skimp on salads because I love vegetables,” he said. Bernal asks for tilapia on top and said customers can, too.

Dessert: Vanilla flan ($5.95) or pecan praline ($2.95)


Transportation Update | SH 45 SW and the Y at Oak Hill

By Eric PulsiferImprovements to SH 45 SW and the Y at

Oak Hill were among the $27 billion worth of projects in the Capital Metropolitan Plan-ning Organization’s 2035 Plan, a 25-year rough draft of transportation plans for the region. The CAMPO Transportation Policy Board voted May 24 to approve the 2035 Plan, with former Sunset Valley Mayor Jeff Mills and Travis County Commissioner Karen Huber as the two votes against it.

“[The Texas Department of Transporta-tion] sets the priorities if it’s on the CAMPO

2035 Plan. The construction dates that are in there aren’t ones that are set by CAMPO; they’re ones that are set by TxDOT,” Huber said. “CAMPO is the metropolitan plan-ning organization, and it seems to me like if the representatives on the Transportation Policy Board are going to take the heat for the roads that don’t get built, then we ought to have some authority in setting the priori-ties for them.”

In the meantime, the city, county and state have some short-term improvements in mind to help address traffic now.

SH 45 SWSH 45 SW is planned as a $93 million

four-lane toll road connecting the southern end of MoPac to FM 1626. It is scheduled to open in 2022.

Leading up to the CAMPO meeting, Travis County voted to pull the project while Hays County and the City of Austin asked to keep it in the plans. However, only the CAMPO Transportation Policy Board, which is made up of members from the five-county area CAMPO represents, can vote to add or remove a project.

Austin Transportation Department Assistant Director Gordon Derr said the city supported keeping SH 45 SW in the plan at least until environmental work can be completed.

“We need to keep open all of our options at the moment so we can see what is going to make the system work best in the long term,” Derr said. “If 45 SW is not built, then Slaughter Lane is the southern-most east-west connection across Travis County, and it was not designed to be the only road-way to carry traffic east-west at the south-ern part of the county. It’s roughly six to nine miles down into Hays County before you have the next roadway. So, Slaugh-ter would have to do a lot more than it is designed to do if SH 45 SW is not built.”

Huber, a member of the Transportation Policy Board, was among those pushing for

Proposed route of SH 45 SW

Roads proposed to be widened via pass-through financing

The CAMPO 2035 Plan calls for SH 45 SW to be built, most likely as a $93 million four-lane toll road with an opening date of 2022. Though the road would end at FM 1626, Hays County is exploring extending the road to I-35 as it was originally envisioned when planned as part of a loop around Austin in the 1980s.

In the interim before the road can be built, Travis County is looking at short-term improvements such as widening Manchaca Road and FM 1626 and making improvements to Frate Barker Road.

removal of SH 45 SW from the 2035 Plan. Though Huber said she did not feel the sup-port was there to propose taking a vote of the CAMPO Transportation Policy Board to drop SH 45 SW, she did help fend off a last-minute modification recommended by TxDOT to push up the construction date of SH 45 SW to 2015 and delay improvements to the Y at Oak Hill from 2015 to 2018.

“My effort has been to try to keep SH 45 SW from happening before other priorities happen,” Huber said. “We cannot continue to create major feeder roads into areas that we already know have problems—MoPac specifically—and we can’t not address a project like the Y in a major way just because it’s a much more expensive project.”

Huber said she has yet to see data suggest-ing SH 45 SW would solve the congestion on Brodie Lane and that though voters approved funds SH 45 SW in the past, it was presented as a free road at that time.

“When you make it a toll road, that’s not what voters approved,” Huber said. “I’m really worried that we’ll get another Toll 130–type road, which was supposed to take the truck traffic off of I-35 but didn’t. [I’m worried] we’ll get another $100 million toll road that was supposed to take the traffic off of Brodie and didn’t.”

Huber and Commissioner Sarah Eck-hardt, who also supported dropping SH 45 SW from the 2035 Plan, have been on

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Addressing traffic in southern Travis County

Source: CAMPO, Travis County

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$27 billion 2035 Plan requires local funds for regional projects

By Jenn RainsThe Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization adopted its updated long-range transportation plan, the CAMPO 2035 Plan, May 24. The plan serves to ensure the region can receieve federal transportation funds and functions as a coordinating document, CAMPO Executive Director Joe Cantalupo said.

But the latest long-range plan shows a growing trend: more local spending on state systems.

“Local spending on transportation used to go toward local roads, but now, the federal and state government cannot give us as much as we need to maintain systems,” Cantalupo said. “Not only are we accounting for more local money to be put into [maintenance and operations] of local systems, but local money is being spent on state transportation systems too.”

Based on the 2035 Plan, about one-third of the projects—more than $9 billion out of a total of about $27 billion—of regional transportation in the next 25 years will be funded by local governments.

Local governments used to fund city roads and state agencies were responsible for state and regional roads, even the portions that fell within the city limits. However, with budget woes at the state and federal level, local governments will be forced to “pick up larger portions of the bill,” Cantalupo said.

He said the problem with this new trend is that local governments do not have the resources needed or the authority to handle state projects, a problem that must be addressed if the cities will be forced to fund the projects. Whether it is ideal or not for local governments, “for the foreseeable future, the trend of local governments taking on funding responsibilities will continue,” Cantalupo said.

the receiving end of frustration from the Build SH 45 SW Now Coalition, a group of Shady Hollow–area residents pushing for the immediate construction of the long-delayed road.

“They want SH 45 SW and that’s it,” Huber said. “They’ve been convinced it will solve their problems, but it won’t. Over half of the traffic on Brodie is gener-ated internally.”

Huber represents Precinct 3, from just west of MoPac to the county line. It is the largest precinct and nearly half of the county. She said addressing the concerns of every resi-dent is difficult and priorities must be set.

“I know they’ve got a problem over there,” Huber said. “Everyone has their issues and all of them are valid. And so the burden is on us elected officials to try to sort those priorities.”Without SH 45 SW

Vikki Goodwin has lived in Shady Hol-low for 17 years and has been involved with the fight for SH 45 SW over the past year.

“As a Realtor, I see that it hurts the home values when buyers come through here and see how crazy the traffic is on Brodie Lane. One of my interests is helping people to maintain the value of their homes in the neighborhood,” Goodwin said.

Travis County has applied for $20 million in financing from TxDOT to pay for widen-ing segments of FM 1626 and Manchaca

Road. Travis County will find out if it has been awarded the funds—which would be used to reimburse construction costs over the course of 10 to 15 years—by early July.

Huber said Travis County has seen resistance from Shady Hollow residents in exploring alternatives, something that Goodwin attributes to fear that the county will stick the residents of Brodie Lane with a temporary solution to a per-manent problem.

“A lot of Shady Hollow residents are fear-ful that any improvements to Brodie Lane is going to reduce the emphasis on SH 45 SW,” Goodwin said.

Goodwin said she believes with the num-ber of new homes being built, the proposed widening of Manchaca Road and FM 1626 and other improvements may not make a noticeable dent.

“While Commissioners Huber and Eckhardt were saying, ‘Don’t build SH 45 SW,’ they don’t really have a good, viable solution,” Goodwin said. The Y at Oak Hill

In the ’90s, TxDOT began rebuilding Ben White Boulevard as a freeway starting at I-35 and working west toward Oak Hill, but work came to a halt in Oak Hill with opposition from some residents and elected officials. Now, TxDOT is set to return to finish the improvements to the Y at Oak Hill, which will carry a combined cost of

approximately $764 million. Construction of two tolled connector bridges from Hwy. 71 W. to Hwy. 290 W. would go online first, with an estimated completion date of 2017. A six-lane turnpike at Hwy. 290 W. follows with an expected opening year of 2019.

TxDOT is footing the bill for the environmental work and may cover some of the engineering costs with $7 million recently approved to pay for the environ-mental review of the Y at Oak Hill and improvements to Loop 360. The study at the Y at Oak Hill could begin as early as this summer.

TxDOT spokesperson John Hurt said the city and state are working together to get some smaller improvements, such as turn-ing lanes and adjusting traffic signals, com-pleted to help ease some congestion now.

“I think that what you will see is some sort of interim improvement before the final improvement is made,” Hurt said. “It’s so congested right now that if we can do some-thing to facilitate the flow of traffic through there in the interim, we’ll do that.”

As part of an $85 million draft for a proposed bond package, the City of Aus-tin may set aside $4 million for improve-ments at the Y at Oak Hill.

“We’re thinking this will get us down the road. It’s not the long-term solution, but it’s something to help folks going through there now to reduce their delay,” Derr said.

“The goal would be to have projects that hopefully could be implemented into the final solution.”

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By Mary TumaAustin’s Lammes Candies was nearly lost

in a poker game more than a century ago. Founded by William Wirt Lamme in 1878, the Red Front Candy Company opened in the 800 block of Congress Avenue, mainly selling hard candies and gum. In 1885, a poorly played poker hand left Lamme $800 in debt and without a candy company.

William’s son David Turner Lamme stepped in, paid his father’s debt and secured ownership of the shop. On July 10, 1885, Lammes Candies officially opened.

In 1892, David Turner developed the praline recipe used in Lammes’ now-famous Texas Chewies, using handpicked

Opened in 1885, Lammes Candies occupied a succession of locations downtown for 70 years. One is pictured above.

Lammes Candies sells more than 1,000 different items.

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Lammes CandiesBarton Creek Square Mall2901 Capital of Texas Hwy.327-5261 • www.lammes.com

pecans off trees lining the Colorado River. Over the decades, the company has had to adjust to monumental shifts in American society. For instance, during the World War II sugar ration, Lammes owners placed customers on waitlists and sold items, such as tamales and fruits, instead.

“They did what they could to survive back then,” current co-owner Pam Teich said. “They were very much entrepreneurs and had to act resourcefully.”

Now run by Teich and her two siblings, the business has remained in the Lamme family since its inception. (Teich’s grand-mother was a Lamme, before marrying into the Teich family.)

Local History | Lammes Candies

After occupying several different loca-tions along Congress, Lammes moved its manufacturing plant to 53rd Street and Airport Boulevard in 1957, a storefront that still exists today. With four locations in Austin and one in Round Rock, the shop attracts individual customers and wholesale orders from across the nation with its bestseller, Texas Chewie Pecan Pralines, which are still wrapped by hand.

“There are so many things that can’t be automated,” Teich said. “No machine could take those candies off the belt warm.”

Another favorite are the Longhorns, which also contain pecans and praline, but are rearranged and coated with chocolate to give a completely different texture and taste.

The company is always trying to be inventive with its more than 1,000 items, Teich said. Lammes’ biggest rising chal-lenge is building a reputation with new residents migrating from other states.

“People from outside the state tend to crave their local candy company,” Teich said. “But once we get samples in their mouth, it’s usually an easy conversion.”

Teich admits she is one of the few native Austinites she knows, and is part of a shrinking minority. One of her favorite aspects of running the generations-old company is hearing anecdotes people tell about their experiences with Lammes.

“It’s so heartwarming to hear someone

say, ‘I remember when Grandpa Lamme used to sit outside the shop on Congress,’ or, ‘I remember when we could get an ice cream sundae at the store for a nickel,’” Teich said. “They’ve grown up with Lammes just like I have.

“Austin has been great to us, and we’d like to think we’ve given back a little plea-sure along the way.”

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13,000 square feet of retail and restaurants.The former theater on Walsh Tarlton

Lane closed in 2008 and will be demol-ished and replaced with three separate buildings. Each of the buildings will face Walsh Tarlton and will be accessible from the street level. Wide sidewalks with trees are planned to encourage walking.

Individual townhome units will be located in what was once the parking lot of the old theater. Layouts of master bed-rooms located downstairs also encourage walking and interaction with the green space above, said John Burnham, vice president of investments for Cypress Real Estate Advisors.

