City Council approved a rezoning request Feb. 25 for 29 acres of land for The Arbors at Georgetown Village.

Georgetown Planning Director Andrew Spurgin said the property would include 95 single-family residential lots just north of Sycamore Drive and Shell Road.

Several Georgetown Village residents addressed the council with concerns about the project's effectson traffic in the area.

I would like to express my concern with the speed limit on Shell Road between Village Commons [Boulevard] and Sycamore [Street], said Georgetown Village resident Rebecca English. There have been so many accidents and with the addition of so many houses and two elementary schools, it is a mess over there. Im looking forward to the city looking into that situation.

Shell Road is the main roadway used to access Village and McCoy elementary schools.

Spurgin said that when the subdivision plat is submitted to the city it will require a traffic impact study.

Residents requested the speed limit be lowered to 35 miles per hour in that area; however, city staff said a speedstudy conducted in the area determined thatthe speed limit should remain between 50 and 55 miles per hour.

Speed limit discussion

City Council approved the first reading of the rezoning at the councils regular meeting Feb. 11.

I think people drive too fast on that road, District 4 Councilman Steve Fought said at the Feb. 11 meeting. My judgment is on Shell Road and to a certain degree on Lakeway Drive people drive too fast on those two roads, and that would skew the interpretation of what is safe.

Transportation Engineer Bill Dryden said lowering the speed limit below the recommended level in the speed study could leave the city liable in the event of an automobile accident.

The city plans to install a traffic signal at Shell Road and Bellaire Drive/Westbury Lane, which is expected to be installed before the first day of school in August. Once the signal is installed, a second speed study could be conducted, Spurgin said.

Thats too long to wait, District 2 Councilman Keith Brainard said. If there were a kid killed, this council would be rushing to lower the speed limit.

Plans for the area also include connecting Madrid Drive in the Serenada subdivision where it dead ends into Sequoia Spur to Madrid Drive in Georgetown Village.

Georgetown Transportation Director Ed Polasek told the council Feb. 11 that the city was working with the council to complete the Madrid Drive extension, which could be finished by the start of school.

District 5 Councilman Jerry Hammerlun said he thought the projects could add some safety to the area.

The traffic signal on Shell Road is a critical need, without question, he said.

District 6 Councilwoman Rachael Jonrowe said she would like to discuss the speed limit process and wants the City Council to have more control in the process as well as the methodology for setting speed limits.