Category Archives: Lake Travis

Local Firewise committee chairs urge wildfire preparedness

By SARAH DOOLITTLE, Four Points News

Nathasha Collmann and Randy Jamieson, Firewise committee chairs for Steiner Ranch and River Place respectively, are worried that local residents have become too complacent about wildfire preparedness.

“After the 2011 fires here in Steiner Ranch, there was obviously a flood of focus and attention and participation around wildfires,” said Jamieson. “And that’s died off.”

He continues that, “Since then, every year all the rain that we’ve had has just made things grow and grow… So we have an even greater fuel source than we had before.” Increased carbon dioxide has also meant increased vegetation growth.

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Steiner votes to hire company to manage community

LYNETTE HAALAND

By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

Steiner Ranch leaders approved a measure on Sunday that moves the community — of more than 4,500 homes with a budget of roughly $4.5 million — from its current self-managed structure to an on-site management company.

With about 15 residents in attendance, the Steiner Ranch Master Association board of directors held a special meeting on July 15 at 4:30 p.m. and voted to hire GrandManors, a full-service on-site HOA management brand of RealManage.

Negotiations are underway for a one-year, fixed-fee contract with GrandManors RealManage to work with a hybrid model that uses some existing onsite staff in conjunction with professional onsite management services.

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Poppy’s Southern Recipes opens mid-August

Chicken ‘n Sausage Gumbo is a specialty of Cajun restaurant Poppy’s, set to open in Steiner Ranch in August. Courtesy Deidra Harvey

By LESLEE BASSMAN, Four Points News

Hudson Bend residents Deidra and Mark Harvey are convinced number 13 will be lucky when the couple opens Poppy’s Southern Recipes in mid-August.

The restaurant is named after Deidra’s father, Don Gonzales, Jr., who is called “Poppy” by his 13 grandchildren. Gonzales and wife, Alice, are also co-owners with the Harveys in the new venture located at 4300 N. Quinlan Park Road, Ste. 100, Austin, formerly Hecho En Mexico.

“We’re from Beaumont originally, which is 30 minutes from Louisiana,” Deidra said. “There’s a lot of influence from Louisiana in Beaumont.” Continue reading →

Strength of Four Points’ real estate varies by ZIP

Expert says traffic won’t deter area real estate

By LESLEE BASSMAN, Four Points News

Four Points is comprised of: 78730 including River Place, Westminster Glen, Glenlake, Long Canyon, etc.; 78732 including Steiner Ranch, Comanche Trail, Strawberry Hill, etc.; and 78726 including Grandview Hills and other neighborhoods along RM 620. 78726 statistics in this report include areas north of Four Points.
Source: United States Zip Codes

Austin’s residential real estate market continues to be strong and that includes the Four Points area, according to experts.

The area’s “declining inventory and robust sales trends are creating an increasingly competitive housing market across all price classes,” according to the Austin Board of Realtors May report which reflects home sales and inventory in the Austin-Round Rock housing market.

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