Travis County Commssioners Court
April 29, 2003
The Closed Caption log for this Commissioners Court agenda item is provided by Travis County Internet Services. Since this file is derived from the Closed Captions created during live cablecasts, there are occasional spelling and grammatical errors. This Closed Caption log is not an official record the Commissioners Court Meeting and cannot be relied on for official purposes. For official records please contact the County Clerk at (512) 854-4722.
Item 8
Number 8 consider request to the Texas turnpike authority to design and construct an interim change at the proposed howard lane arterial during the initial construction of state highway 130 and take appropriate action.
>> good morning we are reviewing plans for state highway 130 and when we look at the plans we realized that howard lane -- the proposed howard lane arterial connected was state highway 130. The Texas turnpike authority would not build that in the initial phase of state highway 130. This gave us some concern in that howard lane is a proposed marriage arterial all the way from ih-35 to 290. We asked them to consider constructing howard lane as part of initial construction. They replied that they would be willing to shift basically the substitute and interchange that is currently planned for greg manor road and move that south to howard lane because manor is an existing county road so they have to put in interchange there. But because there is no road currently existing in howard lane, they would defer that for a much later date. We asked them to consider building howard lane because it's such an important east-west arterial. They were agreeable to substituting -- in other words, rather than construct the interchange at manor, construct it as howard lane. They would also construct the frontage lanes connecting manor to the interchange, so people would go down the frontage road to the new interchange and then back up to greg manor. During an interim period until the county and the property owners constructed howard lane. Now, we understand that a lot of things have to happen to make sure howard lane is built between cameron road and greg manor road, making it a viable alternative. Number one, the county and the property owners would have to agree to build howard lane. Thus far the property owners at least three of the four property owners affected are in agreement to donating the right of way and building two of the four lanes of howard lane and tom is working on a legal document that would make that a contractual arrangement meaning the property owners, are right now in verbal agreement, would dedicate 120 feet of right of way and commit to build two lanes of howard lane over the development of their property, much like we would require subdivision platting. We do not have a verbal or a written agreement with the saunders family who is the property owner representing about a mile of road way between these limits and greg manor road. So we have three but not four of the property owners. The property owners of course are looking for the county for a commitment to build two lanes of howard lane so that ultimately we have four lane arterial on a 120 feet of right of way. That would be part and parcel of making this work, and I think the state would surely expect us, the county, to build howard lane as part of the deal to move the interchange south. We also need the city of Austin's cooperation. Within the city limits, this is in harris branch subdivision. The city as an instrument for the right of way, but the city would have to agree to build howard lane between cameron road and the city limit line. We have a letter from Austin lebronk who is in charge of cip commitments indicating the city is agreeable to financing the road construction within the city limit line and its noncommittal on whether it's a two-lane, a four-lane or six-lane, but they're willing to at least bring a segment of road way on line that matches what the county is going to do within its jurisdiction. So if all parties are in agreement, the city would build at least a two-lane. The county would build two lanes, and we're projecting that to be part of our next bond election which we expect to be in 2005 or 2006. We've held open the option of using surplus 1984 bond money do the engineering design on whatever we put into the 2006-2005 bond election. So basically I kind of look at this as a three-legged stool. The state has to commit; the local governments have to commit; and the property owners have to commit. We also at Travis County would have to basically make sure that this is global as far as the community at large. We will be closing off greg manor road by giving up rights to the interchange at greg manor. This is a county right. We would shift that right to howard lane. So far we have indications that they are agreeable to moving the interchange to howard lane, to building it as a four-lane facility, overpass, and to building frontage roads. They're looking for Travis County's commitment to take responsibility for the moving of the interchange, and building howard lane. We are in turn looking to the property owners for a commitment for the right of way to build the interchange and to build howard lane and also to construct two lanes of howard lane as part of their development process. They are looking to the county for the commitment to build two lanes of howard lane. So what we are coming for today is for the county to express its intent to be responsible for moving the interchange and also a commitment to put into the next bond election the money to build two lanes of howard lane on the right of way provided for by the property owners. And I知 sure that we are looking in turn for some commitment on part of the property owners to give us the right of way and also to commit to construct the two lanes of howard lane. This embodied by the agreement that tom is working out with the attorneys from the property owners. Now, understand that the attorneys working on this language represent three but not four of the property owners. So we still have outstanding one property owner. We may or may not ever get agreement from that property owner.
>> the property owners east of...
>> that's correct. That's correct.
>> the big scheme of things, the big picture with the east artery basicay coming from bexar and hopefully concluded at the greg manor intersection as far as howard lane is concerned.
>> we looked at this.
>> we're looking at a whole different...
>> we are.
>> go ahead.
>> we're looking at this as a phased approach because urban development is moving east from ih-35. And in the 1997 bond election the city of Austin and Travis County built howard lane between ih-35 and [inaudible] road. We expect the next area of development to be between that road eastward. But because state highway 130 is being built right now, we need to provide for the interchange at howard lane. And somewhat ahead of us in the scheme of things, but we know that from an infrastructure point of view we are Marching eastward. We would ultimately like to build dessal road -- I mean howard lane between dessal and cameron, and from 130 to manor lane. It's truly a phased in project. The urgency is probably more important between dessal road and state highway 130 and necessarily 130 to greg manor road, but ultimately the system worked as an entirety. We have to have the entire road way completed between ih-35 and 290 just like we did on palmer lane to the south. But we probably do not have enough money to do it all at one time. So we're looking at putting the building blocks in place. Right now the most important building block is a interchange at howard lane on 130 because kta are moving forward with the construction of 130. It's now or never for howard lane at 130. That's why we have to address this now. But quickly behind that, we need to bring on the infrastructure that meets dessal road with 130, an very soon after that, 130 with 290.
