Cocktail Lounge Policy in the East Cesar Chavez Neighborhood (adopted 1-20-10)
Sent to Austin City Council, Planning and Zoning, and all concerned whenever a new alcohol permit is requested:

Numerous requests for new “cocktail lounge” conditional use permits within the East Cesar Chavez Neighborhood have given us, the East Cesar Chavez Neighborhood Planning Team, occasion to  discuss this issue during the past several monthly Team meetings. We would like to take this opportunity to clarify our position regarding new cocktail lounges.

While we support existing CS-1 zoning and new businesses in existing CS-1 zoning, we are opposed to conditional use permits that create new cocktail lounges, for the following reasons:

·       The ECC Neighborhood Plan envisions a mix of “businesses which serve neigbhorhood residents and residents that support local businesses”. We do not want to become a drinking destination for the city.

·       Many existing businesses in the ECC Neighborhood serve the neighborhood's and city's demand for cocktail lounges. We do not support making exceptions to existing zoning in order to create additional cocktail lounges.

·       The ECC Neighborhood Plan and the Plaza Saltillo TOD Station Area Plan both envision, and the Team supports, dense mixed use including residential, commercial and civic elements. Cocktail lounges in addition to the existing CS-1 businesses are counter to this desired mix.

 

·       We have found no support in “The East Cesar Chavez Neighborhood Plan” (1999) nor in the Regulating Plan for the Plaza Saltillo TOD for an increase in cocktail lounges. We work to maintain the vision that our neighborhood and the City created together and adopted as our Neighborhood Plan.

The Grapevine Newsletter policy for content and advertisement rates (revised 7-15-11)

Thank you for your support of our neighborhood newsletter. Sponsors and advertisements pay for printing and distribution costs.  The deadline to provide content, ads, and articles for the Grapevine Newsletter is usually the 25^th day before the next edition is published.  We only publish every other month.  We print 1,500 copies that are distributed by volunteers walking door-to-door to 1,300 buildings (homes, offices, businesses, agencies). We also send a link to about 700 folks including individuals, other neighborhood associations, elected officials, and policy makers responsible for programs in our planning area. You can see our latest online edition at www.eastcesarchavez.org  Print copies are available at Terrazas Library while they last.

About the publication. The Grapevine is the official newsletter of the East Cesar Chavez Planning Team (ECC) and is published by our affiliated neighborhood association. The ECC Team is a quasi-governmental entity and is the designated planning body for the City of Austin's city departments, boards, commissions, and the Austin City Council on issues affecting an area bounded on the north by the alley north of East Sixth Street, south to Lady Bird Lake, from I-35 on the west to Chicon Street which is the eastern boundary. Articles, calendar items, and ECC Committee Reports are written by neighborhood volunteers and edited by Lori C-Renteria, the ECC Newsletter Chair. The newsletter is printed in black and white on 8 1/2" x 17" 60lb. white paper, folded in half and stapled. We print 1,500 copies and costs are covered by sponsors and advertisements.

Advertisement content. The ECC Leadership Team adopted a policy in 2000 that restricts advertisement content submitted by organizations, businesses, and residents. We do not accept political candidate's ads or those deemed not 'family-friendly.' Non-profits, political groups and social clubs may submit articles, events and ads at no cost but are listed on a space-available basis. Advertisements are accepted and published at the discretion of the editor. Complaints can be expressed to the ECC members by contacting any member of the ECC Planning Team or the chair. Contact info is available at www.eastcesarchavez.org 

Advertisement rates. The cost of ads includes publishing in both the print and web editions:

* Business card size - $25  * 1/4 page (letter size paper) - $50  * 1/2 page (letter size paper) - $100

Design and Payment Guidelines. Email your ads to lorirenteria@grandecom.net Print edition ads cannot be PDF files or photos and should be designed for black and white copy. We can publish photos and color text in the web edition in most formats including PDF files. You can submit 2 ads, one for the print edition and a different one for the web edition. We prefer graphics/art/photos be sent in jpeg or gif formats, PDF files do not print very well. Send or drop off checks made payable to East Cesar Chavez Neighborhood Association to The Grapevine, c/o Lori C-Renteria, 1511 Haskell Street, Austin, Texas 78702. If you need an invoice before payment can be processed, we can work with you. Call Lori at 478-6770 or lorirenteria@grandecom.net if you have questions or need help designing your ad.