January 5/2005
Minutes from the Meeting of the OST 100 Additional Inventory

November 11/2004
Minutes from the Meeting of the OST 100 Beautification

October 30/2004
Minutes from the Meeting of the OST100 Seguin

September 20/2004
Minutes from the Meeting of the OST 100 OST Inventory

August 14/2004
Minutes from the Meeting of the OST 100
East Bexar County OST 2004 Motorcade

July 31/2004
Minutes from the Meeting of the OST 100
North Bexar County OST 2004 Motorcade

June 13/2004
Minutes from the Meeting of the OST 100, Elected Official

May 16/2004
Minutes from the Meeting of the OST 100

May 03/2004
Letter from Charlotte Kahl regarding OST 100  Funding

April 15/2004
Minutes from the Meeting of the OST 100, Parks

March 9/2004
Minutes from the Meeting of the OST 100, Historic Preservation

Feb. 10/2004
Minutes from the Meeting of the OST 100, Economic Development 

Jan. 13/2004
Minutes from the Meeting of the OST 100, Video


Jan. 8/2004
The Old Spanish Trail Centennial web site: www.oldspanishtrailcentennial.com went live at 19:00

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Minutes from the Meeting of the OST100   Additional Inventory Again we want to thank State Representative Trey Martinez Fischer for providing space for our DecemberOSTuesday meeting. The focus of the discussions involved the OST inventory process to begin in 2005 in Balcones Heights, the Deco District and Beacon Hill sections of Fredericksburg Road. Other individuals or neighborhood associations that would like to begin inventorying their OST corridor may contact Charlotte Kahl (210)735-3503 to pick up survey forms and schedule inventory briefings for their volunteers. Inventories will be shared with developers looking for business properties, beautification groups looking for enhancement projects and state, county and city entities about infrastructure improvements. Successful OST development projects can be found in www.OLDSPANISHTRAILCENTENNIAL.com ARTICLES section. Soon Scenic San Antonio's Beautification of N. Flores St. will be posted.      In February of 2004 OST100 posted the list of state, county, city departments, clubs and associations contacted about centennial plans. Since that time OST100 has begun working with the following: 30 State, County & City elected officials serving the Bexar Co. OST corridor Bexar Land Trust Bexar County Historical Commission San Antonio River Authority San Antonio Neighborhood Action Department OST100 placed on http://www.maps.sanantonio.gov OST subcommittee of San Antonio Conservation Society Outdoor Committee established Balcones Heights, Texas Converse, Texas Seguin, Texas Leon Creek Greenbelt Coalition Incarnate Word University Developers      3DI      Darden Restaurants      Rialto Studios      Southwest Housing      Thomas Enterprises OST ROADSHOW presented to      3 more Neighborhood Associations      Alamo La Bahia Corridor          American Planning Association of San Antonio      American Society of Landscape Architects of San Antonio      Boerne Rotary      Countryside Garden Club      Downtown Alliance Amigos      Exchange Club of San Antonio      Friends of Texana (SA Public Library)      Government Hill Home Tour      International Alliance      Kelly USA Festival      North Central Optimists      Northwest Rotary      San Antonio Founders Day      San Antonio Parks Foundation      Super Adults on the Go      University Roundtable      Windcrest Lions      JanuaryOSTuesday will gather together the various Chambers of Commerce of Bexar County for an OST briefing in the San Antonio City Hall Media Room. Back to Index of News

