River Road Neighborhood Association

There will be a pre-sale happy hour event October 23 from 6 to 8pm at the end of Ostrom. Pot luck with music and drinks. Come early, be home in time to get ready for the sale! Contact Mimi to volunteer.

Each property owner has a vote. Failure to submit a ballot is equivalent to a vote of NO.

Ballots have been mailed to property owners by the City, and are due by September 15, 2009. Ballots should be mailed to:

City of San Antonio
Office of Historic Preservation
Attn: Elizabeth Porterfield
1901 South Alamo St., 2nd Floor
San Antonio, TX 78204

For any questions or comments, please call Ms. Porterfield at 207-3327 or by email at elizabeth.porterfield@sanantonio.gov

See the River Road Proposed Design Standards (revised 9/1/09)

You may also visit the City of San Antonio’s Office of Historic Preservation

Thanks to Lea Brogan for organizing the 4th of July parade! This was clearly the largest turnout we’ve seen yet. Click the slideshow to see larger versions of the photos.

On July 8 at Lion’s Field, representatives from the City of San Antonio’s Office of Historic Preservation delivered a presentation to the neighborhood outlining the process of obtaining historic designation and what this would mean for River Road. Prior to the meeting, an informational flyer was distributed to all River Road residences, which can be downloaded here:

A River Road Historic District?

All River Road property owners are encouraged to attend the next RRNA Board Meeting on Thursday, July 16 at 7:00 p.m at Lion’s Field. The proposed historic district is the first agenda item and a representative from the Office of Historic Preservation has agreed to attend to address questions and concerns.

More Information:

City of San Antonio’s Office of Historic Preservation

Note: The proposed River Road Historic District is an initiative of a committee of River Road property owners (named in the linked flyer), not the River Road Neighborhood Association.

Lion’s Club Fieldhouse
July 16, 2009
7:00 PM

Board Members: Sally Boothe-Meredith, Diane Briseño, Lea Brogan, Larry Clark, Augie Cortez, Tammy Griswold, Anne Larme, Richard Reed, Bill Sibley, Michael Sullivan, Matt Wallace

Treasurer: Ed Piner

Call to order

Approval of Minutes
Treasurer’s Report (Ed Piner)

Old Business
Historic District (Bill Sibley)
Digital Sign Ordinance (Richard Reed)

New Business
Portable Loudspeaker for Lion’s Club Fieldhouse (Richard Reed)
Proposed changes to the Tree Ordinance (Sally Boothe-Meredith)

Adjournment

• The RRNA is receiving responses to its April memo re: drainage issues (see previous website postings). Nefi Garza of the San Antonio River Authority will be invited to a future RRNA meeting to update us.
• The bidding process for the Park Reach portion of the hike and bike trail has been slow, delaying construction. The River Oversight Committee/Park Reach Subcommittee will use the delay to consult with local experts on the bird sanctuary and river restoration along Avenue A.
• The San Antonio Zoo plans to construct a wastewater treatment plant, which will reduce pollution in the San Antonio River.
• Nell Grover was officially appointed as Chair of the Bylaws Committee.
• Community Garden Update: Planting beds are now prepared and ready for planting fall crops in early August.
• Report to the RRNA from the neighborhood’s Zoning Overlay Committee (John Larcade, Chair): A representative from the City of San Antonio’s Office of Historic Preservation will come on July 8 to discuss the process for becoming a Historic District. All neighbors will be notified via flyer and email. The meeting will be held at Lions Field.
• The neighborhood’s 4th of July parade will start at 9:30 AM. All households will be notified of the festivities via flyer and email.
• The next RRNA meeting will be on July 16, 7 PM, at Lions Field. All are welcome!

You Are Invited

A Conversation with Marilyn Lanfear at the San Antonio Museum of Art
200 West Jones Ave.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009, 6:30 pm
Auditorium. Free.

Please join David S. Rubin, The Brown Foundation Curator for Contemporary Art at SAMA for his public conversation with artist Marilyn Lanfear.

In her art, Lanfear “uses personal symbols, familiar materials, and imagery culled from everyday life to tell stories.” She will show photographs of her past and present works.

Lanfear lives and works in the RR neighborhood.

Our May RRNA meeting was low-key, as both our Chair (Richard Reed) and Vice-Chair (Larry Clark) were absent, but here are a few highlights:

• A letter summarizing the April 14 meeting to address drainage issues in our area of the city,* and calling for a moratorium on all projects until issues of River Road neighborhood flooding are addressed, was sent by Reed to the appropriate government officials. [*See April 16 Meeting Highlights on RRNA website.]
• Another house has been demolished in the neighborhood, this time on Trail St. This is another cautionary note that we need to get protections in place for the neighborhood via Historic District or Neighborhood Conservation District status. A committee to explore this possibility has been meeting [NOTE: this process is separate from the RRNA]. Board members volunteered to communicate urgency to Zoning Overlay Committee Chair John Larcade.
• RRNA committee chairs who are not board members are requested to attend the monthly RRNA meeting or send a representative.
• Work on our community garden progresses. Compost has been spread, and water spigots have been installed, thanks to a donation by Councilperson Cisneros. Check it out!
• A neighborhood crime report link has been added to the RRNA website.
• The RRNA is planning a July 4th celebration, organized by Lea Brogan and Diane Briseno. Volunteers welcome!

