By CASSIE MCKEE, Four Points News

A proposal by the Steiner Ranch Neighborhood Association to purchase an 84-acre property at RM 620 and Quinlan Park Road in Steiner Ranch from Taylor Morrison and other private landowners has fallen through, according to SRNA Chairman Brian Thompto.

Taylor Morrison is currently planning to build 150 two- to three-bedroom duplexes on the tract, known as Mixed Use #14 or MU14, as early as this winter.

SRNA opposes MU-14 duplexes

Thompto discussed the project at the May 28 Steiner Ranch community meeting and said SRNA does not support the duplex development for several reasons. First, due to the topography of the tract, developers will only be able to build one entry road for the site, which will be on Quinlan Park Road, across from the entrance to Quinlan Crossing.

In addition, vehicles leaving the property would only be allowed to turn right toward RM 620. He said that families wanting to access schools or neighborhood amenities would either have to make an illegal U-turn at an already dangerous intersection or go far out of their way on RM 620 just to access the neighborhood.

“Our neighborhood association for the last two and a half years has been actively encouraging (Taylor Morrison) that we think this is a very bad fit for this property due to traffic flow,” Thompto said. “We are not the only ones. Everyone who sees this says this does not make any sense. This is not a good fit for that property.”

Thompto said the duplex project was rejected by the county twice for not having at least two access points, which is required for developments with more than 30 units. After hiring an attorney, however, he said Taylor Morrison was granted an administrative waiver that allowed them to move forward with the project.

Additionally, Thompto called the MU-14 tract the “front door” of Steiner Ranch and said the project does not make sense aesthetically. The addition of that many families would also put additional pressure on the already-crowded schools. Continue reading →

By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

A local, summer robotics team ​pushed Texas to second place in the nationwide Zero Robotics competition. In mid-August, the local Zero Robotics team named Astro Stryke worked with astronauts at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston.

“Austin is a very competitive, academic environment. I was very proud to represent Austin and Texas and come out on top of the many qualified competitors across the US,” said Rice Province, Vandegrift HS freshman.

Nine states were invited to participate in Zero Robotics, which was developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This is the first year Texas was invited to participate, and only five teams were selected out of hundreds of applicants in the state.

“We are very fortunate to be selected along with Kealing MS in Austin,”said Gloria Lam-Parker, volunteer coordinator and Hill Country Education Foundation board member. HCEF supported the program.

Four Points MS and Canyon Ridge MS students made up the summer Zero Robotics team. Some of those team members are now VHS freshmen.

Zero Robotics roster:
Nathan Beasley – 9th VHS (FPMS)
Mack Parker – 9th VHS (FPMS)
Rice Province – 9th VHS (FPMS)
Logan Everitt – 9th VHS (CRMS)
Nick Rosas – 9th VHS (CRMS)
Nicholas Chan – 8th CRMS
Will Pasquarette – 8th CRMS
Stefano Bonilla – 8th CRMS
JJ Parker – 7th FPMS
Photo by Lynette Haaland

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By CASSIE MCKEE, Four Points News

Beginning this fall, Leander ISD students will be required to complete a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training course before they can graduate from high school, due to legislation passed during the 2013 Texas legislative session. Texas will be among 17 states now requiring all high school students to complete CPR training before graduation.

The American Heart Association has worked closely with state legislators in Texas and 16 other states to pass laws that will require high school seniors to have completed basic CPR training before they graduate. The program gives school districts the flexibility to place the training in any class and will allow the districts to offer the training anytime between 7th and 12th grades.

courtesy photo

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By VAL OLIVAS, Four Points News

Mark Schindel is turning his hobby into a business and recently opened specialty fish and supply store A fishie anado in Quinlan Crossing in Steiner Ranch.

“I look forward to bringing a fishie anado to the Austin community,” Schindel said.

Mark Schindel at his new specialty fish show.

He co-owns the fish store with his  and his father, Michael Schindel, of Westlake. They saw a need for a specialty fish shop in Four Points and think the new shopping center is a good fit. They opened August 30. Continue reading →

By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

Grant Jacobson flew his helicopter over Steiner Ranch several times over the past several weeks. Though several people complained that he was flying too low, Jacobson said that he was not doing anything illegal.

“I did nothing illegal,” Jacobson said. “This is a $7 million dollar machine and it’s mine, and I’m not going to break it or me.”

Pilot Grant Jacobson of Texas Jacobson Aviation has been flying his Bell helicopter model 429 (not shown) over local neighborhoods. He says he is doing nothing illegal but many want the low flying to stop.
Photo courtesy of Texas Jacobson Aviation.

Jacobson launched Texas Jacobson Aviation four years ago and the philanthropic company has logged over 1,100 missions, more than 600,000 miles and 2,200 passengers to help those in need.

Jacobson, who says he has flown more than 3,300 hours, also enjoys giving friends rides in his aircraft.

On one of those recent trips over the Estates of Westridge in Steiner Ranch, Jacobson was taking his doctor and friend for a ride in his helicopter so the doctor could take pictures of his roof, Jacobson said.

He was above the neighborhood maybe three or four minutes on that trip, he said. Another time he took the doctor’s wife over their house for a view from the sky.

Reports of two of the flyovers were on August 16 and 30 and during these two trips, and neighbors say at least one more trip, Jacobson got too close to their homes.

Photo of Grant Jacobson’s Bell helicopter model 429 flying over Estates of Westridge homes on August 30.
Photo by Karen Trujillo

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