The Village Board of Trustees approved a revitalization plan for Upper Port on Monday night, one step of a continuing process as local leaders attempt to turn around the area.

The plan devised by local firm Campani  Schwarting Architects – who are also working on a waterfront revitalization plan for the village – looks at making Upper Port a more walkable area with a higher residential population, calling for changes in zoning to promote growth while adding green spaces and utilizing the train station as a transportation hub.

The board’s decision to approve the plan – which was not on Monday night’s agenda – comes nearly a year after a public meeting on a preliminary version.

“I think our goal was to make walkable neighborhoods with commercial uses serving the local needs, and to utilize public transportation to maybe replace some of the automobile needs,” architect Michael Schwarting said in an interview on Wednesday.

The 2010 U.S. Census counted just 184 people living in the study area – which ran north of the train tracks to Sheep Pasture/North Country Road, and from Texaco Park to Oakland Avenue/Highland Boulevard. Though that number in actuality is likely higher, increasing the population able to serve commerce running down Main Street while beautifying the area with greenscapes and sidewalk improvements will be central to Upper Port’s revitalization, the duo said.

Francis Campini agreed with her partner, though added beyond adding more commercial space, “I would say a component of that is to actually increase the residential population. Which isn’t different from that, but a piece of that.

“In terms of revitalizing area, there is such a potential for residential, and it’s different from the general residences in area. The single-family house, typical suburban model. This is a real village model with a core. People would live there, shop there, maybe take the train to Stony Brook University, or take the bus and go somewhere else.”

With the board’s approval, the Upper Port plan will be used as a key part of Port Jefferson Village’s comprehensive plan.

The Upper Port revitalization plan suggests that the Village Board adopt mixed-use zoning along the Main Street “spine,” with commercial use on the bottom floor and residential up top. Currently, property owners can apply for residential use on top of the commercial corridor on Main Street, “but this is something we want to promote,” Campini said, adding that the plan calls for allowing four-story buildings along Main Street as well. Currently, three floors are permitted at most.

East of Main Street, the plan also calls for overlay zoning on top of several parcels that only permits office buildings currently. The overlay zoning would permit residential use on upper floors, over offices on the ground floor.

Hoping to draw places for families to play, the revitalization document looks at adding a half-acre park in the roughly six acres the village owns near Highlands Boulevard, while also upgrading the existing Texaco Park on the west end of Upper Port. Though no in-depth ideas were promoted for the rest of the land, uses such as an arboretum, active recreation such as ballfields, or even housing were suggested.

And hoping to play up the train station – a structure that dates back to the 1870s – Campisi and Schwarting call for a redesign of the parking lot, from the station itself to Main Street. While several “poorly undersized” spaces fill the area between the station and the road, Schwarting said he’s like to “bring the train station in better visual proximity to the street.” By re-organizing the spaces, and actually gaining three more, the plan would fill in much of the area with benches, brick walkways and landscaping.

In addition, Schwarting noted that the coordination of schedules between the Port Jefferson/Bridgeport Ferry, buses, and trains should be considered to utilize more use of all three.

Mayor Margot Garant did not immediately return requests for comment.

Gallery-owners Barbara and Ludo Leidevitz’s dream came true when they eyed a lease sign on a building they’d wanted for more than a decade.

The triangular-shaped space, complete with high ceilings and lots of windows, was across from the Festival of the Arts grounds and the Laguna Beach Playhouse. The couple got a business license, a conditional-use permit and a Planning Commission OK and opened the Ocean Forest Gallery just days before the festival season began last summer.

New businesses in OC in 2012

Lake Forest: 113

Rancho Santa Margarita: 28

Laguna Beach: 31

Anaheim: 3,996

Huntington Beach: 2,889

Newport Beach: 3,089

Irvine: 1,763

San Juan Capistrano: 1,582

Now, immersed in the arts community and embraced by nearby business owners, the couple’s business is thriving.

“I feel honored,” Barbara Leidevitz said. “It’s so renowned here for its artistic atmosphere. At times, I’m like, ‘Wow, we’ve really got an art gallery here.'”

The city’s arts reputation, its quality of life and its reputation as a thriving tourist destination are big draws for businesses, city officials say. In 2012, more than 31 businesses opened in the 24,942-resident town.

“More than 50 percent of people who want to do business because they’ve been coming here for years and have had wonderful experiences,” said Ann Larson, planning manager who’s been working with interested business owners for 22 years.