Minutes from the meeting of OST100 The November 2004 Old Spanish Trail Centennial Celebration Association meeting was a work session for the Beautification of N. Flores St. Scenic San Antonio president Kathleen Trenchard approached OST100 in November of 2003 to offer help in enhancing a portion of the Bexar County OST. N. Flores St. was chosen as a corridor of special historical significance, where the OST had been paved along the route of El Camino Real to San Pedro Springs. Scenic San Antonio brought together public and private sector groups divided into committees of Gardening, Designation, Economic Development and Public Art.        Design Enhancement, Historic Preservation, Housing, Arborist, Right-of-Way and Environmental Sections of San Antonio's Planning, Public Works, Economic Development and Neighborhood Action Departments along with Alamo Area Council of Governments, VIA Metropolitan Transit, SA Water Systems, City Public Service, SW School of Arts & Crafts and SA Conservation Society met with businesses, residents, Downtown Business Alliance, Downtown Residents and Five Points Neighborhood Associations often over the months to share public programs available for streetscape enhancement. Local businesses Art Pace, Positive Solutions, In His Service Ministry, M. K. Davis and SA Development & Business Center provided meeting space for these planning sessions.        September 25, 2004 an open public Charette was held to design a vision for N. Flores St. and set specific goals to fulfill the vision. Area facilitators, planners and landscape architects volunteered their time to guide this process sponsored in part by San Antonio American Institute of Architects and the Neighborhood Residents Associations.        As well as city staff, representatives of the Mayor's, City Council, State Representative's and State Senator's offices serving the N. Flores area attended the meetings to provide support.        The November 6, 2004 tree planting was the first of Scenic San Antonio's Beautification of N. Flores St. projects. Over fifty trees donated by Keep San Antonio Beautiful through the CoSA Urban Forestry Project, VIA and Greenhaven Nurseries were planted and mulched in residential yards, TxDoT right-of-way and at VIA bus stops by volunteers from Master Gardeners, Gardening Volunteers of South Texas, Master Naturalists, Fox Tech, Lee and Jefferson High Schools, City Year Young Heroes, OST100, Five Points Neighborhood Association and citizens who read about the project in the media.        The Five Points Neighborhood Association Board coordinated the efforts of more than 60 volunteers Saturday the 6th, gathering names, assigning tools from the City Tool Shed, providing water, first aid and information. Corbo Electric, M. K. Davis, Performance Electric and the Salvation Army opened their facilities along the route. The City Arborist, Keep San Antonio Beautiful staff, Master Gardeners and Scenic San Antonio volunteers accompanied each planting team to provide expert training and advise. Our OST100 volunteers will be added to the OST100 Founders List for their hours of hard work in support of this beautification. Back to Index of News

Minutes from the meeting of OST100      The OctoberOSTuesday, 2004 meeting was a presentation of OST history and OST100 activities hosted by Seguin Mayor Betty Ann Matthies and the Seguin Conservation Society in their beautiful, small, historic FIRST CHURCH. The OST100 purpose is to locate, revitalize and preserve the roadway, businesses and historic sites of the original 1920s Old Spanish Trail auto highway. Attendees with Mayor Matthies represented Seguin Main Street Program, Conservation Society, Historic Museum, an area auto club, archeologist and survey company.      OST100 has traveled to our adjoining Kendall and Guadalupe Counties. We will share information with the other 65 OST counties electronically.       Our OST100 information will be on display Saturday, October 23, 2004, at San Antonio FOUNDERS DAY in San Pedro Park from 9am to 5pm. Scenic San Antonio has scheduled the tree planting for the BEAUTIFICATION OF N. FLORES Saturday, November 6, 2004, from 10am to 3pm on N. Flores from San Pedro Park south to Fox Tech HS.      Help and/or encouragement would be welcome for both events. Back to Index of News

OSThursday update of SeptemberOSTuesday meeting       An abbreviated version of the OST ROADSHOW started off the SeptOSTues meeting followed by discussions about inventorying various OST corridors. Again we want to thank State Representative Trey Martinez Fischer for sharing his office space for the OST100 meeting.        Judy Jackman of the Jefferson Neighborhood Association shared information gathered about the Deco District 1800 block of Fredericksburg Rd. by finding past occupants from oral stories, City Directories and newspaper ads and articles. Photos of present buildings, landscaping, signage, utilities and amenities were displayed.        Cherise Bell of the San Antonio Preservation Office explained techniques being used to prepare a historic survey of downtown San Antonio buildings. Survey sheets with building address, current and historic use, type and materials, alterations and additions are used by data collectors. Their sources of information include Bexar County Appraisal District maps, City Directories and Sanborn maps. She stressed the need for a stated purpose for any inventory and placing dates on all photos and text materials.        The purpose of an OST100 inventory of the original OST will be to share the information with those who want to revitalize and preserve the roadway, businesses and historic sites of the OST. Developers need to know the business opportunities available, whether empty lots, rehabable buildings or maintained structures. Civic groups need to know where landscaping, art work or memorial structures can be placed. City and County Public Works and TxDoT needs to know where we would like user friendly utilities, sidewalks, curbs, crosswalks, bike trails, etc. Public transit needs to be involved with the civic groups willing to place shade trees over bus stops or where more elaborate bus shelters are needed. Public and advertising signage guidelines can be developed. Master Plans, Overlay Districts (Historic, Conservation, Corridor or River) Community Design Guidelines, and Economic Development Zones have been implemented in various OST areas and need to be included in the inventories. So much has to be shared in a clear manner.        Neighborhood Associations are volunteering to inventory their sections of the OST. Extra volunteers will be needed to inventory stretches of the OST between organized associations.        As OST inventory techniques are perfected, survey sheets developed and a workable method of sharing the information is established, OST100 will post it on our website for others to begin inventorying their sections of the OST. Thanks for your continued interest in OST100, Charlotte Kahl (210)735-3503 Co-Chair OST100 (with Marianna Jones) Back to Index of News