Our next RRNA meeting is June 18, 7 PM, at Lions Field – all are welcome!

http://www.mysanantonio.com/crimebase/crimeBaseSummaries.html?searchValue=78212&firstResult=%2010

Thanks to Bill Sibley for spotting this feature on the MySA.com web site. This link will also be available on the right-side column of this site under “Government.”

7:00 PM Lion’s Club Field House

SAPD Officer Betty Cardona, our new neighborhood SAFFE officer, came to introduce herself and discuss her role and safety issues in our neighborhood.

The main topic of discussion was an April 14 meeting convened by District 1 Councilperson Cisneros to address flooding issues in our area of the city. Attendees included the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) staff and SARA District 2 representative Roberto Rodriguez, staff from the City of San Antonio and Bexar County, and RRNA representatives Larry DeMartino and Barbara Witte-Howell. DeMartino reported on the meeting content and recommendations of the RRNA Drainage Committee. These include:

• A review of short and long-term Witte Museum projects to determine flooding implications for the River Road neighborhood
• A request for a time schedule of current projects to alleviate flooding, by the cities of San Antonio and Alamo Heights, Bexar County, and SARA, that increase discharge into the San Antonio River above the neighborhood
• A request for a time schedule and cost of projects to alleviate flooding in the River Road neighborhood.

The RRNA Drainage Committee calls for a moratorium on all projects until issues of neighborhood flooding are addressed. The board approved sending a memo summarizing meeting content and RRNA recommendations to appropriate government officials. [Note: A copy of this memo was emailed to the neighborhood 5/15/09.]

We also elected RRNA Officers and confirmed RRNA Committees. Elected by acclamation were: Richard Reed, Chair, Larry Clark, Vice-Chair, and Anne Larme, Secretary. Ed Piner will continue his appointment as Treasurer.

RRNA committees include:
Communications – Boothe-Meredith, Sullivan, Grover
Traffic and Sidewalks – Clark
Drainage – Reed, Witte-Howell, DeMartino, Sullivan, Schweers
History – Sibley, Larme
River Care – Clark, Augie Cortez, Russ Smith
Events – Brogan, Briseno
Yard Sale – Piner, Mimi Quintanilla, Griswold
By-Laws (special committee) – Sally Buchanan, DeMartino, Hector Gonzalez, Chris Green, Grover, Quintanilla

Neighborhood Affiliative Representatives:
Zoning Overlay (changed from NCD/Historic District) – John Larcade, chair
Kings Court – Bob Buchanan, DeMartino
River Oversight Committee – Reed
San Antonio Conservation Society – Witte-Howell

RRNA Annual Membership Meeting and Directors’ Meeting – March 22 and 29

Twenty-five members and guests, along with the RRNA Board of Directors, attended the RRNA Annual Membership Meeting at Lions Field on March 22, 2009.

• Guest speakers included District 1 City Council candidates Mary Alice Cisneros, Chris Forbrich, and Ruby Krebs, SAISD School Board candidate Ruben Cuero, and John Toohey, of ARTS San Antonio, who announced a July 4th concert at Sunken Gardens Theatre and requested our support.
• Nefi Garza, of the San Antonio River Authority, gave an overview of flooding issues and discussed efforts to mitigate the potential for flooding in the River Road neighborhood, in coordination with Bexar County and the cities of San Antonio and Alamo Heights. One of the most viable solutions being explored is the construction of retention ponds.
• Board elections were held. New RRNA board members, elected to three year terms, include Diane Briseno (River Rd.), Tammy Griswold (Woodlawn), and Matt Wallace (Trail). Outgoing board members Larry DeMartino, Nell Grover, and Mimi Quintanilla were commended for their service to the neighborhood.
• A committee to review and update the RRNA bylaws was created, and will include Sally Buchanan, Larry DeMartino, Hector Gonzalez, Chris Green, Nell Grover, and Mimi Quintanilla.
• Richard Reed, RRNA Chair, reported that in the past year, the RRNA successfully lobbied to get the Hike and Bike Trail located on Avenue B rather than through the neighborhood, and to get Avenue A designated as a bird sanctuary. He noted that we need to be vigilant about the effects of the Fort Sam Houston expansion on the neighborhood, particularly on traffic on Mulberry.
• Updates for other RRNA initiatives were given, including the community garden, neighborhood history interviews, and the Upper Labor Acequia study and historical marker.

A short follow-up Annual Directors Meeting was held on March 29. Normally board officers are selected and committees are established at this meeting, but due to low attendance, these actions were deferred to the April Board meeting.