Updates:

Commons Area Construction Update 7-10-2009

The Balcones Woods pool and commons area will re-open Saturday, July 11th at 10am.  The grand re-opening celebration, which includes concessions sold by Blue Wave Swim Team, will begin at noon.  Residents are encouraged to stop by and see the greatly improved facilities!  Please remember no glass containers allowed, no pets allowed, and no parking on lawn or in new fire lanes.  At this time, the commons area exterior lights are not working.  The commons area will have to close at 8:30pm until the lighting is functioning properly.  Also, there is silt fencing and newly planted grass/plants around facility that need to be left alone to allow for required growth by the City of Austin.  Thanks again to all the volunteers that helped get this project started and completed.  Without volunteers this could not have happened!  The patience, flexibility, and support by residents has been amazing throughout this entire project. 

Commons Area Construction Update 7-09-2009:

Currently, the project is in a holding pattern. The final inspection has been called in to the City. At this time, an exact date is not known for that inspection or its passage status. Constant communication is occurring with the contractor and residents will be informed once a re-opening date is determined. Thanks again to all the Operating Committee volunteers that have worked countless hours in these 100 degree plus temperatures to get it finished. It is moving forward and very close to wrapping-up. Just a lot City inspection hurdles and requests on the contractor's end. In order to keep safe, please remember to stay off commons area property during this construction project. Thanks again for the continued support and patience during this major improvement project for Balcones Woods Club.

Clubhouse Construction Update: 7-2-2009

At this time, there is not a confirmed date when the pool is going to open. Hoping to open within the next week or two. City inspection problems this week, two days of rain delayed the parking lot and pool progress, and a two day delay on water meter installation with the City. Once meter was finally installed, there were two leaks in the line that had to be repaired. One leak was under the new asphalt so had to dig it up and reinstall. Once a confirmed date is known, residents will be notified immediately. Again, thanks to all the members that serve on the Operating Committee that volunteer daily to get our commons area open quickly and safely. Thanks for all the residents' continued patience and support through this huge improvement project for Balcones Woods Club Commons Area.

Clubhouse Construction Update June-25-2009

The completion date has not changed since the last statement of a planned July re-opening. Many different safety factors control the finished product. There are numerous time consuming City and State regulations required to be met that were grandfathered before. Once a date is secured by the builder, residents will be notified immediately. Since the project began, Committee members have been volunteering countless hours everyday to get the facilities open in a timely and safe manner. These volunteers are thanked immensely for that continued support. Thanks again for the continued patience through this major improvement project at the Balcones Woods Club Commons Area.

Clubhouse Construction Update 5-13-2009

Significant progress has been made on the Balcones Woods Club clubhouse construction project. Due to unexpected delays with the site plan, the commons area does not have a set date to re-open. Work remains to be completed on the driveway, entrance, parking lot, site, and pool. The entire property is being brought up to current City and State code requirements. The latest construction schedule, originally dated 5-13-09, now has the project wrapping-up in July.

The Board of Directors regrets that this will mean the commons area has to remain closed. Future notices on the Grand Re-opening of the entire commons area will be coming soon. The Building Committee continues to work on getting the project completed as quickly as possible. Continue to check the web site for pictures and progress updates.

Please remember that the commons area property remains closed to all residents during construction. It is very dangerous and safety is top priority.

Thanks so much for the continued patience and understanding during this major capital improvement project for Balcones Woods Club

February 23rd Update

Construction on our new amenity center is now well underway. During February, the top priority was pouring the foundation and building the necessary walkways between the new foundation and the existing pool deck. The foundation and concrete work is now complete and it integrates perfectly with our existing decks. During March, the most
visible project will be framing of the building. Another significant but less visible project currently underway is the addition of a new private fire line between Alhambra and the northwest corner of the parking lot.

In addition to maintaining a clean safe construction site, our contractor TCV Construction has done an outstanding job thus far recognizing potential issues and getting corrective actions in place before a problem occurs. The building committee and the board have been very pleased with our working relationship with TCV.

As everyone knows, the actual start of construction was delayed until January which will delay project completion beyond by the date the pool normally opens on May 1st. It is too soon to have a firm estimated completion date, but our current schedule does support project completion in May.

