Austin City Council has approved plans linked to a proposed development of about 1,000 apartments in Circle C, despite concerns from nearby residents that additional traffic could be channelled past Kiker Elementary School.
The council’s decision on Thursday, September 24, covered the rezoning of Tract 110 and an amendment to the existing Circle C development agreement. The changes remove a requirement for Stratus Properties to build an extension of South Bay Lane and allow the site to be used for multi-family housing, including affordable homes.
The 67-acre tract lies beside South MoPac Expressway, just north of State Highway 45 and close to Kiker Elementary. It was previously designated for office and commercial development.
Residents opposing the plans say the proposed development would add pressure to roads that are already congested during school drop-off and pick-up times. They are particularly concerned about a proposed access point on Dahlgreen Avenue, around 500 feet from the school.
Lisa Lyons, of the Protect Circle C Coalition, said residents were not opposed to development in principle but questioned the scale of the proposal and the decision to alter the existing road arrangements.
“We do worry about the density that they’re asking for, because they’re asking for 1,000 units,” she said, adding that the land was in an environmentally sensitive area over the Edwards Aquifer.
Parents have also called for a detailed traffic assessment before the project moves further through the planning process. Austin planning documents state that access to Dahlgreen would be limited to a gated entrance and exit for the future residential scheme, rather than providing a route to MoPac.
Annaelisa Baker, a Kiker Elementary parent who lives nearby, said traffic already backed up on Dahlgreen and that the prospect of hundreds of additional residents and vehicles was troubling.
Alicia Keswani, a parent at Valor South Austin, said the city and developer should produce a traffic plan that accounted for the area’s future needs, rather than simply responding to existing problems.
Stratus says apartments would reduce traffic impact
Stratus chief executive Beau Armstrong defended the proposal, saying the site could generate more peak-time traffic if it were developed for offices under its existing zoning.
He said the company had initially proposed access from MoPac, with Dahlgreen restricted to emergency vehicles, but that the city had required a second access point. A full traffic impact analysis will be carried out when the developer submits its site development permit, with the city and the Texas Department of Transportation responsible for determining any necessary road and junction improvements.
Stratus has said it will pay for those improvements. The company also argues that the proposed homes would be located along major transport corridors and would provide more diverse housing options in south-west Austin.
Armstrong said only a small part of the wider property would be developed and that more than 170 acres would remain as permanent open space. He also said the scheme would include new trails intended eventually to connect with the Violet Crown Trail and routes alongside State Highway 45.
The project is located in the Barton Springs Zone, an area subject to stringent water-quality and environmental rules. Residents remain concerned about the effect of construction and increased activity on the aquifer and surrounding green space.
The council’s approval allows the rezoning and development agreement changes to proceed, but further planning approvals, including the site development permit and traffic assessment, will be required before construction can begin.
