A high-traffic stretch of FM 685 in Pflugerville could become more pedestrian-friendly if city leaders decide to move forward with proposed sidewalk plans.

Pflugerville City Council is considering plans to lay sidewalk on one or both sides of FM 685 between Pecan Street and the intersection of FM 685 and SH 130. The city also discussed building sidewalks south of Pecan Street on the eastern side of Dessau Road, which turns into FM 685 at Pecan Street.

Several council members, including Wayne Cooper and Mayor Jeff Coleman, said the grassy sides on that stretch of FM 685 are inadequate for the growing number of pedestrians.

The situation may become more complicated with more businesses opening along the street, including Hawaiian Falls Water and Adventure Park.

Coleman said he fears for people walking near the curb on some areas of FM 685.

"It's driving me crazy," Coleman said. "I drive that road every day, and I'm scared to death someone is going to get killed."

Councilman Brad Marshall said he has seen people walking in muddy gutters and along thin strips of grass beside swift traffic.

"On behalf of the safety of these people, we need to get them off the street," Marshall said at a June 10 City Council meeting. "They need a safe place to walk down."

But not all City Council members thought sidewalks would improve safety.

Councilman Victor Gonzales said such a proposed sidewalk could attract more people to walk near dangerous traffic.

"Heaven forbid if someone gets killed because they got on that sidewalk," Gonzales said.

In late May, Pflugerville City Engineer Dan Franz presented the council with a potential plan to pave certain areas along FM 685. Sidewalks already checker the roadside because new businesses must construct them in front of their locations.

Franz said the potential sidewalks fit in with the city's goal of bringing people into the commercial areas of town and would benefit those with physical disabilities.

The latest plan features three phases of similar lengths between Pecan Street and SH 130. Phase 1 would install sidewalks along FM 685 from SH 130 to Pflugerville Parkway. Phase 2 would stretch from Old Austin-Hutto to Pflugerville Parkway.

The third phase would run from Pecan Street to Old Austin-Hutto Road. The city could also choose to incrementally lay sidewalk on either side of the road during each phase, or the city could drop the plan altogether.

Some city leaders expressed interest in building the sidewalk only on portions of the eastern side of the road.

Excluding Dessau, the total cost to build a sidewalk on the entire eastern side would be nearly $500,000. Building a sidewalk only on the entire western side would total roughly $723,000.

The proposed, 1/3-mile sidewalk on Dessau Road would cost $120,000.

Pflugerville currently has $231,000 in its sidewalk fund. That could more than cover the cost of any one eastern sidewalk phase. The city could also use certificates of obligation, which are a method of payment for public works projects, or Community Development Block Grant funds.

In another strategy, the city could place a lien on any property in front of which the city builds a sidewalk. The amount of the lien would equal the value the sidewalk adds to the property's value. The property owner would pay the lien when, or if, the property is sold, Pflugerville City Attorney George Hyde said.

But even if the city were to be repaid by property owners for the increased property value resulting from the sidewalk, the property value increase could be much less than the actual cost of building the sidewalk, Franz said.

"There may not be an ultimate return on your money," Franz said.

Dawn Carey, a resident of the nearby Saxony neighborhood, said she liked the idea of a sidewalk along the road.

"There's no safe place for people to walk or ride their bikes there," Carey said. "It just seems to fit in with what Pflugerville has throughout the city because they have all these nice trails."