Travis County Traffic/Roads Meeting
with Pct. 2 Commissioner, Brigid Shea
WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 7PM
WB Community Center • 2106 Klattenhoff
Pct. 2 Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea has asked for a meeting with the residents of Wells Branch this coming Wednesday, July 27 at 7pm in the Community Center on Klattenhoff. She and David Greear, TNR Division Engineering Manager, will be on hand to discuss any and all traffic related questions that pertain to Wells Branch. While this meeting is important to all Wells Branch residents, it is essential that those of you living in Willow Run and those from other parts of Wells Branch whose children will be attending Athlos Academy or Joe Lee Johnson Elementary, attend this meeting. Come. Ask questions. Express your concerns over traffic flow when school opens this fall and ask how quickly the County can assess and remedy the situation should they deem it necessary.
Previous Meeting Update: June 27, the WBNA and MUD Safety Committee met with Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea, and engineers from TNR Development Services: Christine Connor (road development) and Michael Hettenhausen (case manager for Travesia Subdivision). The purpose of the meeting was to discuss with Commissioner Shea the Cadoz extension and weigh the pros and cons: connectivity vs. increased traffic as some residents had expressed concern over the extension.
When asked if there was still an opportunity to get a crash gate installed on Cadoz between Willow Run and Travesia Subdivision, the development team said yes, but it would be difficult as the benefits of the alternative ingress/egress options far out weigh the traffic issues extension may cause. In order to balance traffic flow and give residents as many options as possible, everyone agreed that we need to focus on completion of Grand Avenue through to Bratton Lane as quickly as possible.
There is only one remaining parcel of land preventing the completion of Grand Avenue from Quick Hill Road all the way to I35. All other contributing parcels have been scheduled for development. Commissioner Shea and the engineering team felt that the best route would be to approach the owner of parcel #379473 (land not yet scheduled for development) and suggest they donate or yield right of way to Travis County NOW, before planned development so that they could begin the process. Benefits to the landowner would include not having to pay for road construction upon development, waiver of replatting fees, and increased property value due to easy access with completed (or near completion) roadway once they decide to sell or develop.
A group of WB residents plans to start working on the Grand Avenue issue in the next few weeks. Please note: Even if the property owners agreed tomorrow to turn over the land, we’re still at least two years out on possible punch through, more likely, 3-4 years. Planning for the budget cycle for 2016-2017 Travis County is near completion. Grand Avenue development would have to be included in the 2017-2018 Budget and most likely would depend on a road bond being passed.
Please put forth every effort to attend the upcoming meeting.