This is the first project to utilize a 2007 city ordinance that applies to redeveloping properties over the Edwards Aquifer. The project’s success would mean success for the 2007 ordinance and perhaps pave the way for other environmentally sensitive redevelopment projects.

“We’re excited someone is using the redevelopment exception,” said Pat Murphy, assistant director for environ-mental policy for the City of Austin. “There’s a lot of interest in having redevel-opment rather than new development; it makes a lot of sense.”New uses for old developments

The Save Our Springs Ordinance, adopt-ed by Austin City Council in 1992, applies to new developments over the Edwards Aquifer but did not make any allowances for redevelopment projects.

The ordinance allows little impervi-ous cover on sites in Southwest and West Austin, ranging from 15 to 25 percent of impervious cover, or land covered by buildings, roads and parking lots, depending on the location in relation to the recharge zone, areas where water may enter the aquifer through the ground. The ordinance also requires large water con-trols, such as ponds or catchment systems, so the water can be redirected to the soil.

Creation of the amendment arose to encourage redevelopment of existing prop-erties while adding measures to improve water quality and watershed protection.

“The Save Our Springs Ordinance adopted in 1992 did not provide incentives for landowners to reduce pollutants from existing commercial sites that were devel-oped under older regulations,” Victoria Li, director of the city’s Watershed Protec-tion Department, wrote in a 2009 update report to Mayor Lee Leffingwell and City Council. “As a result, these sites were not being redeveloped and stormwater pollut-ants generated from these developments continue unabated.”

Under the amendment, sites must have a water quality control pond to capture pol-lutants. In addition, the property owner is required either to provide a certain per-centage of land over the Barton Springs Zone or to contribute funds for the city to purchase open space, thereby reducing overall impervious cover over the aquifer.

Had the redevelopment ordinance not been created, redevelopment of currently existing sites over the Barton Springs Zone would be required to adhere to the more stringent 1992 ordinance standards, which would, in effect, discourage redevelop-ment of existing sites.

Bill Bunch, executive director of Save Our Springs Alliance, said that while the 2007 amendment is beneficial in terms of providing water quality controls and water-shed protection land, he said he would have also liked increased regulations on con-struction methods to further control pollu-tion and possible erosion in the area.

“If you require redevelopment projects to come all the way down to SOS limits at 15 percent impervious cover, nobody is going to do that,” Bunch said. “We rec-ognize and agree we need some flexibility. We were just hoping the final ordinance would be more protective than it is.”Striking a balance

Burnham said he is excited to represent the first project to develop under the 2007 redevelopment ordinance, something he said should have a positive effect for the aquifer zone as well as development.

“It does a very good job of encouraging developers to do the right thing in terms of the health of the Barton Creek watershed and Barton Creek itself,” he said. “This is a good compromise that encourages water quality and ends up with a good result.”

Tarlton 360 Townhomes was originally

Water qualityThe new project will feature a more efficient water quality pond with increased filtration and re-irrigation that recycles stormwater runoff on-site. The current pollutant removal rate on the existing site is about 57 percent. The projected pollutant removal on the completed new development is about 90 percent.

Open space The old theater site uses about 53 percent impervious cover, and the new plan use about the same percentage. The percentage is more than the 20 percent impervious cover mandated under the original 1992 ordinance, but the 2007 amendment allows developers to make up the difference by purchasing green space or contributing to a city fund for green space over the Barton Springs Zone. This will have the overall effect of reducing gross impervious cover to 20 percent.

TrafficThe estimated traffic from the former movie theater was 5,620 trips per day. Had the new project been an all-commercial site as originally planned, it would have generated 9,820 trips per day. The current plan is estimated to generate about 4,193 trips per day, according to Burnham, who was quoting figures from his traffic consultant.

Source: Cypress Real Estate Advisors

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Development

A rendering of the proposed Tarlton 360 development.

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Tarlton 360 Townhomes is the first project to come through a recent amendment made by the city to encourage redevelopment of old sites over the Barton Springs Zone of the Edwards Aquifer. Some of the environmental features of the project include:

planned as all commercial, but was later changed to a mixed-use development, with the idea that mixed-use made the most sense on all fronts after speaking with surround-ing neighborhood groups and considering the market environment, Burnham said.

“It’s a much less intense use than an all-commercial project of the same size,” he said. “We also think it works much better with the compatibility of the neighborhood.”

Initial site plans for the project have been under the site plan review process since March 2009 and are estimated to go

through the necessary boards ending in a final review for approval by City Council by the end of the summer. Construction is estimated to begin early next year, with an approximate completion two years after construction begins, Burnham said.

“It’s a wonderful area of Austin,” he said. “We’re trying to set the bar high for rede-velopment under this ordinance in terms of not only neighborhood input, but also from an environmental perspective.”

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Real estateThough the tax credit is gone for first-time homebuyers, a bond program created by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs will set aside $500 million in funding for low- to moderate-income first-time buyers.

“This is a program that we are very excited about, and we sincerely hope it does an excellent job of filling that void that was created when the homebuyer tax credit expired,” TDHCA spokesperson Gordon Anderson said.

Funds are made available through a network of lending institutions across the state and allow first-time buyers or those who have not owned a home in the past three years to qualify for a low-interest loan with down payment and closing cost assistance.

To qualify, would-be homebuyers must be at or below 115 percent of the area’s median income—for the Austin area, approximately $75,000—for a home up to a certain maximum price based off location—in the Austin area, up to $258,690.

“I think this is going to be really attractive to some people as the down payment and closing costs requirements are typically the biggest obstacle to home ownership,” Anderson said.

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job loss rate has decreased from 4 percent in August 2009 to 0.3 per-cent in April.

As the economy begins to pick up steam and the housing market moves into the summer, tradi-tionally the biggest months for home sales, the market’s forward momentum may be enough to keep sales from taking a nosedive in May and June.

“The summer is going to be good for buyers and sellers. I think overall the spring and summer of 2010 will be well above the spring and summer of 2009,” Horton said. “Even without the tax credit … the market would be improv-ing anyways. That was just like a shot of adrenaline that increased the speed and the growth.”

Tucker said without the tax credit, analysts and builders will be able to get a clear picture of what the market looks like.

“Over the next few quarters, there’s going to be a kind of calm in the market. I think we will see a peak of activity between [June] and into this summer,” Tucker said. “I think what we now have are more normal market

conditions where we can see what the market is made of.”

Though the tax credit provided a boost to homes sales, Horton said moving is not always based on a tax credit or even getting the best deal on buying or selling a house.

“People don’t buy because of the tax credit; they buy because they want to be homeowners,” Horton said. “People have life-changing events that would warrant a move all the time, regardless of what the economy is doing.”

Tucker expressed a similar sen-timent but said it would be wrong to downplay the credit’s impact.

“Some statistics have shown that many were planning on buying a house anyway. [The tax credit], however, certainly helped them get off the couch,” Tucker said.

More than three-quarters of homes sold in April were under $300,000, Horton said, and with the tax credit pushing first-time buyers into homes, those homes’ former owners often were able to move up to more expensive homes.

“Since there were so many entry-level buyers in April, that allowed move-up buyers to sell their homes and then buy more expensive homes,” Horton said.

“$1 million homes, for example, were up 38 percent in April in the Austin metro area.”Housing in Southwest Austin

The area between Ben White Boulevard and Slaughter Lane and MoPac and IH 35 was the No. 1 area in the city for sales rela-tive to homes available in April. Out of the top 10 best-selling areas, four were in the southwest region.

Good prices and schools drive people, particularly first-time buyers, south of town, Tucker said.

“The southwest submarket in Austin is the best submarket in Austin and has been the one of the

top three submarkets in Austin for the past four years,” Tucker said. “We continue to expect that area to grow.”

Beyond Austin, Tucker said the Buda and Kyle area continues to expand as more developments and jobs are created in Hays County.

“That’s going to continue to grow—not because of any stimu-lus program or anything—but because people have found that the value there is good and it’s not too far from Austin,” Tucker said.


Compiled by Mary Tuma

2010 Texas House of Representatives, District 47Texas House of Representatives, District 47Interviews by Kelsey WilkinsonFor up-to-the-minute election results, visit www.impactnews.com/vote10.

What do you hope to accomplish if re-elected?

Some of the things I have worked on, I continue to work on. Certainly one big piece of that is property tax issues. Everyone who owns a home knows when you get that appraisal in the mail, and that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you’re opening it, wondering what it holds in store. I plan to refile my bill that would work to reduce my constituents’ property tax burden.

I’m going to be working to hold the Texas Depart-ment of Insurance accountable for what has been reported to be the highest insurance rates in the country. I am going to file legislation that requires the commissioner of insurance in Texas to be elected by the voters of Texas and not appointed by the governor. I also want legislation that will require insurance com-panies to seek prior approval before raising their rates.

Why do you want to be a state representative?

I have lost faith in the Republican Party, and the Democrats seem somewhat misguided to me as well. I feel the government’s job should be very limited ... You see new laws being passed all the time. When gov-ernment programs are broken, the solution is to throw money at it, and that just makes a bigger bureaucracy for things to get lost in.

What are the biggest issues for resi-dents in District 47?

Some of the more important issues that I see are with the roads going through the area. From what I’ve heard, my Republican opponent is considering toll roads on the Hwy. 71 and Hwy. 290 interchange. I am not really in favor of toll roads, and to be honest with you, it’s a tricky situation because the Texas Depart-ment of Transportation doesn’t seem to be able to get

Why do you want to be a state representative?

This is something that I have been interested in doing for many years. Until recently, I’ve been too busy building my company. Now my son and my daughter are running the company, and it has freed me up to do some other things ... I’ve worked as an advocate at the Capitol, and I’ve gotten interest in it that way. I also believe that our district is more conservative than our current representation. I think it pays to reflect a more conservative viewpoint.

What are the biggest issues affecting District 47?

The district is very large in the sense that it goes from western Travis County all the way to Onion Creek ... In the outer limits of the district—Onion Creek, Lakeway, Briarcliff and those areas—it is more about tax relief and property taxes. In the middle of the district there are transportation issues

Valinda BoltonDemocratOak Hill resident Valinda Bolton has a master’s degree from Texas Tech University and was first elected to serve District 47 in November 2006. As a freshman representative she authored 18 pieces of legislation, six of which made it through the legislative process to become laws.

773-0804 • www.valindabolton.or

Kris BaileyLibertarianKris Bailey is a native Austinite and graduate of Bowie High School. He has spent several years traveling the world, and for the past 10 years has worked as a claims adjuster in the insurance industry.

351-1323 • www.krisbailey2010.com

Paul D. WorkmanRepublicanTravis County resident Paul Workman is a 1973 graduate of Texas A&M University, where he earned a degree in building construction. He founded Workman Commercial Construction Services Ltd. and also works for real estate firm T. Stacy & Associates.

748-5599 • www.workmanfortexas.com

What are the biggest issues for residents in District 47?

My district is one of the most rapidly growing districts in Texas. The growth, of course, brings chal-lenges and it brings opportunities. With every family that moves in—and we welcome them—we add more cars to our already congested roads, and we add children to classrooms that are at, or near, capacity.

Certainly last year’s extensive, extreme drought may indicate we may be overstretching our available supply of water. Those are definitely issues that affect this district.

I’ve done some informal surveys of issues that most concern my constituents. The top two issues that show up over and over are inadequate, crowded roads and rising property taxes.

anything done. Some of the other issues are with the schools in the area. There is a lot of redistricting going on. My daughter is going into first grade [at] Oak Hill Elementary. I’ve got some ideas with the schools where what we need to do is figure out how to reduce class size without increasing costs. It can be done.

What challenges do you face running as a Libertarian for a seat currently held by a Democrat?

This is an interesting start for me because I am half-Democrat and half-Republican when you get down to it. I agree with a lot of the social policies of the Democratic Party as far as letting people do what they want to do. But they don’t go far enough with it.

