Spring '23 HNA Newsletter: Storm Recovery, Park Updates, and a New Meeting Spot
Hello, fellow Highlanders!
I’m Andrea Grimes, your new Highland Neighborhood Association president, and I’m excited to send my first newsletter. Today we’ve got some updates on storm cleanup and park construction, an invitation to a fun tree-planting event, and details on board transitions. We’ll also preview plans for HNA meetings in 2023.
Fizz T. Doge, Highland resident since April 2020
A little about me: I moved to Highland in April 2020 with my husband (and dog and two cats), and I’ve had the pleasure of serving as the HNA secretary for the past year. I’m a born-and-raised Texan from the DFW ‘burbs, and I moved to Austin in 2008 as a graduate student in anthropology at UT. Today, I’m a writer and communications consultant. Please say hi if you see me walking Fizz the big-eared beagle mix (pictured at right) around the neighborhood. I’m excited to hear your questions, concerns, and ideas for our great little slice of Austin; you can always email me at president@highlandneighborhood.org.
Our erstwhile president Nick Pellicciotto has transitioned to the position of HNA treasurer, and he’ll continue to chair the Highland Neighborhood Contact Team, which liaises with the city on variances, development, and such. If you’re interested in joining the team, please let us know. The HNA board is also pleased to welcome Abe Hernandez as South Sector VP. You can learn more about the board on our website, and do note that we have a few open positions — including secretary and communications director — for folks who’d like to get more involved in neighborhood goings-on. Please don’t be shy! You needn’t be a home- or business-owner to participate in the HNA; renters are welcome and encouraged to join up.
On to the news!
Storm Cleanup and Debris Removal
I hope y’all were able to stay safe and warm during the ice storm last week. We were grateful that our power stayed on, but my family had quite a shock just after 7 am on Wednesday when half a hackberry tree snapped across our cars! Somehow, the damage was minimal. Now we’re in cleanup mode.
The City of Austin has issued guidance on how to manage debris from last week’s ice storm, including drop-off options and branch/limb collection processes and guidelines according to debris size. Branches no longer than 5 feet and no thicker than 3 inches can be set out with your weekly compost. Per the city, “item limits will be temporarily waived for storm debris collection,” so get what you’ve got out to the curb! Branches longer than five feet require a special collection, which you can request by calling 3-1-1, through the 3-1-1 mobile app, or at austin311.org.
There’s even a helpful video on optimizing your debris piles:
I’ve been following coverage of the storm fallout closely. The city has said that 98 percent of residents now have restored power, but warned that storms over the last couple days could delay restoration or exacerbate things. Folks who need assistance recovering from the ice storm can reach out to the city (details here). Note that the COA is hosting a resource fair near our neck of the woods at the North YMCA on Rundberg just west of Lamar this Thursday, February 9, from 3-8pm, “to answer community members’ questions and provide a variety of complimentary resources to help the community recover from the recent winter storm, such as charging centers, debris and damage information, mental health support, hot food, laundry facilities, showers, and more.” Check out these flyers (in English and Spanish) for details on recovery fairs in other locations.
If you’re not already, be sure to follow our District 4 City Council Member Chito Vela on Twitter and sign up for the district newsletter for all the latest storm recovery info.
Ready, Set, Plant! at Highland Neighborhood Park
Highlanders are invited to join TreeFolks on Saturday, February 18th at Highland Neighborhood Park to plant seedlings from 9am-1pm. Plus: coffee! More details:
Click over to Facebook for a Spanish-language version of the flyer.
Join TreeFolks & our community partners for a seedling planting at Highland Neighborhood Park, near 401 W St Johns Ave, Austin, TX 78752. TreeFolks will bring all the tools and materials needed, as well as coffee and light refreshments.
Ready, Set, Plant! is a volunteer tree-planting program that plants 10,000 trees each year along Austin’s creeks and rivers. We educate volunteers on proper tree planting techniques and riparian restoration in partnership with the City of Austin’s Watershed Protection Department and Keep Austin Beautiful. Our events are family friendly and provide an opportunity for community members to connect with Austin’s public lands.
For questions, please contact volunteer@treefolks.org or (512) 761-8738.
See y’all there!
Actually, speaking of Highland Neighborhood Park …
We’ve been advised by city officials that construction at the park was put on hold in December, pending approval for a security plan at the site. Once the contractor gets the plan in place, construction should pick back up again. The contractor has indicated that they should be able to make up the lag time and finish on schedule — completion is anticipated in Winter 2024.
For folks who are new to the neighborhood or just looking for more information about plans for improving and updating the park: check out the City of Austin’s concept plan, complete with background documents, meeting notes, and everything a civic parks nerd’s heart could desire here.
New Location for Neighborhood Association Meetings
Going forward, we’ll be holding our Highland Neighborhood Association quarterly meetings in a classroom on the ACC Highland campus. We don’t have the exact location details yet, but look out for a confirmed date and room number in the next few weeks. We’ll also continue to stream the meetings live on Zoom for folks who aren’t able to attend in person.
Help Us Spruce Up the Website!
We’re looking to update our official HNA website with some fresh new photos from Highlanders doing all their favorite Highland things. If you’ve taken a cool photo of a Highland spot or community event, please email it to us at boardmembers@highlandneighborhood.org to be featured on the site, or tag us on Instagram.
That’s all for now!
Cheers,
Andrea