OSThursday Upadate of AugustOSTuesday Meeting      Our 2004 OST motorcade out the eastern portion of the Bexar County, Texas Old Spanish Trail highway along San Antonio's Houston, New Braunfels and Seguin Sts., IH-35, FM 78 and Old Seguin Sts. of Kirby and Converse went smoothly. Others can now drive it on their own using the itinerary attached. During the AugustOSTuesday drive, Converse Councilwoman Place 6 Gloria Weers and Converse Economic Development Corporation Director Richard Weers shared ideas about Converse OST participation.               In other OST news, Scenic San Antonio would like to invite the general public to a charette or "design party" Saturday, September 11, 2004, from 9am to noon at ArtPace, 445 N. Main. Scenic San Antonio, Five Points Neighborhood Association, Downtown Business Alliance and Downtown Residents' Association are moving steadily forward with the "Beautification of N. Flores" project along the OST and El Camino Real into San Pedro Park.        Again OST100 wants to invite those who would like to devote time to the OST100 projects in the areas of planning, research, negotiations, communications or presentations to add their name to the new OST100 Founders List of supporters preparing for the Old Spanish Trail Centennial Celebration. Each of these aspects of preparations for the centennial take hours of volunteer time. Much like the 1920s OST Founders List, we are preparing a 2004 OST100 Founders List. Modern OST100 Founders will differ from the original OST Association members in the matter of dues. Our Founders will be those who would like to volunteer time to OST100 projects without paying an annual membership fee.  Thanks for your continued interest in OST100, Charlotte Kahl (210)735-3503 Co-Chair OST100 (with Marianna Jones) Back to Index of News

OSThursday Upadate of JulyOSTuesday Meeting      Our OST100 first motorcade along the northern portion of the Bexar County Old Spanish Trail highway out Fredericksburg Rd., IH-10 and Boerne Stage Rd. to Boerne went smoothly. Stan Waghalter, Fredericksburg Rd. OST researcher and Kathy Tarkington of the San Antonio Federation of Women's Clubs helped with the OST presentation at the Boerne Library. Boerne Historical Commissioners and Kendall County Historical Society Members graciously listened to OST Centennial Celebration ideas and will get back to us about developing a working relationship for the 32-mile 1920s OST Beautification Department's Headquarters Section from San Antonio to Boerne. The Boerne public library agreed to make available OST research materials gathered across Kendall County.       Other aspects of centennial planning are also beginning. The San Antonio Neighborhood Action Department has asked OST100 to bring some ideas to the table of the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone 11 Board dealing with economic development along the Seguin, New Braunfels, Houston Sts. corridor of the OST. San Antonio Historic Design and Review Commission directed Public Works and Texas Department of Transportation to use care in the OST sections of present Houston St. reconstruction. TxDoT is also considering OST100 ideas about enhancements and hike/bike trail inclusion in the overpass designs on the drawingboard for IH-10 construction near The Dominion. San Antonio Parks and Recreation has cleared brush from the entrance walls to the Jack White property on Seguin Rd. at Salado Creek low-water crossing. San Antonio Preservation Office is working with OST100 to develop wording for designation of OST landmarks. Converse Economic Development Department has invited OST100 input about their Seguin Sts. OST corridor. Scenic San Antonio has stepped forward with their "Beautification of N. Flores St." project as the first 2004 beautification of a Bexar OST corridor. You may contact Scenic SA President Kathleen Trenchard to offer support. (210)225-6608, PO Box 120232, SATX 78212, www.scenictexas.org       Each of these aspects of preparations for an OST centennial take hours of planning, research and negotiation. Much like the 1920s OST Founders List, we are preparing a 2004 OST100 Founders List. Modern OST100 Founders will differ from the original OST Association members in the matter of dues. Our Founders will be those who would like to devote time to OST100 projects without paying an annual membership fee. Present OST100 workers will soon be posted on the FOUNDERS page of www.OLDSPANISHTRAILCENTENNIAL.com Those who are ready to commit to working with one of the OST committees should e-mail or call us.       In an attempt to make OST100 as effective as possible we invite comments on any and all aspects of OST100 endeavors.       Thanks for your continued interest in OST100, Charlotte Kahl (210)735-3503 Co-Chair OST100 (with Marianna Jones)       Great News !!! Bexar County Old Spanish Trail 1920s auto highway is now on the City of San Antonio GIS map just in time for our first practice motorcade trip. http://maps.sanantonio.gov in the GENERAL folder of the COSA Maps (main website) below the disclaimer statement.       OST100 will be presenting our ROADSHOW to some of the Kendall County Historical Commission and Boerne Historical Society at 2pm, July 13, 2004, Boerne Public Library. Those of you who would like to help us invite Kendall County to join in the OST Centennial Planning are welcome to attend the meeting. Others may just want to experience the OST corridor with us and return home quickly down IH-10 without spending the afternoon in the meeting. The motorcade will form in the parking lot of Akers Funeral Chapel, 515 N. Main from 11am, leaving the parking lot promptly at 11:30 to proceed north on Flores St., Fredericksburg Rd., IH-10, Boerne Stage Rd. and on into Boerne on Kendall County's Old San Antonio Rd.       We suggest you print out this e-mail as your itinerary to join us On the Second Tuesday of July or to view the Bexar County OST northern corridor on your own at any time.        Back to Index of News