Cities countywide are positioning themselves to attract businesses and the sales tax revenue they bring. Whether by waiving business licenses, honing in on specific segments of the market or through some other approach, cities are tailoring their economic development strategies.

Some pay full-time staff, while others look to consultants to market the city’s vision to prospective companies and retailers. Many work with their chambers of commerce. Still others develop task forces to help prospective businesses get through red tape. When commercial properties fill up, demand drives up rents; that spills over to residential units and property values go up with demand for more employees, said Jan Brueckner, a professor of economics at UC Irvine.

Businesses look for well-maintained communities to settle in, experts say. A good community lifestyle helps draw workers. Businesses also look to see what other businesses have set up shop in town. Settling near another, similar, business makes it easier to find skilled workers because they’re already in the area – and, in some cases, ideas from one business may rub off on another, Brueckner said.

“Once a place gets the ball rolling, they get a cumulative advantage,” Brueckner said.

SOUTH COUNTY CITIES

In inland Orange County, Lake Forest is home to at least 40 businesses with national and international headquarters. The city promotes itself as both a geographically well-positioned and a family-oriented location for business. In the third quarter of 2012, the city’s business parks had 98 percent occupancy, compared to 94 percent in Irvine and 96 percent countywide, said Jessica Gonzales, economic development manager.

Oakley occupies seven buildings and is the city’s largest employer, with 2,400 people. In 1997, the company was one of the first to buy land in what is now Lake Forest’s corporate community. Other sports-action companies like Sole Technology now operate in the city. More than 113 businesses opened in 2012 in the 73,000-resident city.

This summer, Applied Medical, based in Rancho Santa Margarita, will expand into Lake Forest. The company has purchased two buildings there.

Top reasons new businesses say they come to Lake Forest include no business license requirement, expedited permitting and plan-check processes, one-on-one business consultations and competitive lease rates. Five new master-planned communities will be built in the city in the next few years bringing more than 4,000 new homes conveniently located for employees.

City officials in Rancho Santa Margarita last week discussed a plan to attract more business to their 50,000-resident community. The city budgeted $48,780 to hire a consultant.

Two recent successes for Rancho are In-N-Out Burgers and Cinepolis, a high-end, six-theater entertainment complex where guests can order food and alcoholic beverages from their cinema seats.

Both businesses were recruited to the city through efforts by council members. Three years ago, former Councilman Jerry Holloway attended the International Council of Shopping Centers, a group that helps members network through education, research and action on legislation. There Holloway made contact with representatives from In-N-Out. At that time Rancho was one of 200 cities vying for the burger eatery.

“We got a lot of input from residents saying they would like it,” he said. “Having it here will also get people to stop in town that otherwise might not. It generates a nice sales tax revenue.”

Cinepolis took an interest in Rancho when Mayor Tony Beall and several city representatives including Lt. Brian Schmutz, the city’s chief of police services, traveled to Del Mar to review an existing location. City leaders wanted to make sure that the theater and serving alcohol would be neighborhood compatible.

Ultimately city leaders want to blend resident-serving business with a balance of high-profit companies. The city has 13 businesses with national headquarters, including Cox Communications and DeNaults True Value. Last year 28 new businesses opened in the city.

DRAWING ON STRENGTHS

While Lake Forest is home to large companies in action sportswear, avionics and food retail, Rancho wants to add businesses that offer needed services to residents. Laguna Beach uses art as a primary strategy to attract bed and sales tax revenues for economic growth and to create jobs.

In December, Laguna got a Turning Red Tape Into Red Carpet award from the Orange County Business Council for its arts-oriented economic development campaign.

The campaign, an effort between the City Council, the Visitor’s Bureau and the Arts Commission, creates funding from the city’s Business Improvement District, which adds 2 percent to the existing bed tax.

The funds are used to market Laguna Beach nationally, regionally and locally as an arts-tourist destination and to provide revenue to the Laguna Art Museum, the Laguna Playhouse and the Laguna College of Art Design. In 11 years, the program has generated nearly $15 million in funding to promote tourism and the city’s arts. It is the only California business improvement district dedicated entirely to arts-related tourism purposes.

City officials want to quell the idea that doing business in Laguna is difficult. In 2010, a business-assistance task force was created to analyze the local business climate. It looked at how to retain businesses, help businesses prosper and attract new businesses. It also worked to reduce fees and provide tax reductions to draw new business.

