Westcreek Nei Westcreek Neighborhood Wghb ESTCREEKorhoo ... · Here’s the status of other...

Copyright © 2005 Peel, Inc. Westcreek Neighborhood Association Newsletter - December 2005 1

WESTCREEK NEIGHBORHOOD

Westcreek NeighborhoodA S S O C I AT I O N

Westcreek NeighborhoodA S S O C I AT I O N

December, 2005 - Published Monthly for our Westcreek Neighbors Log on at westcreekna.orgVolume 1, Issue 9

Westcreek and other neighborhoods participating in the lawn-parking ban won a significant victory at city hall in October. However, some other problems raised with city administrators will require more lobbying to achieve a pro-neighborhood resolution.The lawn-parking ban has been in enforcement limbo because of ambiguous language inserted as a loophole in the original ordinance passed by the city council. The city administration was proposing an amendment to that loophole which would have made the law enforceable but would have clearly established legalized parking on the grass. However, Council Member Betty Dunkerley substituted a motion, deleting the loophole section entirely. The council voted 6-1 in favor of the Dunkerley substitute. The result is an enforceable lawn-parking-ban ordinance that restricts parking to paved driveways. Our thanks to Council members Dunkerley, Leffingwell, McCracken and Kim, and Mayor Wynn and Mayor Pro Tem Thomas, who championed our cause. Homeowners in Westcreek voted overwhelmingly to participate in the lawn-parking ban because of the negative impact parking on the grass has on home values and the aesthetic appeal of an area. Before the vote, Council Member Leffingwell pointed out that parking on the grass also increases the amount of impervious cover, thereby contributing to pollution and water runoff problems. Here’s the status of other important issues the WNA recently raised with the city.

• Speeding and ignoring stop signs in various Westcreek locations – Police have increased patrols throughout the neighborhood and have issued numerous citations, including some unrelated to our initial complaints.

• Evaluation of possible extension of Brush Country to Westcreek Drive to pull school and cut-through traffic off Summerset Trail and Hill Forest – The idea was rejected by city traffic planners because of the 90-degree curve that would be required.

• Our contention the curve on Summerset Trail near the intersection with Hill Forest is dangerous – City staff looked at traffic accident records and told us there’s no evidence to justify our complaints about that location.

• Lower speed limit on the Summerset Trail section between Brush Country and Hill Forest – The street is too wide to be covered by a new state law allowing the lowering of the speed limit without a traffic study, and a traffic study conducted by the city at the request of the WNA found speeding falls within the variances allowed for a 30 MPH zone. Changing this speed limit to 25 MPH will require a state legislative remedy.

• Permanent solution to speeding on Brush Country – The city administration suggested the neighborhood should consider filing a request to have bike lanes painted on the street. That would have the effect of narrowing the street and reducing the speed.

• Large trailer parking in driveways – This issue will require a study by the city administration and may require lobbying council members to get action taken.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2005Will Hampton Library,5125 Convict Hill Rd.

(between Brush Country and Beckett Lane)

This meeting will include:ANNUAL ELECTION OF

WNA OFFICERS(see related article in this newsletter)

And as always, a Door Prizewill be awarded!

Westcreek wins one at city hall,other issues still undecided WNA QUARTERLY

MEETING & HOLIDAY PARTY

Officer electionat December meeting Election of officers tops the business agenda for the quarterly WNA meeting this month. Members will vote to fill expiring terms for half the WNA Executive Committee. The terms of Vice President Alicia Ortiz, Treasurer Jan Boswell, and Member At Large (Position 3) Ben Coughran expire at the end of 2005. Each is eligible to serve a second consecutive term in that post. Under WNA bylaws, the Executive Committee may propose a slate of candidates and supporting members may nominate individuals from the floor at the December meeting. Officers are elected to two-year terms. The terms of the remaining officers expire at the end of 2006. If you have someone you’d like to nominate, or if you would like to run for one of these positions, please notify our secretary, Judy Jefferson at [email protected] with your name and the position you are interested in.

