Robert v. City ofManor - Book Two

Robert v. City of Manor - Book One

https://issuu.com/robertbattaile/docs/robert_v_manor_-_book_one

Robert v. City of Manor - Book Two

https://issuu.com/robertbattaile/docs/robert_v_manor_-_book_two

APPENDIX SOON

The Triangle is potentially a GREAT site for bocce to launch from in Austin. Dense and diverse population. Two courts are nicely shaded under the trees.

The main “problem” is that it’s a PRIVATE-PUBLIC PARK.

The Shopping Center is owned by Asana Partners in Atlanta - a giant company with a dozen similar “planned” retail communities. It’s managed by Lincoln Properties. The “residences” (apts) to the east is a different owner.

When the Master Plan Agreement was approved circa 2007; it required “first class amenities,” “first class maintenance,” and “lively public engagement.” Yeah, right. They haven’t replaced a brick in 10+ years. The lumpy “astro-turf” courts are unplayable. I think City of Austin Attorneys could hold them accountable if they had the will.

The courts have some major design flaws that make them highly unsuitable for league play. The two 76 foot long courts

are at different elevationations. The entrances open to the outside making for congestion on the sidewalks. There are no scoreboards.

Noone has any idea what these are even for. I played there with my grandkids, and family... people looked at us like we were from Mars. Parents and kids sat and watched us spellbound. “I always wondered what those were for...”

Ironically, you can check out a set of balls from nearby Mandola’s Italian Restaurant. They have agreed to upgrade their balls and have wheeled carriers as well. Damian Mandola was instrumental in getting the courts installed.

I recently applied for a CAPP (Citizen Activated Parks Proposal) to upgrade these courts for league play. PARD really let me down when 4 months later they said “The owner and the residences don’t want to spend any money.” Really? No kidding. I’ve been telling you that for four years!

Plus, the owners don’t really want anyone to use the Park. That would mean they have to empty the trash cans three times a week instead of the normal twice a month.

The usual PARD pardigm won’t work.

Austin Parks and Recreation likes things to percolate up from the local folks letting them know what they want.

It took me over a year, but I got bocce into the Long Term 10Year Parks Survey. It did quite well. It was in several questions and got 16% interest on several. That translates to a potential 100,000 person that want to play bocce.

However, the people are spread throughout the city and have no readily available way to communicate or create a critical mass to get anything done.

A top down approach is needed. A PILOT PROGRAM to show the community what the potential of bocce is. Many times, I have seen this potential firsthand.

I learned the game in St. Helena (Napa Valley) while taking care of my mother who had Alzheimer’s Disease. St. Helena is a small town of 4,000 with NINE BOCCE COURTS and probably 800 people in the league. They play EVERY night under the lights. Also, they have a Saturday Morning League when the Farmer’s Market is happening.

I’ve played guitar and sang at those many times. Since everyone in town works at the great restaurants and wineries... the shared food and wine were epic. The standings are carried in the local newspaper. They started with two leagues; and then (to calm things down) the City took it over.

These pictures are all from the St. Helena games at Crane Park. This is what TRIANGLE PARK can look like.

These pictures are of the Santa Rosa League I started in 2009. The courts had been there for 20 years, but they’d never had a league. TODAY, there are over 600 players. They added another three courts. Some of my original converts are still running the show. They have become lifelong friends.

In terms of social interaction and community belonging... bocce is without equal. It’s easy to learn for all ages, shapes, sizes, sexes and socio-economic stratas.

I prefer the natural surface over the artificial ones. It adds the element of chance which lets everyone get the occasional great game-changing shots! You’re only playing half the time. While the other end is shooting... you’re TALKING with your fellow humans. Something that used to be called ~ “conversations.”

Fixing the courts is pretty simple. Raise the lower east court to the level of the west one. And make the entrances to the inside. Not that difficult.

Austin Bocce League will do Free Workshops to teach the game. We will organize the league on a couple of weeknights and one day. People will soon see how much fun it is. Then... it will run forever. The private owners have to have low-to-no rental fees for us. We’d like to keep the player fees close to $25 per person for 10week season, with play-offs and local and regional tournaments.

We don’t want people clogging up the sidewalk. We don’t want people going over the wall. We do want people to congregate in the center area with picnic tables and shared food.

We’ll use the double scoreboard invented by Robert Battaile and mainly play the new style Manority Rules! It’s more fun as Teams rotate between games meeting more people.

I estimate $20,000 - 35,000 for a first-class fix.

The owner has offered to replace the court surfaces, which removes a nice chunk of this cost. If the residences; and City of Austin PARD kicks in a little... let’s make it happen.

Player fees can contribute to the maintenance and improvement costs. Most of the court maintenance will be done by the players. It’s part of the communal nature.

