Engineers with Walter P. Moore presented council with different options for several projects the city has identified in its comprehensive transportation plan. The goal is for the council to vet each project and either move forward with the project or ask for more information.
The projects include repaving several roadways, road extensions, culvert improvements, road widening and pedestrian connectivity.
Among the most contentious were discussions about widening Serene Hills Drive to four lanes and extending Joseph Drive to RM 620.
The Joseph Drive project would extend Joseph Drive from Delsie Drive to RM 620. City documents note the extension is needed to provide an additional path to RM 620 to improve mobility and access in the Preserve neighborhood. Currently there is only one exit, and staff said the neighborhood would not be allowed to be built today under current code.
Evacuations in a fire emergency were cited as a concern for the neighborhood of about 280 homes.
Joseph Drive resident Parmesh Krishen said he is vehemently opposed to the project.
“I was caught off guard by how far along this project had come,” he told the council during public comment. “I live basically at the intersection with Delsie [Drive].”
He said he was concerned his neighbor was not aware of the proposed project until Krishen told him.
“My neighbor whose driveway would be appropriated didn't know about this,” he said. “Over-communication is rarely an issue.”
He asked the council to look at the risk versus the reward a little closer.
Sarah Bernfeld, who also lives on Joseph Drive, told the council if her street became a way to access RM 620 it would end its charm as a quiet, kid-friendly neighborhood.
“You are offering a cut-through, allowing people to bypass traffic,” she said. “People race down Farris [Drive] with no regard to the speed limit.”
The project that would widen Serene Hills Drive from two lanes to four lanes was also met with resistance from citizens who live near the thoroughfare.
Andrew Smith, a resident who lives near Serene Hills Drive, said an informal survey conducted by neighbors yielded 96% in agreement that they did not want the widening project.
“The problem [with Serene Hills Drive] is usage, not the capacity or design,” he said. “Why would we want to recreate what has been done on Lakeway Boulevard?”
Projects that received support included pavement improvements to Lakeway Boulevard, Lakeway Drive and Lohmans Crossing.
Residents submitted comments to council in favor of a Birrell Street extension. This $3 million extension would construct the undeveloped segment of Birrell Street from Medical Drive to Lohmans Spur Road. The city is looking to connect RM 620 to Lohmans Spur Road to provide better traffic flow and access to the nearby neighborhoods.
