Brackenridge Tract

Development Survey
 
        

 

West Austin is facing an uncertain future. There are two large tracts of land in Tarrytown, the Brackenridge Tract and the State School Tract, totaling nearly 500 acres, an immense amount of land within an established city like Austin.  It is critical that we know and understand how you, our neighbors, feel about the potential redevelopment of these tracts so that we can most effectively meet the challenges ahead.  If these tracts are redeveloped more intensively than they now are, our neighborhoods will be forever changed and the impact will be widespread.

 

The University of Texas System Board of Regents has elected to begin a master planning process for the entire Brackenridge Tract totaling some 345 acres, that includes the married student housing tracts, the Biological Field Lab, Lions Municipal Golf Course, the West Austin Youth Association, Oyster Landing (Hula Hut, Mozart etc.), LCRA, the Gables, Randall’s, CVS and 7-11. 

 

Separately, in 2007, the State of Texas General Land Office auctioned approximately 2 acres of land out of 97 acres along Exposition Boulevard at the Austin State School in what it deemed a sale of excess land.  It is very possible in the years to come that more of the land at the State School, if not all, may be sold and may be redeveloped for private use. 

 

In both cases, we need to be prepared as a neighborhood.  Additional background material on both the State School and the Brackenridge Tract may be found on the WANG website at http://www.deepeddy.com/wang/.  Please be sure to attend WANG’s monthly meetings the first Monday of every month at the Howson Library on Exposition Boulevard at 7:00 PM.  Note this survey is also available on line at the website above.

 

The West Austin Neighborhood Group (WANG) has as its mission a shared goal of preserving West Austin and protecting it from deterioration. WANG is concerned with community development, ecology, safety, and any other matters that indirectly and directly affect the quality and character of the neighborhood and the City of Austin.  It is imperative that you participate in this survey so that we can prepare for the years ahead.

 

Thank you for participating in this survey.  Please return your completed survey to the following address no later than May 15, 2008:

 

West Austin Neighborhood Group

P.O. Box 5722

Austin, TX 78763-5722

Brackenridge Tract Development Survey

 

1.         In the Central West Austin Combined Neighborhood Planning Area (Circle one):

 

A.        I am a homeowner in the planning area

B.         I am a renter in the planning area

C.         I own a business in the planning area

D.        I own property in the planning area but do not live in the planning area

E.         Other (please specify)

 

2.         Thinking about public facilities in our Planning Area and how you and/or your family use, have used or will use them:

           

A.                 I/We have children that currently or will attend school in the Planning Area.         Y/N

B.                 I/We have children that are or will be involved in activities at the West Austin Youth Association (WAYA).                                                                                              Y/N     

C.                 I/We use Howson Branch of the Austin Public Library

Frequently      ____    Occasionally    ____    Rarely ____    Never  ____

            D.        I/We play golf at Lions Municipal Golf Course

Frequently      ____    Occasionally    ____    Rarely ____    Never  ____

 

3.         Which tract would you like to see maintained as it is today.

(Rank from 1 to 7 with 1 being the most important to you)

 

A.        Biological Field Labs      (UT)                             _____

B.         Lions Municipal Golf Course                              _____

C.         Married Student Housing (UT)                           _____

D.        Oyster Landing                                                 _____

E.         Randalls / 7-11 / CVS / Gables                           _____

F.         State School                                                      _____

G.         West Austin Youth Association (WAYA)           _____

 

4.         Including Bryker Woods and Pemberton Heights, all of the Central West Austin Combined Neighborhood Planning Area has approximately 6,884 dwelling units today.  With the potential for redevelopment of these tracts, it is possible that the number of dwelling units in our planning area could more than double.  What challenges concern you most?

(Rank from 1 to 8 with 1 being the most important to you)

 

A.        Congestion                                                        _____

B.         Crime                                                               _____

C.         Flooding                                                            _____

D.        Loss of Affordable Housing                               _____

E.         Loss of Greenspace                                           _____

F.         Overbuilding                                                      _____

G.         Pollution                                                            _____

H.        Traffic                                                              _____

5.         If these large tracts were to be redeveloped, what would you prefer to see in the way of redevelopment?  (Rank from 1 to 14 with 1 being the highest priority and 14 being the lowest priority.)

 

      A.        Retail Shops                  ____    B.         Restaurants/Cafes         ____

      C.         Office Space                 ____    D.        Parks/Open Space         ____

      E          Cultural Facilities           ____    F.         Entertainment Venues   ____

      G.         Traditional Homes         ____    H.        Condominiums               ____

I.          Apartments                   ____    J.          Affordable Housing       ____   

K.        Assisted Living              ____    L.         Office/Commercial        ____

M         University Housing        ____    N.        University Facilities       ____   

 

6.         If redevelopment were to occur in and around the Brackenridge Tract that might require additional street capacity i.e. additional lanes, would you support the widening of the following roads?

 

            A.        Enfield Road                 Y/N                  B.         Exposition Blvd.            Y/N

            C.         Lake Austin Blvd.         Y/N                  D.        Windsor Road               Y/N

 

7.         Lions Municipal Golf Course is the only 18 hole public golf course west of IH 35 as well as the only affordable course and serves our neighborhood and much of our community including students and faculty at UT.  If it were proposed to be redeveloped but a commitment to greenspace was included, would you prefer (Circle one):

 

      A.        The course be retained as an 18 hole course.

      B.         The course be retained as a 9 hole course.

      C.         The land that the course is on be maintained as a multiuse park.

D.        The land that the course is on be maintained as open space for a mix of golfing and non-golfing purposes.

E.         The land that the course is on be redeveloped for University of Texas purposes such as residential and educational facilities.

F.         The land that the course is on be redeveloped for non-University of Texas residential and commercial purposes.

G.         The land that the course is on be redeveloped for non-University of Texas residential uses only.

 

 

8.                   Please include any additional comments or concerns regarding these Tracts:

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for participating in this survey.  Please return your completed survey to the following address no later than May 15, 2008:

 

West Austin Neighborhood Group

P.O. Box 5722

Austin, TX 78763-5722