2 Westcreek Neighborhood Association Newsletter - December 2005 Copyright © 2005 Peel, Inc.


December/JanuaryWNA Calendar

WNA CONTACTSWNA website ........................................... http:westcreekna.orgWrite to us at: WNA; P.O. Box 91373; Austin, TX 78719-1373PresidentBob Shrader [email protected], 892-1768Vice PresidentAlicia Ortiz [email protected], 892-4733TreasurerJan Boswell [email protected], 892-3786SecretaryJudy Jefferson .......................... [email protected], 892-1105Ex-PresidentKim Sherman .......... [email protected], 468-4387Member-at-Large & OHAN RepresentativeBen Coughran [email protected], 892-5364Member-at-Large & Newsletter EditorKaren Gregory [email protected], 899-1292Enhancement Committee Chair (Yard of the Month)Clara Oliver [email protected], 899-1938

City ContactCall 311 to report any City-related problem. It operates 24/7. Report a non-emergency crime, barking dogs, speeding problems, zoning violations, blocked sidewalks, etc.

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December 12 WNA Quarterly Membership Meeting – Election of Officers, 7 p.m., Will Hampton Branch Library, Convict Hill Road

December 12 Recycling Pickup DayDecember 14 Oak Hill Association of Neighborhoods, 7

p.m., Pinnacle Building, Rm 108.December 15 AISD Last Day of School before Winter

BreakDecember 17 Annual membership drive mailer party December 19-January 2 – AISD Winter BreakDecember 20 WNA Executive Committee Meeting,

7 p.m., Will Hampton Branch Library, Convict Hill Road

December 26 Recycling Pickup DayDecember 28 Austin Neighborhoods Council, 7 p.m.,

Austin Energy Building, 721 Barton Springs Road.

January 1 New Year’s DayJanuary 2 AISD Staff DevelopmentJanuary 3 AISD Classes ResumeJanuary 5 WNA Newsletter Copy DeadlineJanuary 9 Recycling Pickup Day; CAMPO, 6 p.m.January 11 OHAN meeting, 7 – 9 p.m.January 16 Martin Luther King, Jr. HolidayJanuary 17 WNA Executive Committee Meeting,

7 p.m., Will Hampton Branch Library, Convict Hill Road; UT Spring Classes Begin

January 24 Recycling Pickup DayJanuary 25 Austin Neighborhoods Council, 7 p.m.,

Austin Energy Building, 721 Barton Springs Road.

Bonded & Insured

View the Westcreek Neighborhood Newsletter each month online at

www.PEELinc.com



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The Oak Hill neighborhood planning process began last month with a meeting of stakeholders – homeowners, residents, business owners, educators and others who will be impacted by the future development of our area. The end result of this effort will be an Oak Hill Neighborhood Plan, affecting where we shop, where we go for entertainment, where our kids go to school, available modes of transportation and access to services of all kinds. All Westcreek residents are invited to participate in this planning process. You can attend the regular monthly planning meetings. We’ll post the information on meeting times and locations on our website, WestcreekNA.org. In addition, the city is conducting a survey to get your views on quality of life and related issues you feel are important. Please go to the city’s website at www.ci.austin.tx.us/zoning/oak_hill and complete the short survey. The deadline for taking the survey is December 2. The accompanying map shows why it is important for as many Westcreek residents as possible to express their opinions. The new expanded Oak Hill planning area is huge – much larger than previous neighborhood planning areas in other parts of the city. We want to make certain we play a role in determining what happens in our immediate community.

Oak Hill planning important to Westcreek When the plan is completed, the Austin City Council will adopt ordinances giving the provisions force of law. Other neighborhoods that have completed this process adopted plans affecting urban design/community character, environmental protection, land use and zoning, transportation, parks and open space, and city services.

