Bee Cave would become more pedestrian-friendly under two proposed trail projects, city leaders said.
Bee Cave City Council in August and September heard proposals to extend two existing trails. Council members said extending the trails would help fulfill the city's comprehensive plan that listed an expanded trail system as a priority.
"Connectivity has been a big request out here. So I'm very excited about this," Councilwoman Zelda Auslander said.
On Sept. 11, Bee Cave City Council approved an agreement with the Hill Country Galleria to extend the Galleria trail to RR 620. The Galleria will pay for the construction of the trail, and the city, in return, will waive up to $25,000 in future Galleria permit fees.
Hill Country Galleria Manager Adrian Overstreet said the crushed-granite trail will be 5 feet wide, and the city and Galleria will separately maintain the portion of the trail that lies on each of the entities' property. Construction on the trail is expected to start next year, he said.
"I think it will be a popular improvement," he said.
A separate plan to build a trail from Falconhead Boulevard to Bee Cave Central Park is also moving forward. Ash Creek Homes President Scott Morledge, who is leading the effort to build the trail, told council Aug. 28 that he had identified a potential trail route.
The proposed route goes along an established sewer line that was installed about 13 years ago. Aligning the trail with the sewer line could mean no trees would need to be cut down and that easements from adjoining property owners could be easier to get, Morledge said.
Morledge said the 1-mile trail would serve the Ladera, Morningside and Falconhead housing developments and be a spine for the trail system. He said he hoped Lake Travis Middle School and Lake Travis High School students would be able to use it to walk from school to Bee Cave Central Park.
Morledge is proposing to channel part of Morningside's permit and development fees to help fund the trail's construction. He said the Morningside developers could also help secure the necessary easements for the trail.
"That's the kind of thing that we do all the time, so it's actually a lot easier for us to go knock on those doors and make those things happen," he said in March.
Council members approved of the proposed alignment and overall plan but debated if the trail should be concrete or crushed granite.
A concrete trail would be bike-friendly and American with Disabilities Act–compliant, but it could also count against the city's impervious cover requirements, Morledge said. Bee Cave is required to have a certain amount of land be pervious cover, which are areas where rain can be absorbed back into the ground.
Council will discuss the issue at a future meeting.