In Our Community
City Planning and Zoning Commission Hearing on Auto Repair
Shop - Sunset Canyon West
PLEASE ATTEND! THE HEARING FOR FINAL
DETERMINATION ON THIS PROJECT WILL BE HELD:
Tuesday, December 15, 2009 - at City Hall (Old Church of Christ Building) 7:00 PM
Your presence can make a difference on this important issue for our community
ISSUES:
- Safety - Line of Sight traffic limitations on N. Canyonwood
- Legal - The stated use of this project VIOLATES the deed restrictions for this property
- Environmental - concerns over hazardous material storage and disposal
- Past history of applicant operating similar businesses in other neighborhoods in violation of deed restrictions amd association covenants
PLEASE ATTEND!
for further details:
Phil Auldridge 517-0055
Corey Willson 784-1562
Cindy Bryant 656-4967
Dave Mayo 858-0164
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Development plans for the entrance of Sunset Canyon West
These documents were obtained from public records by a resident. Click here to see the plans filed for development.
Development at the Entrance of Sunset Canyon West
This is a series of emails that appearred in my inbox Friday, March 7. They are re-posted here. The most recent email is at the top, the original at the bottom. For security reasons, I've deleted phone numbers and email addresses. If you see your email or response here and object, let me know. I'll remove your entry.
--Kim Hawk
From: Clay Johnson
Date: March 6, 2008 6:43:43 PM CST
Subject: Re: New construction at the entrance to the neighborhood - UPDATE - MEETING CANCELLED
Sunset Canyon used to be the Jewel of Northern Hays County. The board was in full swing and restrictions used to be enforced, as best as possible. Builders and neighbors just do anything they wish now, with little regard to restrictions or taste. Just look at the recent setback violations and current projects under construction that have not been approved by SCLA. It is sad to have spent 11 years of my life in Sunset Canyon to watch it deteriorate they way it has.
This is why I moved out of Sunset Canyon and probably will not be able to sell my home for what I have put into it. The association is weak and has zero ability to fight an intrusion that is detrimentalto the community. The restrictive covenants specifically say it is up to the neighbor or group of neighbors to deal with these issues as they arise. This is why the developer wants to meet with the president in a closed meeting. The association frankly does not have the money to even begin a legal dialogue on any issue. Several years ago we tried to reorganize the neighborhood association in an effort to inch toward mandatory membership and increasing HOA dues. The long term plans were to have a budget that would allow the association to be managed by a professional management company. That would have created an roadblock for the city from ever ram-rodding something like this through the approval process.
If you want to see what it will look like just go to Hidden Hills and look at all the crap in the back of all of those buildings. If you want to hear what it will sound like go listen to the volleyball court at the stadium. Imagine your children playing on Hidden Hills where Leonard the clown tests his vehicles after putting a new muffler system on a clients truck or playing behind the eating establishments that serves alcohol to their clients all day. Don't let me forget the fence and deck company who has a dumpster in the county right of way. This is also where the sketchy subs on and off load there equipment.
My suggestion is plan not to win with a lawyer or the developer but hire a good real estate lawyer and attempt to declare adverse possession on all entrances where neighborhood signs are located and have been for more than a decade. If there is any success it will be to stall all of what the city and the developer are going to do. Whatever the developer tells you do not take it to the bank because once they get approval they can change their plan without any reason what so ever. This is not opinion this is fact. Oh once precedent has been set which it has over and over in Sunset Canyon section 1 through 5 the new standards are in play.
Good Luck
CJ
On Mar 6, 2008, at 10:37 AM, Dave Mayo wrote:
FYI
Below is an unrelated issue regarding the trailer on 290. Because we all pass by it every day, I thought you might want to know. I had asked the city how long it was going to be allowed to sit there.
Another reason I wanted to share this is because it sounds like once a site plan is approved and a project is started, the city does not have “the latitude” to do much.
Dave
[City of Dripping Springs response, below -ed.]