Recently, the city developed “Open for Business,” a way for prospective business owners to see what approval hurdles they might encounter and how to overcome them, Planning Commissioner Ann Johnson said.

All businesses who want to open in the city’s 118-acre downtown specific plan have to get Planning Commission approval. The area is restricted by types of businesses and their locations. A plan is under way now look at the downtown area’s restrictions to see what works and what doesn’t.

Workshops have been set up by the Planning Commission with businesspeople, landowners, architects and local groups to review requirements. Traffic, parking and landscaping are among the issues under scrutiny. Next steps include public input on specific areas.

As for the Leidevitzes, the city’s business climate works. Their gallery, for years in an industrial area of Santa Ana, is now in a venue that provides high visibility.

“We revised our mindset in what we’re showing and really grown as a gallery,” Leidevitz said. “When we were just in college we were drawn to Laguna. We’d come here and make a whole day of it and dream of a gallery here.”

Contact the writer: 949-492-5152 or eritchie@ocregister.com or twitter.com/lagunaini

A committee of Elkhart County land use stakeholders is continuing to react to a December vote by the Elkhart County plan commission to pursue a more restrictive zoning ordinance. That policy direction, according to one plan commission member, represents the views of a “silent majority” who want the county to limit residential growth in rural areas.

Steve Warner, a Goshen farmer and plan commission member, voted with the majority to bar high density residential construction in agricultural zones. The 5 to 4 vote came in December during the plan commission’s final meeting of 2012.

Interviewed last week by telephone, Warner said the approach favored by planners, and the county commissioners, is outlined in a proposal known as Draft E, produced in 2011. Draft E allows residential development to occur on tracts of three or more acres in agricultural zones. However, developments occurring on less than three acres would require a rezoning.

The current ordinance allows homes and subdivisions to be constructed in agricultural zones without a rezoning. Warner said this has led to “explosive” population growth, causing many conflicts.

“I contend that Draft E is perfectly fine,” he said.

Warner added that he hears support for the ordinance from almost everyone he talks with. But he said those people haven’t been speaking up at public meetings.

“There is a very large silent majority,” he added.

Among the critics of Draft E, according to Warner, are the Elkhart County Farm Bureau and tea party supporters. He said those groups have offered few constructive ideas.

“Progress is what we’re looking for and not all of the criticism,” Warner said.

He said Draft E is not a perfect document, but 80 percent of it is “fine.” Warner said, though, that he would like to eliminate the standards for landscaping and home businesses. He added that Draft E is “not the scary thing (that has) been painted” by some critics.

According to Warner, one thing that was lacking in the 2011 debate, and remains missing in the 2012-13 effort, is some sort of communication plan whereby the plan commission can promote the land use proposal to the public. Although the discussions are well underway and the residential-in-ag issue has been decided, he said it is not too late for the plan commission to develop and implement a communications plan.

When Draft E was initially proposed two years ago, the Elkhart County Farm Bureau and other critics said it contained too many regulations. According to the group’s representative on the policy committee, Dwight Moudy, that is still a major concern.

Moudy said Draft E has five agricultural zones, along with “cumbersome” standards for landscaping, fencing and the number of animals allowed.

Last summer, planners appointed the policy committee to review Draft E and come up with ideas for improvement.

Six months into its task, the policy committee—which consists of farmers, realtors, developers and other concerned citizens—is working through Draft E, sometimes line by line. Progress has been slow but steady.

Much of the committee’s time and energy thus far has been focused on the issue of residential development in agricultural areas.

Instead of embracing Draft E, the committee wants to modify the current ordinance to require greater setback distances and notification requirements for homes built downwind of farms. On two occasions, the panel voted unanimously to support that proposal over Draft E.

Moudy is one of 15 members on the committee. He said Elkhart County Farm Bureau’s No. 1 goal in this process is to protect private property rights.

After the plan commission’s December vote, the policy committee asked for clarification—point-by-point reasons why the current zoning ordinance is not working. At the panel’s monthly meeting Tuesday in Dunlap, planning director Chris Godlewski said those explanations would be coming soon.

During last week’s telephone interview, Warner said that he and the four other people who voted with him in the majority were planning to meet to provide the explanations desired by the policy committee.

