Residents concerned about increased traffic in neighborhood

A 32,000-square-foot two-story office building, Overlook at Davenport, is planned for a 3.3-acre site in Davenport Ranch at 6001 Bold Ruler Way in Austin, property owner Michael Ayer said.

Ayer bought the tract, which adjoins North Capital of Texas Hwy., Canonero Drive and Bold Ruler Way, in 2000, he said.

"The reason I originally purchased the property is because someone was trying to buy it and put a gas station on it," he said. "I bought it with the intention of putting an office building on it and would love to put neighborhood people in [as tenants]. I've lived in the neighborhood a long time and didn't want to see a gas station next to homes."

A two-level parking garage and surface parking will also be constructed on the site, he said. The building's driveway access is proposed to be located on Bold Ruler Way, he said.

Some Davenport Ranch residents said they are worried about cars driving through their area to access the proposed site.

"The office entry is on Bold Ruler [Way], and traffic would pass through the whole neighborhood to get into the building," said Lee Lin, who lives on Canonero Drive, about 500 feet from the project.

Lin said an entry and exit to the tract would be safer if it were located on Capital of Texas Hwy. instead of Bold Ruler Way.

However, a driveway on Capital of Texas Hwy. is prohibited under the terms of the development agreement with the subdivision, said Ayer, who serves on the master board for the Davenport Ranch neighborhood associations. He said he knows about residents' concerns regarding the entrance, but only two locations were possible for the driveway—Canonero Drive or Bold Ruler Way. He said the driveway will be placed downhill to minimize its impact on the neighborhood. Ayer received a letter from the neighborhood association in support of the proposed project.

Ayer said he is assembling a team of architects and contractors to determine how to finish the building.

"I'm trying to do something [on the site] that would have a positive effect on the neighborhood," he said. "There's a lot of things possible."

The building's site plan was approved by the city of Austin Planning and Development Review Department on Feb. 4, said Donna Galati, Austin Planning and Review Department case manager. She said no one protested the project during a Dec. 17 public hearing.