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

Continue reading →

Dr. David Harris                  Photo courtesy of CHARM

By Lynette Haaland

Dr. David Harris is moving offices to River Place to grow and expand.

Harris, who is board-certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation and pain medicine, is part of the Center For Healing And Regenerative Medicine or CHARM at 7307 Creekbluff Dr. 78750.

In mid-August, Harris closed on the new building next to VIK Medical at River Place. Harris, of the Center For Healing And Regenerative Medicine, is taking the top floor of the new, approximate 15,500-square-foot, two story building. The building, which is the mirror image of VIK just flipped, is expected to be ready to move into by the end of the year.
“(Harris) is expanding his successful practice and relocating their headquarters to this building. He wanted to develop a nice building in one of the most prestigious parts of Austin and grow his practice and bring on more doctors,” Johnson said. Harris may be selling, leasing or keeping their current office space.

As of 2014, Harris has performed more than 20,000 interventional spine procedures, and approximately 100,000 regenerative injection procedures.

Harris served as medical director of Spine Austin from 2005 through 2008 before deciding to build a center of excellence based on the concepts of regenerative medicine.

Harris has also served as medical director for St. David’s Rehabilitation Center in Austin and has been an adjunct associate professor at the University of Texas in the Department of Electrical Engineering. He has taught interventional spine techniques including regenerative injection therapy to many physicians nationally and internationally, including physicians from Mexico, India, Croatia, Canada and Argentina.

Harris has also treated many athletes from UT, Baylor University and other Texas universities, and has treated numerous touring musicians.

By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

Most of the commercial construction at River Place is moving along at a steady clip ​—​ new doctor offices being built, a new Montessori school breaking ground soon and a well-known coffee shop in negotiations. In contrast, the Marriott hotel construction has slowed down considerably.

Medical niche

Four Points, and River Place in particular, is becoming a high-end medical draw, said Edward Johnson, president and founder of Johnson Trube & Associates LLC, a real estate development and commercial brokerage firm. He worked on the Texan Urgent Care building in River Place as well.

“This is a nice neighborhood with medical components to it. It’s about to have all the services you’d want right (in Four Points,)” said Johnson.

“It’s a really nice product out there. All the tenants love the River Place neighborhood and half the doctors seem to live out there,” Johnson said.

In mid-August, Dr. David Harris closed on the new medical building at River Place located next to VIK Medical. Harris, of the Center For Healing And Regenerative Medicine, is taking the top floor of the approximate 15,500-square-foot, two story building.

Harris

In mid-August, Dr. David Harris closed on the new building next to VIK Medical. Harris, of the Center For Healing And Regenerative Medicine, is taking the top floor of the approximate 15,500-square-foot, two story building. The building, which is the mirror image of VIK just flipped, is expected to be ready to move into by the end of the year.

“(Harris) is expanding his successful practice and relocating their headquarters to this building. He wanted to develop a nice building in one of the most prestigious parts of Austin and grow his practice and bring on more doctors,” Johnson said. Harris may be selling, leasing or keeping their current office space. Continue reading →

By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

Traffic delays are bad in Four Points ​—​ especially last week with back-to-school traffic ​and reports of massive delays. The Texas Department of Transportation is making progress in its efforts to help alleviate congestion along RM 620 and RM 2222.

Photo by Shawn Olsen

A dual left turn lane from RM 2222 onto McNeil Drive is expected to go out for bid by February and be completed a year from now. Additionally, TxDOT is in negotiations to hire a consultant for a proposed bypass road, which years from now could increase traffic flow and reduce delays by 65 percent in Four Points, said Greg Malatek, district engineer for TxDOT’s Austin District, which comprises of 11 counties.

Malatek gave these updates on August 21 at the Four Points Chamber of Commerce luncheon at River Place Country Club.

TxDOT hired HDR Engineering Inc. last year to come up with solutions for Four Points’ congestion. Rashed Islam, vice president at HDR, took the lead on the project and he was at the recent Aug. 21 presentation.

Continue reading →