We can have corporate events and team-building private functions that generate revenue. Playoffs and tournaments with nearby cities add to the fun. Georgetown, San Marcos, Manor, Plano, Dallas and Houston have courts and players.

We can turn this into a SCENE. A hot zone. A happening.

Each Council District in Austin should have sites with 2-4 courts. Then, we can have city-wide tournaments.

Bocce is one of the Special Olympics favorite sports. Fundraising events have been raising hundreds of thousands of charity dollars for years and years.

Please learn more by reading bit.ly/boccefutures including the fundraising charity aspects on pgs 12-15

MOODY BOCCE PAVILION

PAVILION

MOODY

MOODY BOCCE PAVILION

Why are there so few bocce courts in Texas? We can now turn right on red lights. We can even do self checkout at Walmarts.

Austin is a fiercely competitive town. Once Bocce takes off... it will soar.

Austin is “mandated” to provide activities for Seniors. It’s also mandated to provide activities close to people’s homes.

The health benefits of outdoor exercise and community interaction are without dispute.

Bocce is one of the least expensive sporting amenities that there will ever be.

I believe the new Austin City Council and Mayor are ready to roll!

are you ready?

The Moody Foundation presents

Play as miniature golf... or play Gocce. Gocce is Bocce played on an irregular surface OR on a miniature golf course. You still start by rolling the little ball and trying to get as close to it as you can with the larger ones. Each team rolls until the get closer. Balls that go in the cup ~ earn extra points. It’s expanded to 27-holes for school tours and events.

I would like to see this at the Walter E. Long Park in northeast Austin. It’s a huge park with an initial Master Plan done. The area I like is near the Expo Center; AND it’s already approved for “sports fields.”

This really is a “Public Art” Project that needs to be produced in a first class manner. I think 3-D printing of the “landmarks” with a concrete-polymer mix is the best way to go.

While many of the buildings are close-to-exact replicas, many are highly stylized creative approaches. For proprietary reasons, much of the final version has never been seen.

It can of course, be built in phases. It’s an income generating park amenity which makes it very desirable to the Austin Parks Dept. It’s a tourist attraction. Viewing areas will be provided for those who wish to look... but don’t want to play.

MANOR TEXAS 2023

A New Downtown

THE SECRET STRATEGY...

Sometimes the best defense is a good offense.

Manor needs a NEW DOWNTOWN.

A large spacious 25-40 acre area with a

• Community Recreation Center

• Community Pool

• Library

• Art Museum

• Manor History Museum

• Performing Arts Center

• Outdoor Concert Space

• Town Square/Plaza

• Big Park with Sports Fields

• Visitor Center

• Police Department

• 2nd Fire Station

• Ample Parking for Cars and Bikes

• Wide boulevards

MANOR CAN’T DO THIS ON ITS OWN!

They can’t install a PARK BENCH in 150 years! They can’t put even build a DOG RUN in TEN YEARS!

The LAND WILL BE GONE. Within ten years, we will be 100,000 people... without a downtown.

Please CONSIDER acting as a LAND BANK to hold perhaps two 100-acre parcels “in trust” for our future community.

This shows the amount of development IN PROCESS right now.

I calculate this as neary 60,000 people. I went to RICE University. I calculate this as 14-16% GROWTH; not the 7% our city and consultants want to use. Many think our current population is 30,000 between the city limits and the “ETJ.” Add the additional developments over the next 10 years and it’s over 100,000.

Now, understand that we need to GRAB “Parkland” (one word) because the Developers will NEVER vountarily give us another square inch of Parkland. They’d rather pay our obsolete IN-LIEU Park Fees of $550 per house vs. give one acrea of parkland per 66 homes. We need a dozen parks spread throughout our City.

THERE ARE STILL A FEW GOOD PARCELS IF WE ACT SOON! $3-7 Million Dollars... repaid by City of Manor Bonds

This is my favorite Downtown parcel CANDIDATE.

Slightly to the north is Monarch Ranch which SHOULD HAVE a 6-acre park; and is required to have a PLAZA in their 10-acre commercial at the east on Hwy 973.

Across the street north of Gregg Lane is the New Haven development which has a nice small park w parking, and a concrete trail loop.

South of here at 290 Manor Crossing will have a Home Depot and an HEB along with several restaurants and stores. It also is required by codes to have a PLAZA . It also has 600 apartments; and should give us some parkland.

NEW DOWNTOWN

Rohnert Park CA

This is a Survey from 1861... guess what? We’ve been spelling the two creeks that border our city incorrectly. I just let the world know last week. They both need an “s” at the end: Wilbargers and Gillelands. The signs and maps have been wrong for 120+ years!

at the “right” angle

I think it’s a minor miracle that the Homestead wasn’t bulldozed as they began building Gregg-Manor Road. The property is owned by Las Entradas LLC, managed by local developer Pete Dwyer.