Meanwhile, county commissioner Mike Yoder, responding to a Jan. 11 editorial published in the Exchange, said in an e-mail that there were certain aspects of the commissioners’ plan that were not communicated properly. He stated that Draft E prohibits high density residential development in agricultural zones. He added that some people mistakenly interpreted the proposal to mean that no residential development would be allowed whatsoever.

At the plan commission’s Jan. 10 meeting, Yoder’s replacement on the panel, fellow commissioner Frank Lucchese, restated the commissioners’ position—that a rezoning should be required for homes built on parcels of less than three acres but not for homes built on three or more acres.

According to Jim Wilson, a business owner and member of the policy committee, that clarification from Lucchese was key. But for other members of the committee, like realtor Dean Slabaugh and farmer Ed Pippenger, they remain upset over the plan commission’s decision to choose a policy direction that is different than the one they supported. They point out that the policy committee began this effort with a good faith belief that its recommendations would receive serious consideration from the plan commission.

But Yoder, in his e-mail, pointed out that Draft E is the product of two years of give and take.

“There is no more room for compromise on this policy,” he wrote.

On Tuesday, Pippenger questioned whether he still wants to devote his time and energy to serving on the committee.

“If it’s all going to be for nothing, (then) I want to walk to the door and get out now,” he said.

Moudy, however, urged fellow committee members to continue their work.

“So as the voice of the people, which we all agree – we’re trying to get a good cross-section – we do our job. We come up with a good ordinance, like we’ve talked about,” he said. “Hopefully, we can convince the planning commission that it’s a good deal. They send it up (to the commissioners), then it’s in their court.”

Also weighing in was county surveyor and plan commission member Blake Doriot. He urged the policy committee to finish its task, thereby putting pressure on the commissioners to either accept or reject the panel’s recommendations.

While the commissioners have the final authority on the makeup of the county zoning ordinance, and can therefore reject the policy committee’s opinions, Doriot said the commissioners will have to defend their decisions during a public hearing at some point.

While the outcome of this debate is uncertain, it is clear that both sides believe the public is with them—whether it be the “silent majority” that Warner cites, or the “voice of the people” that Moudy said is represented by members of the policy committee.

The City Council approved a proposal on Tuesday, Jan. 29, to lease the former Farmers Insurance auto claims building at 2351 Faraday Avenue to Bio, Tech and Beyond, which will manage a start-up incubator and science education center. 

The city will lease the 6,000-square-foot building for $1 a year for five years. The city will repair the building’s aging heating and ventilation system and cover the costs of gas and electricity for one year. It will also continue to pay for trash removal and landscaping for the five-year term of the lease. The incubator’s managers will pay for all tenant improvements and furnish the lab with experimental equipment and instruments valued at $250,000. They will donate their time to run the lab and counsel start-up companies for two years, after which they expect to hire staff.  The total valuation of labor and expenses over the five years is estimated at $877,000. 

The goals of the incubator project are to:

• Create new life sciences companies and new jobs in Carlsbad
• Become a national leader in the citizen science movement, strengthening the city’s life sciences cluster
• Add to Carlsbad’s core technology base, resulting in new products and new patents
• Serve as a base for regional science education outreach efforts

“Having an incubator and community lab in Carlsbad improves the entrepreneurial environment for life sciences,” said Kathy Dodson, economic development manager for the City of Carlsbad.

Carlsbad is home to a number of life sciences companies, including Life Technologies, Isis Pharmaceuticals and Genoptix.  

The proposal has strong support of life sciences organizations, including the Salk Institution’s educational outreach arm, Oxbridge Biotechnology Roundtable, the San Diego Biotechnology Network and Assay Depot, a San Diego life sciences company that has pledged a $10,000 citizen science competition at the facility. 

The effort is being led by Joseph Jackson, founder of BioCurious, one of the country’s first community laboratories, and Kevin Lustig, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Assay Depot, a San Diego-based company whose cloud-based software products enable scientists to easily access research services and experts. Many citizen scientists have worked for months as part of an all-volunteer team behind the community lab. Lustig said the diminishing cost of equipment and technology has made a community laboratory possible, and noted that people who have ideas but need access to equipment and technology will be able to rent space in the community lab where they can run experiments and test out those ideas.

“The incubator is about enabling citizen scientists to translate their ideas into experiments, and then to translate their experimental results into companies,” Lustig said. He said Bio, Tech and Beyond particularly will focus on serving as a resource hub for anyone interested in researching rare or orphan diseases. “Because each rare disease strikes such a small number of people, there’s little profit incentive for pharmaceutical companies to do research,” Lustig said. “In a community lab like ours, patient advocacy groups, family members and citizen scientists can actually work with the patients themselves on research that may one day lead to a cure.” 

