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May 9, 2013
The Only Island in Texas where ART goes for a walk
Around The Island
Photo by Miles Merwin Next Publication Date: 5/16/2013
BeachWalk Village
By Dale Rankin editor@islandmoon.com
Last week we had a couple of twisters roar across our Island and Islander Libby Edwards caught one of them on camera. As you can see from these pictures a dark cloud line crossed The Island about 3 a.m. on Tuesday a week ago and the twister picked up water as it crossed the Laguna Madre.
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Year 16, Issue 473
Plans for Gulfside Development Along Whitecap Complete
By Dale Rankin Plans for the BeachWalk Village Development located along Whitecap between SPID and the Gulf beach are now complete. wh
Gulf Shores Joint Venture has released its plans for BeachWalk Village Development fronting the Gulf of Mexico adjacent to Whitecap Boulevard. The plans include single-family beachfront homes, multi-family lodging, and an Island village which wraps around the existing Island House and fronts on the seawall.
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The 40-acre site will be Coastal Vernacular architectural style reminiscent of the low country architecture found along the coasts of Georgia, and the Carolinas. The BeachWalk Village Development is constant with the Island Master Plan and the developments on the west side of SPID. It is intended to compliment the Schlitterbahn Beach County Development making product available for those looking for beachfront settings. Plans continued on A11
It crossed over the golf course and headed off toward Mustang State Park then found its way out to sea without damaging anything but Island nerves. It’s been several years since our last tornado which managed to take some of the siding off the Holiday Inn but fortunately didn’t cause any injuries. Now if our luck just holds for the Big Tornado season which begins June 1. Forecasts for the hurricane season should be out in the next couple of weeks.
Real estate We’re featuring a lot of real estate news in this issue for a very simple reason; real estate is what is happening on our sandbar right now. After years of waiting and anticipation things are moving. The real estate market on both ends of The Island is heating up and this week marks the first new residential development as a result of the Schlitterbahn Beach Resort. See the complete story in this issue, and look for more of the same in the near future.
Assessing the assessment Tax notices are now all in for Island property owners and while we are hearing few complaints from Port Aransas and Flour Bluff, Padre property owners are forming a caravan to head to the appeals office. We’re hearing from a great many Islanders whose home valuation has increased about $100,000; that seems to be the magic and somewhat arbitrary number. Estimates are that across Nueces County valuations, minus new construction, will be up about 5% with many areas of town holding steady while the Ocean Drive area and The Island is expected to jump about 10% - considerably less than $100,000 per home. When it’s all said and done, after the protest season, County Judge Lloyd Neal told the Kiwanis Club this week that he expects countywide property value, once again minus new construction, will be up about 3%. The big complaint this year is that the Nueces County Appraisal District is not releasing the appraisal values to the public during the appeals process. This means that homeowners who protest their valuation must do so without knowing the value of the homes and lots around them. The reason, according to Neal, is that the release of the valuations early in the process led to lawsuits and real estate agents stopped providing them. If ever there were a year for homeowners to protest their valuations, it looks like this is that year.
Moon website We are about to breath new life into the Island Moon website and we’re looking for input concerning content. If there is anything in particular you would like to see please e-mail us at editor@islandmoon.com and let us know. We’ll be out on the seawall this weekend with the Island Moon Newspaper ArtWalk. Stop by and say hello if you are Around The Island.
Island Moon ArtWalk This Weekend Free to vendors and the public The next Island Moon Newspaper ArtWalk and Beach Market will hit the Michael J. Ellis seawall Saturday-Sunday, May 11-12. KIII Television and The Shark 106.5 radio will again sponsor guaranteeing plenty of exposure for the event across the city. The event is free both to vendors and the public. Setup will begin at 7 a.m. and the market will open to the public at 9 a.m. The market will open at noon on Sunday. For any questions e-mail us at editor@ islandmoon.com or call 949-7700.
Volunteers needed!