Pete has been protecting the site without getting any traction to do something with it for over 20 years. That needs to change. This is a rare antiquities site that must be protected. I’ve urged him to fence it in as soon as possible.

This could make a very nice “history” park with part of the main house restored and ample signage. We need to include a nice swath of the creek as it is so critical to his selection of this spot.

Travis County has been working on Gillelands Creek Greenway to connect Ben E Fisher Park with Northeast Metro Park about 5 miles north. Pete has given the County an easement at no charge to cross through the Las Entrada development. I’ve asked them to include access to the James B Manor Homestead as part of the trail.

St.

concrete. The secondary trails (approximately 1 mile total), in orange, represent pedestrian access and natural trails constructed of stabilized materials that will incorporate a multitude of BMPs to assure proper placement, longevity, and enjoyment (See New Hampshire Bureau of Trails or state or locally acceptable trail specifications for more information on acceptable practices.). The trails will vary from 4 to 8 feet in width in various locations throughout the park network. This secondary trail newtork accounts for the ability to expand the trail system as its popularity and use increases over time. There are approxiately 6 types of amenities/facilities envisioned throughout the park along with the required ADA access points. They are comprised of open recreation spaces, an amphitheater, overlooks, an observation deck, potential off-leash dog areas, and shared parking areas. These parking areas will coordinate with the Entrada Glen PID to provide space for park users to easily enter the park. Access to the trail system can also be found at 5 different trailhead locations at strategic points around the Entrada Glen development and the areas beyond. Overall, this park will serve to connect people and spark interactions between its users that will bring the outlying community together as an extention of the proposed Entrada Glen PID project.

On a personal note.

This is getting somewhat painful. It’s been about $700 negative cash-flow per month for over a year as I try to save and help my community. I have had great results. I’ve done more in 18 months than the Council has done in 18 years! My cards are getting maxxed out. I need to get the duplex in the back half of my vintage home ready to rent and it’s almost there. But, the thrill is gone from doing construction work. Something about crawling under the house to repair the plumbing isn’t rocking my boat. Knowing I have several projects that need my attention is also disconcerting. & as a “senior” on Social Security after a lifetime barely surviving as an artiste...

I’ve had TWO billion-dollar ideas stolen in my life. The first was for a pay-Cable TV network that was a 24-hour channel called “Comedy TV.” We showed our sexy business plan to MTV Networks and Showtime. They BOTH started comedy networks. Then, they merged and wanted to use our name. When we protested, they became “Comedy Central.” Welcome to Hollywood.

The second was for a TV show called “Videozone” which featured me as a music host, guest music artists, a troupe of performers (Esther’s Follies from Austin), commercial satires, a futuristic family shot on tape before a live audience... I sent it to Dick Ebersol, VP of Programming at NBC. He liked it and said he was sending it around to his ‘key team.’ Yeah, great. I should have hopped on to a plane to New York; but being poor and with young children and with the arrogance of youth... I waited for their follow-up. Soon thereafter, out comes “Saturday Night Live.” All the same elements but 2nd City comedy troupe from Chicago, 90 min instead of 60, Coneheads instead of my futuristic family; and done fully live. Oh well. Welcome to New York.

I have high hopes for my 7-Base Baseball; and also my weirdemailaddresses.com project. My bocce inventions are world class... But, I guess I’m “being called” for higher purposes.

Sometimes people pooh-pooh art scholarships and “liberal arts” but one never knows where the change-makers will emerge from. Thus, I appreciate your work with education especially. I dedicated my Coloring Book “Doodle TherapyX2” to my elementary and high school art teachers. The image “Travis Takes A Jaunt” was the basis of my statue in the Cedar Park Sculpture Garden. I’ve applied to create the Montopolis Pool Public Art project in Austin and await their decision. My “TELE-SANTA graphic novel” of my indie film musical turned out nicely. bit.ly/tele-santa has links to 9 songs and sound efx. Both are available on Amazon.

Today (Sat morn) we had a group of 7 playing bocce on the horrible, sloped gravel patio beside the picnic tables at Timmermann Park. When the main games were over, a potential class action participant and I “snuck” onto our beautiful courts. (Since Austin Bocce League has a Licensing Agreement with the City; it wasn’t a risk for me to be there. The City has never said I can’t be there; and my Agreement requires me to maintain my innovative installed scoreboards, wheelchair doors, etc.)

WOW. The surface rolled so wonderfully. She was aghast at how the Mayor and Council could punish us for no reason. They had crushed her Farmer’s Market a few years prior. Small town Texas run amok. Welcome to Planet Manor.

“Good Trouble”at City Council 12-7-22