CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS Special Meeting June 12, 1975 7:00 Ρ.Μ. Municipal Auditorium South First & Riverside Drive The meeting was called to order with Mayor Friedman presiding. Roll Call: Present: Councilmembers Himmelblau, Hofmann, Linn, Trevino, Mayor Friedman, Mayor Pro Tem Snell Absent: Councilmember Lebermann Mayor Friedman announced that this was a Special Called Meeting of the City Council for the purpose of conducting a public hearing with regard to access to MoPac Expressway at Enfield Road, Windsor Road and Westover Road. He pointed out that no final decision would be made tonight in that the Council needed time to review the information submitted along with information that was being gathered. He hoped the Council could come close to a firm and complete resolution and the item placed on the agenda for Council decision hopefully next week. City Manager Davidson stated that a series of proposals had been made, many questions posed, and the administration had been asked to answer as many of these as possible. He hoped that the staff's presentation would be a starting point for this hearing and form some of the ground work on which the Council could share information and finally make a decision. MR. HOMER REED, Deputy City Manager, reviewed the history of MoPac by noting that it had been part of the Austin Development Plan since 1944; it had been included in the 1962-82 Austin Transportation Plan; and it was in the current Expressway and Arterial Street Plan. He further noted that in 1966, at the request of City and County officials, the Texas Highway Department entered into agreements with the City and County to construct MoPac Boulevard. He pointed out that when the project was completed this fall, it would open to traffic from North Hills Drive to Lake Austin Boulevard and from Lake Austin Boulevard south _ CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS June 12, 1975 611 to Bee Caves Road, with the final development phase of MoPac to include extensions to the north from U.S. 183 to F.M. 1325 (Burnet Road) and to the south from Bee Caves Road to U.S. 290 West. MR. ALLEN BRECHER, Assistant Director for Traffic Engineering of the Urban Transportation Department, reported on some results of recent MoPac studies that were undertaken at the direction of the Council following requests to close some of the ramps, along with facility expenditures. Mr. Brecher noted that the City was responsible for acquiring 100% of the right of way from U.S. 183 to the south City limits and for providing for utility relocation and necessary off-site drainage. He added that the state and county shared on a 50-50 basis the cost of right of way from U.S. 183 north to F.M. 1325 and from the south City limits to U.S. 290 West, with the Highway Department constructing all facilities within the right of way and installing appropriate traffic controls. He announced the actual anticipated expenditures by each agency for the construction: City Had spent approximately $21.2 million, and other anticipated expenditures would bring the total to $23.6 million. County Anticipated $6 million. Highway Dept. Including federal funds, $20 million and anticipated an additional $52.4 million for a total of $72.4 million. He noted that the total cost of the entire facility would be in excess of $102,000,000. With regard to the Interchanges, Mr. Brecher stated that the Westover Interchange required the purchase of 9 homes and 10aadditional land parcels for a total cost of $589,000. The Windsor Road Interchange involved the purchase of 21 homes and 17 additional parcels of property with a cost of more than $1 million. The Enfield Road Interchange involved the additional purchase of 34 homes and 5 parcels of property for a cost of $2.8 million. With regard to the effect of the closing of the three ramps, he submitted that the result would be increase in traffic on all north-south residential streets in the West Austin area and slight reductions in traffic on east-west arterial streets. He further reviewed the effect by submitting figures which addressed themselves to the traffic county when opened and the countywith the three ramps closed. In conclusion, Mr. Reed offered the following recommendations: 1. The City join with the Highway Department in employing a transportation planning firm to conduct a special comprehensive study of the impact of MoPac on neighborhoods. 