Council did not take action because approval of an ordinance would be required to pursue the project.

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City subcommittee to study West Lake Hills traffic issues

A subcommittee of City Council has been formed to study traffic on North Peak Road.

Mayor Linda Anthony said April 13 that North Peak residents had concerns about speeding, particularly around the blind curve where families with young children live.

“It’s becoming such a problem now for us that it’s something that needs to be addressed,” North Peak resident Robin Hammond said. “People gain speed to get up to the top of the hill, and they are just plowing through by the time they get there.”

Council members Beth South and Brian Plunkett volunteered to be part of the subcommittee that will gather traffic data and present it to City Council in the coming months.

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[caption id="attachment_150906" align="alignright" width="220"] The Lower Colorado River Authority opened one floodgate of Mansfield Dam on April 25.[/caption]

Floodgate opens— a first since 2007

The Lower Colorado River Authority opened a floodgate of Mansfield Dam on Lake Travis on April 25.

According to LCRA officials, the agency begins floodgate releases when Lake Travis elevation exceeds or will exceed its full level of 681 feet mean sea level. The lake level was above 684 feet msl April 25.

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Lakeway grants first rental under new STR ordinance

lakeway City Council granted its first short-term rental, or STR, permit April 18 under the city’s more stringent ordinance adopted in December. The permit was issued to Khaled Saffouri for an STR use at a six-bedroom lakefront home on Robin Dale Drive.

“As we worked through auditing those existing permits, we discovered a number where property owners had received a license, which is what we used to have [before STR permits], and then they sold the property,” Deputy City Manager Chessie Zimmerman said. “So those were automatically voided. That opened up some slots on the list. This property was the first applicant who visited with me with a property that met the proximity limitation.”

She said some property owners applying for STR permits are on a waitlist because they do not meet the city’s proximity limitation.

Under the new ordinance, Saffouri would be allowed a maximum of 12 adult guests, or two adults per bedroom in his rental home.

Neighbors approached the city’s planning and zoning board with concerns about noise and cars, but the board approved his request 5-1.

“Mr. Saffouri, I will tell you, if this is approved, you will be a model, one way or another,” Council Member Ron Massa said.

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[caption id="attachment_150907" align="alignright" width="220"] West Lake Hills City Council members discuss the delayed construction start on Bee Caves Road.[/caption]

Construction delayed on Bee Caves Road

Robert Wood, West Lake Hills city administrator, told City Council on April 27 the start date for the Bee Caves Road construction—which will add a center turn lane between Walsh Tarlton Lane and Redbud Trail—has been delayed again.

Wood said he recently met with Texas Department of Transportation officials who said engineers and designers are still working on final drawings for the construction and anticipate a start date of late June or early July.

He said TxDOT officials and contractors are meeting every other week to discuss the construction, and once roadwork begins, they will meet weekly.

Wood said TxDOT also hired an outside consultant for its public information office. He said the TxDOT public information officers and the new consultant plan to launch a website geared toward updating citizens on the current road progress.

“There will be all sorts of ways for the public to interact with [TxDOT],” Mayor Linda Anthony said.

She said the project is estimated to take 28 months.

Wood said road improvements to Camp Craft Road are likely to occur in summer 2017.