Casino Night to Benefit Fourth of July Fireworks By Denise Hebert Hello everyone, the Island Blast, our first Fireworks display, is in need for some funding. The people who started IslandBlast! this (Jerry and Sharon Fire in the sky on Watkins) are people like the Fourth of July us that just want to add something new to our island. They want to be able to sit on their deck and watch a good ole Fireworks display on the 4th of July. The display they are hoping for costs $ 15,000.00 and it will be equal to Port Aransas fireworks which is a very nice display. I have volunteered to do a Casino Night to help with their funding. Because of this I could use some volunteers. I will need help selling tickets, putting up posters and help that night to exchange money for Funny Money. If any of you would like to help, you know I will appreciate it, and I could use your help! So far, Rusty has been advising me on how to run a casino night has been very helpful, and Patrick Kelliher has designed the posters and the tickets. Casino night will be June 1, at the Country Club, from 6 PM until 10 PM. I will be hiring professional gaming people to run the games. We know so far, we will have 8 tables for black jack, two large craps tables and a roulette wheel. Does anyone know how to run bingo? We could do that ourselves, which will save money. Kim Erwin has graciously offered her two condo’s for two days for prizes. One in South Padre and the other in New Orleans. Thank you everyone, and hope to hear from you.
For a complete map of the planned Island development See page A11 5 min. walk
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Sold Out In Two Weeks
BeaCH waLK VILL aGe
First New Residential Construction Near Schlitterbahn
© 2013 H a rt How erton Ltd. © 2013 H a rt How erton Pa rt ner s Ltd.
The designs and concepts shown are the sole property of Hart Howerton. The drawings may not be used except with the expressed written consent of Hart Howerton.
Padre Island, Texas
The first new residential development in the area around the Schlitterbahn Beach Resort sold all of its 44 units in just two weeks. The $9 million project now is off the drawing board and heading for groundbreaking in early July. It is called Nemo Cay Resort, located on Nemo Court, and is being done by developers Alex Harris and Willard Hammonds, II. The 44 Unit Town Home Project will include five types of units; 2 bedroom/3 bath, 3 bedroom/2 bath, 3 bedroom/3 bath, 4 bedroom/4 bath and 5 bedroom/4 bath. The project will contain a large swimming pool with two slides
site Plan april 17, 2013
Most buyers are from Corpus Christi however one buyer is from Kailua, Hawaii Nemo Cay will be built by Brite Star Construction based on a design by Jon Hall at Prime Design Group. All units will be completed before the opening of Schlitterbahn in March 2014.
A little Island history
Angels, Serpents and Frescos 22 Steps to the Little Chapel on the Dunes Editor’s note: This is part 1 of series of articles about The Little Chapel on the Dunes in Port Aransas By Brent Rourk Tucked far away between trees and homes, yet perched solidly on top of the tallest dune in the city of Port Aransas sets one of the most remarkable and miraculous chapels ever built – The Little Chapel on the Dunes. It was also the home, as history reveals, of angels and serpents. Originally constructed in 1938 by the Carter Family, this chapel has a storied history, beautifully painted frescoes, and a peace that transcends its location. Built at a time when there was no ferry service to Mustang Island nor causeway connecting Corpus Christi to North Padre Island or Mustang Island, this astounding chapel beckons a visit from you, just as it was intended to attract locals when its chief designer and builder Aline Badger Carter envisioned a small chapel on the island in the 1930s.
small in size, it is huge in color and spirit. An Idyllic visit to this heavenly chapel has brought thousands of people a sense of joy, comfort and spirituality, common to those who visit old and large European cathedrals with fresco-covered walls. It is still without lighting and air conditioning. Open windows and an open front door permit a comforting Gulf breeze and welcome the sounds of local shore birds to sooth and inspire the soul. It is during a moment like this that the images in the frescoes come alive and the spirit connects with more powerful forces.
It remains the oldest consecrated church on The Island. If you carefully climb the 22 sand and rock steps from the street to the top of the dune you will have the opportunity to explore this splendid chapel. Though the Chapel is
The Carter Family and the Chapel Henry Champe Carter (1861-1948) was a well-known attorney, judge and former president of the State Bar Association History continued on A14