Letter from the President | August 2020
Hi everyone,
It’s been a pretty hot summer. My front yard, which I’ve had ample time to manage given the current state of affairs, was looking amazing until around late July. Then the brown settled in, and now sadly I fear about a quarter of my St. Augustine is probably dead, aided and abetted by what my neighbor Jimmy (master gardner on Isabelle) thinks is a fungus. We also had to have our original Arizona Ash completely removed as it was rotting from the inside out, so the shade that protected that part of the lawn is gone. I’m not going to go to extremes to keep it green though, because I would probably have to report myself for water overuse to 311 in order to keep all that grass alive in this baking heat…though that last bit of rain was a godsend.
In keeping with the vegetative theme, I got an email from the city asking me to let you all know about keeping public rights of way (ROW) clear when they abut your property:
Property owners are responsible for maintaining private trees, even when they grow into the ROW. Additionally, shrubs/hedges planted in the ROW or existing on private property adjacent to the ROW must be maintained. Learn more about the standards for vegetative maintenance at austintexas.gov/cleartherow.
Local biz
In some local business news, a few intrepid entrepreneurs have actually managed to open up new businesses during this dreadful time.
Garden Seventeen (604 Williams St., across from Westbrook Metals) is a full service nursery and garden shop, with trees, flowers, and supplies. Their goal is “to empower DIY gardeners and plant lovers with everything they need to transform their living spaces, from backyards and front porches to high-rise balconies and kitchen windowsills.” Apparently the building used to be part of the airport that was around here in the back in the 1920’s. And they appear to be hiring, as well!
Bennu Coffee (109 Jacob Fontaine Ln) has opened on the ground floor of one of the new apartment buildings in the Highland ACC development (nee Highland Mall). It’s next to the row of oaks lining the old entrance to the mall’s parking lot off Airport. I’ve been there twice now this week, and my son—who hates coffee— wants to go there every day. Jacob Fontain Plaza, in front of Bennu, is a great place to enjoy their great coffee. And, when things get back to normal, they’ll be open 24 hours.
If you haven’t been to Highland ACC lately, the transformation is stunning. The future headquarters of KLRU is really coming into focus, and it looks great. Take a bike ride or walk over there and check it out. Also, check out Alyson Beaton’s new “shop local” page on the website featuring new businesses. If you have any suggestions, please let us know.
Public safety
On to more serious matters. I, unfortunately, witnessed the shooting on St. Johns in early July. It was Sunday afternoon, around 3 PM, and I was on my way to Academy Sports to pick up some goggles, and I saw some men shoot at a group of other people, then run away. I called 911. Thankfully the shooting wasn't fatal, but to my knowledge they haven’t caught the perpetrators. I talked to our APD liaison, Officer Hyatt, and he thinks the district commander will try to make an effort to “do something” about that corner, but I think they need to be pressured by us. The commander for our district is Jason Staniszewski, and you can email him to let him know your concerns.
Keep Highland clean
Also, back in July I called our friends at the Other Ones Foundation to pick up the garbage that had collected at the 2222/Airport underpass. This is the one of my favorite local organizations that helps homeless people get a leg up, and also contracts with the city to clean up trash around town. If you see a spot in the neighborhood where large amounts of trash have collected, let me know and I can contact them.
Next Meeting
Our next quarterly meeting is Tuesday, September 8. This will, like our last meeting, be “virtual” using Zoom, and will be open to all who have the log-in codes, which I will send out in a few weeks.
Stay safe everyone!
Nick Pellicciotto, President HNA