January 12th, 2009 Update

Balcones Woods New Clubhouse Groundbreaking Celebration

On Sunday, January 25, 2009 at 3pm at the end of Welland Circle, a celebration of the start of the new Balcones Woods Clubhouse construction project will be held. Please join your neighbors for this long anticipated event. The Social Committee will be serving cake and beverages for all to enjoy. The park and parking lot are closed so the event will occur on the circle at the end of Welland Circle. There will be no parking available so please come on foot to the event. Everyone is encouraged to bring a shovel to participate in the ceremonial dirt toss to symbolize the start of construction. The idea to construct a new clubhouse started in 2002 and now is a reality after countless hours of planning. Thanks again for all who helped make this happen over the past seven years whether you are a resident who steadfastly pays homeowner's dues; served on the Board, Operating Committee, or Building Committee; or assisted the Blue Wave Swim Team with its "Make It Happen" campaign. Hope to see everyone there for this celebration.

January 9th, 2009 Update

Since the last building status update on Dec 9th, there has been significant behind the scenes activity on the Balcones Woods Commons Area construction project. The following were completed in the past month:

Construction contract signed 12-3-08

Bank Loan closed 12-17-08.

Demolition permit issued ~12-22-08

Building permit issued 1-2-09.

The hired contractor, TCV Construction, is preparing to start demolition and construction soon. Over the next several months, expect to see and hear significant construction activity at the Commons Area. The Board of Directors has asked TCV to keep neighbor impact to a minimum. Construction is to start daily at 7-7:30am and end at dusk. Due to cement deliveries, there will be a few days when work will start earlier and the Board will notify residents of those dates. Once the City of Austin does the environmental protection inspection, the okay to start demolition will be given. Please remember the park and commons area are closed and no access is allowed. Thanks again for your understanding and patience through this improvement project.

December 9th, 2008 Update

Board of Directors Approves Plans to Begin Construction of Balcones Woods Amenity Center

The Balcones Woods Club Board of Directors has approved plans to proceed with the construction of a new Amenity Center in the Commons Area on Alhambra Drive. The action came during the Nov. 18 Board meeting. The motion, which passed by a majority vote, said, "After receiving input from homeowners and the building committee, the Board authorizes the construction of the Amenity Center in the Balcones Woods Common area as designed by Glen Teinert starting in November 2008 with a projected completion date of April 2009."

An October 2008 neighborhood survey regarding the facility indicated that 63% of homeowners responding to the poll said Balcones Woods Club should move forward with plans to build a new amenity center in the Commons Area. The final tally showed that 116 respondents (63%) said "yes, we should build the amenity center," while 67 members (37%) voted against the proposed plan. The survey was mailed to all members in the neighborhood.

At it's Nov. 18 meeting, the Board also voted to pursue a loan with Compass Bank to finance the construction of the building and to engage the services of TCV Construction to build the facility, pending loan approval. If the loan is approved, demolition of the old Amenity Center could take place in mid to late December. Construction on the $579,000 facility includes all-new restrooms and showers, a guard station, storage areas, a multi-purpose meeting room, along with many site improvements such as sidewalks, parking lot improvements, a fire hydrant and other updates required by the city of Austin. The climate controlled multi-purpose room will be available for activies year round.

Barring weather-related or other unexpected delays, construction is expected to be complete by April 2009.

Thanks to all the volunteers that have donated countless hours preparing for this project since 2002. Many thanks to all the residents that have provided input and opinions throughout the last 5 years of planning.

Board Update. October 2008

Neighborhood Survey Indicates a Majority Want to Build New Amenity Center
Board of Directors Takes Next Steps Toward Construction

The Balcones Woods Club Board of Directors learned in its Oct. 14 meeting that 63% of homeowners responding to a neighborhood survey say the homeowner's association should move forward with plans to build a new amenity center in the Commons Area. The final tally showed that 116 respondents (63%) said "yes, we should build the amenity center," while 67 members (37%) voted against the proposed plan. The survey was mailed to all members in the neighborhood.

The board discussed the results of the survey and feedback received from dozens of homeowners who attended a community meeting on October 8th at Davis Elementary. The Building Committee updated the Board with revised construction costs for the building. The latest estimates indicate costs for the project will be approximately $579,000 which includes all-new restrooms and showers, a guard station, storage areas, a multi-purpose meeting room, along with many site improvements such as sidewalks, parking lot improvements, a fire hydrant and other updates required by the city of Austin. The Building Committee presented a detailed financial analysis for the project. The analysis indicated the project can be built without charging residents a special assessment fee. The report indicated that a construction loan would be paid for using funds from homeowners dues and other income from usage fees. Dues are projected to increase by five percent per year over the next several years. Approximately $60,000 will be assessed to the Blue Wave Swim Team for usage fees. A report from the Swim Team's "Make it Happen" fund-raising campaign indicated that the effort has generated approximately $60,000 to date in cash and pledges.

