Thanks to everyone

Thanks to everyone who wrote letters and attended meetings and spoke up. This particular project is "off the table" now, but we all need to be aware of what is going on in that particular piece of the forest - to make sure we don't ever have to face anything like this again.

Please stay vigilant, attend meetings, ask questions ...

Added information for letters

Please re-read this post~~> Please write those letters!

One thing to remember when you're writing these letters: DO NOT include any references to property values. Letters that include property values as a reason will be tossed. There are plenty of other reasons to include: traffic congestion; no mass transit; no nearby stores or doctors' offices, etc.; volunteer fire department, which is already stretched very thin; and others.

Remember: We need to have LOTS of letters in the Multifamily Finance Production Division of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs because the letters are filed and kept in reference to the property, not the developer or the particular application.

If you have already written, but mentioned property values, please write another letter. If you have written and mailed a letter that didn't mention property values, you don't need to write again.

Thanks to everyone for all that's been done so far. Now let's attend those meetings and stay vigilant!

For Auburn Lakes residents

Jennifer received the following email from an Auburn Lakes resident. Please post your thoughts in the comments section of this post.

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I live in Auburn Lakes, and the Auburn Lakes HOA did not get involved in the Auburn Lakes Manor issue. The reason is clear. Auburn Lakes HOA is majority controlled by Peramco Inc., which is selling the property for the project. Even a politician should be able to see that this is a conflict of interest.

I talked to Allyson, at Chaparral Management, and she said the next Auburn Lakes HOA meeting isn't until April. However, if she receives enough emails requesting an "emergency meeting," the Board might comply.

I think we need to continue to spread the word about this project and continue to put pressure on Peramco through the Auburn Lakes HOA and its members.

Allyson's email address at Chaparral is apena@chaparralmanagement.com. We should include information in the blog on contacting her and for the residents of Auburn Lake to request a emergency meeting of the HOA.

Robert Christler

Northampton MUD Board elections

The Northampton MUD Board is elected in May of each even numbered year, but in staggered terms.

The Secretary, Treasurer, and 1st Vice President are coming up for re-election in May of 2012. The others were just re-elected in May, 2010.

Proceed with Caution

This morning, several of us received this email from Senator Patrick's office:

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Thank you again for contacting Senator Patrick's office about the Auburn Lake Manor project (Application # 1040). You will be happy to hear that the developer for this proposed complex has decided to pull his application from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA); therefore, this development will not be created in your area. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.

Amy L. Peck, M.Ed

Director of Constituent Services

Office of Senator Dan Patrick

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After 5:00 this afternoon, we received verbal confirmation from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs that the developer has withdrawn his application for housing tax credits. So why aren't we celebrating? We learn from the experiences of others! We know developers try to use tactics to lessen the opposition, and then when no one is looking they try something new to get their project started again. March 1 is the deadline for the full application to be filed to receive housing tax credits.

WE CAN NOT LET THIS HAPPEN TO OUR BEAUTIFUL NEIGHBORHOOD!

We must keep a watchful eye on the movements of the developer and the land owner, Peramco. There are reports from neighbors that the vacant land for the proposed development continues to be cleared. Trees are coming down, and work is being done on the property. I'd like to know for what!

We have also learned that the Northampton MUD board has pulled this item from their agenda for the February 21 meeting (see last night's post). But several of us believe we need to pack that meeting anyway, that we need to proceed with gathering petitions ... whatever we need to do to make the people on that board understand that anything like this will meet with tremendous opposition.

Please post your comments. It helps us to hear what our neighbors are thinking.

Please write those letters!

Jennifer Wilson contacted State Sen. Dan Patrick's office and was told that they've received only 19 letters expressing an opinion on the Auburn Lake Manor project.

Please email Dan Patrick, Debbie Riddle, and, most importantly, the state agency charged with approving funding:

Robbye Meyer, Director
Multifamily Finance Production Division
P.O. Box 13941
Austin, Texas 78711-3491
(512) 475-2213
(512) 475-0764 Fax
Robbye.Meyer@TDHCA.state.tx.us

The letter should list specific reasons as to why the project would be a negative for our community.

Thank you! We can do this!

Agenda for February 21st MUD Board meeting

Here is a link to the agenda for the Northampton MUD Board meeting on Monday, February 21, 2011:

• Agenda

If you are not receiving emails from Jennifer Wilson, please let her know. Send your email address to j22600@sbcglobal.net and let her know you want to be put on the StopAuburnLakeManor email list.

Letters everyone should see

Here are links to two letters that everyone in Northampton and Auburn Lakes should see.

