36 residents spoke during public comment as more than 200 showed support for their neighborhood at College Station's April 9 City Council meeting. (Karley Cross/Community Impact)
At College Station's April 9 City Council meeting, members voted 4-3 to remove the planned future extension of Pebble Creek Parkway from the city's Thoroughfare Plan. The decision followed a lengthy public hearing that lasted several hours and included both technical presentations and testimony from residents.
The backstory
The agenda item was a proposed amendment to the city's Comprehensive Plan and its Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Master Plan. Specifically, the amendment would remove the future extension of Pebble Creek Parkway between its current endpoint and a planned connection near the Savannah subdivision.
Anthony Armstrong, director of College Station planning and development, explained that Pebble Creek Parkway has been included in regional and city transportation plans since the early 1990s. It was originally envisioned as a major roadway to support long-term growth and connect developing areas of the city.
The Pebble Creek Parkway neighborhood has been long-planned to someday have a thoroughfare. (Courtesy city of College Station)
He said the city conducted updated traffic modeling and planning reviews after residents raised concerns during a 2025 comprehensive plan evaluation process. A prior council workshop and public engagement process led to the formal consideration of whether the extension should remain on the plan.
Mapping it out
Armstrong emphasized that the discussion was not about changing Pebble Creek Parkway’s existing function as a roadway, but specifically about removing its future extension.
Key points raised included:
Traffic: Multiple examples were presented, comparing conditions with and without the extension. The comparisons suggested removing the extension would shift traffic patterns, increasing congestion on alternative corridors such as Lakeway Drive.
Connectivity: Armstrong and the council went back and forth, arguing that removing the extension could reduce overall road network connectivity, leading to fewer alternate routes and greater pressure on major roads.
Emergency response: Fire Chief Richard Mann, along with Armstrong, explained how faster response times were observed when Pebble Creek Parkway is included in the network. They emphasized that areas with higher residential density could be impacted. However, they also noted that no single fire station serves one neighborhood exclusively.
Infrastructure: Should the extension be removed, Armstrong said road connections would likely depend on separate agreements with developers or potential city-funded projects, which could be costly and delayed.
Fire Chief Richard Mann pointed out a future need for another fire station at the April 9 meeting. (Courtesy city of College Station)
Armstrong also highlighted how similar roadway connections work throughout the city, which are part of a larger transportation strategy designed to distribute traffic and support growth.
What residents are saying
The public hearing drew a significant turnout, with more than 35 residents speaking against the proposal.
Opponents of the extension, particularly residents of Pebble Creek, raised concerns, including:
Increased traffic through a residential neighborhood
Safety risks for children walking or biking
Golf cart and pedestrian activity being disrupted
Loss of neighborhood character and quality of life
Concerns the roadway would become a high-speed cut-through route
Several residents emphasized that Pebble Creek functions as a family-oriented, low-speed community and argued the extension would fundamentally change its character.
"If this extension goes through, I will no longer feel safe letting [my children] bike to school. Our golf cart rides will become a dangerous gamble against thousands of cut-through drivers who have no stake in our children's safety," Pebble Creek resident Courtney Cannon said.
Some residents said the neighborhood was a safe place to bike and walk and had concerns about safety if the road was extended.
What council is saying
In final remarks, council member William Wright held firm that the roadway has been part of city planning since the '90s, and removing it is going to shift traffic problems elsewhere rather than solving them.
"You drive right through Castlegate, you drive through Creek Meadows, it bisects. My kid goes to school, there are kids fishing, there are kids laying in hammocks. The quality of life has not been affected. Their property values have not plummeted. They just haven't," Wright said.
Council members expressed divided views, often acknowledging the difficulty of the decision. They pointed to:
Neighborhood integrity vs. mobility: Council member David White emphasized protecting established neighborhoods from increased traffic, while others spoke more in favor of connecting the entire city.
Planning consistency: Several council members and members of city staff noted that the extension has appeared in official plans for decades, and that developers and residents have long been aware of it.
Growth management: Whether traffic should be concentrated on major thoroughfares or distributed throughout neighborhood-adjacent roads.
Some ultimately said they were leaning toward removing the extension due to neighborhood impact concerns.
The vote
After public hearing and discussion wrapped up, the council voted on White's motion to amend the Comprehensive Plan and remove the future Pebble Creek Parkway extension.
In favor: council members Mark Smith, David White, Bob Yancy and Scott Shafer
Opposed: Mayor John Nichols, and council members William Wright and Melissa McIlhaney
The motion passed with a 4-3 vote, officially removing the planned extension from the city’s future roadway and greenway plans.
What's next
Removing the extension will affect future long-term planning decisions.
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