Jackson said Carlsbad’s position as a home to life sciences companies makes it a logical choice for a community lab. “This will be a first in Southern California,” said Jackson, who organized the BioCurious community lab in Sunnyvale. “It will offer community access to lab facilities and bring world-class members of the life sciences community into contact with members of the public.” 

The lab will be Biosafety Level One, meaning that it won’t handle disease-causing organisms.

The incubator plans on becoming self-sufficient by raising money through membership fees, corporate sponsorships, science challenges, crowd funding, event and course fees, and grants.

The incubator team has a goal of launching at least eight start-up companies in the first two years, enrolling 50 paying members, and offering at least four sciences courses per year.

–City of Carlsbad

For recommendations about making your home green, talk to a knowledgeable real estate agent. Green agents at RE/MAX have a commitment to sustainability and specialized knowledge that you can tap into when making improvements. To learn more or to find an agent in your area, visit www.remax.com.

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Jan. 30, 2013. Western North Carolina farmers received $148,500 in WNC Agricultural Options grants to diversify their farm businesses in the 2013 growing season. (See list of farms below.)

The 28 grant recipients celebrated Tuesday at an event at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center in Mills River. The goal of the farms’ projects is to enhance profitability.

The WNC AgOptions grant program has been funded exclusively by the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission since 2003.

“The Commission is very pleased to fund and support the WNC AgOptions program for another year,” said Bill Teague, Chairman of the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission. “We expect to see some unique projects, because mountain farmers have shown they are resourceful, innovative and committed to making their farms successful.”

Six farm businesses received $3,000, one received $4,500, and 21 received $6,000. Many of the farmers are undertaking projects that are unique to their counties, and some are leading the way in innovative agriculture nationwide.

Tester Dairy Farm in Watauga County is creating a hydroponic fodder system, which grows barley, rye and wheat from seed to sprouts in eight days so that the farmers can feed their cattle high-protein grasses daily. The fresh palatable feed is proven to enhance animals’ milk production, improve fertility and decrease respiratory issues. Thomas and Margaret Tester said they are renovating the farm so that their granddaughter Jessica Lawrence can take it over without the worries of weather, lease agreements and costs associated with row crops.

South Valley Nursery and Landscaping in Avery County is building a micropropagation lab so that grant recipient Tyler Buchanan can mass produce unique plants such as native orchids that are expensive to propagate using traditional techniques. Tissue culture requires a significant upfront investment, specialized training and a sterile environment to be able to produce new plants in vitro (in a test tube), but payoff can be significant since the demand for these rare native plants is high.

Joe Ward in Jackson County is establishing a no-till planting system in an area where few farmers use this method. In no-till fields, soil erosion and runoff decrease as a network of fibrous and tap roots grow throughout the soil profile, providing pathways for air and moisture. This method also creates a good environment for earthworms and beneficial bacteria, fungi and enzymes, all crucial for healthy crops.

The WNC AgOptions grants help sustain several significant farms, such as a 65-acre Old Fort property that the ancestors of grant recipient Alvin Lytle first acquired in the 1850′s, as well as a Bethel Valley farm that has been in the family of grant recipient Joseph Cathey for more than 200 years. As profits increase, Reems Creek Nursery and Landscaping will be able to boost employment beyond its current 25 employees while also continuing to preserve the rural quality of Reems Creek Valley. With the help of the grant, Addison Vineyard, a part of a fourth generation cattle farm in Leicester, will be on track to reaching their goal of profitability by the eighth year of wine grape production in 2016.

The grant projects help many of the grant recipients’ achieve their dreams of passing their farming operations to their children or grandchildren. Rick Walker, who is building a poultry processing facility in Cherokee County, named his farm after his four sons, Ricky, Joseph, Daniel and Joshua, who are ages six and under. “4 Sons Farm is the name I chose not only because I have four sons, but because it is for my sons,” Walker said. “I began farming to provide wholesome food for our children, to teach them an ancient and respected way of life, and to create a business legacy to hand down to them.”