OSThursday Update of JuneOSTuesday Meeting First we want to thank those who made the Elected Officials Briefing possible.  OST100 is trying to stay away from fundraising, relying on donations of services to fulfill our objectives.             The JuneOSTuesday Elected Officials Briefing was made possible by the generosity of the information services of Grande Communications, food services of True Flavors Culinary Planners, recording services of Laguna Delphi Productions, with meeting room and audio/visuals provided by the City of San Antonio through Mayor Garza's office.             Honorary hosts inviting the 37 elected officials whose districts are along the OST corridor were the Honorable U.S. Representative Charles Gonzalez, Texas Senator Leticia Van de Putte, Texas Representative Trey Martinez Fischer, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, San Antonio Mayor Ed Garza and descendants of original OST founders Corinne Staacke, Clifton McNeel and S. X. Callahan III.             Staff members attended for those elected officials who were out-of-town as well as councilwoman Weers for the Mayor of Converse and both Mayor Martin and City Manager Tedford from Kirby, Texas.             In order to most effectively use the time allotted in the busy schedules of the our public servants, much of the OST history was displayed on story boards with photos, documents and news clippings about the founders' history and activities; military importance; past and present beautification; present preservation and enhancement efforts; etc. Time was allotted before and after the meeting to view that information and discuss OST inventory progress along Fredericksburg Rd. with researcher Judy Jackman, St. Philip's College architecture students' documentation of OST stonework with architect Andrew Simpson, restoration of the Woodlawn Theater with Los Angeles/Keystone Neighborhood Association President John Davis, Scenic San Antonio beautification of N. Flores or other OST100 plans with honorary host S. X. Callahan and Paul Kahl.             Mayor Protem Julian Castro opened with a statement of greeting from the city of San Antonio promptly at 7pm. OST100 Co-Chair Charlotte Kahl presented the 15-minute overview of OST history using enlarged OST Travelog and Pershing military maps and a 15-minute synopsis of present OST100 activities along the 50-mile Bexar County OST corridor using overhead projection of a current San Antonio Bexar County Texas Rand McNally map. The travelog map is the one used as the OST100 web home page banner and the present OST corridor map will soon be posted on www.SanAntonio.gov Geographic Information System (GIS) map. At 8:30 Bexar County Commissioner Tom Adkisson and OST Co-Chair Marianna Jones thanked participants for sharing their evening with OST100.             A footnote to the meeting notes is announcement that the OST 0-Mile Stone is now posted on www.SanAntonioVisit.com in the Things to See and Do section. Please remember that the OST100 ROADSHOW is available for presentation anywhere in display form with a short verbal overview or a long in-depth seminar on topics found in the NEWS section of www.OLDSPANISHTRAILCENTENNIAL.com.             In our attempt to follow in the footsteps of the OST founding association; having found the menu of the dinner served at the Gunter Hotel for the OST1929 motorcade, we include the menu beautifully presented Tuesday evening by True Flavors Culinary Planners for the elected officials June 8, 2004.   Miniature Sandwiches: Shaved Roast Beef with Gouda, Roasted Chicken Salad with Sun dried Tomatoes, Virginia Ham with Dill Market Basket of Grilled & Marinated Vegetables Roasted Red Onions, Green Onions, Others Lemon Basil Dressing Baked Artichoke & Spinach Dip Toasted Garlic Baguette and Specialty Breads Imported and Domestic Cheeses, with Berries and Grapes Queso Blanco, Roasted Poblano Peppers Salsa Molcajete, Tostadas Fresh Baked Cookies Sodas and Bottled Water Back to Index of News