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/zoning/oak_hill



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Bumbling Ben’s RV? Is that a Recreational Vehicle under that cover, Ben? Recreational vehicles must be screened from view behind a 6-foot privacy fence in accordance with the City of Austin Zoning Code and Westcreek deed restrictions. City Zoning Inspectors can issue a citation for violation of the City Code. Recreational vehicles indiscriminately parked in residential communities is a sign of neighborhood decline and can substantially lower home values and marketability. Considerate neighbors do not park boats, RVs, campers, etc. on their driveway or on the street. Please remember that Bumbling Ben is a fictitious character intended to illustrate negative and careless acts in our neighborhood and does not represent any individual resident. Editor’s Note: this photograph was taken in a neighborhood other than Westcreek.

Under a tarp is not “screened from view”. Park your RV behind a 6-foot fence!



There was a lot of sun and lots of wind, but lots of Westcreek folks turned out for the Annual Picnic held on Sunday, October 23rd. We estimate that close to 150 of our neighbors attended the festivities. Many children came dressed up in costume, and were they ever cute!!! (see photos). Everyone noshed on hamburgers and hotdogs (courtesy of David Fikak at our local Randalls store) plus plenty of side dishes such as salads, chips, cookies and many excellent desserts. There were so many activities, this editor had a hard time keeping up with them all. We began with Kid’s costume judging at 2 p.m., once we could convince the kids to get off the 24-foot infl atable slide for a few minutes! The judge for the event was Alicia Ortiz, our Vice President. She chose two beautiful witches for the kid’s girl winners, and two superheroes as the boy winners (Batman was Cooper Gaderson, and I did not get Spiderman’s name…he was too busy trying to save the world!). Alicia then judged the adult costumer contest, and again we had a witch winner. Alicia must like witches. Halloween Bingo was next on the agenda. Cheryl Lund and son Ryan created and called the scary games. There were three big winners. In the Mummy Wrap, kids and parents really got into the spirit of things. Gross Food Guessing Game was fun too, but darn, those kids were smart! One child got them all right, and six others got all but one correct. We also had cookie decorating and drawing for the kids. They looked like they enjoyed eating their creations more than showing them off. Our neighbor Cathy Ulibarri did face-painting, putting spiders and other scary Halloween things on the kids’ faces. That brings us to the Candy Counting Contests. The adult candy count winner was Angie Bragg from Myra Court, guessing 1,342 (but not going over the total of 1, 407). The kid’s candy count winner was Ethan Oliver, guessing 250 (but not going over the total of 266). The last event judged was the Westcreek Trivia Contest. (Answer Box follows this article.) Our Grand Prize winner was the Gaderson Family (Christie, Derrick, Cooper and Greysen) who got only one incorrect answer. Christie walked away with a $25 Gift Card for Randalls. Second place was a tie between the Kalda Family and The Lund Family. Both families had only two incorrect answers. The Kalda’s received an Emerald Garden Gift Card, and the Lund Family received a gift card for Randalls. Again, a big Thank You goes to Brett and Karla Pavey, our picnic organizers, Cheryl Lund and her son Ryan for creating and calling the Halloween Bingo games and also coming up with lots of neat ideas for the picnic, Ben & Carol Coughran, Alicia Ortiz, Jan Boswell and Bob & Sue Shrader for being super support people making it all come together. Don’t forget to also thank Randalls, who supplied all our BBQ necessities plus Gift Cards, and Emerald Garden, who contributed Gift

Cards as well. Both of these businesses are constant supporters of our neighborhood association with the Yard of the Month program. It was a fun time for all of us who organized the picnic, and we hope you enjoyed as much as we did!For more photos, turn the page!

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WESTCREEK TRIVIA CONTEST ANSWERS:1) (b) 1978 – First house built2) (a) Porsche Lane – First street occupied3) (c) 850 – homes in Westcreek4) (b) ranch foreman’s house on Hill Forest5) Cana Cove – only street makes a complete loop back to the same

street6) (b) 8 – total number of cul de sacs in Westcreek7) (a) Fair Valley Trail – longest street in Westcreek8) 2 streets divided by Brush Country – White Elm and Summerset

Drive9) (c) 35 streets – total number of streets in Westcreek10) Bob Shrader – current president of WNA11) Kim Sherman – immediate past president of WNA12) Next door neighbors (up to resident to fi ll in)13) What do you like about Westcreek (up to resident to fi ll in)



Our first Spiderman makes his grand entrance, along with his sidekick, Spiderman. Only smaller.