N.C. Cooperative Extension implements the WNC AgOptions program and works directly with farmers as they complete their projects. “As we begin our ninth grant cycle, it is very rewarding to look back at all the successful farm operations and creative enterprises that have grown from the initial investments,” said Ross Young, Madison County Extension Director and WNC AgOptions steering committee leader. “The farmers in western North Carolina are the most vital component of the program. It is their ideas and their dedication to the success of those ideas that make it all work.”

In partnership with N.C. Cooperative Extension, the non-profit organization WNC Communities administers WNC AgOptions grants. WNC Communities is dedicated to providing a unique forum for leaders in western North Carolina to carry out innovative programs to improve the quality of life for rural communities and to enhance the agriculture economy.

“WNC Communities is delighted to serve as fiscal agent in bringing these funds to creative and innovative farmers throughout western North Carolina,” said L.T. Ward, Vice President of WNC Communities. “We are extremely appreciative to N. C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission for their long standing and continuing commitment to WNC AgOptions and the farmers of this region.”

Members of the WNC AgOptions steering committee include: representatives from N.C. Cooperative Extension, WNC Communities, N.C. Department of Agriculture Consumer Services–Marketing Division, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project and other leaders in agriculture. For more information, see the following: WNC Agricultural Options: www.wncagoptions.org; N.C. Cooperative Extension Centers: www.ces.ncsu.edu; N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission: www.tobaccotrustfund.org; WNC Communities: www.wnccommunities.org.

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CTRMA seeks input on environmental concerns for Oak Hill Parkway project

January 29, 2013   //

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Steve Pustelnyk, director of communications for the CTRMA, talks with Oak Hill resident and Fix290 member Carol Cespedes at a previous CTRMA open house/workshop event to gather input from the public on the possible Oak Hill Parkway project for the ‘Y’ area.

by Bobbie Jean Sawyer

The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) will continue seeking community input on the Oak Hill Parkway project—a potential redesign of the ‘Y’ in Oak Hill—during a Jan. 31 environmental workshop meeting at 6 p.m. at the ACC Pinnacle campus on the 10th floor.

The workshop will focus on environmental concerns over the potential project. Community members who have been active in environmental issues and have previously attended meetings on the project are encouraged to attend.

Steve Pustelnyk, director of communications for the CTRMA, said environmental concerns laid out in a series of upcoming workshops would help shape the Oak Hill Parkway project as it progresses.

“What we’re trying to do now is get a little bit more into the detail of the environmental issues and concerns in the Oak Hill area so that when we move forward with the environmental study we can make sure there are no surprises along the way,” Pustelnyk said. “We’re really trying to get with the folks who are very familiar and very interested in that part of the community to understand what things we should be looking out for and considering as we move through the developments of the alternatives for the process.”

Pustelnyk said he anticipates an attendance of about 20 to 30 community members.

The workshop will include brief presentations by environmental experts on topics such as water quality and vegetation in the Oak Hill area, followed by an opportunity for attendees to share their thoughts on local environmental matters, Pustelnyk said.

The first open house meeting on the Oak Hill Parkway project was held in November of last year, allowing attendees to interact with TxDOT and Mobility Authority staff, express concerns and provide feedback to be considered in future community meetings on the project.

Pustelnyk said next week’s environmental workshop is a continuation of the conversational approach.

“It’s going to be a very interactive process,” Pustelnyk said. “We’re still in a listening phase. So we’re going to provide basic information that we’ve already acquired from past work and current work related to the environment in that area and then we’re going to ask folks for their input regarding those issues.”

Pustelnyk said while Williamson Creek and heritage trees are major points of concern, there are several other factors that have to be considered throughout the environmental impact study process.

“There are cultural things such as cemeteries and schools; any sort of facilities could be negatively impacted by a major project. We take all of those into account,” Pustelnyk said. “It’s actually far more than just the obvious things like water quality and trees.”

Pustelnyk said ideas gathered from the workshop would be considered for use in possible community enhancement projects, such as concepts garnered from the 2011 Green Mobility Project, which included urban parkland and enhanced aesthetic and landscaping features in Oak Hill.

“Elements that come out of the environmental workshop that might be applicable to the project enhancement team could be brought to that group in the future. Everything we do in these work groups could lead to elements that might be considered a project enhancement,” Pustelnyk said.

Those interested in getting involved in the Oak Hill Parkway project and tracking its progress will have plenty of opportunities, Pustelnyk said.

“We’re going to have a series of these workshops on various issues for the next two to three months and then we anticipate having another broad open house, where we’ll probably start to roll out some of the early alternatives in the late spring or early summer,” Pustelnyk said. “So by mid-year, folks will have the opportunity to see what some of the preliminary ideas and alternatives are—to start looking at mobility improvements in the area.”