I believe firmly that marijuana needs to be legalized in Texas and somebody needs to start pushing that issue a lot. I have personally witnessed people suffer because they have made youthful indiscretions in their

How do you differ from your opponents?

I came into office with a pledge to have an open door policy and to work and always be available to my constituents. My staff teases me about keeping office hours at the grocery store.

I think my opponent [Paul Workman] doesn’t appear to understand that this job is about more than just those 140 high-profile days of session. I remem-ber hearing during the primary, a reporter asked if he was knocking on the doors the way his primary oppo-nent seemed to be doing. His response was something to the effect that he wasn’t because he had a job. I think that being state representative for District 47 is a job. It’s an everyday job, not just 140 days during session. We get to meet and work with amazing people, neighborhoods and organizations. Sometimes it’s really, really hard work. But I know how to work well and play with others. I appreciate the value of the interactions I have with my constituents.

lives, and it has had very lasting effects on them. People have ended up in jail, and these are not people that are hurting people. If someone is hooked on some kind of drug or something, they are sick. They are not criminals ... I want to stop using taxpayer dol-lars and taking your money to lock someone up who has never really hurt or committed a crime against anybody.

How else are you different from your opponents?

... I want to let people do whatever they want to do in their lives as long as they are not causing harm to other people. I don’t think either of my opponents take that stance. I believe that the ACLU is a good thing and that civil liberties should be protected at all times. No laws should be allowed to pass that put you in a position to show papers or go through extra steps just to live your life.

that are enormous. We haven’t had effective repre-sentation on the transportation issues in the middle of the district ... I want to help with the transportation situation and get SH 45 SW built and get the Y at Oak Hill out of the ditch and going too.

How are you different from your opponents?

The differences between Mrs. [Valinda] Bolton and I are stark. She is a very liberal Democrat that believes in large government and government spending to solve all of our so-called “social problems.” I am a conserva-tive Christian who believes we need to have limited government, and we need to pay attention to those people who have to pay the bills right now in the form of taxes. So, we will be talking about limited govern-ment; she will be talking about more government.

What political beliefs will you bring to the position?

I am a strong 10th Amendment advocate. I believe the federal government has trampled on our constitu-tional rights as a state for many years, and I think it is time for the state government to push back against the federal government on the things they keep cramming down our throats. “ObamaCare” is going to add $27 billion over a decade to the state budget. We have to find a way to pay for that. That is the conservative estimate, but it is liable to be more than that. It’s just not right that the federal government continues to push stuff down on us without our consent. I am a huge 10th Amendment advocate and a strong Second Amendment advocate. I believe in the rights for us to own our own weapons. I am a business candidate and I am pro-business, and I think that if business is allowed to do what they do without interference by the govern-ment, then we can go a long way toward taking care of the financial problems we have.

The Texas House of Representatives consists of 150 members elected to represent districts of nearly equal population for two-year terms. The Texas House of Representatives, together with the state senate, constitute the Texas Legislature. The duties of the legislature include appropriating funds for the operation of state government and consideration of proposed laws and proposed constitutional amendments for submission to voters. District 47 is the southwest corner of Travis County. Incumbent Valinda Bolton was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2006.

Editor’s note: This is one in a series of candidate interviews that will appear until the November general election, as part of Community Impact Newspaper’s mission to promote civic involvement. For complete transcripts, interviews with candidates for other positions on the ballot and more information about the election, visit www.impactnews.com/vote10.

Election dates

Election date: Nov. 2Last day to register to vote: Oct. 4Early voting: Oct. 18–Oct. 29Last day to apply for ballot by mail: Oct. 26


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Now OpenBee Cave Down Under Deli & Eatery, aka the “Dude,” opened April 26 at 21209 Hwy. 71 W. The 4,500-square-foot restaurant is described by owner Paul Wilsher as a cross between Panera Bread and Subway, with everything baked fresh in-house. Specialties include Aussie meat pies, sausage rolls and shepherd’s pie. Salads, sandwiches, pizza and cheesecakes are also available. The facility includes a bar and a stage for live music. Call 264-8000 or visit http://downunderdeli.com.

Community ImpactsTop Story

Northwest Austin On June 10 Austin City Council voted 4-3 to approve the construction of Water Treatment Plant 4. The $500 million plant will be the first to draw drinking water from Lake Travis and will route water through two mains: a For-est Ridge water main, running through the Four Points area along RM 620, and the Jolly-ville Water Transmission Main, which runs under Spicewood Springs Road.

Council members Chris Riley, Bill Spelman and Laura Mor-rison have continually voted against issues pertaining to the treatment plant, which will be located near the intersection of Bullick Hollow Road and RM 620.

“Spelman is very interested in analysis and data,” said Heidi Gerbracht, Spelman’s policy director. “At the time of the big vote a couple of months ago, the data he pulled together and

$500 million Water Treatment Plant 4 plans move forward in Northwest Austin

Regional Report Abridged stories from our other editions

Now Open Central Austin Sushi a-Go-Go, 801 Barton Springs Road, is planned to hold a grand opening of its second location in June. The trailer serves fresh rolls like Texas Surf & Turf—grilled steak, shrimp tempura, avocado, lettuce, candied jalapeño, eel sauce and cilantro. Soup, edamame and seaweed salad are also on the menu. Call 423-7170 or visit www.sushi-a-go-go-austin.com. In the same trailer spot, Osmo’s Kitchen also opened its doors recently. Run by longtime chefs Robin and Kenton O’Keefe, the stand offers made-from-scratch southern Louisiana and Italian-American menu items, such as chicken and andouille gumbo, and daily pasta plates. The O’Keefes seek to extend hours soon. Call 514-1727. Elixer Coffee also joined the growing food trailer park, serving organic espresso, specialty drinks, homemade treats and tea out of a vintage truck. Call 689-1448 or visit www.elixercoffee.com.

analyzed showed that need, in terms of gallons per day, is going down. He doesn’t feel that the city has a need for another water treatment plant.”Testing under way

Whether needed or not, crews began geotechnical drilling in May to gather data about the groundwater along the recom-mended route. Ten to 11 test sites between the plant’s location and the Jollyville Reservoir at McNeil Road and US 183 will be monitored over the next year through monthly data gathering.

Because of the location of the main through the

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Business ProfilesBreed & Co. 3663 Bee Caves Road, 328-3960718 W. 29th St., 474-6679 • www.breedandco.com

West Lake Hills For do-it-your-selfers, Breed & Co. in Westlake is a 13,000-square-foot play-ground for adults. Divided into houseware and hardware sections, customers can shop for items that aid in building, rebuilding and decorating their homes all in one place.

The Breed family started the original Breed & Co., which is still family owned and operated, nearly 40 years ago when Truman and Ann Breed purchased a small hardware store, Everett Hardware, near The University of Texas.

Little by little Ann began bringing things she thought would do well in the store, such as doormats and picture frames, to sell. Now it is hard to imagine the store without the kitchen prod-ucts, dishes and gardening center. The couple still stays busy work-ing at the Austin store alongside their son Jeff.

Their other son and co-owner Greg worked at Breed & Co. while growing up and now man-ages the second store in West Lake Hills, which the family opened in 1995. Full story at more.impactnews.com/8498

“We always had our eye on the Westlake community. We really felt our store was a good fit,” Greg said. “[Westlake is] kind of a little community in itself and people who live here like to shop within the community.”

Infinity Conversions 1942-A Picadilly Drive, 252-7778 • www.infinityconversions.com

Round Rock Call it fate, call it divine intervention or call it an amazing set of coincidences, but somehow, self-described car nuts JJ Plattor and Patrick White found each other. Plattor managed commercial construction projects; White managed restaurants while earning a degree in engineering design, graphics and architecture at Austin Community College.

Today, Plattor, 43, and White, 33, are the co-owners of Infinity Conversions, a Round Rock–based automotive accessories business that has thrived despite the tough economy.

In 2001, Plattor was super-vising construction of a new Smoothie King building in La Frontera, next door to Chipotle Grill, where White worked as a manager. The two men met and became friends.

The building’s owners, who also own Houston-based company Simmons Industries, learned of Plattor’s experience with custom-izing vehicles and offered to teach him how to spray truck bed liners with their SuperLiner product.

Burned out on the construction Full story at more.impactnews.com/8528

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business, Plattor started Infinity Conversions at a Hutto loca-tion. By 2003, Plattor moved operations to a new Pfugerville building where the Simmons brothers had set up shop after moving from Houston.

White, another car aficio-nado with design skills, soon caught the brothers’ attention and joined in 2004.

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Balcones Canyonlands Preserve, which is an environmentally sensitive area, Austin Water Utility Director Greg Meszaros said the project will be 100 percent bored, or tunneled, with no open cut construction, a method where a trench is dug and refilled.

“We selected that method of construction—it’s considerably

more expensive than other methods—because it minimiz-es disruptions to the neighbor-hoods,” Meszaros said, adding that the water utility is looking to address concerns brought up by area residents.

Full story at more.impactnews.com/8835

Relocating Central Austin Storyville moved from 2001 A Guadalupe St. to 1115 S. Congress Ave. in May and plans to hold a grand opening by July. The custom T-shirt shop sells pre-made shirts by local designers as well as offers screen printing services for men’s, women’s and children’s apparel. Call 478-0000 or visit www.wearyourstory.com.


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News Report | Gulf oil spill may keep some fish off Austin tables

By Eric Pulsifer From oysters to shrimp, the

Gulf of Mexico is one of the many sources of seafood for Austi-nites. But with the Gulf oil spill potentially devastating the com-mercial fishing industry, some of that seafood may have to come from sources other than the Gulf. In addition, some vendors and restaurants may be forced to stop carrying certain items altogether if prices continue rising.

Quality Seafood Market supplies seafood to businesses ranging from hotels to taco shacks to food service companies. Among the hundreds of Aus-tin, Hill Country and Oak Hill restaurants the company serves are iconic eateries such as Texas French Bread, Tacodeli, Hudson’s on the Bend, Mangia Pizza, Vino Vino, Z’Tejas and Chez Nous.

Sarah Harper, a wholesale sales representative for Quality Sea-food, said the full impact of the oil spill on seafood is yet to be seen, but there are alternatives—either farm-raised or from other bodies of water—for most Gulf seafood.

“We’re able to find products elsewhere to substitute for Gulf products, but we buy locally whenever it’s available,” Harper said. “There’s a lot of specula-tion, and that’s definitely affected prices of certain Gulf seafood like mahimahi, swordfish and shrimp, which are available in other parts of the world. Our Gulf suppliers have seen prices rising and falling rapidly just because of speculation as to what’s going to happen to those fish populations.”

Harper said there is one Gulf fish in particular Quality Seafood sells that is exclusive to the Gulf of Mexico: the black drum, or rockfish, a versatile and afford-able fish that is popular with restaurants around town.

As for Gulf oysters, one of the seafoods most susceptible to pol-lution, Louisiana oyster beds are mostly shut down, but Texas beds and many other sources around the country are unaffected.Accept no substitute

Evangeline Café owner Curtis Clarke is from Lake Charles, La., and said he gets a majority of his

seafood from the Gulf.“I haven’t called it an oil spill

for three or four weeks myself. I call it an oil gush,” he said. “Being from south Louisiana myself, it just makes me sick.”

Shipping oysters from Chesa-peake Bay or the West Coast is not an option for Clarke, who said there is no substitute for the affordable, delicious oysters he gets from Galveston Bay, even if their price goes up.

“I don’t like West Coast oysters or East Coast oysters, and they’re already that expensive anyway,” he said. “The Gulf oysters have always been cheaper because they come from here. As long as I can get Gulf oysters, I’m going to use Gulf oysters.”

Clarke said the oysters he brings in to his South Austin restaurant are never frozen and are typically on the table at Evan-geline Café within 48 hours of coming out of the water.

The shortage of oysters has made Clarke consider raising prices. Oysters and Gulf shrimp, which Clarke said have shot up in price by around 20 percent, make up a little less than half of sales.