OSThursday Update of MayOSTuesday meeting We received many good ideas from Old Spanish Trail Centennial supporters at the MayOSTues meeting at State Representative Trey Martinez Fischer's office the evening of the 11th. Mayor Garza stopped by to show support, give us a few ideas about how other elected officials may be able to aid OST100 in centennial plans, and to remind us to vote for charter reform in the upcoming election.  Johnny Hernandez (True Flavors), who will be donating the snacks for the Elected Officials OST Briefing in June sat in on the discussions also.        If you were unable to make it to MayOSTues, please be sure to reply to this e-mail with your ideas about how your US or state senator or representative, county commissioner, mayor or city council can help your business or neighborhood revitalize your particular OST corridor during the next decade. The wheels of government move slowly. Hopefully we have started in time to nurture the OST into a vital reminder of the achievements of the road building pioneers of the 1920s.        San Antonio GIS mapping personnel are moving forward to try to have the Old Spanish Trail map site into the city system in time for the Elected Officials Briefing. This will give visual access to the trail to developers, tourists, or students, as well as the elected officials who may want to find the OST.        Following the Elected Officials Briefing in June, OST100 will begin outreach to our nearest neighbors, Boerne in July and Seguin in August.  OSTuesday meetings for those months will be in or near those cities giving Bexar County OST100 folks a chance to drive and view our portions of the OST. Charlotte Kahl (210)735-3503 Co-Chair OST100 (with Marianna Jones) Back to Index of News