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The University of Texas could generate up to $490 million in savings and new revenue over the next decade under proposals to streamline business practices, including a possible increase in room and board for students, according to a university report released Tuesday.

Texas higher education officials are under pressure from state lawmakers to streamline efficiency and cut costs where they can, even as they press lawmakers to restore nearly $1 billion cut from higher education in the current state budget. The Legislature currently is drafting the 2014-2015 state budget.

The report unveiled by university President Bill Powers also said the school should be more aggressive in licensing research and technology.

Powers, who appointed the panel and endorsed its broad goals, said the university must still review specific ideas to see which ones it will adopt.

But Powers insisted the pursuit of better business practices should not necessarily impact the classroom. He said if Texas can save money it can spend more on its core missions of education and research, but the school won’t sacrifice teaching for economics.

“Universities, real universities, are not simply businesses,” Powers said. “Students aren’t simply customers … There is no interest in bringing a corporate mentality to strict business values to the classroom.

The report comes at a time Gov. Rick Perry and legislative leaders are pressuring universities to reign in tuition costs. In his State of the State speech, delivered about an hour after the school report was released, Perry renewed his call for universities to offer four-year tuition rates. Perry also wants 10 percent of university funding to be tied to graduation rates.

The report said housing, food and parking costs at the 50,000-student campus are below market, but did not say what the school should charge. According to the university, about 7,550 students have residence hall contracts which range from nearly $9,000 to about $15,600.

The report suggested Texas consider following Texas AM University’s lead in using a private contractor for some campus services. In 2012, Texas AM hired a private company to handle campus dining, landscaping and other services, a move Texas AM estimated would save about $260 million over 10 years.

Powers said Texas would be very cautious about moves that would raise costs on students, who have face.

“Housing and food rates are part of the cost for our students,” Powers said. “So we need to be careful.”

I started working on my herb beds in the garden last week. Even though it’s too early for most herbs this is the time of year I can add another layer of mulch to the mint beds after digging out any damaged plants and weed interlopers.

The spearmint, peppermint, orange mint, double mint, apple mint and Mojito mint I grow are at their best from mid-March until early June as long as you take certain steps and understand that they can become invasive.

Mint likes moist but not too soggy soil, morning sun and mild temperatures. It bolts in June or July but you can extend the season if you plant it where it gets some protection from afternoon sun.

Light fertilizing is important, I use a diluted mix of sea kelp once in the early spring after the plants, which are cut back in August, have begun to re-emerge in the garden.

I don’t mind mint running, it makes the lawn smell good when it’s mowed, but if you do mind put a barrier around the bed sunk 6-8 inches into the ground. Mint is shallow rooted, it may flow over the top of your barrier but it doesn’t root very deep.

SINGED BROCCOLI

Ann in League City writes:

Some of my broccoli has brown spots on the crowns. What causes this?

Most likely it was our recent frost. I had some of the florets in my broccoli crowns turn brown after the frost we had a couple of weeks ago. If you want to be sure cut the top off and see if the interior of the stem is brown. I cut the damaged part out and steamed the crown, then added some fresh squeezed Meyer lemon juice. It tasted just fine.

If you do cut the crown, leave plent of stalk and you make get a follow crop of side shoots.

PRUNING CLINIC

Join Fort Bend Master Gardeners and Texas Rose Rustlers for a Rose Pruning Clinic which will include when to prune roses, best pruning methods, how to insure your tools are disease free, and a hands-on pruning opportunity. Please bring your own hand pruners, loppers, and gloves. We will meet on Saturday, February 2 at 9:00 a.m. in front of the Bud O’Shieles Community Center, 1330 Band Road, Rosenberg, 77471.

TEXAS HOME AND GARDEN SHOW

The 27th Annual Texas Home Garden Show will be held in Reliant Park, One Reliant Park beginning on Friday, Feb. 8 through Sunday, Feb. 10, 2012.