“I typically sell about 100 pounds of oysters a week,” Clarke said. “Oysters that I buy right now are about 35 percent higher than they were a month ago. I haven’t changed my prices on that yet, but it looks like I might have to.”

Clarke said he does not believe Gulf oysters will become unavail-able entirely, but if the price gets high enough, he will be forced to pull them from the menu.

“If it goes from $7 a pound to $20 a pound, there could be a point where I don’t have them because I don’t feel they’re worth what the going rate is,” he said.

This is not the first time Clarke

has had trouble getting access to affordable Gulf seafood: Hur-ricanes typically have a similar effect on the seafood industry, as runoff pouring from the land into the water brings fishing to a halt temporarily.Nothing to fear

Roberto San Miguel owns San Miguel Seafood and sells at the downtown farmers markets and to kitchens such as La Condesa, Perla’s Seafood and Oyster Bar and Four Seasons Hotel Austin.

San Miguel has had an abun-dance of seafood lately as orders have been down the past month. He blames that more on fear of eating Gulf fish than a lack of supply coming in.

“We don’t have a problem here in Texas. That is a long, long way away from where we fish, so it doesn’t really affect us. What we’re dealing with is this intense nega-tivity with people lumping it and people saying, ‘You can’t eat red snapper because it’s full of oil’ and it just isn’t true,” he said. ‘There’s nothing wrong with our Gulf red snapper, with our shrimp or with any of the product we’re bringing in. It’s absolutely gorgeous.”

Mark Friudenberg, owner of Freeport-based wholesale seafood provider Captain Mark’s Seafood, said more than anything, he believes the public’s fear of eating fish will be more harmful to the fishing industry than the oil spill.

“The demand has definitely gone down it,” he said. “We’ve already seen an impact here on the Texas coast. They’re thinking that most of the fish is contami-nated. Therefore, they’ve slacked off on their buying of the fish and Texas products.”

Friudenberg said the rising cost of shrimp is largely due to the close of shrimp season. Every

year, Texas waters are closed for two months to allow shrimp populations to replenish. The sea-son closed this year in May and is not scheduled to reopen until mid-July. This downtime lowers the amount of inventory.

“The price has gone up as much as $3 a pound, but in the same respect, the demand has gone down somewhat also,” he said. “It’s kind of a crazy deal. They’re want-ing high dollar for a product that the demand has come down for.”

If the oil spill does hamper fish-ing in Texas waters, Friudenberg said it would be devastating.

“In our business, we don’t import any of our fresh fish,” Fri-udenberg said. “This could really be a hit for us. I always refuse to buy imported fresh fish. I told people I’d close my doors if I had to buy imported fish because the quality is not there.”

Protecting consumers from contaminated seafoodFederal and state officials monitor waters from which seafood is harvested, the product that is brought in and have the authority to close waters to commercial fishing. As of June 16, about one-third of the Gulf ‘s commercial fishing area was closed.

According to a report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, while oil has the potential to taint seafood, as of press time, there are “no reasons to believe any contaminated product has made its way to the market.” If adulterated seafood is discovered, the FDA has the authority to seize and remove the product.

Donte Oliver shucks oysters at Quality Seafood Market. Louisiana Gulf oysters and shrimp could become scarce in Austin because of the oil spill, but seafood from Texas waters remains unaffected.

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At Evangeline Café, everything from po-boys to signature appetizer Oysters Contraband are made using Gulf seafood.

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CONTINUED FROM | 1

Downtown

Northwest District

Downtown Austin Plan

Historic assets Eight Texas historic landmarks, 36 city historic landmarks, eight National Register properties

Existing development Historic schools, including Austin Community College’s Rio Grande Campus and Pease Elementary School; many original homes converted to offices; small retail; commercial development

Future development Planners have identified 21 opportunity sites in the district, totaling about 13 acres. Redevelopment infill potential is about 1 million square feet.

District goals Preserve the neighborhood’s historic residential character; bring residents back to the neighborhood; preserve the tree canopy along streets; preserve and enhance open space; improve the pedestrian environment; improve cycling conditions; improve Shoal Creek and its trail

Primary objectives Update the Cultural Resources Survey and Presentation Plan; develop form-based design standards requiring new development to be compatible with the district’s historic fabric;

With one- and two-story family homes dating back to the 1800s, the 34-block Northwest District was one of the city’s first residential neighborhoods, in contrast to the more urban-ized parts of downtown. The district is generally bounded by Seventh Street, Shoal Creek, Martin Luther King Jr. Boule-vard and San Antonio Street.

allow multi-unit residential as a permitted land use; amend zoning so front yard setbacks are regulated by street; establish creekfront setback standards along Shoal Creek; replace citywide compatibility standards with area-specific standards aimed at preserving compatibility between the Northwest and Judges Hill districts; allow for greater density along major auto-oriented corridors, subject to provisions of the Downtown Density Bonus Program; enhance Duncan Park; improve the cycling environment; underground transmission lines

This concept plan is a design for the $1 million House Park BMX/Skate Park approved by Austin City Council in May. Improving parks is a key component of the Northwest District plan.

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development, McCann said.Downtown Austin Plan

Acting like a neighborhood plan for the Central Business Dis-trict, the downtown plan gives an overall vision for future growth, recommends public projects and lays out zoning for buildings in the downtown area.

The council initiated the plan through a December 2005 reso-lution, eventually offering a $1.4 million contract to consultants McCann and Jim Adams, who have led several major planning projects, including the Waller Creek District and Mueller.

Distinguishing downtown from other projects is its size and economic significance to the region, not just Central Austin.

“Even if you may not come downtown every day, it is really important,” McCann said.

About 80 percent of downtown property taxes are exported to provide services—such as schools, hospitals and infrastructure—outside of downtown, said Charles Betts, executive director of the Downtown Austin Alliance.

Additionally, the vibrancy and culture of downtown attract visi-tors and form their impressions of Austin once they leave.

The downtown plan is the sum of several smaller plans focused on areas, projects or topics, such as the Northwest District, trans-portation infrastructure or den-sity. Some of the individual plans have already been approved by council; some are still pending and some, like urban rail, might not be decided when council votes on the overall plan, tenta-tively set for late fall.Density vs. affordability

High-density development is associated with increased residential rent. As a solution, the downtown plan includes a Downtown Density Bonus Pro-gram, where developers can build bigger in exchange for including affordable housing or paying into a city fund to purchase affordable housing.

One conflict is whether the city should use the fund to buy hous-ing units downtown, or more units outside of downtown.

“It raises a lot of interesting questions about what we expect from downtown, how we should allocate scarce funds, how we can continue to make downtown as diverse as we all expect it to be,” Councilman Chris Riley said.

Approved in July 2009, the original density bonus/afford-able housing plans were made with housing aimed at downtown workers earning 80 to 120 percent of the area’s median income, or about $73,000 for a family of three, McCann said.

However, in March the City Council passed a resolution that emphasizes providing housing—in combination with social ser-vices—for those making less than 30 percent of the area’s median income, or about $20,000 for a family of three.

The plan supported creat-ing 170 very-low-income hous-ing units downtown, compared to the council resolution of 350 units. McCann said a revised density bonus/affordable housing plan will likely be a part of the overall downtown plan. In June, the city’s Planning Commission suggested that half of the fund be used for housing downtown and half for housing near downtown.Old and new

A seemingly haphazard patch-work of old and new structures, downtown has developed from an 1839 design by Edwin Waller, Austin’s first mayor. The plan lays out a grid of streets anchored by major public green spaces, including the Capitol, Colorado River and four public squares, three of which exist today.

Today’s downtown plan calls for a major revitalization of green spaces to serve as focal points of development in places such as Waller Creek, Palm Park, Water-loo Park and the historic squares.

“Parks and open spaces are the most undernourished resources in downtown. Most recent devel-opment and redevelopment clings to Lady Bird Lake because it is a great open space,” McCann said.

Another top priority of the plan is to maintain downtown’s histor-ic feel, a task made more difficult by a lack of information on build-ings potentially worth saving.

The last time the city attempted a comprehensive study of historic resources was more than 25 years ago. A primary objective of the downtown plan is to update the 1984 Cultural Resources Survey and Presentation Plan, which identified about 7,300 potentially historic structures built before 1935 in Central Austin. Since the survey, hundreds of downtown structures have been razed.

Fred Schmidt, owner of Wild About Music on Sixth Street, is torn between a respect for history

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In an October 2009 town hall meeting, McCann Adams Studio, consultants on the Downtown Austin Plan, presented outlines, including key goals and priorities, for seven districts in the downtown plan: Core/Waterfront, Northwest, Uptown/Capitol, Market/Lamar, Lower Shoal Creek, Waller Creek and Rainey Street. While the Waller Creek District was conducted as a separate planning effort by McCann Adams Studio, it is being integrated into the downtown plan. The Waller Creek, Core/Waterfront and North-west districts are the primary focus of the downtown plan, as they make up nearly half of downtown.

The remaining two districts, Judges Hill and UT/Northeast, do not have district plans. City staff decided not to include these areas because Judges Hill is a single-fam-ily zone and will remain that way, said Jana McCann, CEO of McCann Adams Studio; and in the UT/Northeast District, The University of Texas has its own master plan.

McCann also said the districts were not in danger of change.

“It was more important to address those districts that were more sus-ceptible to change,” she said.

The following is a breakdown of key goals and priorities within the seven identified district plans.

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Community Impact Newspaper • impactnews.com June 2010 | 21 Downtown Austin PlanThe Waller Creek District

Master Plan and Tunnel Project is integral to downtown plan-ning and is also being led by consultants McCann Adams Studio.

Austin City Council mem-bers were scheduled to take action on the master plan dur-ing their June 24 meeting. The Waller Creek plan comprises nine individual projects that together would revitalize the area surrounding the creek into a linear greenway, equipped with bicycle and pedestrian trails, businesses and public parks. The estimated cost of the first three projects is $34.1 mil-lion, with $27 million allocated for environmental restoration. The first project would take place in the southern part of the district, from Lady Bird Lake to Fifth Street.

To ensure the plan is reflec-tive of citizen needs, City Council and county commis-sioners appointed a 16-member advisory committee to shape and oversee the vision of the plan.

Funding for the Waller Creek plan is still undetermined but could come from a variety of sources, including federal, state

and private entities. The plan’s above-ground improvements will likely be on the November transportation bond election.

Plans for revitalization of Waller Creek—named for first Austin Mayor Edwin Waller—have been around since the ’70s, when improvements were made in honor of the nation’s bicen-tennial celebration. The current iteration has been driven by Councilwoman Sheryl Cole, whose proposal was approved by the council in 2007.

Commissioned in early 2009, McCann Adams Studio has held a series of public meetings while drafting the plan to re-envision the Waller Creek District.

In the past, development in the district has been foiled by excessive flooding, pollution and vagrancy. The purpose of the $127 million Waller Creek Tunnel Project is to mitigate those problems. To be complete in July 2014, the city-county project is funded by a 20-year Tax Increment Financing Zone.

During tunnel construction, Waterloo Park, which makes up more than half of Waller Creek’s open space, will be closed for renovations for more than two years, starting in mid-2011.

Core/Waterfront District

Waller Creek District Transportation

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Historic assets 29 Texas historic landmarks, 70 city historic landmarks, 25 National Register properties

Existing development Offices for public and private sector entities, major hotels and high-density mixed-use developments

Future development Planners have identified 63 opportunity sites in the district, totaling about 50 acres. Opportunity sites—underutilized or vacant parcels of land without historic significance and one-quarter block or greater in size—have the potential to be redeveloped within the next five to 15 years.

Significant potential Redevelopment infill potential is estimated at more than 14 million square feet.

