Bee Cave City Council gave its initial approval of an elder care facility near the intersection of the future Bee Caves Parkway and Hwy. 71.

On Sept. 25, council approved amending the zoning of two tracts of land to allow two senior living facilities as well as a third building, which is being planned as a potential day care facility.

The elder care facility is being planned by Bill Walters, the lead developer of the Sunset Valley Village, a 300-acre master-planned community in Austin, and Meridian Realty Advisors, a Dallas-based real estate investment management and development company.

A 55,000-square-foot, 120-bed skilled nursing building and a 45,000-square-foot, 90-bed Alzheimer's disease care building are planned for the facility. Both buildings would be one story in height.

The project has the approval of the neighboring residents, and Mayor Caroline Murphy said the elder care facility fits with Bee Cave's comprehensive master plan.

"I think that this is a very nice project for this location, and I think you've done very, very well," she said, referring to Walters.

Walters said in August that he hoped construction on the facility would start by the end of the year.