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Monday, October 13, 2008

Deed Restrictions

The deed restrictions covering properties in the Cherry Creek on Brodie neighborhood are now available online.

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Sunday, August 10, 2008

President's Corner

Dear Neighbor,

Our deed restrictions are a set of rules and guidelines to which all property owners in the Cherry Creek on Brodie Lane neighborhood are subject. They were created by Milburn Homes to ensure continuing quality and proper maintenance of the neighborhood, and you should be able to find your specific set of restrictions with your title documentation from when you purchased your home.

The Cherry Creek on Brodie Lane Neighborhood Association was given the right and the responsibility to enforce these deed restrictions, which is why we occasionally send reminder letters to neighbors who are out of compliance. In the heat of the moment, those who receive these letters may feel like they have been singled out or targeted, perhaps by a board member or a neighbor, but that is not the intent. Rather, the intent is to provide a friendly (but seriously intentioned) reminder that the recipient has some work to do to get their property up to snuff.

Both to improve our enforcement of the deed restrictions as well as to procedurally ensure that enforcement action is uniform and fair, I am instituting a quarterly audit in which we will inspect the whole neighborhood (as seen from the street) and send out a single batch of warning letters. If you should happen to receive one of these letters, we hope that you will take in the the spirit that it was intended and use it as an opportunity to maintain your house to the same standard to which you'd expect your neighbors to maintain their own.

All the Best,
Percy Wegmann

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Thursday, July 10, 2008

Independence Day, Land Ownership and Control

We've had another great 4th of July celebration. We don't have official counts, but my eyeballs tell me that we had one of our best turnouts ever for both the parade and the picnic. The Austin police department provided us with a large police escort and music, Erica provided fun for the kids and the weather cooperated with tolerable temperatures and clear skies.

We had great informal discussion amongst our friends and neighbors, and we also spent some time discussing what to do with the eight and one half acres to the south of Kangaroo Lane. The message from our neighbors was loud and clear - the land needs to remain as open space. We have since met with a representative of the current owner and are working out a plan to ensure that this happens.

Spending time in our wonderful park celebrating our country's independence did remind me that from time to time, people with ill intentions use the park not for recreation but for other purposes. It is an oft cited cliche that freedoms which go unused tend to disappear. Well, we enjoy the freedom to use our beautiful park, and I am confident that the more we do this, the more we show that it is ours and that it is meant for recreation, the more likely we are to be able to keep it as we like it. So my call to action is this - go out and use the park! And if you ever encounter anyone engaged in activities that make you uncomfortable, contact the police.

All the Best,
Percy Wegmann

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Saturday, June 07, 2008

President's Corner

The July 4th weekend will soon be upon us, and as is tradition, our neighborhood will have a parade and a picnic. In addition to being a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our freedoms, it will also be an opportunity for us to exercise them by taking some time to discuss what to do about a parcel of land at the end of Kangaroo Lane that was offered to our neighborhood a long time ago. At the picnic, your board will present various options for what to do with the land and facilitate an open discussion amongst our members and residents.

While we're on the subject of freedom, I know that many of you feel that your freedom to turn out of and into our neighborhood isn't what it should be. As previously mentioned, the city is working on installing a traffic light. In addition to this, we have been able to confirm that the developer of the shopping center across from our entrance has engaged an engineering firm and applied for permits to begin construction of a left-turn lane on northbound Brodie. The timing of this is unclear, but we will stay on top of it to make sure the project progresses.

Freedom also means participation, and one of the ways that people participate is by contributing to their neighborhood by volunteering for our association. One of our volunteers, Linda Criss, served as a board member and as our newsletter editor for the last year. She is now moving on to other things and will be succeeded by Carmen Martin. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Linda for her work on the newsletter and in building a more friendly, cohesive community here in Cherry Creek. I would also like to thank Carmen for stepping up and volunteering to take over and also to say that I'm excited to have her on board (no pun intended). Linda and Carmen will be creating our July newsletter together and Carmen will take over editorial responsibilities starting with the August edition.

As other board members reach the end of their terms, we will need more volunteers throughout the rest of the year. If you want to participate, please contact us at board @ cherrycreekonbrodie.org. There's never a better time to get involved than now.

Cheers,
Percy Wegmann

President, Cherry Creek on Brodie Lane Neighborhood Association

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Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Urgent Notice for Cat Owners in Cherry Creek

One of our neighbors reports the following:

"
Just wanted to let everyone with cats know that their is a gray tom cat with white paws roaming the neighborhood that is infected with the FIV virus(equivalent of HIV in humans). Our cat was bitten by this tom cat and now has the virus. PLEASE DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOUR CAT. Whomever owns the cat, please get your cat tested and keep them from roaming; it will only spread the disease to other cats."