District goals Enhance the Core/Waterfront District as the premier employment, cultural and visitor center of the region; improve the quality of the pedestrian

experience; make it easier to move around without a car; restore and activate the historic squares; ensure that the district is a welcoming and affordable place for all; preserve the historic building fabric

Primary objectives Update the city’s 1984 Cultural Resources Survey and Presentation Plan; change cocktail lounges from a permitted use (a right) to a conditional use (having to meet specified requirements); continue the city’s Great Streets Program; install public restrooms; install a way-finding system of signs directing people to significant sites; convert many one-way streets to two-way; enhance bus service; create urban rail; have the city lead the coordination of parking, improve old water and wastewater systems; provide higher levels of solid waste collection, recycling and composting; improve the public space around the ARCH facility; improve fire and police facilities

The heart of downtown, the 97-block Core/Waterfront District is the most inten-sively developed part of the city, bounded roughly by Lady Bird Lake, Shoal Creek, 11th Street and Red River Street.

The district includes

several recognized sub-districts, including East Sixth Street, the Warehouse District, Second Street Retail District, Lady Bird Lake and Austin’s three remaining original public squares: Brush, Republic and Wooldridge.

The 6th Street Improvement District is helping to develop a streetscape design built around the concept of narrowing East Sixth Street to three lanes and widening sidewalks to 24 feet in width.

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The Downtown Transporta-tion Framework Plan, a part of the Downtown Austin Plan, builds upon guidelines in the city’s Great Streets Program, first implemented in 2000. The Great Streets Program reimburses developers for a portion of the cost of building sidewalks, if built to Great Streets standards. The city sets aside about 30 per-cent of downtown parking meter revenue to fund the program.

The new transportation plan specifies four major modes of transportation: pedestrian, auto-mobile, transit and bicycle.

Pedestrian

• All streets should have wider sidewalks, shade trees and high-quality street lighting and furnishings.

• Most downtown streets should be at least 18 feet wide.

• Pedestrian priority streets include Congress Avenue, Cesar Chavez, Second Street, East Sixth Street and future Waller Creek Corridor

Automobile

• Regional access to downtown is limited by barriers both natural (river) and man-made (The University of Texas campus) so alternative transit modes are required for downtown to grow.

• Convert all one-way streets into two-way streets, except for Lavaca, Guadalupe, Fifth, Sixth and a portion of Trinity streets

• Build a new bridge to traverse Lady Bird Lake by extending Trinity Street to the south shore

• Automobile priority streets include Lamar Boulevard, Guadalupe, Lavaca, Congress Avenue, Red River Street, Cesar Chavez, 15th, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Fifteenth and MLK.

Transit

• Construct urban rail line connecting downtown with Central Austin and the airport. A bond proposal for urban rail could be in front of city voters in a fall 2011 election.

• Bus priority streets include Lamar, Guadalupe, Lavaca, Congress, Red River, Seventh, Fifteenth and MLK

• Create on-street transfer system for bus-to-rail transfers

Bicycle

• One-third of 1998 Austin Bicycle Plan recommendations have been implemented. The bike plan was updated in 2009.

• Complete Lance Armstrong Bikeway and Pfluger Bridge Extension

• Create downtown bicycle corridor along Nueces and Rio Grande streets

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Promote diversity of uses, with retail and restaurant uses and higher density residential

Encourage redevelopment of underutilized sites and garages

Enhance State Capitol campus consistent with its 1989 master plan

Improve North Congress Avenue as landscaped civic axis

Market/Lamar District

Strengthen area as mixed-use with ground-level shops and restaurants

Improve quality and safety of pedestrian environment

Introduce flood control measures, creek bank stabilization along Shoal Creek

Encourage pedestrian-oriented uses that open onto Shoal Creek

Lower Shoal Creek District

Improve continuity of creekside trails along Shoal Creek and implement flood control improvements and creek bank stabilization

Extend street grid to create stronger bicycle, pedestrian, transit and vehicular linkages to Core/Waterfront District

Rainey Street District

Allow for transition of neighborhood from single-family enclave to a high density mixed-use district

Establish an infrastructure plan to promote an adequate roadway, pathway and utility network

Preserve Rainey Street’s tree canopy

Create stronger pedestrian linkages to Lady Bird Lake and Waller Creek

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Downtown’s historic public squares

Republic Square

Park Brush Square Park


Named after a prominent merchant, Brush Square is in southeastern downtown.

Historic uses Overflow for 1800s public market; used by Alliance Cotton Yard around 1900

The “Northeast Square” is the “lost” park in the 1839 Waller Plan. Never developed as an open space, the site between Ninth, Trinity, Tenth and Neches streets has been occupied since the 1960s

Named after a mayor who led a rehabilitation efffort of the park, Wooldridge Square is in northwest downtown.

Historic uses Did not become a park for 70 years; used as a dump in early 1900s until Mayor Alexander P. Wooldridge led a cleanup effort; city’s preferred spot for public events in early to mid-1900s

Current uses Historic bandstand/pavilion; park tables; mainly used by homeless persons

Republic Square is in the southwest quadrant of downtown. The park was named Republic Square (in honor of the Republic of Texas) after a 1974 renovation project led by the parks department and Sierra Club.

Historic uses Adjacent to courthouse proposed by Waller and built in 1855; contains historic Auction Oaks where the Waller Plan lots were sold; used by congregation of Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral (built in 1890s)

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Neighbors Austin History Center; county buildings; Bank of America

Events Saturday giant chess; Cinco de Mayo; summer concerts

Long-term recommendations Improve park access; improve amphitheater seating; preserve bandstand; expand stage area; designate plaza in northwest corner

Near-term recommendations Allow food vendors; make

tables and chairs available for public use; Great Streets and transit improvements; work with county to provide public restrooms; develop exhibits about square’s history; improve tree health

Current uses Recently emerged from the first phase of a major revitalization project; Austin Farmers Market on Saturdays

Neighbors U.S. courthouse (to be complete fall 2012); U.S. post office; Chase Bank; potential sites for three high-rise mixed-use developments, new Austin Museum of Art building, office tower

Events Diez y Seis; Movies in the Park; Yoga in the Park; Austin City Limits bus staging

Long-term recommendation: Fund and complete all phases of existing park master plan

Other recommendations Great Streets improvements; food vendors; restrooms

Current uses Fire Station No. 1 (original station built by 1939); O. Henry Museum (built in 1888, moved to square in 1934); Susanna Dickinson-Hannig Museum (moved to square in 2002, renovated in 2010)

Neighbors Capital Metro downtown rail station; Austin Convention Center; Lance Armstrong Bikeway; Hilton Hotel and Residences; Marriott; The Avenue Lofts

Events O. Henry Pun-off; SXSW

Long-term recommendations Relocate firefighters and repurpose station; replace parking lot with green space

Near-term recommendations Reduce size of station parking lot; encourage neighborhood activities; allow food vendors; introduce bicycle rental facilities; plant a double row of shade trees along Fourth Street; install raised deck area to protect major live oak tree; improve tree health and provide irrigation

by the First Baptist Church. Church representatives say they have no intention of selling the site or relocating.

Historic uses Site of original Austin High School (opened in 1900), which became John Allan Junior High in 1925

Current use Site of main sanctuary building for First Baptist Church (originally founded in 1867 at the current site of the Austin History Center by Wooldridge Square)

Neighbors State and federal buildings; future U.S. post office

Long-term recommendation Discuss opportunities for land swaps with the church; one scenario would relocate church to adjacent block

Alternative recommendations Discuss creation of nearby public space on an unused plaza on a half-block owned by federal government; explore other potential sites

Wooldridge Square “Northeast Square”republic Square brush Square

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and a penchant for new urban-ism, or appropriate high-density development.

“The towers [on Congress Avenue] are good. They brought vertical construction and a den-sity of use good for downtown, but in the process we lost a lot of the original urban historic fabric of ‘The Main Street of Texas,’” he said.County, state plans

An integral, independent factor to the downtown plan is develop-ment of Travis County and state-owned property downtown.

“[The county and state] are very important members of the downtown community, provid-ing public services and creat-ing a stable employment base,” McCann said. “They create a sig-nificant amount of jobs.

In coordination with city plan-ners, Travis County is preparing a Central Campus Master Plan for its facilities downtown.

County planners estimate the amount of space county gov-ernment needs will more than double in 25 years, from about 530,000 square feet today to 1.1 million square feet in 2035.

The process began in June 2009 with a needs assessment. Public workshops are set for July and again at the end of the year. County commissioners will consider the plan in meetings in September and again in January, with the final report set to come out in March.

Even before the plan is com-plete, commissioners have already made a major acquisition to prepare for growth, by voting to buy an office building at 700 Lavaca St. for $61.25 million. The building will contain the Com-missioners Court, commission-ers’ offices and administration.

The county should close on the building by July, said Bill Anderson, senior vice president of Office Leasing Advisors.

In the long term, the county’s and state’s plans will cause rental rates to rise, he said.

“Anything between Cesar Chavez and 15th is going to be looking at increases because everybody down here now is fighting over space,” he said.

For state development, Texas Facilities Commission staffers released plans in late spring pro-jecting development in the state Capitol Complex to triple in the future, with an addition of 7 mil-lion square feet—about 20 per-cent of downtown’s entire devel-opment potential.

The scenario estimates office space needs to be 1 million square feet in the seven-block, 122-acre Capitol area. Another 1 million square feet of office space would be added on state-owned land near The Triangle.

The remaining 6 million square feet of potential space in the Capitol Complex would be developed under public-private partnerships, making the state-owned land subject to taxation.

Staffers will report to the com-mission in August. They expect a timeline to be drafted within a year. Although the plan is still

in an early phase, it represents a radical departure from a 2009 plan to create a new state com-plex near Toll 130 east of Austin.Implementing the plan

The Downtown Austin Plan is not the first city plan for down-town, or even the only plan in the works involving downtown. A concern for some is how the neighborhood plans—including the downtown plan—will fit into the comprehensive plan, the city’s overarching policies for growth

The Travis County Central Campus is centered on Wooldridge Square.

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Downtown Austin Plan continued

CONTINUED FROM | 20

Downtown

and development. The neigh-borhood plans exist as amend-ments to the city’s current Austin Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan, which would be replaced by the proposed Imagine Austin Com-prehensive Plan, slated for coun-cil consideration in 2011.

Attorney and Realtor Frank Herron has been involved in shaping the comprehensive plan, which would provide mandatory guidelines for development of the entire city for the next 30 years. It

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Judge Edwin Waller and the 1839 Waller Plan: How Austin was built around open spaces

The first mayor of Austin, Edwin Waller, was also the architect of the city’s first master plan, created from May to October 1839. Charged by the nascent Republic of Texas government, Waller and a team of about 200 laborers surveyed and plotted out the now-familiar grid street plan that characterizes downtown today.

The 1839 Waller Plan effectively prepared the tiny settlement of Waterloo and surrounding wilderness for development into the capital city of Texas, with the arrival of the state government from Houston in October 1839.

Born in Virginia in 1800, Waller arrived in Texas in spring 1831. In July of that year, the Mexican government granted him a tract of land in what is now Brazoria County in southeast Texas. Soon after, Waller gained notoriety for resistance of the Mexican government, first by being jailed for refusing to pay custom duties to Mexican authorities, then by participating in the June 1832 battle of Velasco—a bloody prelude to the Texas Revolution—where he was wounded in the head.

In 1833, Waller became alcalde of Brazoria Municipality, part of his duties being the exercise of judicial authority. He was a delegate from Brazoria to the Convention of 1836 on Washington-on-the-Brazos, and he signed the resulting Texas Declaration of Independence and also helped draft the Constitution of the Republic of Texas.

In 1839, Waller was chosen by Texas President Mirabeau B.

Lamar, a political ally, to supervise the surveying of Austin, sale of town lots and construction of public buildings. Waller carried out his duties on the edge of the Texas frontier with the protection of armed citizens. That same year, he helped organize Austin Masonic Lodge No. 12 at his residence.

