Apr
4
Tennis Anyone?
Filed Under Lots & Land, Recreation, Current Market Conditions, Residential Development | Leave a Comment
Visit the John Newcombe Estate here
Forty years ago, World No. 1 tennis player John Newcombe decided he needed an American baseto sustain his family life and professional tennis career.
The Australian didn’t want a home on the east or west coasts, but through tennis coach Cliff Mayberry at Trinity University, he was introduced to a piece of property that had been a dude ranch just west of New Braunfels. German was still spoken by old-time New Braunfelsers at that time, a connection not lost on German native Angie Newcombe, as the couple made their American home in Comal County.
Four decades later, The John Newcombe Tennis Ranch and Conference Center is thriving, and a longtime effort to expand the business has just been unveiled. Phase One of the John Newcombe Estate and Country Club was launched to a private party of New Braunfels residents last week, offering individuals who join by the end of April an opportunity to be founder members and the opportunity to apply a joining fee against the cost of a home site.
The country club will feature 16 tennis courts, pro shop, private parks and walking trails, a spa, members’ bar and grill, child-care and swimming facilities. Too small for a golf course, Newk’s longtime head of operations Jeremy Fieldson said a putting green and short game practice area is possibility for part of the four-acre park near the Estate’s entrance off Mission Valley Road.
“In the beginning of the 90s, we looked at … read the fulll story by Gerard MacCrossan in the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung
Apr
2
School Bond Options For Comal ISD
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On May 10, taxpayers in Comal Independent School District will have the option of voting for a $205.85 million bond issue. Should the bond pass, it will fund land and technology purchases, building expansions, technology upgrades and three new elementary schools for the fast-growing district, which is expanding at a rate of more than 5 percent annually.
School bonds typically span several years’ worth of needs, and should the current bond issue fail in May, CISD could still tread water for about a year, said Superintendent Marc Walker. “It’s each subsequent year that you’re going to have exponentially more problems as you get more and more kids and no place to put them,” he said.
About 1,000 new students arrive annually in the district, and seven schools are projected to exceed capacity by 2010 if more classrooms and other space is not added. New facilities are a necessity, said Walker, who likened school construction to basic water tracts and sewers in a fast-growth city.
Bond 2008 will not raise property tax rates, according to financial adviser Duane Westerman, and it calls only for “bare bones” funding, Walker said.
But should worst come to worst and the bond not pass, he said, portable buildings would be installed and more students added to existing classrooms.
Rezoning after a failed bond might work, Walker added, but it’s tough move considering the district’s widespread, often sparse population.
At nearly 600 square miles, CISD’s size exceeds that of the entire city of San Antonio, “so though you may be able to rezone, it’s not practical because of the number of buses and the cost,” Walker said. While students at full campuses could go to newer, less crowded ones like Canyon Lake High School, he said, transportation would be a … read the full story by Georgia Fisher in the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung
Apr
1
Proponents of biodiesel have hit the road to Austin to move their headquarters closer to the industry’s biggest fan — Willie Nelson.
The Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance has relocated from Paia, Hawaii, to downtown Austin. The organization has hired Jeff Plowman, former president of Austin BioFuels LLC, as executive director.
“Texas is on the front lines of the issues today,” says Plowman, whose appointment was a major reason for moving the group. “By moving to Austin, it’s going to keep us focused and keep us certainly in the eye of the industry.”
Plowman will continue to hold an interest in his company, which will be led by interim president Robert Plenge.
The Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance was founded in 2006 and focuses on creating efficient production and use practices.
There are 60 members and board members including actress Daryl Hannah and Annie Nelson, the wife of Willie Nelson.
Willie Nelson is an honorary board member. He and his wife have opened biofuel stations in a few states.
The nonprofit www.fuelresponsibly.org is looking for permanent office space in downtown Austin.
The alliance is creating standards for biodiesel to ensure the product bought by consumers is environmentally friendly.
Factors for product certification by the alliance would include … read the full story by Laura Hipp in the Austin Business Journal
Mar
27
Austin 5th Fastest Growing Metro Area in U.S.
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Austin hasn’t lost its allure.
The city was the only one in Texas to make the list of the 10 fastest-growing U.S. metro areas, ranking fifth, with a population increase of 4.3 percent in 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Austin-Round Rock area had the eighth highest numeric population gain, with 65,880 new residents moving into the region in 2007.
Overall, four Texas metropolitan areas saw big numerical population increases last year.
The Dallas-Fort Worth region ranked No. 1 in the list of top 10 U.S. metro areas by overall numeric population growth with an additional 162,250 people from 2006 to 2007.
