New signage is up to at Oasis Texas to help guide pedestrians on where to cross the street safely.

By CASSIE MCKEE
Four Points News

The owner of the Oasis Texas development on Lake Travis is working to make some changes to prevent what a local neighborhood group described as an eminent pedestrian tragedy.

Longtime Comanche Trail resident Carolyn Wilsford often drives by the Oasis around dusk after she returns from sailing on Lake Travis. She said she began noticing pedestrians being nearly hit by cars as they crossed the busy street from the parking lot to go to the Oasis shops and restaurants.

“I have seen near misses and have noticed that there is a considerable amount of confusion when masses of people are trying to get to their cars from the Oasis,” Wilsford said. “During the summer and especially around dusk after the sun has set, golf carts loaded with people are trying to cross the road, cars are trying to turn in and out of the parking lot, people are walking on the grass and road taking the shortest distance to get across the road at night with no lights.”

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The city of Austin Zoning and Platting Commission was to hold a public hearing on Jan. 17 for the two zoning cases that affect River Place but it has been postponed. The next target date for the hearing is Feb 21 subject to commission approval.

It has been over 1.5 years since Milestone Community Builders filed their zoning request to add 110 homes at the end of Milky Way Drive. This postponement will mean that it has been rescheduled nine times. This postponement was requested by Jonathan Tommey of the Autism Trust, said Ted Gaunt, who lives on Milky Way.

“The latest from Milestone indicates that they want 82 homes and roads to fit into about 35 acres of buildable land,” Gaunt said. “However, if we matched the existing zoning on Milky Way, then the location would support a much lower density of less than 30 homes.”

City zoning staff as looked at this and recommended that the zoning should match The Preserve ( Milky Way and Merry Wing) for the most-part, and has identified 30,000-square-feet minimum lot size as being supportive of zoning regulations. Under that recommendation, Milestone might build 45-50 homes, Gaunt said.

Three Vandegrift sophomores — Tate Watson, Camille Digiaimo and Brandi Killingsworth — use their “Ripple Effect” project to share positivity with Kelly Killingsworth’s first grade class at Laura Welch Bush Elementary.

By BLAKELY DIMIERO
Vandegrift Voice

To attempt to spread happiness and positivity to others, Vandegrift sophomores Tate Watson, Camille Digiaimo and Brandi Killingsworth worked together and created a positivity project called the “Ripple Effect” that was used by Kelly Killingsworth’s first grade class at Laura Welch Bush Elementary.

“We thought it would be good if we were trying to spread those ideas to them while they are young,” Digiaimo said. “Especially since we started the project the first day after break, we were giving them a new mindset for the year.”

The VHS sophomores are members of FCCLA which stands for Family, Career and Career Leaders of America. To participate and compete in this program, students must be enrolled or have taken a family consumer science course.

The “Ripple Effect” is a project intended to spread positivity to others. The first graders had a week to focus on the positive things during their days, and at the end of the week, came together and talked about how their week had been.

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TxDOT details RM 620 plans Jan. 25

By LYNETTE HAALAND
Four Points News

The Steiner Ranch Neighborhood Association is hosting a Community Meeting on Transportation next week where Texas Department of Transportation and Travis County officials will share the status of the RM 620/ RM 2222 bypass plans, talk about the next round of improvements along RM 620, and discuss the new light going in at RM 620 and Steiner Ranch Boulevard.

“It is very important that we demonstrate our common interest and enthusiasm for turning these ideas into reality,” said Brian Thompto, SRNA chairman. “Please plan to attend and bring your friends and neighbors to show support and bring your voice to the discussion on our traffic future.”

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