Waller was appointed Texas postmaster general by the Senate on Dec. 10, 1839, but he resigned the next day. He was elected Austin’s first mayor in January 1840, but he gave up that position in August.

Waller then moved to Austin County, where he served as chief justice from 1844 to 1856. He campaigned unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in 1846.

In 1861, Waller represented Austin County at the Secession Convention. Because he was the only delegate present who had signed the Texas Declaration of Independence, members allowed Waller to be the first person to sign the ordinance of secession.

In 1873, Texas legislators formed a new county from Austin and Grimes counties, naming it Waller in his honor. Waller was elected the first president of the Texas Veterans Association in 1873. He died in January 1881 while on a trip to Austin on association business.

He was buried in the family cemetery in Waller County. In 1928 his remains, along with those of his wife, Juliet M. de Shields, were moved to the State Cemetery in Austin.

The 1839 Waller Plan for the City of Austin was based on William Penn’s plan for Philadelphia, which featured a grid street pattern around Independence Hall and four public squares.

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The red buildings represent new state offices. The blue represents public-private projects.

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does not make sense, he said, for smaller plans to precede passage of the comprehensive plan.

“By passing all of these smaller, more detailed planning efforts first, we’re painting ourselves into a corner of having to match the comprehensive plan to smaller efforts than vice versa,” he said.

However, City Councilman Chris Riley does not anticipate that type of conflict to occur.

“The neighborhood plans would be folded into the com-prehensive plan. They would be something like subchapters in the comprehensive plan,” he said.

McCann said the final draft of the downtown plan, when

Potential and current downtown projects


For more information on the Downtown Austin Plan, visit www.cityofaustin.org/downtown.

presented to city officials starting this fall, will include a robust implementation strategy. The details are still being worked out, but the plan will recommend creating an economic develop-ment corporation specific to downtown. The strategy will also include a list of prioritized projects for the next 10 years, suggested capital projects and changes to city policy.

Additional reporting by Rebecca Nordquist

The Waller Creek Tunnel Project is a stormwater bypass tunnel from Waterloo Park to Lady Bird Lake near Waller Beach. Construction will be completed in 2014.

The 683-foot-tall Austonian mixed-use tower at Second Street and Congress Avenue opened mid-June.

The Seaholm Power Plant is set to transform into a mixed-use development. The project is still under negotiation.

The six-mile Lance Armstrong Crosstown Bikeway, stretching from Levander Loop through downtown and ending near Deep Eddy Pool, is under construction.

The Thomas C. Green Water Treatment Plant redevelopment is planned at Second Street and Shoal Creek.

A new 230,000-square-foot federal courthouse is developing west of Republic Square Park.


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City of Austin historical highlights:

• Pre-18th century: Nomadic tribes of Tonkawas, Comanches and Lipan Apaches camped and hunted in the Austin area

• Late 18th century: Spanish set up temporary missions

• 1830s: First permanent Anglo settlers

arrive and found the village of Waterloo

• 1839: Waterloo is chosen to be the capital of the new Republic of Texas and is renamed in honor of Stephen F. Austin. Edwin Waller lays out grid street pattern for town site.

• 1881: Austin City Public Schools admits its first students. The Tillotson

Collegiate and Normal Institute—predecessor to Huston-Tillotson College—opens its doors.

• 1888: First state Capitol Building completed

• 1893: Great Granite Dam established on Colorado River

Sources: Texas Historical Commission, City of Austin

Downtown Austin Plan continued


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Regional Higher Education Focus 2010

By Andrea LeptinskyAs the economy slowly continues to

improve since its bottom fell out in 2008, college graduates are being forced to learn new ways to find—and apply for—available positions in a limited market.

“Seventy to 75 percent of jobs are in the ‘hidden job market,’ which are jobs that are obtained through word of mouth, referrals and other similar things,” said Roger Young, director of career services at Southwestern University in Georgetown. “We have to teach students how to get into the job mar-ket now more than ever.”

Students entering the workforce in 2010 have a slight advantage over 2009’s gradu-ates. According to the Job Outlook 2010 Fall Preview report released in April by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, companies project a 5.3 percent increase in college hiring this year. The same NACE study conducted in fall 2008

Experts advise students to seek out recruiters and job opportunities through networking

Recent grad job seekers forced to stay proactive, competitive to gain foothold in workforce

Largest ACC campus to open in August Increased state college funding unlikely in 2011

Fastest growing occupations

projected a 22 percent decrease in college hiring due to the slumping economy.

Stressed budgets at companies have placed a strain on recruitment efforts. Few-er businesses can afford sending recruiters to colleges and career fairs. Instead, they are shifting toward inexpensive approaches. NACE reported that, in 2010, out of 219 employers surveyed for the report:• 28 percent plan to attend fewer career fairs,• 24 percent plan to incorporate more

social networking into recruiting efforts,• 20 percent plan to focus more attention

on local hires and• 19 percent plan to make more contact

with student organizations and faculty.Young said this trend is reflected in the de-

crease of job opening advertisements placed on traditional job search websites, such as Yahoo’s Hot Jobs and CareerBuilder.com.

“You can still go to the big job boards or the newspaper, but you’re not going to see

The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently updated its 2008 projections on the country’s fastest growing occupations through 2018. The majority of positions expected to see significant growth fall within the healthcare field.

Home health aides and personal and home care aides

48% growthGrowth is expected to stem from a rise in the number of elderly people. This growth, together with the need to replace workers who leave the occupation permanently, should result in many job prospects.

Medical scientists

40% growth New discoveries in biological and medical science are expected to create strong employment growth for these workers.

Physician assistants

39% growthEmployment growth will likely be driven by an aging population and by healthcare providers’ increasing use of physician assistants to contain costs.

Athletic trainers

37% growthAthletic training will increasingly be used to prevent illness and injury. Job prospects for athletic trainers should also be good in high schools. Keen competition is expected for positions with professional and college sports teams.

Veterinary technologists and technicians

36% growthIncreases in the pet population and in advanced veterinary care are expected to create employment growth for these workers.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Quarterly, Spring 2010

Hiring projectionsThe National Association of Colleges and Employers’ hiring projections have vastly changed between 2005 and 2010. After the economy turned sour in 2008, job opportunities decreased drastically in 2009. According to local educators, students new to the workforce will need to be more aggressive in seeking out available jobs even though employers are expected to increasingly hire more recent graduates.

nearly as many jobs,” he said. “Only about 25 percent of jobs are available that way.”

The trend is forcing soon-to-be graduates not only to re-evaluate how they apply for a job, but also how they prepare them-selves to win the right position. With fewer recruiters on the prowl, graduates need to be more aggressive in pursuing leads and landing work.

“It’s a new game, to a certain degree,” Young said.

Tip No. 1: Network, network, network

“There’s a big misconception in young people about networking,” Young said. “They think it is just about using people. But it is really the best way to get a job.”

Michael Powell, director of the Engineer-ing Career Assistance Center at The Univer-sity of Texas at Austin, said students should be proactive and seek out contacts and professionals with whom to develop bonds that could be beneficial in a job search.

“It is the idea of establishing more of a lifeline, or ‘adoption,’ as I call it,” Powell said. “It’s more of honing in on the people that can be helpful to you, whether it’s friends in the industry, faculty members or staff at career services.”

Students should visit with these contacts often, keep them informed of their situa-tion and always check in to let them know if they are still job searching, Powell said.

“They adopt you in a way, and they become much more invested in your own success,” he said. “Instead of just being a casual contact and keeping their eyes open, they become someone who is actively searching on your behalf because they want you to succeed.”

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By Rob HeidrickAustin Community College

will open its new Round Rock campus Aug. 23 with an ini-tial enrollment of about 5,000 students. Once complete, the campus will accommodate about 11,500 students, making it ACC’s largest location.

Residents living in the Round Rock ISD taxing area voted to become part of the ACC District in 2008.

Property owners within any part of the district pay a property tax of $0.0946 per $100 valuation to ACC in exchange for enhanced programs and services. The col-lege has a standard $5,000 home-stead exemption plus a $105,000

exemption for seniors and home-owners with disabilities.

For a property valued at $200,000, the 2010 ACC District tax bill would be $184.47, or $15.37 per month. Seniors and disabled homeowners with prop-erty of the same value would pay $85.14 in district taxes.

Most of the communities that have opted for ACC annexation are school districts, but annexa-tion can also be defined by city boundaries, as was the case in 2005 with the annexation of the City of Austin, which includes

By Patrick BrendelIn the 2009 Texas legislative ses-

sion, lawmakers used $12 billion in federal stimulus funds to pass a $182 billion budget. Going into the 2011 session, legislators face an estimated $18 billion budget shortfall, without the prospect of significant federal dollars.

In 2009, state legislators were able to increase higher education spending by 7.4 percent over the previous biennium to $22.8 bil-lion. Right now, the best plausible scenario in 2011 is for lawmakers to avoid a reduction in funding, said state Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, a member of the House Committee on Higher Education.

“We’ll be in a good position if

we manage to maintain what we already have,” she said.

State leaders have called for across-the-board budget cuts of 5 percent in preparation for the deficit. Gov. Rick Perry exempted college financial aid from those cuts. In May, The University of Texas at Austin began imple-menting a plan to reduce annual recurring expenses by $14.6 mil-lion. The plan eliminates about 200 positions, including 125 already cut in the past year.

The looming state budget gap in 2011 will probably preclude the reintroduction of failed 2009 legislation to re-regulate state

The Round Rock campus, photographed May 12, will be the largest in the ACC system.

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1 ACC Pinnacle and South Austin campuses

A 440-space parking lot, located east of the campus, will open in August to serve students, staff and visitors of Austin Community College’s Pinnacle Campus. A new traffic signal-controlled entrance will be added at the intersection of Hwy. 290 and Convict Hill Road to accommodate drivers using the new lot. Upon completion of the new parking lot, ACC will cease service of its shuttle bus, which carried students from the vacant Albertsons parking lot near the Y at Oak Hill to the Pinnacle Campus. Capital Metro’s bus route 171 will continue service at the Pinnacle Campus.

In other ACC news, the Austin Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities nominated the South Austin Campus, as a friendly place for disabled residents.

In May the ACC district acquired 18 acres of property formerly owned by Dillard’s Inc. at 5901 Airport Blvd. for the purpose of expanding college programs and facilities.

Dr. Stephen B. Kinslow, president of the Austin Community College District, announced June 7 his plan to retire when his contract ends in June 2011. For the full story, see more.impactnews.com/8733.

A Pinnacle Campus, 7748 Hwy. 290 W., Austin 223-8108 • www.austincc.edu/pin

B South Austin Campus, 1820 W. Stassney Lane, Austin • 223-9100 • www.austincc.edu/sac

2 Concordia University TexasAs Concordia University Texas gets ready for

its third school year at the new campus in the Four Points area, the school continues to expand. The university has two new programs preparing to launch in the fall with the Master of Business Administration program and a Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing program. The nursing program, which was approved April 22, will feature pre-nursing and professional nursing courses.

11400 Concordia University Drive, Austin313-3000 • www.concordia.edu

3 EWCHECWhile the East Williamson County Higher

Education Center’s Taylor campus will remain unchanged, the cities of Hutto and Taylor are both lobbying Temple College officials to bring a second campus to fruition, an issue that will require a vote of approval from Temple’s board of trustees.

516 N. Main St., Taylor254-298-8954 • www.ewchec.com

4 Huston-Tillotson UniversityCelebrating its 135th anniversary, Huston-

Tillotson University faces record enrollment with more than 800 students currently enrolled. This year, the school has also seen a jump in African-American male enrollment and a spike in the number of students who are part of the Male Initiative on Learning and Excellence Program, a student retention and engagement plan.

900 Chicon St., Austin • 505-3000 • www.htu.edu

5 Southwestern University

Southwestern University’s $11 million “green” Charles and Elizabeth Prothro Center for Lifelong Learning opened in March to house student services departments and Georgetown Senior University. Southwestern also became headquarters to the National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education in April. University officials signed an agreement with the City of Georgetown Jan. 12 to have all the university’s energy derived from wind power.