The Houston metro area ranked fourth on that list, with an additional … read the full article in the Austin Business Journal
Mar
27
Where’s Everyone Going? - Texas
Filed Under Residential Real Estate, Current Market Conditions, Residential Development, Employment | Leave a Comment
DALLAS — Four Texas metropolitan areas were among the biggest population gainers as Americans continued their trend of moving to the Sun Belt in 2006 and 2007, according to Census Bureau estimates to be released Thursday.
Dallas-Fort Worth added more than 162,000 residents between July 2006 and July 2007, more than any other metro area. Three other Texas areas — Houston, Austin and San Antonio — also cracked the top 10.
Atlanta saw the second-largest population jump with just over 151,000 new residents. Phoenix was third with more than 132,000, and was followed by Houston, Riverside, Calif., Charlotte, N.C., Chicago, Austin, Las Vegas and San Antonio.
Of the 50 fastest-growing metro areas, 27 were in the South and 20 were in the West. Two were in the Midwest, one — Fayetteville, Ark. — straddles the South and Midwest and none was in the Northeast.
Detroit lost more than three times as many people as any other metro area — its population declined more than 27,300. Other areas losing more than 5,000 people were Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Columbus, Ga., Youngstown, Ohio, and Buffalo, N.Y.
Experts credit much of the growth in the South to relatively strong local economies and housing prices that are among the most affordable in the U.S.
“People are running away from unaffordable housing, from the economic slowdown,” said Karl Eschbach, a state demographer in Texas. “I would expect Texas to stay at the top of a slowing game.”
According to figures compiled by Eschbach, 16 percent of Americans who moved to other states between July 2006 and July 2007 came to Texas, which led the nation for the second straight year in that category.
Home prices continue to be a big factor. A report earlier this month by Global Insight found that housing prices in the Dallas area were undervalued by as much as 30 percent.
Ann Sekesan, a pharmacy technician, moved her family from Pennsylvania to suburban Fort Worth last June after seeing spacious homes in Texas for under $200,000 on a television show.
“After we saw that on TV, my husband and I looked at each other and said, ‘Have you ever been to Texas?” Sekesan said. “It’s amazing the size of a … read the full story on FoxNews.com
Mar
26
San Marcos Taps New Economic Development Chief
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By PHYLLIS SNODGRASS
San Marcos - The San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce has hired Amy Madison, formerly of the City of Schertz and the City of Leon Valley as the new director for Economic Development - San Marcos. The City Council confirmed her appointment at its last meeting.
“We are excited to have Amy join our economic development team to carry on the excellent leadership of our EDSM Board and former Director Kim Moore and Interim Director Stephanie Garcia” said Mayor Susan Narvaiz. “Economic development is not only an extremely high priority of the City Council, but also of our citizens who have designated economic development and job creation as vital goals for the future of our city.”
Garcia, who has served as interim director since November, will pass the baton to Madison in early April.
“We interviewed numerous well qualified candidates from all over the country for this position” said Phyllis Snodgrass, President of the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce, contract administrator for the Economic Development San Marcos Program. “We were delighted to have such a talented pool of applicants to choose from and extremely pleased to have Amy join our team.”
“Amy’s experience in economic development, her strategic thinking, regional contacts and impressive work ethic made her the most dynamic candidate. We are thrilled to have someone of Amy’s caliber join the … read the full article on Newstreamz.com
Mar
25
New Tube Tax OK’d By Council
Filed Under General, Recreation | Leave a Comment
By Chris Cobb
The Herald-Zeitung
Published March 25, 2008
The New Braunfels City Council took the first step toward re-enacting the river management fee on Monday.
The council passed the first reading of a new ordinance which would charge a user fee — or “tube tax” — for each person renting water recreation equipment, like tubes and kayaks, or using shuttles to get to different locations on the Guadalupe and Comal rivers.
The daily $1.25 fee per-user would be collected by outfitters and remitted to the city each month.
The original fee was devised in 2001 as a way to help finance the city’s law enforcement and cleanup efforts on the rivers, but a lawsuit organized by a group of outfitters had the fee thrown out in September. A district judge ruled that the city had violated its charter when it was enacted and that the fee was actually an invalid occupation tax.
The new ordinance seeks to remedy those legal issues, and according to New Braunfels Mayor Bruce Boyer and City Attorney Alan Wayland, could serve as a starting point toward working with outfitters to find funding options to help foot the city’s cost of maintaining the rivers.
