Leander approves TOD plan

From Hill Country News, March 30, 2009...

Leander citizens packed the Pat Bryson Municipal Auditorium last Thursday to see if fireworks would happen over the concept plan for Transit Oriented Development. The plan went before the Planning and Zoning Commission at a special-called meeting at 6 p.m. and then before the council's regularly-scheduled meeting at 7 p.m. Both the council and P and Z passed the plan with only one dissenting vote each.

A few residents spoke out against the concept plan during the council meeting, saying there are no connector roads between Old Town Leander and the TOD.

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Economists, industry insiders predict local housing shortage

From Impact News, March 20, 2009...

While the Central Texas housing market of 2009 is not necessarily booming, it is certainly better off than many comparable regions around the country. New home starts fell sharply in 2008, but compared to Las Vegas, Miami and many parts of California, the Austin market is faring pretty well.

Some economists, analysts and real estate insiders have even predicted a housing shortage in the region in three to five years. For those looking to buy a house at that time, a shortage could mean higher prices or waiting for new homes to come online.

A shortage would likely arise because of a decline in new home starts combined with a steady influx of new residents who are attracted to the region’s relative economic stability.

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City Council News - March 2009

From Impact News, March 20, 2009...

Cedar Park

Apartment ire

The applicants for two apartment projects withdrew proposals after criticism from residents who live in a subdivision adjacent to those sites. Residents of the Red Oaks subdivision expressed their disapproval of zoning changes that would have allowed tracts near their neighborhood to be used for apartments...

Cedar Park Center update

Council heard a report from Rick McLaughlin, general manager of the Texas Stars, which will begin playing hockey at the Cedar Park Center this fall...

Leander

Pay the mayor

During citizens’ comments, local landowner Joseph Greene asked the council to consider finding a place in the budget to pay the next mayor a salary...

TOD zoning

Council members approved an amendment to the transit-oriented development’s Transect Map and Pedestrian Sheds Illustration that will allow for a multistory building and vertical parking structure...

Industrial zoning change denied

Council denied a request to change the zoning for properties on Leander Drive. The changes would have increased the amount of equipment that could be stored on the properties and raised the height restrictions...

Art tabled

Nominations for Leander’s public arts committee were tabled for a month to allow council members to locate nominees...

Gravel parking OK

The council withdrew changes it made last summer to Ordinance No. 08-009-00 regulating vehicle parking. Numerous citizens complained they had been ticketed for parking in front of their homes on unpaved drives. The council plans to re-evaluate the parking ordinance...

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Capital Metro delays launch of rail after federal safety violations

From KEYE, March 20, 2009...

Capital Metro says it will delay its rail start day after the Federal Railroad Administration released safety violations against rail contractor Veolia, who runs the trains.

Capital Metro released a statement Friday saying that they had learned of additional safety violations filed against Veolia Transportation by the FRA and the Texas Department of Public Transportation. Some safety violations were filed last week, and the rail's March 30 launch was already pushed back indefinitely.

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Leander Kite Festival March 15

From Impact News, March 9, 2009...

The City of Leander will hold its 3rd Annual Devine Lake Kite Festival noon-5 p.m. March 15 in Devine Lake Park, 1000 Maple Creek.

The event will feature professional kite demonstrations, a kite making workshop, and lots of space for amateur fliers to practice.

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Cedar Park fire safety rating upgrade could mean lower premiums

From Impact News, March 5, 2009...

Cedar Park residents will likely see a decrease of up to 8.5 percent on homeowner’s insurance premiums because of an upgrade to the city’s fire safety rating from the Insurance Services Office.

The Cedar Park Fire Department received an ISO Class 1 rating for fire protection, placing the CPFD in the top 0.1 percent of all fire departments throughout the United States, according to a city press release.

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City celebrates opening of new park

From Impact News, March 4, 2009...

Cedar Park will celebrate the grand opening of the city’s newest park, the Brushy Creek Sports Park, 2310 Brushy Creek Road, at noon March 7. Following a short welcome with recognition of guests, mayor Bob Lemon will throw out a ceremonial pitch to officially open the baseball fields. The city will also unveil its newest historical marker, which sits on the site where a train derailed in the 1880s and dumped blocks of large granite into Brushy Creek. Tours of the park and refreshments will follow these events.

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Dr. Seuss features art work at gallery

From News 8 Austin, March 2, 2009...

Beyond Dr. Seuss's work for children is an entirely different world -- perhaps similar in whimsy and humor, but equally as intriguing.

Whether or not you're a fan of "Green Eggs and Ham," you'd have to be a grinch to not like the Secret Art Collection of Dr. Seuss.

The exhibit at Art on 5th Gallery is part of the birthday celebration of Theodor Seuss Geisel.

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Pipeline construction pushed back, residents push forward

From News 8 Austin, February 23, 2009...

Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority officials have postponed the first phase of a water pipeline project. The initial phase of the project plans to put a pipeline right through the Trails End Road area, which leads down to the Lake Travis.

The pipeline will eventually pump water out to serve residents in Round Rock, Leander, and Cedar Park. Construction should have already started but it's still quiet on Trails End due to a tight economy and fewer new homes being built.

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Today's Statistic: Over 1/4 of All Mortgages Are Underwater

From Bloomberg, March 4, 2009...

More than 8.3 million U.S. mortgage holders owed more on their loans in the fourth quarter than their property was worth as the recession cut home values by $2.4 trillion last year, First American CoreLogic said.

An additional 2.2 million borrowers will be underwater if home prices decline another 5 percent, First American, a Santa Ana, California-based seller of mortgage and economic data, said in a report today. Households with negative equity or near it account for a quarter of all mortgage holders.

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RISE Austin is This Week

From Austin Startup, February 26, 2009...

March 2-5th, 2009 is the annual RISE Austin event. RISE stands for Relationship and Information Series for Entrepreneurs. There are information sessions from such great Austin entrepreneurs as Nav Sooch, Clayton Christopher, Roy and Bertrand Sosa, and John Mackey. Not only is the event packed with incredible talent, it is also free!

Rather than create a packed ballroom style of event, RISE sessions are held in locations all over Austin. Not only can you find great sessions that are close to you, but since the event is distributed you will find smaller and more focused sessions where you can really interact with the speaker and your peers. You must register in advance to attend these sessions. For instance Melissa Anthony’s (of anthonyBarnum PR) session on Ultimate Media Training is already full.

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Three words to stall foreclosure: 'Produce the note'

From Blogging Stocks, February 27, 2009...

Are you in foreclosure proceedings? If so, you can stay in your house longer than you might have thought. All you have to do is tell the bank to hand you a copy of the mortgage contract that proves you are on the hook to pay and specifies the terms of the foreclosure. As long as the bank cannot deliver you that contract, you can stay in the house.

I am not a lawyer; nor am I going to play one here. But if you tell the bank to "produce the note," it must deliver you the paper copy of the contract. And thanks to the way the mortgage market has changed in the last few decades, that simple request could be difficult to fulfill. That's because most mortgages used to get sold to investment banks who packaged them into mortgage-backed securities and sold them to investors around the world.

The punch line is that your mortgage contract is very unlikely to be sitting in the offices of the person who got you to fill out the paperwork. It could take some time to find out exactly who has the contract. And while the bank is searching, you can stay in the home. The produce-the-note movement started in 2007 when a federal judge in Cleveland threw out 14 foreclosures by Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. because the bank failed to produce the original notes.

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