Driftwood Hills Neighborhood Association

UPDATE

Mar 16, 2006

Driftwood Hills Update
March 15, 2006

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee met March 8 at Karen Hamilton?’s home. Those attending included Co-Presidents: Karen Hamilton and Sandi Wagner-Willis; Treasurer: Mary Ann Pahud; Board Members: Todd DeGroff, Tim Greene, John Watson, Jeanne Blake, and Sue Yaggi. Co-President Linda Stempel has resigned due to personal reasons.

> Todd De Groff gave a brief legal update. The city?’s attorney, Andy Mallon, asked for an extra 30 days until April 5 to respond to our suit, and we agreed to grant it. Todd is pursuing going for an injunction to prevent the city from issuing permits for site preparation while the case is pending. We have not filed those documents, yet.

> Treasurer, Mary Ann Pahud, reported that we have $3,875 in the Appeal Fund. This represents $9015 in contributions and $5140 in legal expenses. This does NOT include any contributions prior to January 31, 2006 when the appeal process began. Monies contributed prior to January 31 were spent fighting the change in zoning for the 86th & Haverstick property, and that fund balance is zero. Many, many thanks to those who have donated. We continue to receive donations from people outside our neighborhood who are sympathetic to our cause. Personal thank you notes have been written to those kind folks. We still need contributions from OUR NEIGHBORS; several fundraising ideas were discussed, but nothing was decided. As always checks should be payable to DRIFTWOOD HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOC. and mailed to Mary Ann Pahud, 9075 Cholla Rd., 46240.

> Another idea discussed was writing letters to the Editor of the Austin American-Statesman, the home town paper of Whole Foods. Address your letters to
Austin American-Statesman
P.O. Box 670
Austin, TX 78767

If you prefer to e-mail your letter:
Go to ?‘Austin American-Statesman.com?’
Using the tool bar at the top of their page, click on ?‘customer service?’
From the drop down menu, click on ?‘contact us?’
Find the heading, ?‘Newspaper?’ and follow down to ?‘Letters to the Editor?’
Click on that and follow the instructions.

> Melissa Steifmeier is working on a Driftwood Hills Web page, www.neighborhoodlink.com/indy/dhna. Let us know what you think.

> Jeanne Blake is working on a Driftwood Hills Directory. If you do NOT want your phone number or e-mail address included, please let Jeanne know. Her phone number is 844-2824.

> Pencil in the next Nora Community Council meeting for Thursday, April 6, at 7:30 at the Nora Library. Yeager Construction is supposed to present their plans for townhomes on the land at the corner of Sinclairwood & Haverstick. Your Executive Committee voted not to oppose their development as it has been explained. It will be a gated community of very attractive townhomes with different facades; it will not have a cookie-cutter appearance like the development at 86th & Meridian. It is very ?“Georgetown?” (Washington, DC) in appearance. We will confirm a definite meeting closer to the date.


> We have received an invitation from BRAG (Binford Redevelopment & Growth) Group to join them for a group picture on Thursday, March 23, at 5:00, at the ?‘old?’ Osco site at 71st & Binford (SR 37). The purpose of this get together is to begin a full court press on Whole Foods to locate their store on that site. BRAG has checked around with Whole Foods managers and residents in a once blighted area of Washington DC to see why WF decided to located there. They learned that the residents banded together and had their photo taken in front of the vacant auto dealership to make their case to WF management. This photo impressed WF and the area has transformed dramatically since WF built their store on P Street 5 years ago. They have decided to use this same model at 71st & Binford and have a group photo taken with a banner waving ?“We Want Whole Foods!?” Can we count on you to join in? The best way to get WF out of our neighborhood is to get them to locate in someone else?’s neighborhood. Especially one that wants them!!!