Dear Parents and Faculty,

Mary Ingle, incoming Vice-President of North University Neighborhood Association, writes an article in the NUNA News about the school’s plan for expansion. Kirby Hall has enjoyed being part of a wonderful neighborhood for thirty years. We have joined in neighborhood efforts and enjoyed getting to know our neighbors and being part of the group.

"It’s My Park! Day" happens on Saturday, April 14 from 8 am to 1 pm. If you want to plan a family outing and help to clean and tidy Adams Hemphill Park, please register with the Austin Parks Foundation, http://democracy inaction.org/

The article in NUNA News says to sign up even if you can’t go since your show of interest will help with the neighborhood grant application for park support. Any questions can be answered by Mark W. Feist, 512-419-7248. Kirby Hall has through the years declared days for tidying the park and this time members of the Kirby Hall family can join our very nice neighbors.

Mary reports accurately the happenings about Kirby Hall’s effort to enlarge. Mary writes:

Since there was no pressing agenda in February, the NPT [NUNA Planning Team] held a March meeting. There was a presentation by some representatives from Kirby Hall School for their proposed expansion of their school. This group is looking for support from the neighborhood early in the planning process so that their plans might be compatible with the NCCD [the controlling regulations for the neighborhood]. Because of this compatibility issue , some wavers concerning curb cuts may need to be granted by the City, as well as, a change in the zoning for a piece of property located at 400 W.29th, which is currently MF3 [Multi Family 3].

Previously in the Fall of 2005, Kirby Hall had plans to renovate and expand an old apartment building at 400 W. 29th Street. They met with the NPT to present their plans several times. Those plans contained some challenges concerning the setbacks which were problematic to the NPT and also to the adjacent owner, John Barkley. Sensitive to all these concerns, Kirby Hall listened and thought it best to abandon these plans for a better but different set of plans drawn up by two volunteer architects (parents of Kirby Hall students!), Tom Nichols and Kennedy Colombo. Instead of a separate structure, the new expansion plan allows for an addition to the east of the existing historic building with a basketball/auditorium/stage on the bottom floor; on the upper floor would be music [and art] and practice rooms with an exterior deck facing the park. This current [plan] for expansion seems much more esthetically compatible with the existing historic building, Kirby Hall School, not to mention also adherent to setback requirements in the NCCD.

In the meantime, the apartment building on the adjacent 400 W. 29th Street has been torn down. The current plan for that vacant lot is to turn that area into a much needed, landscaped parking area for the school. This change in land use would require a change in zoning and a conditional overlay. It would also require the neighborhood to file a plan amendment with some wavers for curb cuts on 29th Street. Carl McClendon, formerly with the City Department of Watershed Protection [also former Kirby Hall father] is shepherding this project through the planning process; he has promised to keep the neighborhood posted on the progress of the school’s plans for expansion. Ever so committed to quality, Kirby Hall’s expansion is a thoughtful, modest proposal. Kirby Hall is a good neighbor to have !