We got a notice in the mail alerting us to an application for site development at Crestview Station (where the old Huntsman chemical plant rests in peace).

The applicant is proposing to construct four multi-family buildings and four parking garages, with associated streets and utilities.

The applicant in question is Bury + Partners. I’m excited–these are the people that did the GSD&M building across from Whole Foods. When building, they were very careful to reduce impervious cover and the drainage impact on Shoal Creek, preserve existing natural resources on the banks of the creek, and promote water conservation through xeriscaping.

A quick look at the application website doesn’t reveal much detail, so I googled it. The basics about the site development were reported in the Austin Biz Journal last July, including an overview:

• 150,000 square feet of retail and office space.
• Roughly 500 single-family lots.
• Up to 600 multifamily units.
• Upgrades to existing ball fields.
• Environmental cleanup with a price tag exceeding $3 million.

I’m particularly interested in the “cleanup.” Every few weeks last fall, we would hear a strange noise coming from Huntsman, a loud hissing sound that permeated our home even with all the windows and doors closed. Usually the noise lasted less than 10 minutes, but one night it droned on for over an hour. We called the fire department, and they went to investigate, but we never found out what the source of the noise was. It sounded eerily like gas escaping from a pipe. It wasn’t exactly comforting.
I heard some neighborhood buzz a while back about not wanting a direct thru-road to Crestview from this new neighborhood. I’m not sure I understood why. If I were a parent moving into one of those new homes or condos, my greatest concern would be the walkability of getting to and from the elementary school every day. I’d love to see more families move into the area, but I wouldn’t blame anyone for being a little freaked out about their kiddos having to cross the lightrail tracks. The journal article mentions “narrow streets, alleys, ponds and community parks easily reachable from every home;” I hope they are thinking about pedestrian safety as they develop the plans.
Apparently there was also a Statesman article (cached but not up on the Statesman site) that noted:

• 550-600 apartments will be built in three and four story buildings at a density of 60 units per acre.
• 500 single family lots will only be 25-30 feet wide.
• 150,000 sf of retail and office space will be built into six two-story buildings with retail on ground floor and office above.
• 17 acre North Austin Optimists ball fields will be preserved as well as 4 more acres for open space.

Wahoo! They’re keeping the ballparks.
As for the businesses… I have to admit that Burnet Road just keeps getting cooler. I remember that 12 years ago, when I used to take Cap Metro up to Northcross Mall from the campus area for a summer job, I thought that Burnet Road was a concrete jungle. Nowadays (and I am sure David will expound on this), it seems like it just keeps attracting and sustaining funky mom-and-pops. I rarely leave north-central Austin to do my shopping or go out to eat. I hope North Lamar starts catching up