Show times are Friday, 2-8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. Among the scheduled gardening attractions are Organic Lawn Care, Landscaping Ideas, Ponds, Plants and Trees. For more information visit www.TexasHomeandGarden.com. THE TOPIC IS ORCHIDSLaurie and Shiela Scoy are the guest speakers at the Feb. 13 League City Garden Club meeting. The topic: Orchids. Social begins at 10 a.m. with the meeting to follow at 10:30 at Tuscan Lakes Village Clubhouse, 1610 Tuscan Village Drive, League City. For more information contact Kimberly Nitzschke, club president @ 281-332-9528 or lctxgardendiva@yahoo.comSPRING HOME GARDEN SHOWDiscover fresh, new ideas at 11th annual Spring Home Garden Show at The Woodlands Saturday and Sunday, March 2 3. The show will be held at the The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel Convention Center at 1601 Lake Robbins Drive.Jim Molony is a certified Brazoria County Master Gardener. Check out our gumbo soil page on facebook. Have a gardening question? Email jim@gumbosoil.com

Gardening 101

If you want to start learning right away, there is space available at the Community Gardener 101 course offered by the Spartanburg Men’s Garden Club. Classes start from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Feb. 12, and run through April 30. The cost is $155 and includes a one-year membership to the club (which is for women too).

The classes are held at Spartanburg Community College’s central campus in the Tracy Gaines Building.

Each class is presented by Master Gardeners, local professionals and the SCC horticulture staff (Jason Bagwell, Kevin Parris, and Jay Moore). I will be teaching annuals and perennials, and container gardening. Parris will teach propagation and pruning. Jeff Hall, Hatcher Garden’s horticulturalist, will talk on native plants. Other subjects include soils, basic botany, seed starting, vegetable gardening and landscaping.

This class is offered twice a year and is an excellent start to learning the basics of gardening.

To sign up, call 592-4406.

For more information, call Joe Maple, who is in charge of the class, at 576-3319.

Davidson Horticultural Symposium

This event at Davidson College in Davidson, N.C., will feature the noted English gardener Noel Kingsbury as its keynote speaker this year. The theme is “Beyond the Garden Gate: Exploring Creative Spaces.”

In addition to Kingsbury, Julia Moir Meservy, Nan Chase and well-known terrarium expert Tovah Martin will speak.

The registration deadline is Feb. 22, and the $89 fee includes lunch.

There are two morning lectures, followed by lunch. Then there is an additional lecture after lunch, followed by a workshop. It is a full day and always very informative.

There are always lots of refreshments, an extraordinary marketplace, as well as a great book sale.

To register, go to www.davidsonsymposium.org and register. All events are held at the Knobloch Campus Center.

Southern Spring Home and Garden Show

Just up the road in Charlotte, N.C., is the Southern Home and Garden Show. This year the show will be open from Feb. 28 to March 3. This event will be at the Park Expo and Conference Center, 2500 E. Independence Blvd. Tickets are $20 for adults and $8 for children. For more about this show, visit www.southernshows. com/sss. If you can only go to one show this year, this one is the closest and is usually very good.

Southeastern Flower Show

Farther down the road in Atlanta, you can visit the 25th Southeastern Flower Show. This year’s theme is “What’s Old Is New Again.” It will take place March 15-17 at the Cobb Galleria Centre.

This show will have a whole section on judged entries in landscaping, artistic design, discovery, horticulture, youth and photography.

General admission tickets are $21 and are available at www.southeasternflowershow.eventbeite.com

Philadelphia Flower Show

I have saved the best for last. The best flower show in the country is the Philadelphia Flower Show. It usually picks a country to draw its theme from. This year the show is based on the United Kingdom, with the theme “Brilliant!” The show is held at the Philadelphia Convention Center.

The display gardens are incredible every year, and I expect that this year it will be better than usual with the English theme. There are behind-the- scenes tours to get you into the show before everyone else. The Pennsylvania Horticulture Society sponsors the show and arranges for all of the speakers.

There are education lectures going on nonstop, as well as garden teas, and the very best miniature garden judged competition. In addition, the displays of pictures made entirely from plants and flower petals are incredible.

Just standing in the entryway to this flower show is an amazing experience. There are endless gardens that will instantly transport you to a faraway place. Bring your camera and especially your notepads and pens. Tickets are $27 and are available at www.theflowershow.com. This is a show you should attend at the very least once in your life. Spring is on its way, and the daffodil foliage is peeking out of the ground everywhere. Now is the time to plan your spring activities. This list of lectures and shows will help arm you with ideas for you to bring home and implement into your very own backyard garden space.

Linda Cobb is a master gardener who lectures, teaches and does garden design. Reach her at 574-8493 or email her at lindacobb@charter.net.