As of 4 p.m. Monday afternoon, more than 225 residents have signed an online petition protesting a proposed hotel near Bull Creek off Spicewood Springs Road in Northwest Austin.

The petition, launched July 7 by Yaupon Bluffs resident Linda Meltzer, addresses Austin City Council and discusses the community’s concerns for water quality, safety and the environment as well as residents’ desire to see the site used for parkland instead of for the proposed Spicewood Lodge, previously called the Spicewood hotel.

“The community’s opposition to the hotel remains pretty strong,” nearby resident Rick Brimer said.

In November, Westlake resident David Kahn filed a site plan application for an 11-story boutique hotel at 6315 Spicewood Springs Road, Austin, near the intersection of Yaupon Drive. The 11.39-acre tract of land is adjacent to Bull Creek and has an existing single-family home onsite.

Differing opinions

Kahn previously told Community Impact Newspaper that he wanted to create a place where people could enjoy the creek and learn more about nature. After withdrawing his initial site plan in early December, he had four meetings with residents earlier in 2017 but said the discussions went nowhere as neither side was willing to concede their ideas.

“I’m willing to do changes if the changes mean how do we make a better lodge,” Kahn said. “We’re not willing to scrap our plans and make it a park. We’re willing to compromise on a lot of things, a smaller lodge, a shorter lodge. There was no flexibility on the other side.”

A lodge would also generate less trash and pollution than a park, Kahn said, because people leave trash at parks and allow their dogs to poop in the creek.

“A park needs a lot of parking. That’s all concrete,” he said. “I’m only building on 5 percent. The park would have more than 5 percent.”

Developer David Kahn said he envisions the proposed Spicewood Lodge in Northwest Austin to resemble lodges found at national parks such as Yosemite National Park.[/caption]

He said he envisions the lodge resembling those found in national parks such as Yosemite National Park in California.

“I think it will be a place everybody will be proud,” he said.

However, area residents were concerned about the effect the hotel would have on the environment as well as Spicewood Springs Road, which often floods.

Area residents came up with several recommendations, Brimer said, but Kahn did not respond to any of them.

“What we were really trying to do was get him to think outside of the box,” Brimer said.

Comments on the online petition include one from Georgia Shaw, stating that “This property is inappropriate for that size and type of construction. It would be damaging to our sensitive environment along Bull Creek Watershed.”

Commenter Sharlyn Baker wrote, “This part of Austin is too precious to let [a] development ruin what Austin is known for. Spicewood Springs is a small, two-lane beautiful scenic road not meant for traffic like this one. Again please don't let this happen to our beautiful Austin. There are very few roads left in Austin like Spicewood. It is an Austin treasure.”

Kahn said traffic studies his development firm completed indicate the lodge would generate no more than 250 daily trips on Spicewood Springs Road. He said most of the traffic on Spicewood Springs and Yaupon is from residents commuting to and from work.

“It’s about three trips per room, including staff,” Kahn said. “That’s less trips per day than the summer camp across the street.”

“The community’s opposition to the hotel remains pretty strong.”
—Northwest Austin resident Rick Brimer

Differing heights

How large the hotel would be depends on whether the city of Austin grants Kahn his service extension request for water and wastewater service to the property, which is located in the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction.

Several months ago Kahn said he filed the application, and if approved, he would pursue voluntary annexation.

Austin Water spokesperson Jill Mayfield confirmed Monday an application was submitted for the property and is in the queue for review by staff.

The lodge would likely only have 80 rooms if the site is annexed into the city, Kahn said. If his request is denied, he said he would have to build 125-160 rooms to recover the costs of adding his own utilities.

“We perceive that as an extortion threat,” Brimer said. “We’re going to oppose the city extending services to him.”