OSThursday Update of AprilOSTuesday meeting Many thanks to State Representative Martinez-Fischer for again allowing us to use his OST office for our April parks meeting. AprilOSTuesday was devoted to looking at presently developed parks and open spaces for future parks on the land along the Old Spanish Trail auto highway in Bexar County and the city of San Antonio. Later meetings will be devoted to right-of-way beautification and park development within the cities of Balcones Heights, Kirby, Converse and Universal City. We followed detailed maps of the OST from the Kendall County line down through San Antonio west on Old Seguin St. and Rd. to the Guadalupe County Line. Randall Romo with the Bexar County Watershed Flood Control office begin discussions with photos and information about the Balcones Creek Park built by the original OST Association on the east side of Boerne Stage Rd. Considerable flood damage over the years has washed away picnic tables and benches, but the stone entrance and walls are still in place around the large cedars and live oaks. Bexar County also has the responsibility for the Leon Creek crossing of Boerne Stage Rd just east of Scenic Loop Rd. and the continuation of the creek north of the OST over to I-10. David Oberg with the volunteer Leon Creek Greenbelt Coalition outlined plans for the Leon Creek linear parks that are being developed with funds from the 2001 Aquifer Protection Proposition. At present that linear park work comes only as far north as 1604 but OST100 will actively pursue future extension along the OST/I-10/Boerne Stage Rd. corridor. LCGC has been involved with developers of properties along those upper stretches of I-10. Janice Pokrant of Councilman Hall's District 8 office was also able to share I-10 developers' plans as well as TxDoT plans for work to reconfigure the access for The Dominion housing area and new development coming to that area. Housing, office and commercial plans for the east side of I-10 and restaurant development on the west side near 1604. Marianna Jones shared information presented to the San Antonio Parks Advisory Board about the newly acquired Crown Ridge Canyon Park which will hopefully become a buffer to the delicate Friedrich Wilderness already in place on the west side of I-10. The fragileness of the plant, animal and bird habitat in that area is being carefully maintained by using new lightweight products for construction that do not require heavy equipment for transporting or installing within the new park. For OST or I-10 tourists and local residents who wish not to restrain their noise, barbecue and vehicle smoke, etc. in consideration of the habitats to the west of I-10, Bexar County Raymond Russell Park exists up against Camp Bullis' Army vehicle and firearms practice ranges on the east side of I-10. OST100 is also in discussions with TxDoT and developers on the east side of I-10 to create a linear hike, bike, horse trail-like environment along the abandoned Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way from 1604 to Boerne Stage Rd and possibly beyond. Council District 8 members Bonnie Conner and now Art Hall have been very involved in discussions about these possibilities for many years. Jefferson Neighborhood Association members Jane Gaitan and Judy Jackman are inventorying the Fredericksburg Rd corridor of the OST with information about homes, businesses and green spaces. The angle of Fredericksburg against the grid system of adjoining neighborhoods has left many triangles as pocket parks, maintained by San Antonio Parks Department, Neighborhood Associations and the SA Parks Foundation. These as well as the Martinez Creek flood property bought by the city following recent floodings will be dealt with more in depth at future OST right-of-way meetings. San Pedro Park and it's creek beautification in the Five Points area where the OST enters N. Flores was mentioned. From the San Antonio River Authority, Ylda Pineyro shared plans for extension of the San Antonio River developed amenities from downtown to the north under the OST/Houston St. crossing. She will be sharing information gathered at the OSTues Parks meeting with SARA members who may have projects that could impact all along the original OST route. She offered OST100 materials for accessing grant information for beautification and other OST projects; and expressed concern for off-road vehicle activities into creekbeds in unmonitored areas. Opportunities for pocket parks exist along Seguin St. in the Government Hill Neighborhood between the large rail yard and I-35. They include an old motel's stone enhanced picnic grounds, near New Braunfels Ave., and another abandoned railroad bed east of Walters. Old Seguin Rd. pops out from under I-35 at Salado Creek. The volunteer Salado Creek Foundation has been working with San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department and the San Antonio Public Works Department on development of a linear park in the Salado Creek flood plain. Plans call for the entrance for that park to be at the Seguin Rd/OST Salado crossing on the property formerly owned by Mayor Jack White. This will protect the natural beauty of that stretch of the OST from encroaching industrial and commercial development. Chuck Blair and Marvin Corothers from the Highland Farms homes on FM 78 just east of Kirby (presently in the Sunrise Neighborhood Association) attended OSTues to encourage park development in their newly developed subdivision. Rittiman Creek crosses the OST just east of Rittiman/Foster Rd., passes by their homes and Paschal Elementary School. Randall Romo brought parks discussions to a close with information about Bexar County acquisition of flood by-out lands south of the OST nearer Schaefer Rd on the Cibolo Creek. ******************************************** OPEN SITES DISCUSSED FOR POSSIBLE PARK ACQUISITION: Along Boerne Stage Rd the crossings of creeks:     Balcones Creek     small creek just north of Dos Ceros     small creek just south of Austin Wind     feeder creek to Leon, just east of Scenic Loop intersection     Leon Creek Along I-10     RR easement near The Dominion     Leon Creek crossing at Fiesta Texas Down Old Fredericksburg Rd     Leon Creek crossing north of 1604     at Prue Rd     small creek at Research     small creek at Mockingbird ------BALCONES HEIGHTS-----------     pocket park at North Drive and Vollum     pocket park at Calaveras and Summit     Martinez Creek crossing     east of Michigan Ave Along North Flores     San Pedro Creek at five points     between Travis & Houston St.     northwest corner of Houston St. New Braunfels Martin Luther King median at Houston St. Along Seguin St.     #209 at blue motel     small creek west of #s 613 and 618     southwest corner Edgar (tarred over dump site)     RR bed right-of-way     Salado Creek -------KIRBY------- Along FM 78     Rosillio Creek     Sunrise entrance     Rittiman Creek     northeast and northwest of Woodlake Parkway     small creek between Walzem and Beech Trail -------CONVERSE-------     Cibolo Creek ****************************************************** Please try to attend the MayOSTues, 7pm, Tuesday, May 11, 2004 meeting at Trey Martinez-Fischer's office as we discuss ways our 40 Bexar County, Texas city, county, state and US elected officials can help OST100 locate, revitalize and preserve the roadway, businesses and historic sites of the OST for a grand centennial celebration. Charlotte Kahl (210)735-3503 Co-Chair OST100 (with Marianna Jones) Back to Index of News

