Pflugerville City Council has approved bond measures worth $53 million for road improvements and new parks and recreation facilities to go on the Nov. 4 ballot.
Specific features of the bond measures include roadway improvement projects, park trail connections, upgrades around Lake Pflugerville and a sports complex.
There will be two measures on the November ballot: a $28 million measure for transportation work and a $25 million measure for parks and recreation projects.
The transportation bond would fund eight road projects throughout Pflugerville, Mayor Jeff Coleman said.
"By no means are we hitting every problem," Coleman said. "But I think we are addressing the major ones."
The most expensive road project for the city, at a cost of $8.3 million, would improve Heatherwilde Boulevard. The project would expand about a mile of the boulevard south of Meister Lane into a four-lane urban roadway, according to city planning documents.
Improvements to Weiss Lane and Rowe Lane would cost the city $5.02 million combined. However, the county has agreed to provide $8.19 million once Pflugerville contributes its share. The county could use its portion of the money elsewhere if Pflugerville doesn't match the funds, City Manager Brandon Wade said.
Wade said the city would likely have to pay for road improvements regardless of the election's outcome because heavy use will continue degrading streets.
The bond money would also fund road projects improving Pflugerville Parkway and Pecan Street near SH 130. Pfennig Lane would also be improved, and two clusters of Windermere neighborhood streets would be reconstructed.
Coleman said the price tag for the second bond measure was reasonable considering the city has not put forth a recreational bond measure since 1999.
"We need more space," Coleman said. "Thousands upon thousands upon thousands of our residents use these parks."
The city hired a consulting firm to conduct a parks and recreation needs study. A December draft of the study concluded the city would need new facilities for soccer, football and baseball, among other sports, to reduce reliance on ISD fields.
Trail connections, which would cost $1 million, ranked highest on the recreational bond priority list. A proposed sports complex would cost $11.27 million. The city may use bond funds to acquire land for the complex, Parks and Recreation Director James Hemenes said in an email.
City officials are proposing $8 million to go toward implementation of the Lake Pflugerville Master Plan. The city's vision for the lake includes adding an above-water boardwalk, a lakeside promenade and trails.
To the disappointment of many visitors packed into the council chambers Aug. 12, an $8.1 million bond measure for a new animal shelter will not make the ballot.
Two City Council members and the mayor voted against including the animal shelter bond measure. At that time, they said the city had no specific plan for how to use the $8.1 million, and the city could potentially shore up its animal shelter sooner using less money and that another bond election could be called after more planning.
Coleman said the city's growth would require expansion and improvement to the animal shelter.
City Council revisited the animal shelter issue at its Aug. 26 meeting.
City staff said the city needs to improve the current animal shelter facility to accommodate for new regulations and growth. The Council discussed expanding the current facility or moving to a new location, such as Lake Pflugerville.
Several issues could hinder expansion of the shelter at its current location including a floodplain, Wade said.
City Council asked Wade to return to its Sept. 9 meeting with animal shelter plans from an architect and to create a presentation for the Sept. 23 meeting on short- and long-term shelter plans based on a feasibility study, according to a news release.