1001 E. University Ave., Georgetown863-6511 • www.southwestern.edu

6 St. Edward’s UniversitySt. Edward’s University commemorates 125 years

this year, which also marks the completion of the private Catholic university’s strategic plan, crafted in 2000. Undergraduate enrollment has increased by 80 percent, and more than 40 new academic programs have been added in the last decade. A new strategic plan should be announced this fall.

The university plans to expand with the inclusion of a second phase of the John Brooks Williams Natural Sciences Center slated for completion by 2012 and a new chapel.

3001 S. Congress Ave., Austin448-8400 • www.stedwards.edu

7 Texas A&M Health Science Center The Texas A&M Health Science Center opened

the first building on its new Round Rock campus in December, and the medical school is planning future phases to expand the campus and add new programs of study in coming years. The College of Nursing begins its first Round Rock program in June. Plans are also in the works for the Round Rock campus to host other HSC colleges. No timeline has been set for when other schools could begin to offer instruction.

3950 N. A.W. Grimes Blvd., Round Rock • 341-4922http:// medicine.tamhsc.edu/campuses/rr/index.html

8 Texas State University–San MarcosTexas State University-San Marcos is in the

middle of a 10-year master plan and has several construction projects in progress or in the works. These include a $47 million residence hall complex, a new undergraduate academic center, a research and commercialization center and a new concert hall and theater center. The university is also scheduled to open a nursing building this fall at its Round Rock campus.

601 University Drive, San Marcos • 512-245-2111 www.txstate.edu

9 The University of Texas at AustinThe University of Texas at Austin is addressing

new program and facilities creation while facing restricted funding. The study of sustainable energy began through The Energy Institute, a multidisciplinary institution formed last summer. On March 25, the College of Communication broke ground on the Belo Center for New Media, a $50.6 million facility to better serve the needs of communications studies. The exhibit “Our Body: The Universe Within” is on display until Sept. 22. Also this year, the university began implementing a plan to reduce annual recurring expenses by $14.6 million.

2400 Inner Campus Drive, Austin 475-7348 • www.utexas.edu

Regional Higher Education Focus 2010News briefs on Central Texas colleges and universities


UT Venture Labs starting up startups

Wes Hurt, founder and owner of Hey Cupcake, said he always wanted to own his own business. So when St. Edward’s University opened up an entrepreneur track for the first time in 2005, Hurt, who was an undergraduate student at the time, jumped on board.

“I learned a little bit of everything, specifically, operations management: Know your strengths and weaknesses,” he said.

Hurt had taken classes at other universities, but said what stood out at St. Edward’s was the personal attention he received.

“You always hear people say they can talk after class, but the people at St. Ed’s will really take you up on it,” he said. “They will spend extra time to give you extra stuff. The personal aspect of St. Ed’s makes it a strong program and university in general.”

Dianne Hill, St. Edward’s associate dean of the School of Management and Business and Master of Business Administration director, explained that the entrepreneurship program, available for undergraduates and graduates, begins with their own idea on which they can work.

Currently, about 97 undergraduate students are enrolled as entrepreneurship majors for a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, and about 80 graduate students are enrolled with a concentra-tion in entrepreneurship for an MBA degree.

Traditional courses in marketing, finance and other subjects are taught in classrooms with small student-to-teacher ratios, about 20 to 25 for undergraduate and 15 to 20 for graduate courses.

Students also have the opportunity to go through their business plan in a practicum and compete in business plan competitions.

“Whenever we have a business startup, we sup-port them by buying whatever they are selling to service faculty events,” Hill said. “We care about the students and we get excited about them.”

By Yvonne Lim WilsonAs a city, Austin consistently ranks at the top of the list for entre-

preneurship and small-business creation. Part of what contributes to the city’s strong entrepreneurial spirit is the various business programs available locally.

In March, The University of Texas at Austin announced the creation of Texas Venture Labs, a program that connects entrepreneurs, investors and students with the goal of getting projects funded.

UT McCombs School of Business faculty member Rob Adams co-founded Texas Venture Labs with Randall Crowder, executive director for Central Texas Angels Network, a nonprofit investment organization.

Crowder said the university has always had entrepreneurial education opportunities, but the new program formalizes all the resources available.

“We want to be able to give the UT System, specifically UT-Aus-tin, a very compelling model to foster entrepreneurship in the real world,” Crowder said. “We are also a part of the community and we’re here to support local entrepreneurs.”

Texas Venture Labs welcomes its first class of 31 graduate stu-dents from UT’s business, law and engineering schools this fall. Students earn three credit hours for the course and will have the option of enrolling in a second semester for an additional three credit hours.

Matt Chasen was a student in Adams’ New Venture Creation class, a precursor to Texas Venture Labs. Through the class, Chasen developed his idea for uShip, which launched in 2004 and is the largest online shipping marketplace, with revenues of more than $5 million.

“To me, it felt like having high-end entrepreneurship consultants directly supporting me as I was building the business plan and launching the business,” Chasen said.

Through Texas Venture Labs, selected entrepreneurs submit their business ideas. Students, working in teams of five, gain

St. Edward’s entrepreneurship program provides personal attention

Rob Adams and Randall Crowder, co-founders of Texas Venture Labs

Matt Chasen, founder of uShip

real-world experience by helping to create business plans, conduct market research, create lead generation tools and other services businesses need to acquire funding. Typically, these services would cost $10,000 to $20,000 in professional services and a significant amount of the business owner’s time.

At the same time, the students work with potential investors to find potential business opportunities and to conduct all of the necessary research.

“We want to fill that void and help the entrepreneur, investor and student get what they want,” Crowder said. “It’s like an internship program on steroids.”

As the program develops, Crowder said the goal is to open it up to undergraduate students in fall 2011. All participants have access to a strong mentoring network that continues beyond graduation, Crowder said.

“This is something you can get excited about,” he said. “I’m not going to lie to you: Some of these entrepreneurs can get funding and turn around and hire these students.”

Leon Chen, co-founder and co-owner of Tiff ’s Treats, was a freshman business student at UT in 1997 before Texas Venture Labs existed. Chen, who regularly speaks at UT business classes, said the university’s renewed focus on entrepreneurship is greatly in demand among students.

“There’s definitely more of an entrepreneurial spirit in the busi-ness school now,” Chen said. “It’s a matter of seeing the success of former students; it’s an attitude.”

Crowder sees Texas Venture Labs as a benefit not only to UT, but also to the larger Austin community in supporting the local economy.

“Austin is at a crossroads right now,” Crowder said. “We can’t sit and wait in the shadow of the semiconductor boon. There are a lot of people innovating in Austin, and we want to give them the best possible chance to be funded.”

Leon Chen and Tiffany Taylor, co-founders of Tiff’s Treats

Job seekers

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Social networking sites such as Face-book and LinkedIn provide additional avenues for students to connect with others and tap into the hidden job market, Young said.

Tip No. 2: Research before you apply

Terry Jones, assistant professor at the UT School of Nursing, said she assigns an investigation project to her students to help prepare them for applying to highly competitive nursing jobs.

“They have to select a couple of jobs to investigate,” Jones said, “then do research.

What are the key things they want to know about a hospital? Then they choose one of those jobs and develop a résumé, cover letter and follow-up letter.”

This project is important, Jones said, be-cause students need to do their homework as a part of their job search. Nursing stu-dents, for example, are watching their field become more competitive as nurses with seniority return to the field to generate ad-ditional income for their families. When it is hard to get a job, students should make sure their applications are going to posi-tions they believe are a good fit; otherwise, they may find themselves job searching again quickly.

“What I hear from hospitals is that

they’re interviewing a couple hundred people for a dozen jobs,” Jones said. “The competition is very tight.”

Tip No. 3: Get comfortable with selling yourself

With fewer available jobs and tighter company budgets, students need to exude confidence—through their dress, résumé, speaking abilities and overall actions, Jones said.

“They need to take every opportunity they have to get their name in front of a recruiter,” she said.

If there is an application online, Jones advises her students to follow those direc-tions, but also to hand deliver a nicely

printed hard copy of their cover letter and résumé when possible. This allows stu-dents to have their names associated with a professional-looking document.

Jones said she shows her students how to transform skills developed in outside jobs, even though they may not apply to their field.

“The reality is most [students] don’t have experience in nursing,” Jones said. “We teach them how to look at what skill sets they have developed in those other jobs that could be useful in nursing—transferable skills are always important.”


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Sponsored by:


Higher Education ContinuedConcordia University Texas offers new MBA program

MBA programs available in Central Texas

By Tiffany YoungConcordia University Texas is enrolling

40 students for its first Master of Business Administration program, which starts this fall. Twenty students will attend Concor-dia’s main campus in West Austin, and another 20 will take classes at its North Austin location.

“Many people say Austin does not need another MBA program, but we say Austin does need another MBA [program] to learn skills that can impact the world,” said Don Christian, dean of Concordia University’s College of Business.

What will set the program apart from others is its focus on personal transforma-tion, Christian said.

Linda Ford, director of the program, said the college is not just looking to get the students who have the highest scores.

“The focus is on getting to know the whole person and then choosing based on that,” Ford said.

At its first informational session, held at the university April 6, staff outlined the profile of a successful applicant as one who exceeds the minimum requirements, whose goals are aligned with the program, who wants to make a difference in the world, who can write with clarity and who has a strong work experience.

While the program will only be accepting 40 applicants this fall, two more cohorts will begin next spring and a wait list is likely.

“This entire program is designed for practical ends,” said Tommy Darwin, cur-riculum architect for the MBA program.

He said in the first year, the program would focus on leadership, personal trans-formation and making an impact.

“The first year is laying your founda-tion—laying the nuts and bolts for what you’re going to do [with your degree],” Darwin said.

The second year will focus more on inte-gration of business skills. There will also be

Acton MBA in Entrepreneurship1404 E. Riverside Drive, Austin450-5080 • www.actonmba.orgApplication deadline: For class of 2012, final deadline is March 14, 2011 (2011 class is full)Cost: $24,750 per semesterNumber accepted: 30–40 studentsLength of program: 12 months

Baylor Executive MBAFreescale Austin Campus, 7700 W. Parmer Lane, Austin • 996-4095 • www.baylor.eduApplication deadline: July 31; classes begin in AugustCost: August 2010 program is $71,500Number accepted: Up to 40 per yearLength of program: 21 months; classes meet Mondays and Thursdays from 6 to 10 p.m.

Concordia University Texas11400 Concordia University Drive, Austin7701 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin313-3000 • http://mba.concordia.edu

Application deadline: July 1 for fall admissionCost: $550 per credit hourNumber accepted: 40Length of program: Two years

DeVry University Keller Graduate School of ManagementStratum Executive Center, 11044 Research Blvd., Ste. B100, Austin231-2500 • www.keller.eduApplication deadline: Open enrollmentCost: Per course $2,100 onsite, $2,225 onlineNumber accepted: Open enrollmentLength of program: 16 months

McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin1 University Station B6000, Austin471-5921 • www.mccombs.utexas.eduApplication deadline: April 1 (2010 class is full)Cost: One year, in-state $48,572 (including estimated cost of living, books and a laptop)

a component in which each student designs something that will benefit the community based on a personal passion: whether that includes supporting a nonprofit or starting a business or nonprofit.

Classes will meet once a week on Tuesday or Thursday night, depending on the loca-tion, and will last four hours. Two courses are offered per evening.

Darwin outlined three possible outcomes

for future students: a new set of skills to better the world, a sense of how to make a meaningful impact and the belief this goal they had was doable.

While Darwin said the two years would be very intense, he also believed everyone who is accepted could complete the program.

“We’re all about taking the excuses out of this,” he said.

Concordia University Texas will launch its new MBA program this fall at its main campus and North Austin location.