Cornell's veterinary school provides a page with some good basic information about FIV:

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/fiv.html

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Thursday, May 08, 2008

President's Corner

We've got a lot going on right at the front of our neighborhood, and I'd like to recognize the individuals that are making it happen.

You may have noticed a bunch of new plantings at the front entrance. As the signs say, these are your dues at work, so the first thank you belongs to all the paying members of our neighborhood association. The second thank you belongs to the landscaping committee, who procured competitive bids, organized the work and continue to maintain a watchful eye to make sure the landscapes are being properly maintained. The committee includes Charlotte Petersen, Kristy Brown, Fritz Parker, Carla Trautwein and Erica Taylor. In addition to our paying members, you can also thank Fritz, Carla and Erica for organizing the rehabilitation of our marquee sign.

The other major development you may have noticed is some construction at all four corners of the Brodie and Silk Oak intersection. As most of you have probably figured out, these are the foundations for a traffic light! Most people upon hearing this news jump for joy and then proceed to ask what finally made the city give in. The official story is that traffic volumes finally met one of the warrants required to justify installing a light. The unofficial story is that your neighbor, Robert Ruiz, stepped up and escalated the matter to the mayor's office, which promptly sent someone down to our neighborhood to observe the situation first-hand. So, the next time you see Robert, give him a big thank you and, if you're so inclined, ask him if he'd like to join the board!

The work on the traffic lights is supposedly scheduled to complete sometime before the end of June. Meanwhile it's on to the next battle -- getting a north-bound left-turn lane put in on Brodie.

All the Best,
Percy Wegmann

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Sunday, April 06, 2008

2008 Membership Strong

When our neighborhood association voted to increase dues to $60 per year, it caused some concern as to whether or not we would continue to see strong membership participation. I am happy to report that as of the first quarter of 2008, we are already at over 80 member households and growing. This is fantastic news for two reasons:

1. It shows that past members are still committed to the neighborhood and
2. It means that we have achieved our goal of improved funding for neighborhood maintenance and other activities

Consistent funding is vital - while the City of Austin maintains our parks, our neighborhood association is solely responsible for maintaining the landscaping at our front entrance and organizing and funding activities like the annual 4th of July parade and picnic.

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Board Unanimously Approves Joint Resolution on the Davis Lane / Westgate Corridor Planning Process

The Cherry Creek on Brodie Lane Neighborhood Association board unanimously adopted the below resolution:


Joint Resolution
On the Davis Lane / West Gate Corridor Planning Process

Grateful that the City of Austin has made available funds for the improvement of roadways in the area bounded on the west by Brodie Lane, to the east by Manchaca Road, to the North by Davis/Deer Lane and to the south by Slaughter Lane (the “Planning Area”, shown on the attached map);

Recognizing that the Planning Area has experienced and continues to experience rapid growth and is in dire need of infrastructure investments;

Cognizant that Cowan Elementary School is located within the Planning Area and that Austin Independent School District (AISD) officials have indicated a need for improved school bus and vehicular circulation at Cowan;

Determined that available funds be invested in a manner that addresses the priorities of residents in the Planning Area;

Further determined that available funds not be diverted to projects outside of the Planning Area;

Knowledgeable about specific proposed projects that have been presented to residents of the Planning Area, neighborhood leaders and AISD officials by City of Austin Public Works Department staff;

Acting on the currently available information, anecdotal information from area residents, and limit traffic data and projections from the City of Austin and the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO);

Now therefore do the undersigned, representing more than 5,000 households, commuters, business owners, parents, and school children, come together to make the following resolution:

We the undersigned resolve that the City of Austin Public Works Department present the Urban Transportation Commission with a comprehensive proposal that addresses the Planning Area priorities below in a manner that places an emphasis on the safety of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, especially as it involves children, and with an overall timeline that reflects the given priorities:

Priority One: Improve access, mobility, and safety along Davis Lane by widening the road section bounded on the west by Brodie Lane and the east by Zeke Bend, to include improving access to Cowan Elementary by providing turn lanes where Kentish Road intersects Davis Lane for safe access to the school, and creating AISD's requested circulation areas at the school itself for buses and cars; and

Priority Two: Apply any unspent funds to widen the road section of Davis Lane bounded on the west by Leo Street and the east by Manchaca Road.

We the undersigned further resolve that the City of Austin Public Works Department revise and accelerate the timelines for the following unanimously accepted and fully funded projects to avoid skyrocketing construction costs and dangerous increases in local traffic:

- The widening and realignment of the section of Davis Lane from Brodie Lane to Corran Ferry Drive; and
- The final connection of the section of Davis Lane from Leo Street to Huebinger Pass.

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