“This ordinance is not meant to be an end-all,” Wayland told council. “This just allows us to proceed with the river season, which is fast approaching us, and allow us to collect revenue to help offset some of the cost of maintaining … read the full story in the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung
Mar
25
Hays Council Turns Down Shooting Limits
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By Molly Bloom
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
The Hays County Commissioners Court voted down a ban on shooting on lots smaller than two acres in unincorporated areas at their meeting this morning.
The commissioners voted 2-3 against enacting the ban, with commissioners Jeff Barton and Debbie Ingalsbe voting in favor of the ban.
Discussions of a shooting ban came after the death of Daniel Galicia, 7, who was accidentally shot in April while jumping on a trampoline in his family’s yard east of Kyle.
Investigators say neighbor Jose Espitia, a 37-year-old construction worker who lived less than half a mile away, fired the shot that killed Daniel. Espitia, who has been indicted on a manslaughter charge, told police that he had been target shooting in his backyard and couldn’t even see the boy. No trial date has been set.
Barton had proposed naming the law “Daniel’s Law” in Daniel Galicia’s memory.
In an interview this morning, Daniel’s mother, Faustina Galicia, said she was surprised that the ban did not pass, but said she and her family would continue to support efforts to regulate shooting in the county.
Speaking in Spanish, Galicia said she doesn’t want anybody else to go through what her family has been through with Daniel’s death.
The Hays proposal included exemptions for shooting to protect people or property from imminent harm or dangerous animals, by working peace officers and when blank cartridges are used. It also exempted shooting during … read the full story from the Austin-American Statesman
Mar
24
All of us here at Corridor Real Estate Brokers lost a true hero, friend, and comrade on March 16th with the passing of MAJ (Retired) Scott McGinnis of San Marcos, Texas. Scott’s life was a tremendous influence on many people in the San Marcos area and beyond, the likes of which we will probably never know again.
Scott entered the United States Military Academy in 1975 and graduated with the Class of 1979 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering. He then earned his Masters in Education (Civil Engineering, Water Resources Planning and Management and Construction Management) from Texas A & M University in 1986. Scott retired from US Army in 1995.
I first met Scott in 1995 when he took command of the Army ROTC Detachment at Texas State University. To give you some idea of what an amazing person he really was, Scott led the detachment to win the Douglas MacArthur Award for Best Small Army ROTC Unit in the entire United States during his first year in the area.
Scott was a great leader, a mentor, comrade, and friend. He was a patriot whose integrity, faith, and moral character were beyond reproach. During his time on this Earth, Scott touched so many lives with his unselfishness, kindness, and unending faith. Scott was a a man that really enjoyed life. He was a loving son, father, brother, uncle, and friend who was always there for anyone who needed him.
He is survived by his parents, Jim and Bonnie McGinnis, Spearfish Canyon, SD; his most precious legacy, his daughter, Kelley McGinnis, Austin, Texas; his brother, Mike (Tracy) McGinnis, Chesapeake, VA, and their children Meghan, Matt, and Meredith; his sister Jean (Jim) Carberry, Oahu, Hawaii; uncle and aunt Howard and Joel McGInnis, Cozad, Nebraska; and cousins Paul and Laurie McGinnis; aunt, Sally Chisholm, Lincoln, Nebraska; and cousin, Andrew Chisholm and family; aunt and uncle, Carl and Karen Brasee, Grand Island, Nebraska; and cousins, John Brasee, Margaret Loftus, and Mark Brasee.
Scott’s Departure from this world to receive his reward in Heaven has left a void in the hearts of everyone who loves him, but his legacy will live on. If you knew Scott or would like to learn more about him or his influence on so many, please visit his blog page. He funeral (with full military honors) was conducted this morning at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis, South Dakota. Scott, we’ll miss you brother.
Mar
22
Hays Ranks #20 in Fastest Growing US Counties
Filed Under Buyer Agency, Residential Real Estate, Current Market Conditions, Residential Development, Commercial Real Estate, Employment | Leave a Comment
From staff reports - San Marcos Daily Record
San Marcos — We’re number 20.
According to population estimates released on Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau, Hays is the 20th fastest-growing county in the country.
The Census says the county’s population grew 45 percent between April 1, 2000 and July 1, 2007, detailing that Hays had 97,574 residents by the earlier date and 141,480 by the latter — an increase of 43,906 people in just more than seven years.
Also on the list of the “100 fastest growing counties” were Central Texas neighbor Comal, coming in as number 46 with a 34.8 percent population increase.
Also released on Thursday was a list of the fastest-growing large counties. Bexar to the south was at number 20 and Travis, to the north, at 41.
In terms of dramatic growth in municipalities, Kyle wins out. Census figures show Kyle with a population of …. read the full story in the San Marcos Daily Record
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