Cardinal Point approved by state, Construction to begin Aug. 2016 on affordable housing project

Foundation COmmunities logoBy CASSIE MCKEE, Four Points News

Despite local opposition, the Foundation Communities’ Cardinal Point affordable housing project is expected to break ground in Four Points after the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs in July approved $15 million in state tax credits to help fund the project.

Cardinal Point will be located on an 8.5 acre tract located at 11011 1/2 Four Points Drive. It will include 120 units ranging from one to three bedrooms. The project is expected to break ground in August 2016 and open in late 2017, according to Foundation Communities Communications Coordinator Alyah Khan. She said rents between all the units will average approximately $640/month. Families earning up to 60 percent of the area median family income would be eligible to apply. Continue reading →

River Place HOA settles with city over spike in water rates, Refund to exceed $125,000 for River Place

River Place entranceBy CASSIE MCKEE, Four Points News

River Place residents will see some relief on their water bills in the form of a one-time credit after the River Place Homeowners Association reached a settlement deal with Austin Water Utility over what the HOA said was an unjust increase in water and wastewater rates by the city of Austin.

In December 2014, the HOA filed a Water Rate Protest with the Public Utility Commission against AWU, after the city imposed a dramatic increase in water and wastewater rates upon the ratepayers of the River Place Water and Wastewater Systems. Residents saw the first increase in October 2014 and then another increase in November 2014.

River Place HOA Board of Directors Cheryl Page, Tim Mattox, Scott Crosby, Rich Coppola, Ivar Rachkind, and attorney Randall Wilburn (standing) go over the terms of the settlement with River Place residents at a community meeting on July 29.

River Place HOA Board of Directors Cheryl Page, Tim Mattox, Scott Crosby, Rich Coppola, Ivar Rachkind, and attorney Randall Wilburn (standing) go over the terms of the settlement with River Place residents at a community meeting on July 29.

Continue reading →

Hudson Bend residents want to incorporate as their own city, Trying to be released from Austin’s ETJ, Residents learn from River Place example

By CASSIE MCKEE, Four Points News

Residents in the lakeside community of Hudson Bend, which is adjacent to Steiner Ranch, want to incorporate and form their own city, preventing future annexation by the city of Austin.

“We want to avoid Austin’s high tax rates and burdensome regulations,” resident Alton Moore said. “We cannot escape many of the regulations, since almost every square foot of Hudson Bend is covered by the Lower Colorado River Authority, and we are not looking to trash the environment, but only to avoid the big-city takeover, which would inevitably force property values up, and would make this area unaffordable for many of us to continue to live in.”

The first step in the process is to convince the Austin City Council to release the community from Austin’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). A committee of residents known as the “Hudson Bend Incorporation Committee” sent a letter to the City of Austin on June 2, requesting to be released from the ETJ.

The Hudson Bend community meeting on May 28 drew 79 concerned citizens who would like to incorporate as their own city and avoid being annexed by the city of Austin.

The Hudson Bend community meeting on May 28 drew 79 concerned citizens who would like to incorporate as their own city and avoid being annexed by the city of Austin.

Continue reading →