Residents of Burrwood;br; entwined in bureaucratic nightmare

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, August 18, 1999

It was a year ago that the Austin City Council authorized the airport expansion financial plan, effectively dashing the hopes of 1,700 residents who had signed a petition calling for a referendum on the expansion.

Wednesday, August 18, 1999

It was a year ago that the Austin City Council authorized the airport expansion financial plan, effectively dashing the hopes of 1,700 residents who had signed a petition calling for a referendum on the expansion. (It should be noted that not all who signed the petition were against an expansion: some objected to the specific plan, others to not having a say on the $7.2 million project.)

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The catalysts behind the petition were the people of Burrwood Addition, the people most directly impacted by the project. As proposed and as passed, 17 homes in Burrwood Addition will go to make way for the expansion; remaining residents lose their neighbors and the stand of 100-year-old oak trees across the road.

After last year’s vote, city officials estimated that state and federal agencies would approve the environmental assessment statements and the layout plans that fall, and that property acquisition would take most of 1999.

One year later: not a single piece of property has been acquired.

Although the city is negotiating with a property acquisition firm, acquisitions can’t begin until funding is received. Funding can’t be received until a.) Congress passes Air 21, a $57 billion five-year airport funding bill, estimated time of arrival October; and b.) federal and state agencies approve the environmental assessment statements, supposedly something that will happen very soon.

As frustrating as it is for the city to wait, city officials are used to the bureaucratic time line.

"So many people have to approve this project," city engineer Jon Erichson said. "You don’t just turn in your application and get it back in a couple weeks."

In the meantime, the residents of the 17 homes slated for acquisition are in limbo. They know their homes are slated for destruction, but they don’t know when.

One couple needs to make improvements, but doesn’t want to throw money away that they won’t be reimbursed for. So their septic system makes their lives hell.

Others look for comparable properties, find them, put an option down and wait. And wait. And wait. Maybe the option runs out and they lose the only comparable piece of land around.

Question No. 43 of 60 presented to the council by the residents of Burrwood last year:

"Is there pay for us to put our lives on hold and for mental anguish?

Answer from city officials:

"Unfortunately, there is no approved plan for compensating people waiting for final decisions or the anguish that does accompany such a wait … we urge you to read the FAA booklet that comes in this packet."

Worse yet, the people of Burrwood are not even Austin residents, so they don’t have a specific council member to turn to with their needs and complaints.

Having lost the big fight, is there not a workable solution for making the move as painless as possible for those residents?

Most of Austin has forgotten last summer’s petition, the yellow ribbons tied around the Burr Oaks on Chris and Mary Hogan’s property, the packed city council meetings and the strong feelings.

The residents of Burrwood can’t forget, nor can they move on.

Jana Peterson’s column appears Wednesdays