Lions and tigers and bears...no wait, just a lion. Who looks a bit lost, but Mom is helping out.

Jan Boswell, WNA Treasurer, chats it up with some neighbors.

Even Princesses are ready to use the giant slide.

The 24-foot inflatable slide was a big hit with all the kids.

Former WNA President, Kim Sherman, poses with her little girl, Kaitlyn. How adorable is this???



Angie Bragg takes away the big prize for guessing the closest number in the Adult Candy Corn Counting Contest.

Another Mummy Wrap victim! Carmen Stanley, wife of Stan Stanley, on Wing Road, won the random prize of an Emerald Garden Gift Card.

The Mummy Wrap begins with a roll of toilet paper. Who can wrap their partner the fastest?

Winner of the Kids Candy Count: Ethan Oliver, with his parents, showing off the jar of candy pumpkins he just won.

Winners of the Gross Food Guessing Game...they both got prizes from our cafepress.com shop for Westcreek.

Eeeewwwww. What the heck IS this???



Mom, Dad, we’re now a princess and a dragon.

Well, looky here! Princesses and dragons can use the fun of a 24-foot slide just as much as a regular kid.

More cute costumes on some really cute kids!

Ryan and Cheryl Lund led Halloween Bingo, and also came up with many of the ideas for the picnic, along with Brett and Karla Pavey.

GROSS!!!!!! What kind of food IS that????

One of our Halloween Bingo winners is a Hurricane Katrina Survivor, now living here in Central Texas.



Paul (dad) and Brodie (son) Plummer. From Mom Tina: “I personally like the one of Paul wrapped in toilet paper. Ha! We live on Steer Trail.”

Spiders painted on faces...just one of the many scary things you could do at the picnic.

Decorating cookies...if they can keep the wind from blowing everything away first!

Bob Shrader, current President of the WNA, shows off his grilling expertise.

Winner of the Kids Costume Contest (Boy’s Division): Batman and Spiderman!!! (Spiderman decided to reveal his true self.)

Lining up for the Kids Costume Contest. Batman can’t seem to get his Bat Ears in the correct frequency.



At no time will any source be allowed to use the Westcreek Neighborhood Newsletter contents, or loan said contents, to others in anyway, shape or form, nor in any media, website, print, film, e-mail, electrostatic copy, fax, or etc. for the purpose of solicitation, commercial use, or any use for profit, political campaigns, or other self amplification, under penalty of law without written or expressed permission from the Westcreek Neighborhood Association and Peel Inc. The information in the Westcreek Neighborhood Newsletter is exclusively for the private use of Westcreek residents only.

Emerald Garden Tips - December

Feed bulbs bone meal – any newly planted bulbs – daffodils, jonquils, tulips

Water ahead of freeze – do not overwater

Best time to transplant rose bushes

Get a spring garden area ready – solar – put down black plastic – it will kill weed, bugs

Plant winter flowers – pansy, Johnny jump ups, Shasta daisy, other perennials

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Prep time 10 minutes Cook time 30 minutes Makes 8 to 10 servings.1 Pkg (8 Oz) Cream Cheese1 Whole Egg, Beaten1/2 Cup Sour Cream1 Can (14 Oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk1 Graham Cracker Pie Crust (See Recipe At Bottom) Heat oven to 350° F. Combine cream cheese, beaten egg, sour cream and sweetened condensed milk in a large mixing bowl. Blend ingredients for one minute using an electric mixer. Pour mixture into chilled graham cracker crust. Bake on the center oven rack for 30 minutes (center will jiggle). Remove from oven and cool. Chill before serving.

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HALLOWEEN COSTUMES MADE THE EVENING Halloween turned into an interesting evening, with many kids grossing out their treat-givers. Others just wowed the residents with their beautiful costumes. Here are a few examples!



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