Pointing out the discrepancies between the proposed site plan for the Terrace developments and the city ordinance passed in April 2017, Bee Cave Mayor Pro Tem Bill Goodwin moved to deny the site plan at Tuesday's City Council meeting. The motion gained unanimous support from all council members.
Bee Cave resident Carrell Killebrew and Hill Country Galleria LLC Manager Adrian Overstreet made the only two public comments Tuesday night, both speaking against the project and citing inconsistencies in terms of parking spaces as well as other aspects of the design.
Planning Development District Ordinance 334, which was approved by the council in April 2017, required that the area include at least 100 underground parking spaces. The latest project plan, however, proposed only 76 such spaces provided in the joint garages shared between two condominium buildings, according to city documents.
Killebrew said the 76 spaces clearly doesn't meet the city's requirements and would be insufficient for owners of luxurious houses trying to entertain guests. He also pointed out that these spaces should not count as underground parking.
"Under building is not the same as underground," Killebrew said.
He further urged the council to uphold the PDD ordinance and vote against the project, expressing concerns about staff reports being manipulated by developers.
"I'll just refer to Mayor Parker's comments where you basically said the staff presentation is essentially the same thing as the developer's proposal," Killebrew said.
Citing the objection letter filed June 18 by Hill Country Galleria LLC, Overstreet said the proposed site plan has several inconsistencies with what the city ordinance allows, including the lack of parking spaces, impervious cover exemptions and the access of easement regarding a driveway included as the entrance to the developments.
Following the public comments, Goodwin quoted the original version of PDD Ordinance 334 and compared it to the current proposal. He said the developer and city staff had spent seven months going over the ordinance and having it vetted by lawyers from both sides.
The ordinance the city passed requires that at least 100 below-grade parking spaces be provided, Goodwin said. Additionally, he said, it requires that at least 115 spaces in total be provided, which means at least 15 surface parking spaces should be available.
"So to me, to attempt to call the townhome garage spaces 'below-grade spaces' is just laughable," Goodwin said.
Addressing the pool design on the rooftop of Building F, Goodwin said that was never part of the ordinance.
"'The restaurant will be located within an office building ... and include a rooftop bar deck and patio.' Nothing about the pool," he said.
"The idea that I'm supposed to ignore the written words ..." Goodwin said, "and ... to pick up a glass handrail and divine, somehow, that it's a pool, is just silly."
The City Council voted unanimously in favor of Goodwin's motion to reject the project.
Original story posted at 9:05 p.m. June 26.
After meeting with attorneys in closed sessions at both of its June meetings, Bee Cave City Council postponed public discussion over designs for the first phase of the proposed Terrace development as well as associated landscape and traffic improvements.
Mayor Monty Parker said in a June 15 email that the sessions were for reviewing an objection letter filed June 8 by Hill Country Texas Galleria LLC that claimed the development design was inconsistent with the city’s zoning ordinances and city codes, including regulations on parking spaces, restrictions regarding leasing and ownership of driveway easements.
Project plans show the development of two tracts along Bee Cave Parkway east of RM 620 into office and residential areas. Phase 1 designs include new homes, offices and a restaurant.
The 6.08-acre southeast tract, branded Ethan’s View Condominiums and Town Homes, would have 57 homes altogether, including 41 condominiums and 16 townhomes, according to the design. The area would also have trails, a swimming pool and a garden.
Planned Development District Ordinance 334, approved in April 2017, required that the area include at least 100 underground parking spaces, as pointed out by former Planning and Zoning Commissioner Andrew Clark—who now serves on City Council— during a June 5 commission meeting. The current design includes 70 underground spaces. However, a total of 116 spaces are proposed in this area, which exceeds the minimum requirement of 114, according to a staff review of the project.
The designs for the northeast tract also include a restaurant located in what is dubbed as Building “F” in the 13.45-acre parcel, which would also feature five other office buildings. The two-story restaurant would be equipped with a rooftop bar, patio and swimming pool for customer use only, records show.
Driveways and a roundabout
Access to the northwest tract would be provided by three driveways along Bee Cave Parkway with the eastern driveway serving as the main entrance, according to the designs.
The entrance would accommodate one lane of inbound traffic and two lanes of outbound traffic. It could be moved farther east to meet an intersection with traffic signals, and a traffic circle would be built at the entrance to receive incoming traffic and navigate on-site traffic.
The eastern part of the traffic circle could be extended in the future to connect the tract with Ethan’s View, according to city documents.
As part of the Terrace developments, a new right-turn lane is proposed to accommodate future traffic, as recommended by a traffic impact analysis last submitted to the developer in October 2017.
Stretching from Ethan’s View to the intersection of Bee Cave Parkway and RM 620, the lane would become a second westbound right-turn lane onto RM 620. To accommodate the new lane, landscaped medians, traffic signal timing and signal locations at the intersection would be adjusted accordingly.
To the south side of Bee Cave Parkway, the 3.45-acre Crescent Tract would receive landscape improvements and include a looped walking trail and rest areas, according to city documents.