2. The completion of MoPac as presently planned and the opening of all interchanges to traffic. 3. Planning studies be initiated prior to the opening of MoPac; the studies continue during a test period with MoPac and all ramps open; and that selected ramps be closed for test periods of time during the course of the studies in order that the full impact of the closings can be accurately determined. June 12, 1975 612 CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS 4. The consultant be directed to make recommendations to the Council concerning the MoPac ramps and other traffic or planning strategies needed to preserve the integrity of all adjacent neighborhoods. MR. TRAVIS LONG, District Engineer, Texas Highway Department, noted that the City and the Department antered into an agreement for this facility in good faith; and to this point, there has been approximately $20 million spent on construction by the State and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). He pointed out that the State was not reimbursed until after a project was completed and accepted by the FHWA. He suggested that if these ramps werennot opened, the City faced a good possibility of having to reimburse the State and FHWA for funds already spent and having the facility removed from the Highway System and returned to the City for completion and maintenance. It appeared to him that if a plan of this size was changed by the City without actual proof that it was wrong, the City could jeopardize the receipt of federal funds from any source in the future. He felt very strongly that this should be opened to traffic in its entirety and that studies should be made for a period of time after opening to see what would happen in the areas under discussion. MR. RUSSELL FISH, No. 1 Green Lanes, appeared on behalf of West Austin Citizens and introduced Mr. John Gallery. MR. JOHN GALLERY, 1406 Hardouin Avenue, was not asking that MoPac be closed or that it be abandoned in that they believed the facility had a vital transportation function to play in the City; but they felt this could be accomplished without adverse and unnecessary impacts on the neighborhoods adjacent to it. He addressed himself to the following points: 1. Previous public concerns. He noted that their concern was with the Enfield and Windsor Road interchanges. He reviewed the past public concernwwith regard to the impact on the neighborhood. 2. Traffic figures. He pointed out that Urban Transportation had used figures based on 1972 levels of traffic. He reviewed their projection of traffic for 1980 by use of a chart and submitted that these clearly indicated that there was no transportation disadvantage to Austin by closing the ramps at Windsor and Enfield. 3. Impact on their neighborhood and other neighborhoods along the MoPac corridor. a. Substantial amount of noise. b. Streets become less desirable as residential areas and people will move out. June 12, 1975 613 CITY OF AUSTIN. TEXAS c. Traffic volume would be so large that the streets would be widened so that residential property would have to be condemned. d. Elimination of a substantial part of the Azalea Trail. ė. If people moved from the inner City into other locations, additional schools would have to be provided for the population. He presented the Council with the following recommendations. 1. Council reaffirm its position previously taken that regardless of the decision made, the Council would not endorse any departmental plan which called for the widening of Enfield or Windsor. 2. Open the full expressway but keep the ramps at Enfield and Windsor closed. 