The breakdown
The 5-acre site, located at 300 Birrell St., Austin, was rezoned from commercial to residential to accomodate a planned unit development with 42 single-family homes.
The patio-style homes will range from 2,000-2,500 square feet and sell for $600,000-$800,000, which is below the median home cost for Lakeway, according to applicants with the Drenner Group real estate firm.
The property sits directly adjacent to the parking lot of the Baylor Scott & White Clinic, with entrances planned on Birrell Street and Medical Drive.
Some background
While the land was originally zoned for commercial use, its odd lot shape and distance from the highway has made it less than ideal for retail developers, according to a staff report.
Still, the development plans faced several rounds of revision since 2021 per the recommendation of staff to ensure they would comply with the city's comprehensive plan.
Ultimately, the city determined a residential use of the land would be "consistent with other approved medium-density residential developments in the immediate area, such as the residential developments at Jovie, The Oaks Phase 2 and The Square at Lohmans," per the staff report.
Quote of note
"I don't want to give up commercial [land], but I don't see something retail going here," Mayor Thomas Kilgore said at the meeting. "The fact that the housing is below the median cost; it's pretty important that we finally start getting something out there that's not just million dollar homes."
What's next
City spokesperson Jarrod Wise said the development will have to go through preliminary plan approval and plat approval by the Zoning and Planning Commission and council.
A timeline for these approvals has not been confirmed.
