Travis County Commissioners Court
September 25, 2007
Items 51 & 52
Number 51 is to consider and to appropriate action on request to approve an interest local cooperation agreement with southwest Travis County road district number 1 for improvements to Barton Creek boulevard.
>> judge, you mate want to call up 52.
>> 52 is to consider and take appropriate action on request to approve a road construction agreement with stratus properties incorporated to complete readway safety improvements to a section of Barton Creek boulevard and travis cool road in 3.
>> tn r. We are using some bond money from the voters and also seeking 300 million for southwest road district number 1. That money was derived from a sale of a parcel on southwest parkway that had an old landfill in it. You may recall that action several years ago. It was purchased by an add joining property owner. The $300,000 was deposit in the road district's budget and is generally available for road improvements within the district which this project is. So it's just been sitting there and we're now asking that it be used to improve travis cook road which literally benefits the people within the road district. So I think it's an appropriate place to use the money. The road project itself to travis cool road is a safety project. It is currently an old two-lane county road without shoulders. It gives access to the large Barton Creek esstates dropment. Tnrable amount of traffic coming from that development to southwest parkway and as a result we have a queue of cars backing up to the signal. What this project will do is widen the road, add a turn lane that will accommodate the turning movements at southwest parkway, and also add some shoulders to what is now a fairly faira two-lane county road. So overall, it will straighten, realign, and tie in with a section of the road which is already done by the development, which is also a similar section, a three-lane roadway with a continuous turn lane. It makes it close to resemble the whole look of the road from southwest parkway all the way through the develop. Basically we have an agreement to do the road. We're accepting some money from the developer to assist in that. We're using some bond money. We're using $300,000 from the southwest road district. All the right-of-way is cleared, the engineering plans are ready to go out to bid. The only thing that is remaining is an interlocal agreement with the city of Austin. They have utility line in the right-of-way that needs to be relocated. Then once we have that interlocal with the city, we're good to go out and get a construction bid and get this project done.
>> so were these amounts of money supposed to add up to a million 893?
>> no, sir, they don't. I would rike to have the full amount available because have an additional expense of modifying the traffic signal and we'll have to do that with an interester log with the city of Austin. I'd like to have this allocated to the project.
>> okay. The bonds issues in '01 and jeffen--1997, those were issued by Travis County is this.
>> the funds were left over from the prior bond program and that has already been done for several years now. Now we're coming back on this remaining section that no work has ever been done on, this piece of the old county road.
>> the stratus has already gont out, the majority or a large section of this rode.
>> within their property.
>> moving towards southwest parkway. The cut through traffic that that whole area out there is witnessing, both coming from bee cave and going to southwest parkway, a lot more coming from southwest parkway, coming towards becave road, and travis cool road on the south side of southwest parkway, I mean I know when I just first went out there seven years ago, you might have had two or three cars in a queue coming north on travis cook road. Now you will have 22, 23 cars.
>> and you notice that when school started, you have saint michael's academy and gabriel, two bring vat schools. As soon as school started, most are commuter schools and you have a lot of parent bringing children in and queuing up at the intersection in the morn.
>> stratus has gotten out to work with the nature con servancy. I would move approval.
>> judge, to clarify on the 1997 finding, that is money remaining from completed bond projects in precinct 3, including so I sub standard roads and reconstruction all in precinct 3. This is money we will use up.
>> this isn't a high visible public safety issue that's going to be addressed, by these particular improvements being recommended here today. Can you possibly tell me if when the court approves this particular action, item 51 and also 52, can you tell me approximately ballpark what would be the beginning and ending process to bring the public safety features to this particular segment of this road. When would it all come to conclusion?
>> sure. As joe mentioned, we have all of our construction documents and permits in order. The one remaining issue is an interlocal with the city of Austin which I believe we can get done within the next couple months of I think we can put the project out for bids this years, start construction early next year, and be completed within nine months.
>> how long?
>> within nine months.
>> and we've gotten the tc e q--
>> yes, sir.
>> --go ahead, green light?
>> yes, sir, this is in an area of recharge zone. We did get a permit which was a rigorous process. There's also an area where engagedangered species nesting occurs. It is important we begin construction before nesting season starts, which is April.
>> .
>> educate me, this is part of the property that city of Austin purchased for environmental protection and recharge?
>> that I don't know of. The nature con ser van si is one of the properties that we did acquire. In doing that they had an agreement with the u.s. Fish and wildlife. The agreement anticipated this road would be improved in the future. They were okay with selling us a piece of the property to make this work. Stratus is also dedicating right-of-way as part of their agreement at in charge.
>> I don't think that was part of the water quality land.
>> okay. They are on the west side of the improvement?
>> it's on both side, yes, ma'a.
>> yes.
>> okay.
>> Commissioner, did you have another, Commissioner Davis?
>> no, the nature conservancy, of course, with their right-of-way.
>> we are good with them.
>> right.
>> we actually acquired property with them this last summer through court.
>> all right. Just wanted to acknowledge that.
>> judge, move approval of 51 and 52.
>> second.
>> discussion? All in favor. That passes by unanimous vote.
>> thank you.
>> thank you.
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Last Modified:
Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 18:30 AM