1. Developer Mark Koogler's letter to Wade Jones and the Northampton Maintenance Fund, dated December 30, 2010.

2. Developer Mark Koogler's Pre-Application to Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, dated January 5, 2011.

Notice that the developer has a name: Auburn Northampton, LP.

Please make sure you have written or emailed or faxed or called all the appropriate people who can help us quash this low-income apartment complex:

• How to take action

and

• Another contact for protests

We need to be like Winston Churchill, who said, "Never, never, never, never give up!"

MUD Meeting tonight

Please keep writing letters, emails, faxes, and making phone calls. Rep Riddle and Sen Patrick need to get these by the boatload!

http://stopauburnlakemanor.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-to-take-action.html

In addition, this topic was not on the MUD board's agenda tonight, so discussion was allowed only in the Open Comments part of their meeting. At the next meeting, however, this will be an action item on the MUD board's agenda, so make sure you are there!

• Monday, February 21
• 7:00 pm (but get there by 6:45 to get a seat!)
• New Northampton clubhouse across the parking lot from the MUD building where tonight's meeting was held

And finally, the Northampton Maintenance Board also needs direct input from homeowners so they, too, can act:

• Thursday, February 24
• 7:00 pm
• Northampton MUD building

So ... keep on writing and phoning, etc., and plan to attend the meetings on Feb 21st and 24th.

And let's not forget tonight!

Remember to attend the Northampton MUD board meeting on Monday, February 7, at 7 pm.

The meeting is in the Northampton MUD building near the swimming pool and the new recreation building right in back of the Constable's office and the tennis courts on Northcrest Dr.

We need to make sure the Northampton MUD board knows that there are plenty of people who are not happy with the Mark-Dana project.

Information about Mark-Dana Corp.

Information about what Mark-Dana has done:

http://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/multifamily/htc/docs/11-PreAppResultsRegLog.pdf

Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs

Explanation of Pre-Application Submission Logs [for 2100]

• See page 16 (File #11040) for Mark Koogler's pre-app for Auburn Lake Manor
• See page 15 (File #11037) and page 18 (Files # 11038 and 11039) for other pre-apps this company has made.

Our opinion: Let him concentrate his efforts where there is mass transit, as well as nearby commercial, medical, and other necessities for senior citizens. Let him concentrate his efforts where streets and roads are already built to handle the added traffic. Let him concentrate his efforts where his projects won't negatively affect the residential values in the immediate area.

http://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/multifamily/htc/docs/09-HurricaneIkeCountiesAppLog.pdf

Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs

Explanation of Application Submission Logs [for 2009]

• "This log contains all applications submitted in counties located in the Hurricane Ike affected counties (in accordance with IRS Notice 2008-109). The current total estimated available for Ike credit is $29,812,320. Applications will be identified by highest score regardless of region or subregion. All Ike credit will be utilized first before any allocation of regional credit ceiling. Any remaining applications will be placed back in the respective sub-region to compete in the standard competitive process."
• See page 1 (File #09102) for Mark-Dana's proposal for low-income senior housing in Magnolia, using Hurricane Ike credits. This is designated as a rural area. (The logic for this escapes me!)
• See page 2 (File #09103) for their proposal for the same in Katy. Also, be sure to read this: http://brookhollowcourt.com/?q=node/34

http://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/pdf/transcripts/090730-board.pdf

Minutes of the TDHCA Board meeting in July, 2009. (Use Ctrl F and type in koo to find the places where Mark Koogler is speaking.) In one place, if I'm reading this right, he's trying to explain why he applied for more money that the cap allowed. Hmmm!

http://www.tribunenews.com/news/1598-magnolia-housing-market-seeing-mixed-results.html

Article regarding housing market in Magnolia.

More places to read about this company and its tactics:

http://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/pdf/transcripts/090312-board.pdf

http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20110107/NEWS01/110107025/-1/ESN/ACCOMACK--Neighbors-are-against-Smith-School-housing-plan

http://www.ci.la-marque.tx.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=677%3Aregular-meeting-06-23-08&catid=49%3Acity-managers-comments&Itemid=747

http://www.a-npdc.org/news0504.pdf

Let's pack the meeting!

Don't forget to attend the Northampton MUD board meeting on Monday, February 7, at 7 pm.

The meeting is in the Northampton MUD building near the swimming pool and the new recreation building right in back of the Constable's office and the tennis courts on Northcrest Dr.

We need to make sure the Northampton MUD board knows that there are plenty of people who are not happy with the Mark-Dana project.