A new residential development may be coming soon to Lakeway, following a recommendation by four of the the city’s Zoning and Planning Commission members Jan. 8.
Lakeway Heights is proposed by developers Onyx Residential. The project, located on a 13-acre plot of land at 15115 Kollmeyer Drive, directly adjacent to Lake Travis Elementary School, would consist of one and two-story single-family homes built on 82 lots, at a density of 7 units per acre. The houses would be priced between $499,000 to $650,000, according to Onyx’ presentation shared at the meeting.
In order for the project to move forward, the property will need to be rezoned to a planned unit development, or PUD, which ZAPCO recommended at their meeting. Final approval will either be granted or denied by Lakeway City Council, whose next meeting will be held Jan. 21.
The overview
The project has been in the works since 2022, according to city documents. Most recently, it came before ZAPCO on Oct. 2, where its PUD rezoning request was denied.
At that meeting, residents and council alike questioned whether the project would cause a significant traffic disruption on Kollemeyer Drive, especially during pickup and drop-off at the nearby Lake Travis Elementary School. Additionally, concerns were raised regarding flood plans, safety of local schoolchildren and aesthetic qualities of the project.
That iteration of the project included a significantly denser residential area, with 130 single-family detached units planned at a density of under 10 units per acre, according to city documents.
With that initial PUD rezoning request denied, developers set out to consult Lakeway residents on what improvements could be made to the project in order to address concerns. Since then, the developers have met with city staff several times and held public town hall meetings, Assistant City Manager Ashby Grundman said.
Developers also held meetings with Lake Travis Independent School District, which resulted in a letter of recommendation from Paul Norton, Superintendent of Schools at LTISD, said Spencer Huck, a representative for the Onyx development.
What’s happening
The project’s current iteration takes city and resident feedback into account, reducing density and changing site layout plans to include more road curves, cul-de-sacs, and green space, Huck said. Infrastructure was also added for stormwater management.
Additionally, an updated traffic impact analysis (TIA) worksheet was submitted with the application, accounting for 82 dwelling units with 615 daily trips, according to city documents.
The developers are currently asking for a minimum lot size of 2,700 square feet, front setbacks of 18 feet, and 10-foot separations between buildings, Grundman said. Onyx is proposing to pay a parkland fee of $4,500 per lot, adding a total of $369,000 to the city’s parkland fund.
Despite the project’s reduced density, several council members expressed remaining concerns about the development’s character being in congruence with other local communities in Lakeway and whether or not it should be approved simply because it was an improvement on previously submitted plans.
“Lakeway changes a little bit every time we bring in something new,” ZAPCO Chair Louis Mastrangelo said. “The idea that this isn’t Lakeway, to me, doesn’t fly...based on the information I have, I think that they’re at a reasonable point now.”
What’s next?
The development’s rezoning was ultimately approved with four board members voting in favor and three opposing.
With the project having passed through ZAPCO, final authorization will now be determined by City Council, whose next meeting will be held Jan. 21.