Number accepted: 260Length of program: 21 months for full time and executive MBA; 33 months for evening MBA

McCoy School of Business at Texas State University1555 University Blvd., Round Rock 716-4000 • www.rrhec.txstate.eduApplication deadline: June 1 for fall start; Oct. 1 for spring startCost: Approximately $14,000 based on the 2010 tuition and fees for a student who takes six hours per semesterNumber accepted: Historically about 70 percent of applicantsLength of program: General MBA is a 42-hour program; 45 hours with an area of emphasis

St. Edward’s UniversityMain campus, 3001 S. Congress Ave., AustinProfessional Education Center, 9420 Research Blvd., Bldg. Echelon III448-8600 • www.stedwards.edu

Application deadline: July 1Cost: Evening classes $900 each; daytime classes for Digital Media Management MBA fall 2010 is $50,228 for two-year program Number accepted: 150Length of program: Two to three years

Strayer University 8501 MoPac, Ste. 100, Austin568-3300 • www.strayer.edu/north_austinApplication deadline: Open enrollment, summer session starts June 28Cost: $2,050 per classNumber accepted: No limitLength of program: 54 credit hours or 12 classes

University of Phoenix10801 N. MoPac, Austin344-1400 • www.phoenix.eduApplication deadline: Open enrollmentCost: $605–$655 per credit hour plus feesNumber accepted: No limitLength of program: 36–54 credit hours

ACC State higher ed funding

CONTINUED FROM |25 CONTINUED FROM | 25

For an extended version of the story visit more.impactnews.com/8848

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portions of Round Rock ISD, Pflugerville ISD and Eanes ISD.

Tuition for students who live within the district is considerably lower than it is for those who live outside of it. Factoring in the $3 per credit hour increase approved this year, ACC’s in-district tuition rate this fall will be $42 per credit hour, with a total cost of $174 for a typical three-credit class, including fees. Out-of-district students will pay $150 per credit hour, or $498 with fees for a three-credit course.

Whenever a new area is an-nexed into the ACC District, the taxable properties go on the tax

rolls the following January, and taxes will not be due until the next January. The lower in-dis-trict tuition rate goes into effect immediately.

Some communities outside of the ACC District are within the college’s service area, meaning residents could eventually vote to join the district. Students who live in these areas may enroll in classes but must still pay out-of-district tuition.

There are 11 ACC Centers that operate at local high school sites within the service area, offering credit classes to the general pub-lic and high school students. A recent rise in enrollment reflects increases in higher education participation rates across the

community, further enhanced by the college’s comparatively low cost, ACC spokeswoman Alexis Patterson said.

“There is also a growing aware-ness of the growing number of careers requiring associate degrees and technical certificates not available at four-year univer-sities,” she said.

In order for a new area to join the district, at least 5 percent of registered voters would need to sign a petition supporting the annexation, allowing the ACC board of directors to call for a local election on the issue. This process is required by state law and applies to any jurisdiction that pursues annexation.

college tuition, Howard said. Last session, lawmakers considered—but did not pass—bills to prevent Texas’ major schools from hiking tuition and fees by more than 5 percent each year.

“This is not a time that the state is going to be looking at forcing the universities to have tuition regulated, knowing that the state won’t be in a position to help out,” Howard said.

House Speaker Joe Straus has asked lawmakers not to create new taxes in 2011. That probably means no new high-dollar pro-grams, such as new law or medical schools, Howard said.

In 2009, lawmakers increased state student financial aid by 34 percent, surpassing the $1 billion mark for the first time. Additional TEXAS grant funding allowed the state to assist 70 percent of eligible applicants (up from 50 percent).

One of Howard’s goals in 2011 is to create a process giving prior-ity to college-ready applicants.

A bill passed in 2009 allows UT-Austin—beginning in fall 2011—to cap the amount of freshmen admitted automatically under the Top 10 Percent rule to 75 percent. About 77 percent of UT’s 2009 freshman class were admitted under the Top 10 Percent rule.


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* Centex Homes reserves the right to substitute or withdraw the options at any time without notice. This offer valid on new Centex contracts for to-be-built homes signedafter 06/01/2010 and before 06/30/2010. Offer not valid with other promotions or discounts or on contract rewrites. Offer may affect the amount of loan for which abuyer may be eligible, check with your lender for details. Offer may not be redeemed for cash or equivalent. Retail value of offer not to exceed $10,000. This materialshall not constitute a valid offer in any state where prior registration is required or if void by law. ©2010 Centex Homes. All rights reserved.

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78749 - The Village at Western Oaks

Featured homes

9028 Sautelle Lane4 Br/3.5 Ba | 3,281 sq. ft.Agent: Jeanne WhiteAmelia Bullock

$339,000327-4800

9004 Tanak Lane4 Br/3 Ba | 3,030 sq. ft.Agent: Kendred ManceauxCapital City Realtors, LLC

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Less than $149,999

$150,000–$199,999

$200,000–$299,999

$300,000–$399,999

$400,000–$499,999

$500,000–$599,999

$600,000–$799,999

$800,000–$999,999

$1 million +

48/67

107/70

74/73

3/79

2/88

3/43

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4/159

43/63

87/67

21/67

3/63

3/54

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20/58

6/86

1/55

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25/52

139/68

94/63

12/68

6/76

3/115

1/22

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2/185

7/42

16/132

42/78

22/72

2/333

17/86

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3/143

1/574

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26/68

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Price range

No. of homes for sale/Avg. days on market

On the market (May 1–31)

78745 7873978749 78748 78735 78736 78737

Market Data Market Data provided by Austin Board of Realtors

May 2010

May 2009

May 2010

May 2009

Month

58/$165,000 71/$242,500 41/$320,000 53/$187,000

37/$183,000 56/$230,750 37/$323,000 66/$165,305

26/$385,000 10/$174,000 15/$311,500

21/$385,000 5/$185,000 13/$303,000

Monthly home sales

78745 78739 7874878749Sold/Median Price

Month 78735 78736 78737

Sold/Median Price

Slaughter Ln.

Davis Ln.

Esca

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Residential Real Estate | Neighborhoods at a Glance

The Village at Western Oaks features easy access to MoPac and is minutes away from Escarpment Village, which has an H-E-B, retail and restaurants.Schools• Mills Elementary School• Gorzycki Middle School• Bowie High School


Consult with your Austin REALTOR® to learn more or visit www.AustinHomeSearch.com.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE AUSTIN BOARD OF REALTORS®

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78735 Barton Creek 8027 Chalk Knoll Drive 4br/4ba $2,300,000 7,078 Susan Griffith Amelia Bullock, Realtors 327-480078735 Courtyard At Gaines Ranch 3917 Gaines Court 3br/2ba $399,000 2,449 Carole Martin Keller Williams Realty 633-515478735 Travis Country Green 5528 Travis Green Lane 4br/3ba $399,000 2,854 Janet Lake Coldwell Banker United Realtor 965-765778735 Travis Country West 8016 Cobblestone 6br/4ba $415,000 3,836 Tera Keesee Moreland Properties 905-200078736 Covered Bridge 7513 Covered Bridge Drive 4br/2ba $339,900 2,901 Gary Steele Keller Williams Realty 426-980078737 Goldenwood West 8109 Little Spring Lane 4br/2ba $309,900 2,032 Paul Huddleston J.B. Goodwin, Realtors 502-765678737 Goldenwood West 16905 Westview Trail 3br/2ba $229,999 2,094 Alicia Waltuck Goldwasser Real Estate 736-758578739 Circle C Ranch 10404 Dedham Court 5br/3ba $349,000 3,284 Lee Allbright Coldwell Banker United Realtor 413-952078739 Circle C West 7509 Magenta Lane 4br/3ba $420,000 3,580 Janet Mays Coldwell Banker United Realtor 653-362678739 Hielscher - Circle C 7312 Seneca Falls Loop 4br/2ba $325,000 2,317 Chad Goldwasser Goldwasser Real Estate 420-030078739 Meridian 7916 Levata Drive 4br/2ba $314,900 2,520 Dylan Everett J.B. Goodwin, Realtors 680-752378745 Buckingham Ridge 6503 Skycrest Drive 4br/2ba $218,000 1,921 Richard Spencer Keller Williams Realty 826-433478745 Cherry Creek 8819 Dandelion Trail 4br/2ba $195,000 2,191 Angela D’Andrea J.B. Goodwin, Realtors 658-523578748 Beaconridge 8101 Criswood Place 3br/2ba $175,000 1,139 Laurie Bejarano Stanberry & Associates 468-815778748 Buckingham Estates 8908 Romayne Lane 3br/2ba $167,000 1,141 Mary Crecelius Pacesetter Properties 422-912178748 Canterbury Trails 1305 Summoners Tale Court 3br/2ba $159,900 1,590 Crystal Kilpatrick Homes ATX 680-583578748 Parkwood 849 Latteridge Drive 3br/2ba $157,900 1,247 Kent Redding Prudential Texas Realty 306-100178748 Shady Hollow 3415 Squirrel Hollow 4br/2ba $299,983 2,574 Gary Gentry Keller Williams Realty 794-672878748 Shady Hollow 3101 Fort Worth Trail 3br/2ba $215,000 1,588 Vikki Goodwin Homes ATX 426-909078748 Southland Oaks 12105 Buckingham Gate Road 3br/2ba $203,900 1,573 Gerry Vanover Coldwell Banker United Realtor 431-540178749 Legend Oaks 6421 Billy Bonney Pass 3br/2ba $234,988 1,890 Paul Logan J.B. Goodwin, Realtors 502-782778749 Maple Run 3830 Arrow Drive 3br/2ba $167,900 1,281 Karen Robertson Prudential Texas Realty 799-901778749 Oak Creek Parke 3917 Shavano Drive 4br/2ba $250,000 2,340 Patrick McGinley Keller Williams Realty 784-214278749 Sendera 4408 Walsall Loop 3br/2ba $220,000 1,945 Gregory Cooper Goldwasser Real Estate 565-049978749 Sendera 8816 Whiteworth Loop 3br/2ba $235,000 2,105 Chad Goldwasser Goldwasser Real Estate 420-030078749 Village At Western Oaks 5613 Wagon Train Road 4br/2ba $219,000 1,756 Linda Bishop J.B. Goodwin, Realtors 330-930078749 Village At Western Oaks 5807 Fitchwood Lane 3br/2ba $239,983 1,855 Gary Gentry Keller Williams Realty 794-672878749 Village At Western Oaks 6019 San Paublo Court 4br/2ba $257,000 2,344 Tami Carson J.B. Goodwin, Realtors 517-598678749 Village At Western Oaks 6009 La Naranja Lane 3br/2ba $282,500 2,301 Travis Kenney Goldwasser Real Estate 914-721278749 Village At Western Oaks 5301 Tamango Way 4br/2ba $286,900 2,401 Jennifer Glasscock Keller Williams Realty 450-834378749 Westcreek Ranch Condo 4620 William Cannon Drive 2br/2ba $192,000 1,304 Kristi Larkam Coldwell Banker United Realtor 914-8950

7509 Magenta Lane $420,000

3830 Arrow Drive $167,900

ZIP code Subdivision Address Bed/Bath Price Sq. Ft. Agent Agency Phone Southwest Austin

78735 Oak Hill / Southwest Parkway area

78736 Oak Hill

78737 Oak Hill

78739 Circle C area

78745 South of Ben White, Sunset Valley

78748 Shady Hollow / Manchaca area

78749 MoPac / William Cannon

ZIP code guide

The residential real estate listings were added to the market between 6/4/10 and 6/11/10 and were provided by the Austin Board of Realtors, www.abor.com. Although every effort has been made to ensure the timeliness and accuracy of this listing, Community Impact Newspaper assumes no liability for errors or omissions. Contact the property’s agent or seller for the most current information.

For additional residential real estate listings, visit more.impactnews.com/8843

Residential Real Estate | Property Listings

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