March 2004 OSThursday Our Historic OSTuesday meeting had Brian Chandler of the City of San Antonio Planning Department Historic Preservation Office explain the various options open to a neighborhood or individual to take advantage of preservation designations to encourage revitalization. In Conservation Districts the residents set design guidelines for future development such as: wells or public water utility, curbs and sidewalks or rustic road easements, one or multi-story buildings, attached or detached garages, fencing and signage.  Oversight is then monitored by the Historic Preservation Officers. Historic Districts have more standard guidelines for preserving the unique historic structures and design features of a neighborhood or district.  Exterior modifications are overseen by the San Antonio Historic and Design Review Commission through application procedures required for Repair/Maintenance, Demolition or Tax Certification. A variety of Tax Credits are available for substantial rehabilitation of residential or commercial structures within a Historic District or for a Landmark Structure.  Greater Tax Incentives are available for rehabilitated low income rental properties. One tax incentive that may help with OST revitalization is applicable to substantial rehabilitation of non historic designated commercial office, industrial or agricultural enterprises or rental housing built before 1936.  San Antonio's Historic Preservation Office application forms for Historic, Conservation or Landmark designation and forms for maintenance, demolition or tax incentives are available online at: http://www.sanantonio.gov/planning/historic.asp and by mail or in person from the Development and Business Service Center: 1901 S. Alamo, 78204. All of these designations and incentives pertain only to structures within the city limits of San Antonio.  We are posting this information on the OST100 website for those along our Bexar County OST corridor, but also as examples to other cities of processes that can be put in place to attract revitalization capital for their own aging OST corridor.  Investment (as outlined in Susan O'Connor's Houston St. article posted under ARTICLES) is attracted by city redevelopment and preservation incentives. Representatives from Historic and Conservation Districts discussed individual experiences.  John Mercer outlined the Beacon Hill Neighborhood Association's plans to act upon a portion of the Midtown Master Plan by completing their Conservation District application process in time for the HPO's next deadline. Andrew Simpson related the ease with which Fulton Street Historic Designation was achieved for the four blocks of  distinctive pre-depression Spanish colonial bungalow style homes. The vast amount of research data collected by neighbors about the age, architects, builders and residents of the homes, gathered from newspaper stories, ads, deed records and city directories sped the process. Hector Cardenas explained the larger, 1200-home community of Alta Vista's process for gaining Conservation District designation.  The data to document each home was not required, but great amounts of volunteer meeting time was spent gathering input about what defined the neighborhood; assets to include in building or renovation guidelines for homes and businesses. The AprilOSTuesday meeting will cover open green spaces along the Bexar County OST corridor.  Representatives from San Antonio Parks and Recreation, San Antonio Parks Foundation and Bexar County Infrastructures Services Parks Section will share ideas about acquisition, designation, and development and neighbors will expand with experiences about their own pocket parks.  Beautification officials of the original 1920s OST Association set the standard we can now follow to continue beautifying the OST roadway. Please check your local OST corridor for open park possibilities to identify that evening. Back to Index of News

February 2004 On Second Thursday report of OSTuesday evening meeting at State Representative Trey Martinez-Fischer's office.    Charlotte Kahl gave a brief summary of OST 2004 activities. OST100 has developed working relationships with: TxDoT Bexar County Infrastructure Department City of San Antonio Departments:        Public Works              Design Enhancement              GIS              Capital Improvements        Planning              Neighborhood and Urban              Historic Preservation        Economic Development        Arborist        Convention & Visitors Bureau Alamo Area Council of Governments' Car Clubs Universities        UTSA           St. Mary's        St. Phillips         Schreiner Neighborhood Associations San Antonio Conservation Society San Antonio Federation of Women's Clubs Jefferson/Woodlawn Community Development Corporation Gov't Canyon Natural Historic Assoc. Scenic San Antonio Kerrville, Texas Boerne, Texas Crestview, Florida                      Developers:        North Rim Village        Gunn Auto Grande Communications Presented OST ROAD SHOWS to:        13 Neighborhood Associations        Vaqueros Historic Group        Gov't Hill Home Tour http://oldspanishtrailcentennial.com/ now shows up on GOOGLE search and has been linked to Kerrville historic sites. Descriptions of the OST will soon show in the "see and do" link of http://www.sanantoniovisit.com/ and in the City of San Antonio GIS mapping.    The working part of OSTue delt with economic development.  Jane Gaitan outlined the 8-year project of residents working with governmental agencies to enhance basic drainage and infrastructure reconstruction, resulting in a streamlined Deco District corridor.    Jesus dela Torre explained the coalition of neighborhoods involved in mediation with the HEB Corporation over street closures, infrastructure and landscape changes brought about by their store expansion at Hildebrand and Fredericksburg.    John Davis shared similar experiences about working with a light industry, Oak Farms Dairy during their expansion into the quiet Los Angeles Heights/Keystone residential neighborhood.    These projects will soon show up in the ARTICLES section of the OST100 website.    Albert Garza from the City of San Antonio's Economic Development Department outlined city financial incentives available to investors who wish to place new businesses or renovate older structures along the OST.  The downtown area of the OST corridor along Houston St. out N. Flores and Fredericksburg Rd. to Hildebrand is included in various empowerment zones eligible for a great variety of public funding incentives.  Other OST areas may take advantage of public funding opportunities property by individual property.    Using the San Antonio Development Incentive Toolkit, investors may increase their ability to receive grants or tax abatements by meeting goals and priorities established by City Council in the areas of job creation, design enhancement, mixed business/residential use and other quality-of-life targets. http://www.sanantonio.gov/incentives    OST100 co-chair Marianna Jones thanked participants for attending and encouraged involvement in OST projects.      The March OSTuesday at State Representative Trey Martinez-Fisher's 1910 Fredericksburg office at 7pm March 9, 2004 will deal with economic incentives available to historic structures and how to apply for historic designation if your home or business does not fall within a Historic District.      We hope these OST100 meetings are hitting the needs of those trying to research OST topics or revitalize or beautify the OST corridor.  If there is any topic you may want more information about, please let us know and we will try to design an OSTues around the subject. Thanks for your interest in OST100,  Charlotte Kahl  735-3503 Back to Index of News

