Lakeway's proposed town center cleared another hurdle June 16 when City Council unanimously approved the Oaks at Lakeway's final plat, deferring action on a pedestrian trail—connecting Rolling Green Drive to the center—until a later phase of the project.

Plat approval establishes the lot layout of the tract and confirms that proper zoning is applied to the property, said Troy Anderson, director of Building and Development Services for the city of Lakeway.

A planned unit development, or PUD, was approved in January for the 90-acre tract located at the intersection of RR 620 and Glen Heather Drive. The Oaks at Lakeway PUD allows mixed uses in the project and will include a grocery store, shops, offices, low density housing and green space, Deputy City Manager Chessie Zimmerman said.

Residents of Rolling Green Drive and Crest View Drive—streets adjacent to the site—voiced concern during preliminary plan discussions over the proposed pedestrian trail extending from the Oaks at Lakeway to Rolling Green.

John Brecht, who lives on Rolling Green, said some guests of the center may park on his street to access the shops. He said the increase in cars will create a safety hazard for the road that already encounters heavy traffic and speeding drivers.

Other residents, including Crest View Drive homeowner Terry Guilbert, said the proposed landscaped buffer zone between nearby homes and the center should be maintained.

Zimmerman said the city could designate the section of Rolling Green near the center as a no-parking zone. Commissioner Bruce Harris said signage would restrict residents from having guests to their homes.

Councilwoman Sandy Cox proposed polling neighborhood residents following the final phase of the center's construction to determine if the access trail should be constructed. Mayor Dave DeOme said postponement would allow residents to see the center in relation to the access trail and vote as to whether the center access is an amenity the community desires.

"A plan to wait until Phase 7 or 8 would be a good one rather than to have the developer pull [the access] out of the [project] scope right now," Councilman Jim Howell said.

Zimmerman said the terms of the Oaks at Lakeway PUD require the developer to bear the cost of the trail.

Councilman Dwight Haley said he did not think center users were going to park on nearby streets to access the site but was against approving the connecting pedestrian walkway.

"I really don't support any kind of access, and I don't think it's a voting issue [following the final phase of construction]," Haley said. "I think if there are three or four people close to [the trail] and [the access] is infringing on their privacy, I don't think it's a 50 or 51 percent [of people affected] situation."

UPDATE: The graphic accompanying this article has been revised to reflect a proposed pedestrian walkway, not a vehicle roadway, connecting Rolling Green to the new shopping center.