City staffer recommends incorporating about 315 acres for development compatibility

Lakeway Deputy City Manager Chessie Zimmerman presented a plan to annex about 315 acres near Hwy. 71 at Bee Creek Road and along Flint Rock Road and Clara Van to Lakeway City Council during its Jan. 21 meeting. Although a vote was not required before Zimmerman conducts research on the proposal, City Council members did not state any opposition to the project.

Zimmerman said Hwy. 71 corridor land owners are under pressure by commercial entities to subdivide and develop large tracts along the roadway. Annexation would ensure that development occurs in a way that is compatible with the adjacent residential uses, she said.

The tract proposed for annexation includes the new Lake Travis ISD middle school site located on Bee Creek Road, about 1/2 mile from the west Hwy. 71 and Bee Creek Road intersection, Zimmerman said. The plan also incorporates a granite stone facility, commercial development, undeveloped tracts and a few homesites, she said. There are a few lots along Flint Rock Road and Clara Van that may be annexed in the future, she said.

However, Zimmerman said the city is excluding the subdivisions of Travis Settlement, located off Hwy. 71 near Spicewood, and Bee Creek Estates, at Bee Creek Road and Sean Avery Path, from the plan.

The plan is an update to Lakeway's 2010 annexation study and was not previously recommended until the Texas Department of Transportation made improvements to Bee Creek Road, she said.

The city has fielded requests by some property owners in the annexation area requesting to be incorporated into the city, she said. The two corners of the Bee Creek Road and Hwy. 71 intersection provide a disparity in terms of development, with one corner located inside Lakeway's city limits and the other in its extraterritorial jurisdiction, Zimmerman said.

"Currently all of the [ETJ] tracts are limited to 30 percent impervious cover," she said. "So when a property owner comes to us and says, 'Hey, I'm not in the city limits, and I want to develop,' our response is, 'That's great, but you only get 30 percent impervious cover.' For commercial properties, once you're inside the city limits, you can go up to 60 percent impervious cover. If you're looking to develop your property or sell it for development, this tends to be a favorable equation for you."

Zimmerman said she would complete her analysis of the annexation plan, speak with property owners and prepare documents for a future presentation to City Council.

Property owner questions new zoning

There are 13 different property owners with land in the proposed 315-acre Lakeway annexation area, Lakeway Deputy City Manager Chessie Zimmerman said.

Larry Williams is one of those property owners. Although his home is located in the city of Lakeway, Williams owns about one-third of the property, 100 acres, in the proposed annexation plan.

Williams said he uses his property as ranchland, with horses and chickens grazing on the grounds, which includes a small cabin. He said the tract lacks utilities such as water and wastewater.

At one point last year Williams said his property was under contract with the Lake Travis Youth Association for the building of a new sports complex, but the deal fell through after the organization was unable to sell its Bee Cave site to raise funds for the purchase.

He said he has since had other interest in the property and told council members he was concerned about how the city would rezone the tract, now zoned for agriculture, should it be annexed.

"If [City Council] wants us to move forward, then we will schedule a meeting with each property owner and sit down, help you understand what [annexation] means for you and what your plans are for your property," Zimmerman said to Williams at the Jan. 21 Lakeway City Council meeting. "That's how we will determine what zoning is recommended."

City Manager Steve Jones said that in Texas, a property owner has vested rights.

Once a city begins the annexation process, landowners with projects in progress at the time of annexation have the right to proceed under the rules and regulations in place when the project began, he said.