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HomeMy WebLinkAboutreporter.jan06© City of Georgetown, 2006 VOL.4 • NO.1 A Publication of the City of Georgetown January 2006 Annexations to bring road corridor into City Limits by 2007 Georgetown’s planning efforts to prepare for State Highway 130 pass a significant milestone in December. The City Council plans to annex 4,300 acres into Georgetown’s City Limits at the two council meetings in December. Two of the areas annexed are part of a three-year process to gain zoning and land use control along the SH 130 corridor east of Georgetown. The northern- most 6 miles of SH 130, including the junction with IH-35, lies within Georgetown’s two-mile extra-territo- rial jurisdiction. Cities including Georgetown that are near the path of SH 130 have limit- ed ability to control development along the current SH 130 right-of- way since it lies outside City Limits. Cities do not have zoning or land use authority in their ETJ. That lack of control was addressed in a regional meeting in November when elected leaders, city planners, and developers in Central Texas met to discuss and plan for the impact of SH 130. The November meeting was convened by Envision Central Texas, a regional planning nonprofit. Providing road connections, plan- ning residential and commercial development, and creating a com- muter rail route are major concerns along the corridor for SH 130, which is expected to open in December 2007. A result of Georgetown’s annexa- tions in December is that “we’re completing the building blocks in expanding our City Limits to get to the 130 corridor,” says Ed Polasek, who is the City’s chief long-range planner. Polasek adds that annexations are only one part of the planning that has to be done. “The City also has to start working on capital improve- ment projects to serve those annexed areas, which may include roads, water lines, or sewer lines. We have to coordinate all those processes as part of the annexation process in order to reach the SH 130 corridor.” While much work remains to be done, Georgetown officials began land use and transportation plans for SH 130 nearly four years ago. Georgetown’s Future Land Use Plan began in 2001 and was approved by the City Council in May 2002. The Future Land Use Plan has served as a guide to new develop- ments in Georgetown’s ETJ, including preferred commercial and industrial land uses along the SH 130 corridor. A second important planning step was the creation of the Overall Transportation Plan, which was approved by the City Council last year. In addition to serving as a 30- year transportation forecast, the Plan guides annual funding for new trans- portation projects, including those that receive revenue from the 1/2- cent City sales tax dedicated to new roads. This year’s new road budget includes SE Arterial 1, which is designed to move traffic from SH 130 directly to the Inner Loop near CR 110, thereby alleviating conges- tion on SH 29 through the down- town area. Routing and design stud- ies for SE 1 began this year. “Each of these efforts, the Land Use Plan, the Transportation Plan, and the annexations, help us work toward the same overall goal,” says City Manager Paul Brandenburg. “That goal is to maintain a livable city that preserves its unique charac- ter and does not become a part of the sprawling, traffic-congested sameness that plagues many growing areas.” For more information and maps of annexation areas and the other plans mentioned above, go to the City web site at www.georgetown.org. MLK, Jr. Holiday Monday, January 16 City offices closed Regular trash pickup PLANNING FOR SH 130 Discover the latest news about the city at www.georgetown.org The Georgetown City Reporter is a publication of the City of Georgetown Public Information Office located in City Hall, 113 E. Eighth Street, Georgetown, Texas, 78626. For questions or comments, contact Keith Hutchinson, Public Information Officer for the City of Georgetown at (512) 930-3690, or by email at pio@georgetowntx.org. Linda Scarbrough signs copies of her new book, Road, River & Ol’ Boy Politics: A Texas County’s Path from Farm to Supersuburb, after a talk at the library on November 10. Scarbrough, who grew up in Taylor and later Georgetown, told of the flood of 1921 that killed 92 people in eastern Williamson County and a color- ful “wheeler dealer” named Ralph Moore who bought up land north of Tayor. Moore was attempting to profit from a new dam and reservoir on the San Gabriel River. (He didn’t.) The Georgetown Reads! committee is pleased to announce The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon as the 2006 book selection for Georgetown’s “One Book One Community” program. Moon, who won the 2003 Nebula Award for the novel, will be present at the kick-off celebration to accept the honor. She will speak briefly about her motivation in writing a book with a main character who is autistic. The kick-off will take place at the library on Tuesday, January 10 at 7 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Georgetown Reads! 2006 Arts and Culture Board Is At Work Georgetown Public Library The newly created nine-member Arts and Culture Advisory Board met for the first time in September. In November, the Board presented their bylaws to the City Council and then moved on to establishing short-term and long-term goals and priorities. In general, the members are seeking to raise public awareness of the role that the musical, performing, and visual arts play in Georgetown’s quality of life and they hope to begin taking visible steps in that direction in the next few months. Paul Gaffney is chair of the Board and the other members include Charles Aguillon, Rich Bartko, Addie Free Tax Help January 28 – April 15 Free tax assistance is offered at the library. Volunteers trained by the IRS are available to assist with tax forms. Saturday,11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Tuesday,6 – 7:30 p.m. Wednesday,12 – 4 p.m. Thursday,6 - 7:30 p.m. A large inventory of tax forms is available at the library beginning in January. Forms also may be down- loaded from www.irs.gov at the library and printed for 10 cents per page. On Friday April 15 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., volunteers will be available to answer questions, but not to assist with filling out forms. If you have questions, contact Kathleen Bowling at the Public Library at (512) 930-3551. On November 21 at the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, Congressman John Carter presented certificates of apprecia- tion to Georgetown nonprofits, churches, and residents who assisted with Hurricane Katrina and Rita relief efforts. Good Neighbor Fund Due to increased demand for help with utility bill assistance in recent months, The Caring Place reports a serious need for contributions to the Good Neighbor Fund. Your dona- tion helps provide assistance to many families each month. By adding a dollar contribution to the Good Neighbor Fund on your City of Georgetown utility bill, you can help a neighbor who may have trouble making their payment due to a recent hardship like losing a job or a big medical bill. For those who qualify, the Good Neighbor Fund pays up to half of the utility bill. A matching contribu- tion is paid by The Caring Place, another local nonprofit, or the customer. Blood Drive on Jan. 10 A blood drive for the Scott & White Blood Center will be held at the Georgetown Recreation Center at 1003 N. Austin Avenue on January 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. To make a pledge to donate in advance and reduce your wait time, contact Brandi Williams at (512) 930-3596. All donors will receive a T-shirt and be eligible for door prizes. Busfield, Natalie Dowling, Jane Paden, Penny Plueckhahn, Ruth Roberts, and Jane Voltz. The members are all active in the arts in Georgetown.