3. Endorse the recommendation made by the staff that a comprehensive study be made of the neighborhood impacts of the entire MoPac facility. MR. SINCLAIR BLACK, 1610 Northwood, suggested that the Council find ways to eliminate future impact and recommended the following: 1. Find ways to eliminate the ultimate capacity of the freeway. 2. Redesign to a large extent to include landscaping and noise prevention measures. 3. Limit speed on MoРас. 4. Extend the freeway as far north and south as required to serve neighborhoods. MR. JIM WILSON, 2705 Wooldridge Drive, appeared on behalf of the Pemberton-Brykerwood Neighborhood Association and addressed himself to the Westover Interchange. He asked that the Council adhere to the decision of the previous Council to close the Westover ramp, and he suggested that the impact on the traffic figures was the same whether or not the ramp was opened. He also remarked that they did not want the ramp closed and studied, but they wanted it closed. The following appeared in opposition to the opening of the ramps. MR. MIKE MAHONE, 2104 Pearl, (Save University Neighborhood) MS. MARIETTA BROOKS, 1500 West 24th MR. REGINO PEREZ-POLO, 2402 Windsor Road MS. IDA REED, 1611 Watchill Road MS. ANNA DRAYER, 2303 Hartford Road SENATOR RALPH YARBOROUGH, 2527 Jarratt MR. ARTHUR PEASE, 2106 West 10th CITY OF AUSTIN. TEXAS June 12, 1975 614 MR. HOWARD FERGUSON, 3102 Beverly Road MR. NOEL LEVY, 1908 Robbins Place (University Lobby) MS. BERNICE JOHNSON, 2107 Newfield Lane MR. ALLEN MCCREE, 2107 Scenic Drive MR. PAUL RUSSELL, 2502 Inwood Place MR. JAMES DAMON, 1600 Northwood MS. BARBARA ROBINSON, 2801 Bowman MR. FRANK HUNT, 1600 Preston MR. ROBERT BARNSTONE, 1114 West llth MS. KAY HART, 1403 West 9th MRS. LINDA GENET, 1513 Northwood (presented petition with children's signatures) Neighborhood Group) MR. EDWARD L. RAMSEY, 14 Margranita Crescent (Johnson Creek MR. REYNALDO T. SALAS, JR., 1510 Northwood Road The following appeared in support of the opening of the ramps. MR. R. L. "BOB" PHINNEY, 1907 Exposition MR. S. D. BREEDING, 2205 Greenlee Drive MR. MIKE SIDORIC, 1302 West 24th Street MR. W. W. BARKLEY, 2201 Bridlepath MS. CONNIE MORENO, 1307 Crestwood MR. BAKER RUDOLPH, 2617 Exposition MR. ALVIN EAST, 1619 Northumberland MR. HARRY GRIFFITHS, 1405 Newfield Lane MR. PAUL H. PFEIFER, 1015 Meriden Lane MR. DOUG NICHOLS, 4713 Chiappero Trail MR. AKSEL HANSEN, 2501 Quarry Road MR. RICHARD H. STERLING, 3804 Greenview Drive MRS. LOIS HANSEN, 2501 Quarry Road MR. LEO MUELLER, JR., 1903 Elton Lane MR. CLARK RECTOR, 4103 Medical Parkway (Northwest Austin Civic Assoc.) MRS. R. H. CHAPMAN, 3911 North Hills (for MRS. RUTH C. SCOTT, 2101 Sharon Lane) MR. WOODROW SCHUMACHER, 8608 Camelia Lane (Balcones Civic Association) MRS. HELENA HARDCASTLE, 1501 West 6th MR. RUSSELL CHALBERG, 7117 Sungate MR. JOEL WOOLDRIDGE, 1602 Exposition MR. SAM E. DUNNAM, 2400 Pemberton Place MR. RICHARD WALLENSTEIN, 2207 Tower Drive MR. MAURY HOOD, 8707 Ridge Hill MR. O. V. KOEN, 2604 Harris Boulevard MR. RAYMOND DONLEY, JR., 4511 Lucksinger Lane MR. FRANK HORSFALL, 705 Christopher Street MRS. MURRAY BARGE, 6808 Millikin Cove The following took no position: MR. H. L. RASE, 2502 Quarry Road (addressed himmelf to Police) MS. JOAN BARTZ, 6713 Tulsa Cove MR. TOM OAKLAND, 2905 Dover Place (Allendale Civic Association) MR. PETER VON WUPPERFELD, 1100 West 38th (wanted controlled ramps) ATTEST: Written comment: CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS June 12, 1975 615 MS. SANDRA WEINSTOCK (Concerned Citizens for the Development of West Austin) - opposition MR. WALTER C. BEARDSLEY, 8907 Currywood support MR. HANK TODD SMITH, 1604 Forest Trail support MS. LILLIE M. THOMPSON, 1105 Norwalk Lane support MR. L. R. BENSON, 2303 Bonita Street - support MR. JONN. COFFEE, 211 East 7th support MR. CHARLES H. HUFF, 513 Scarbrough Building MR. JAMES FALLOWS, 2101 Highgrove Terrace support ADJOURNMENT The Council adjourned at 10:55 p.m. Mon City Clerk APPROVED Mayor