The Gold Current by Yasmin

Windsor Village Redevelopment

Hello Windsor Park neighbors,
 
Want to support our neighborhood? If so, please read on and also share with your neighbors.
 
As you may know, a large corporation has submitted plans to redevelop the 12 acres of Windsor Village shopping center into 400+ apartments and a multi-level parking garage. Apparently, their plans don’t include the minimum percentage of park space for that amount of development. You can hear a quick recap of the situation in this recent video of the Austin Park Board’s meeting, where Conor briefly summarizes the situation. He starts speaking at around minute 8:30: https://austintx.new.swagit.com/videos/123263 
 
If you are interested in sharing your opinion about this significant development that will change our neighborhood, here are two things you can do: email the Parks Board Members and also email our Council Members & Mayor. Below, you will find email addresses and some language you can copy for your email to help explain and assist in this advocacy effort. 
 
When I sent my email to Parks Board Members, I included a short paragraph  about how I live in Windsor Park and work in Windsor Village. I inserted it as the second paragraph and made the font green so that it would stand out from the rest of the email. I received a very nice response from one of the Board Members saying that my personal story helps humanize the issue. Consider doing something similar. Every little bit helps!
 
I found all this info on the Windsor Park newsgroup, where Jackie Brooks (our neighborhood association president) has been sharing updates.  When she provides additional next steps, I will add to this page. 
 
All my best,
Yasmin on Westminster
 
 1. Email to Parks Board Members to advocate for adequate park space at the Windsor Village Shopping Center redevelopment:
Here are the addresses and a suggested email for Parks Board Members. Below the addresses, you will find a short and a long version of an email that you can adapt as you wish
 
<< BEGIN EMAIL to Parks Board Members_________
 
To: BC-Nina.Rinaldi@austintexas.gov; bc-Richard.DePalma@austintexas.gov; bc-Sarah.Faust@austintexas.gov; BC-Kim.Taylor@austintexas.gov; BC-Laura.Cottam-Sajbel@austintexas.govBC-Dawn.Lewis@austintexas.govBC-Anna.DiCarlo@austintexas.govBC-Nancy.Barnard@austintexas.gov
CC: Kimberly.McNeeley@austintexas.gov
 
Subject: Windsor Village Shopping Center Redevelopment - Parkland dedication
 
Short version:  

Please support the request by Windsor Park residents to Parks and Recreation Department Director Kimberly McNeeley to submit approval for greater than 15% of the Windsor Village redevelopment site to be dedicated as parkland.

Longer version:

Dear Parks Board Members,

Please support the request by Windsor Park residents to Parks and Recreation Department Director Kimberly McNeeley to submit approval for greater than 15% of the Windsor Village redevelopment site to be dedicated as parkland.

Windsor Village is designated a "parkland deficient" area by the City of Austin, and existing open fields there have been used by the community for years as a gathering spot for block parties, pickup soccer games, and more. However, Transwestern is now redeveloping Windsor Village and currently is not providing the traditional minimum 15% of the site as parkland. The parkland dedication ordinance allows the parks director to request up to 6+ acres of parkland based on the hundreds of residential units planned for the property, but the current proposal is only for 1.25 acres, which is about 10% of the site.

Please encourage the parks director to increase the amount of parkland dedicated to this site according to the ordinance, and open up for discussion at the Parks Board and the Planning Commission a public conversation about how much parkland is appropriate for the hundreds of new neighbors this development will add, as well as the hundreds of existing neighbors within blocks of the site, many of whom live in income-restricted affordable housing.

Respectfully,

(YOUR NAME)

__________>> END OF EMAIL to Parks Board Members

2. Please email our Council Members and the Mayor this week to request further support for parkland dedication. 
 
<< BEGIN EMAIL to Council Members & Mayor________
 
To: Gregorio.Casar@austintexas.govNatasha.Madison@austintexas.gov
kathie.tovo@austintexas.govSteve.Adler@austintexas.gov
Stephanie.Trinh@austintexas.govlauren.hartnett@austintexas.gov
Shannon.Halley@austintexas.govMichael.McGill@austintexas.gov
CC: Kimberly.McNeeley@austintexas.gov
 
Subject: Windsor Village Shopping Center Redevelopment - Parkland dedication
 
Dear Council Member Casar, Mayor Pro Tem Harper-Madison, Council Member Tovo, and Mayor Adler:  
 
Short version:  

Please support the request by Windsor Park residents to Parks and Recreation Department Director Kimberly McNeeley to invoke city code procedures to get an adequate amount of parkland dedicated as part of the Windsor Village redevelopment plans.

 

Longer version:

Please support the request by Windsor Park residents to Parks and Recreation Department Director Kimberly McNeeley to submit approval for greater than 15% of the Windsor Village redevelopment site to be dedicated as parkland.

Windsor Village is designated a "parkland deficient" area by the City of Austin, and existing open fields there have been used by the community for years as a gathering spot for block parties, pickup soccer games, and more. However, Transwestern is now redeveloping Windsor Village and currently is not providing an adequate amount of parkland in two ways. First, the parkland dedication ordinance specifies parkland based on the number of residential units that would allow the parks director to request up to 6+ acres of parkland based on the hundreds of residential units planned for the property, but the current proposal is only for 1.25 acres, which is about 10% of the site. Second, Transwestern is submitting the development in pieces so even at the traditional 15%-of-area parkland formula, the whole site is not being considered, which should result in about 2 acres of parkland being dedicated.

Please encourage the parks director to increase the amount of parkland dedicated to this site according to the ordinance, and open up for discussion at the Parks Board and the Planning Commission a public conversation about how much parkland is appropriate for the hundreds of new neighbors this development will add, as well as the hundreds of existing neighbors within blocks of the site, many of whom live in income-restricted affordable housing.

 

Respectfully,

(YOUR NAME)

__________>> END OF EMAIL to Council Members & Mayor

 

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General Windsor Park Contact Info