The Board voted to authorize BWC president Grant Hennig to sign a conditional committment letter from a local bank that would begin the loan application process. A loan offer is expected to be recieved the week of Nov. 10. A board meeting is scheduled for Nov 11 Seton NW Hospital room 3A at 7 PM. At that time the Board could give final approval for the loan and to authorize construction, depending on the final loan offer.

Building Committee Update June 2008

In 2005, the neighborhood voted 191 to 46 to move forward to construct an estimated $250,000 to $300,000 amenity center based on a schematic design from Pitt Building Company. In 2007, the Balcones Woods Board of Directors determined that a maximum of $480,000 could be allocated for the remodel of the commons area while still retaining appropriate reserve levels for future expenditures. At this time, the Board authorized the building committee to proceed and obtain an actual construction cost. The actions required to move forward from that point are:

1) Obtain a site plan from the city of Austin (Completed Feb 2007). Spent: $16,822
2) Hire an architect (Completed 2007). Spent: $21,038
3) Complete construction documents - June 2008
4) Project out to bid with contractors/Board consider proposals - July/Aug 2008
5) Go to neighborhood for vote on project with bid numbers - Sept/Oct 2008
6) Board vote with actual cost estimates - Sept/Oct 2008
7) Obtain financing (with approval)
8) Initiate construction (with approval)

The primary focus of the building committee for the last year has been to work with an architect to obtain construction documents. There are three phases of architectural design. The first phase, schematic design entails definition of the building elevation and footprint. In the second phase, design development, details such as location of doors and windows and materials to be used in construction are finalized. The third phase is construction documents. These are the documents that a contractor needs to provide a bid on a project and then to build the project. We hope to complete the construction documents phase by June of this year.

We engaged with two architects last year. The first architect did not work out and a second architect (Glen Teinert) was hired in December 2007. The current design from Glen Teinert is slightly different from the 2005 design, but it has the same functionality and several advantages. The new design is similar in that it proposes a large multi-use room, storage, and larger bathrooms. The new building will be constructed to existing building codes and will be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

1) The new design saves the large live oak and 2 cedar elms behind the current guard shed.
2) The new design creates a much nicer walkway to the playground area and better integrates the tennis courts and the building.
3) The new design keeps all pool plumbing and hardware in the current location. This will save a significant expense and reduce the risk of any electrical issues during construction.
4) The new design has larger storage areas and an expanded shower area.

For questions regarding the new building, please contact a member of the Balcones Woods Building Committee.

Brian Anthony, Balcones Woods Drive
John Beckham, Cordova Drive
Cathy Reynolds, Cordova Drive Doug Bohne, Cordova, Drive
Stuart Bradford, Alhambra Drive
Kelly Folts, Galacia Drive

June 4th, 2007:

A special meeting has been requested by the building committee of the Balcones Woods Board of Directors. The committee is planning on presenting a recommendation on the hiring of an architectural firm for the amenity center project. The meeting will be Thursday, June 7, 2007 at 7pm in the activities room on the second floor of the Hyde Park Baptist Church Christian Life Center at the Quarries complex.

November 06 Update:

In July 2005, the board voted to proceed with plans to build a new amenity center at the pool based on a greater than 80% approval rating by the neighborhood.  The steps required to begin construction on an amenity center include a City of Austin site plan, a building permit, architectural drawings, and a completed construction contract with a reputable builder/contractor.  The City of Austin site plan is by far the most complex of these three steps.  The second half of 2005 we attempted to obtain an exemption to the site plan requirements, but after a great deal of effort the city finally told us that we needed to complete the full site plan process since our project required a conditional use permit due to zoning .   In March of this year, the board decided that the site plan process is too onerous to complete without professional help and we contracted the civil engineering firm of A.J. Ghaddar and associates to complete the process for us for an engineer’s fee of $13,700.  In addition to the engineer’s fees, we have incurred filing and review fees from the City of Austin.

The initial site plan proposal was submitted to the city July18, 2006, the City’s response was received on August 18^th, and our response to the city was completed September 8^th.  All three of these documents are available below.  If you review the documents in detail you will quickly see that in order to meet the cities requirements, we will be required to add numerous items that were not considered in the 2005 cost estimates (Fire hydrants, 6” curbs, 2 handicapped parking spaces, etc).  We expect to complete the site plan process by the end of this year which will enable us to begin construction after the pool closes in 2007.  The improvements required by the city will add to the final project expense, but will bring our common area out of the 1970’s into the 21^st century.

Once the site plan is obtained, we should have enough information to estimate total project costs.  We expect that the costs will increase from our 2005 estimates due to additional requirements added by the site plan and due to an increase in construction costs over time.  A complete project update will be given at the annual meeting in January including a revised financial analysis.

Brian Anthony

Building Committee Chair

BWC Board Chairman