>> i've got two quick questions. Could you tell me the distance between greg manor road and where the intersection is with howard lane. What is that distance there, approximately?
>> let me go in steps. The portion inside the city...
>> no, no, no. The distance between the intersection at 130 and greg manor, down to howard lane. I'll call at this time detour.
>> the distance?
>> yes.
>> that is approximately a half a mile.
>> we're not talking somebody would have to ten miles out of their way in order to get down to the intersection.
>> no.
>> and I知 reminded seeing darryl slusher walking into the room. We've got a letter from the city of Austin. The last time we got a letter from him, we thought we new where the city stood. Can we get a check from the city council about how they feel about this so that we know that that letter that we've got from mr. Leibroch expresses fully the viewpt of the city of Austin? Because I respect their opinion on this.
>> and I think Austin remembers that letter too.
>> [laughter]
>> we want to make sure that we're doing the right thing.
>> I知 fairly sure Austin has worked this one through.
>> humor me and please ask the question.
>> I guess the letter that he referred to, the commission referring to, the one that he looked at for the city of Austin, and that is looking at the pioneer crossing and also harris branch area of this road which would actually be a city project.
>> that's correct.
>> so they should be responsible for that, and I guess it would be good to have something, but as far as we can tell at this point, the only writing, correspondence that we have receive thus far has been from Austin leibroch?
>> yes, sir.
>> good point.
>> my question is from a traffic volume perspective, based on current development, and I guess anticipated development over the next four or five years, would we expect the volume of traffic howard lane to sh 130 to be heavier than greg manor to is a 2030?
>> yes. Because of the urban development most of it is over here closer to ih-35 so the trips being generate residence district he vier. That would be the volume of traffic that shifts to howard lane once it's constructed. That would probably go up to about 5,000 cars per day once 130 is in place. I expect volumes west of 130 to be higher than that. So truly there's probably justification for a two-lane road way on both sides of 130 in the next ten to 12 year.
>> yes. Okay. We'll have legal questions for legal counsel in executive session this afternoon. Anybody on this item that wants to speak right now? Looks like we're moving in the right direction. We have discussed this several times before. This may be the first time in open court. There are legal issues that we've had to discuss in executive session. [indiscernible]
>> my name is jack gullihorn, I知 the president of the great neighborhood association which is the neighborhood that is impacted by the decision to invest in the expans of howard lane. Thank you for letting me come before you today. Greg lane currently runs from the four-lane howard stops at dessal road goes right now and goes to cameron road. So a difference of about two and a half mile, our neighborhood association includes old greg lane, the west side of harris branch and also of cameron road. We are in the city's desired development zone as you know. I want to spend a very short amount of time, hopefully, to ask you to focus on those of us who are not the developers and not the planners in this process, but we're the people like -- i've lived in that area for the last 20 years and we're the people that live there and traverse those roads on a regular basis and we live with the consequences of the decisions that you're making, and I want to tell you that I appreciate very much the direction that you as Commissioners are taking on this and also working with joe and his people have really focused on what I think are in part to that. Today I知 here to ask you as you make this decision to also prioritize, as you're making this decision, keeping your mind the importance of the engineering and ultimately the construction of the expansion of howard lane from dessal to cameron. We're talking about that portion from cameron or harris ranch easterly through 130 and ultimately to 290 which we believe is very important because of the transportation needs out there, but again we are a two-lane county road that right now is planned to be -- become howard lane. Our first and primary concern is health, safety, primarily, and welfare, for not only those of us who live there but those who are increasingly coming from other places and travelling up and down what is now greg lane. To put it in perspective, with a development that is either in place, underway or planned, we're looking at probably the next four or five years increase of a minimum of 25 to 30,000 trips today using an 8 multiplier which I知 told is fairly conservative. It includes the dessal business park where you've approved the expansion straight through to greg lane right now coming from the north from Pflugerville, and then there are other developments like mike jeter's tracts an other tracts that will be developed on greg lane. So we're not dealing too much with -- to some degree but not too much of hypotheticals. We know that traffic is coming, we see it as we try to pull out of our driveways on greg lane today. We support very much and have had conversations with some of you and also with joe and his folks and with the city, we support very much what you're looking attitude. We think it's critical from a transportation standpoint that that intersection at 130 for howard be in place, because I think if it's not put in place it's not going to happen. The thing that will really kill us both literally and figuratively, is that if you don't move simultaneously with the engineering an surveying an hopefully provide the revenues as soon as possible to commit to it for the engineering and the surveying and ultimately the construction of the expansion of greg lane to four lanes. A lot of neighborhood associations don't want roads built in their area. We think if we don't have it we're history because we're going to have so many people on a two-lane road it's going to be literally impossible to have any kind of safe ingress an egress into our homes. We had a meeting of our association and I believe there are many of our neighbors and system of the property owners that are out there that will seriously consider donating right of way on greg lane for the expansion of howard but we've got to know where it goes. If you're somebody with a house sitting on an acre for you to say I知 going to give away right of way without knowing where it's going to be is hard to do. Certainly tried to help to find the money to do the engineering and the surveying for that part of greg lane. Again, summarizing, and i'll try to leave you with this, but it's very important, I believe, that you build this interchange, if you don't, traffic isco going to come from 130 down cameron road and as you know, you've been working on the improvements necessary for cameron road. Traffic is going to come down cameron road and probably cutting across greg lane, but it's going to unnecessarily exacerbate the problems on that road. Ht q5c3d becomes5? Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you. I would be happy to answer any questions.
>> thank you.
>> thank you very much.
>> thank you. Thank you.
>> I -- we will anticipate taking action after executive session. Let's indicate for the record our intention to call up the review panel item. This afternoon.
Last Modified: Tuesday, April 29, 2003 6:52 PM