The following is the report of the January 13, 2004 meeting of OST100 On the Second Tuesday. Again we at OST100 want to thank State Representative Trey Martinez-Fischer for allowing us to hold our OSTuesday meetings in his local office on the OST section of Fredericksburg Road. We also want to express gratitude to those public relations and video professionals who shared their time and expertise with us. Ideas are their bread and butter and they gave them openly and freely in support of a successful OST project.  Thank you. After viewing the display table of OST materials participants were given a short presentation on the OST Original Themes  orange groves to orange groves playgrounds to playgrounds Conquistadores & Padres Original Work fund raising to promote politics to fund road engineering beautification Present Work Locate, revitalize and preserve. We then proceeded to discussions about an OST documentary. We covered four questions. WHO could the audience be?  Short film directed toward tourists, financial donors, or developers. Medium length product for all levels of schools, travel agents, visitor's bureaus, park services or web watchers. And longer documentaries for historians (PBS, History or Discovery Channels). Auto, motorcycle or bicycle "Roadies." WHAT topics could be covered?  The actual roadway from Florida to California. Human interest stories and oral histories about the people who engineered, built or used the first highway. Early engineering obstacles overcome. Early tools and materials. Changes caused by road presence. Old film. Old still photos. OST artifacts or markers. Local histories.  Mission histories. Local legends. Playgrounds past and present. WHERE could materials be found to fill the topics?  Works already completed e.g.: Interstate System Documentary. Public, private and college libraries. Other information and history centers. Old newspaper articles and new newspaper requests for information. Historical researchers, especially those specializing in OST, transportation or roads. Historical societies, city and college departments. Elderly along the route. TxDoT (& those of other states). US Dept. of Transportation. Army Corps of Engineers. Library of Congress. D.C. National and foreign archives. HOW would film be produced and funded?  Develop end project need. Maybe two or three different types of projects. With end product in mind, develop research budget, then scripting budget and then production budget.  If possible retain right to final product. 90 minute historic or one-hour travel guide could be later broken into 30 second promotionals. Distribution varies with DVD, VHS or vastly more expensive but longer term, highly successful, HDTV products. Funding could be sought from investors who want their investment back, public funding, private funding or foundation grants. (May want to recruit grant writer.) Examples: TxDot Education Funds (ICTEA and 21), National Endowment for History, State Commissions for Humanities, USAA Education Foundation and PBS who shares and sells materials with schools and others, insuring great OST exposure. After digesting those lists if you think of anything we missed please contact us through the web site. The February OSTuesday will be updates on Bexar County's OST projects. Neighborhood Associations who have begun locating, revitalizing and preserving the roadway and businesses will share their experiences. These projects will eventually be posted on the web site as models for the other 67 OST counties. We would again appreciate your ideas about ongoing or new projects. 7pm, Tuesday, February 10, 2004, State Representative Trey Martinez-Fischer's Office, 1910 Fredericksburg Road, San Antonio, Tx. Back to Index of News