Dave,
The City approved a site development plan for this business, “290 Mini-storage” about 18 months ago, and the double-wide that is sitting there is a part of this site plan. It is being joined together, and so far as the City is concerned right now, it is a project in progress. We don’t have the latitude to approve or deny a project in the ETJ based on appearances or land use as these are zoning functions. Since they have begun the project they are within the time frame of the benchmark for starting a project. Hope this helps.
Jon
Jon P. Thompson
Development Coordinator
City of Dripping Springs
511 Mercer Drive/PO Box 384
Dripping Springs, TX 78620
tel: 512.858.4699
fax: 512.858.5646
From: Weekley, Wendi
Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2008 8:15 AM
Subject: RE: New construction at the entrance to the neighborhood - UPDATE - MEETING CANCELLED
Hi Lisa,
I would like to know in advance exactly what our President is going to speak about on our behalf. I’m sure we all have ideas of what we don’t want to see and it seems that the opportunity to negotiate what is in our best interest is slipping away. Can you share with us what our President intends to discuss? It would be a good idea if we could collectively gather, organize and prioritize our thoughts prior to this meeting. For example, I can tell you that I personally do NOT want to look at a metal building with bright paint. I don’t even want an automotive repair shop at our entrance. If I had to choose, I would like to see a stone building and landscape that is aesthetic. I also would like our entrance and signage – Sunset Canyon West - maintained or upgraded as part of the agreement. I also have concern about road wear on the entrance. I was personally involved with the Headwaters discussions and the developer never shied away from meeting with the Landowners, addressing concerns and making concessions. The fact that this developer is not willing to meet with us does not give me a warm feeling of what is coming our way.
I sincerely appreciate you sending out these communications.
Thank you!
Wendi Weekley
From: lisa willson
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 8:39 PM
Subject: New construction at the entrance to the neighborhood - UPDATE - MEETING CANCELLED
This morning I received a call from the developer stating that they had changed their mind about having a meeting this Saturday as proposed. Instead they requested a meeting with the SCLA president. I met with the SCLA board tonight and our president, Weldon Jarrett, will call the developer and meet with him. I will communicate more information on this as it becomes available in the future.
MEETING CANCELLED, MORE TO COME AS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE
----- Original Message -----
From: lisa willson
To: Lisa Mayo
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 8:02 AM
Subject: New construction at the entrance to the neighborhood
Dear Sunset Canyon Neighbors,
I have recently been informed that the lot fronting 290 on N. Canyonwood is planned to be an automotive repair shop. This is the lot where the 'Sunset Canyon West' sign is that has recently been cleared. Additionally they have received a verbal agreement to receive a variance on the imperivious cover limits from 35% to 70% and that commercial access to this business is to be via N. Canyonwood drive.
I live at 104 Canyonwood, two doors down from where this is planned to be. I'm concerned about this in a number of ways. That the impervious cover limit was changed without neighborhood input on a lot that is under the neighborhood deed restrictions, that there is planned entrance/exit for this on N. Canyonwood and the first impression this makes for people coming in to Section V. The negative impact this will have on home values for those of us who live nearby and it's ultimate effect on our ability to even sell our houses is also a valid concern.
With the headwaters development, we got involved and made positive proposals for the lots across the street from my house and we wound up with some very nice houses going in today that have a positive impact on all of our property values. It's ironic that now that we have $400-$500K houses being built on those lots, we now face another prospect that needs our involvement to influence a positive outcome. I have talked to Jon Thompson, the development coordinator at city hall this week (copied on this email) and he verified the deal on the zoning and our best bet was to affect the site plan.
I have to believe that it is still not too late to influence a positive outcome but once something is built on that lot, we are going to have to live with it whether we like it or not. We need to get involved if we want to have our voice heard.
I talked to the owner of this property, Edward Taddia, and he agreed to meet with us this Saturday morning at 10:30 AM on the lot and present his site plan for developing this lot. This is our chance to make a difference.
CALL TO ACTION: PLEASE MEET AT THE CORNER LOT AT 10:30AM THIS SATURDAY MORNING (March 8th). EDWARD TADDIA WILL BE THERE TO PRESENT THE SITE PLAN, NOW IS THE TIME TO INFLUENCE A POSITIVE OUTCOME
Thank you,
Corey Willson
