February 14, 2011
Dream City/Promised Land West Update

On Feb. 1st the Covered Bridge POA board, the Hill Country Estates board and property owners within 500 feet of the project were made aware that the Dream City site plan was to be submitted for administrative review on Feb. 9th. Our individual board members immediately submitted our objection to the plan and filed for “interested party” status as members of a homeowners association board. Attorney Robert Kleeman, resident of Hill Country Estates, requested access to all city files to date per the open records act. The case number is SP-2011-0006C. On Feb. 10th the city’s website; https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/devreview/a_queryfolder_permits.jsp?myWhere= indicated both the site plan review and the planner 1 review as being rejected. This is not unusual for a plan to be rejected administratively on the first go around and does not prevent it from moving forward with adjustments.

At the Feb 9th OHAN meeting, OHAN reaffirmed unanimous in their support of our, Hill Country Estates and Covered Bridge, objection to the amphitheater.

The developers of Dream City are passionate about this project and the boards will work to protect the interest of the majority of the neighbors of Covered Bridge as this is far from over. At this time the major objection is the planned 3500-seat amphitheater, which is not consistent with a religious assembly.

Any comments or concerns can be directed to the board at board@coveredbridgeaustin.org.

January 15, 2009
Oak Hill Association of Neighborhoods (OHAN) Takes Action to Support Neighborhood
Wishes Concerning “DreamCity”

Neighbors:
Charlsa Bentley, OHAN representative for Hill Country Estates, introduced a Resolution at the Wednesday night OHAN meeting supporting City Council acceptance of the Oak Hill FLUM, with LL-R-SF land use designation for Tracts H&I, without further postponement. The resolution was passed and will be carried to the Council meeting tonight by Bentley. In an earlier resolution passed in August 2008, OHAN supported our neighborhoods' concerns about adverse impact from the PromiseLand West "DreamCity" development was attached as an exhibit.

William Dabbert
POA President

New Development in the PromiseLand West (PLW) Church project “Dream City”
On December 2, 2008, PLW wrote a letter to the Planning and Zoning Commission in which they revised their position on the FLUM designation for their property from Large Lot/Rural/Single Family (LL-R-SF) on most of the 53.28 acre lot (Tract I) to SF with Mixed Use/Office (MU/O) for the remaining portion of the lot fronting S.H. 71 (Tract H).

On December 11, 2008, at a City Council zoning meeting representatives for PLW asked for and received a postponement of the vote to approve the LL-R-SF designation for the FLUM recommended by Neighborhood Planning and Zoning staff.

I recommend that we as a community oppose any further postponement of the third reading of the FLUM ordinance for this property, that we oppose a change in the FLUM designation from LL-R-SF to SF, and support the City Neighborhood Planning and Zoning staff recommendation. If the FLUM is changed to SF for Tract I as requested by PLW, it will help pave the way for the very plans to over- develop the property that we as residents have opposed previously. As many of you have commented before we are not opposing the construction of a church, we oppose the construction this Church is proposing.

Currently, the West Oak Hill FLUM reflects City staff’s recommended designation of Large Lot-Rural-Single Family for Tracts H and I on Highway 71 West. The surrounding area has been almost completely kept to LL-R-SF in this Oak Hill FLUM process. In fact, City Council has already voted to retain rural, lower-density FLUM designations for many of the tracts along SH 71W. If the City Council votes to change the staff recommendation, it would permit a much denser development by the Church or by other developers should the Church decide at a later date to sell the property.

For three years, the City has taken public comment on our area's land use desires. We see no need for these last-minute changes to Staff and community recommendations for the FLUM. In addition, a smaller group of representatives from the three surrounding neighborhoods have been working directly with the representatives from the Church and were not aware of the substantive changes in their position until the past week.

Tracts H and I are surrounded by Hill Country Estates to the west, Westview Estates to the south and Covered Bridge to the east. The majority of the residents in these three subdivisions are in favor of this LL-R-SF designation, thus keeping the area’s rural character in the current FLUM. The Oak Hill FLUM Neighborhood Planning and Contact Team is in agreement, as is Oak Hill Association of Neighborhoods.

The matter is now set for January 15, 2009. The agenda item will be posted on the City of Austin website at https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/council_meetings/public_meetings.cfm (ref. Tracts H & I of the Oak Hill FLUM).

If you are in support of the position that the FLUM should remain as City staff have recommended please e-mail each City Council member to voice your support. Here is suggested language for your e-mail:

To e-mail each council member go to the City of Austin web site at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us, click on the “City Council” tab, click on a council member’s name, and click on “E-mail Council Member”. You will be asked to give your name and e-mail address, the subject which is- Agenda item is NP-2008-0025, Tracts AG, H & I of the Oak Hill FLUM, and Comment which is where you can copy and paste the above statement. Repeat the process for each Council Member.

Finally, please make plans to attend the meeting on January 15th. The agenda item is not open to public comment, but your presence will have an impact.

PLW has a web site at www.promiselandwest.com, and if you are a member of the Covered Bridge Yahoo discussion group there are numerous files and messages covering this issue from the past year.