6/10/03
Quarries Update: The Hyde Park Baptist Church-Five Neighborhoods Coordinating Committee met June 9, 2003. Highlights of the meeting follow. The next meeting will be July 14, 2003.
Construction Update:
The gates are up at both entrances to the Quarries. A pedestrian gate was installed at the Mesa Woods entrance along with the street gate. This will allow walking access separate from vehicular access.
A contract has been let for ecological work around the retention pond. When this work is complete the black retention fences will be removed. Also, HPBC has started mowing and maintaining the areas behind Balcones Woods and Mesa Park homes.
Christian Life Center. Building permits have not attained final approval yet. Funding is in place for construction. Construction could start as soon as 90 days out (Early September).
Athletic Fields: The plan is to re-build the existing baseball field into a multi-use field for baseball, football and other sports. The existing football field will be reduced in size and used as a practice facility. Lighting will be rearranged around the new multi-use field and re-directed inward.
Use of Quarries: The Quarries area is not accessible by uninvited guests during construction. For additional information see <http://www.hpbc.org/rec/>.
Other Issues:
The coordination committee is still working out a plan for coordination of large events in the Quarries.
It should be noted that Mesa Park residents are "On record" as saying they are happy with reduced traffic into the Quarries via neighborhood streets. I would like to add my thanks to the HPBC committee members for their positive attitudes and cooperative spirit.
Large Events:
Annual Patriotic Service (July 4th celebration): Scheduled for Sunday, June 29. Schedule is: 6:30PM Start, 7:00 Dinner (BBQ, there is a charge for dinner), 8:00 Music, and, "Dark" (After the music) Fireworks. The fireworks display is going to be bigger than the last one. Neighborhood residents are invited. Please remember that the only vehicular access will be via the Mopac entrance.
Pet owners are cautioned to make appropriate arrangements to protect their animals from any adverse effects anticipated from the fireworks.
The agreement with HPBC allows for a certain amount of vehicular access via the neighborhood streets (Santa Cruz, Mesa Woods Dr. etc.). HPBC has chosen, on a test basis, to shut Mesa Woods to vehicular entrance traffic for this event, and, to leave the pedestrian gates open. This scheme will be reevaluated after this event.
There are no other major events planned at this time.
Related Issues: National Instruments has applied for an entrance from their plant onto Duval Road in the vicinity of the railroad tracks. The Five Neighborhoods United are opposed to this access due to increased traffic on Duval and the creation of a dangerous traffic point. Contact a Balcones Woods Club board member or the Mesa Park Web site for additional information.
Information Sources: There are several good sources of information regarding the Quarries including the HPBC web site <http://www.hpbc.org> and our own Balcones Woods site <www.balconeswoods.org>. The Mesa Park site has an extensive collection of documents and will soon contain minutes of the coordination committee meetings <www.main.org/mpna>.
Contacts: Please use your neighborhood committee contacts for information about the Quarries or input regarding complaints. The Balcones Woods contact is listed below. If you believe your issues are not being addressed, please contact a Balcones Woods board member.
Tom Terry <tomkterry@hotmail.com> Day 459-6820