Council, in 4-1 vote, approved the removal of Kirkpatrick’s extension from the town’s thoroughfare plan. Chris Drew, Ann Martin, Brian Taylor and Adam Schiestel voted for the removal, and Jim Engel voted for another option that would keep Kirkpatrick as is except in the area of the Kirkpatrick Phase 3 bridge, which would be reduced down to two lanes.
A public hearing was held at the Feb. 5 meeting, when council considered a request for a master plan amendment for the thoroughfare plan by changing the designation of Kirkpatrick Lane between Everett Drive and Garden Ridge Boulevard.
The background
At a meeting last June, several residents spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting and expressed concerns about a range of issues with the Kirkpatrick Phase 3 project, including traffic, nature and wildlife preservation, costs, safety, resale of homes, and the necessity of the project itself.
Mayor Derek France said at the Feb. 5 meeting that 21 people who chose not to speak supported removing Kirkpatrick 3 from the master plan. Eleven people spoke during the hearing, and most supported getting rid of Kirkpatrick 3. Many who opposed the expansion outlined a number of factors, such as safety and that the land and wildlife near the roadway should be preserved.
The details
Matthew Hotelling, assistant director of public works and transportation for the town, presented information on the road to council. Council had four options to consider and opted for Option 3, which called for removing the section of Kirkpatrick 3 completely and changing the classification of the remaining sections of Kirkpatrick between both Everett Drive and Spanish Oak Drive and between Blue Sky Lane and Garden Ridge Boulevard to an Urban Collector, among other aspects. One option called for keeping Kirkpatrick as is on the thoroughfare plan.
Council also approved removal of the stub out of Orion Court that was originally planned to connect to Kirkpatrick Lane.
