Guest Post: April 2016 Mueller Updates
Paid parking at Mueller will be instituted prior to the opening of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema - still scheduled for late 2016 - and other upcoming Aldrich Street/Town Center businesses. Locations for paid parking will include Simond Avenue and the City-owned parking garage behind the Thinkery. The off-street lot at Lake Park will remain free for those using the park, though it will be controlled in some fashion. Free on-street parking will remain available on Zach Scott, Camacho and Mattie Streets that form the southern and eastern borders of Lake Park.
Every Wednesday the Thinkery museum stays open from 4 to 8 PM for families to discover and learn together. Enjoy the exhibits and educational programs facilitated by staff. A suggested $1 dollar donation will gain you entry. Bilingual Storytime is each Wednesday at 6 PM. More information is available at www.thinkeryaustin.org.
Kurt Stogdill, Austin Energy Green Building and Sustainability Manager relayed information at the March WPNA meeting regarding funds from a $4.3 million Department of Energy grant, a $1 million Texas Commission on Environmental Quality grant, and a $3.3 million AE contribution for Austin SHINES. This program will encompass a “community” lithium-ion battery storage facility at the upcoming solar farm near Springdale Road and Airport Boulevard, and another at a yet to be determined location at Mueller, where a high concentration of both commercial and residential rooftop photovoltaic panels will also allow medium-scale battery storage at office and retail complexes, and residential “Tesla” garage-wall batteries as well. The Mueller portion of this program will likely not be implemented until 2017.
Travis Central Appraisal District has rejected a proposal from the City of Austin and the Mueller Foundation in seeking a resolution to the substantial property tax appraisals/assessments on the affordable homes at Mueller. While several individual lawsuits are in progress, the groups continue to seek a resolution for the owners of Mueller's homes. 2016 appraisals should be issued by TCAD in early April.
The next meeting of the Robert Mueller Municipal Airport Plan Implementation Advisory Commission (RMMAPIAC/Mueller Commission) is Tuesday, April 12, 2016 at 6PM at Parque Zaragoza Recreation Center, 2608 Gonzales Street. Address Mueller questions and comments to bc-rick.krivoniak@austintexas.gova
