City Council Notes — June 2009

City Council Notes — June 2009

By Robert Bell Friday, 19 June 2009

Cedar Park street name signs to get city logo

Council decided that new street name signs and replacements will be required to include a city logo. The city will continue to make its street name signs. It will cost about $830,000 to replace street name signs at the city’s approximately 1,800 intersections. It costs the city $48 for a street name sign, not including the cost of a pole or the labor to install it. Council discussed various ways to pay for and spread out the cost of the project, including the sale of old street name signs, replacing 50 signs per year and asking residents to sponsor an intersection.

Grant could result in improved police work

Council approved a request from the Cedar Park Police Department to apply for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant. The $12,000 grant would be used to pay for 12 electronic ticket writers, forensic computer investigation training software and an upgrade to the latent fingerprint processing station.

Road construction on FM 1431 approved

A heated debate resulted in a split decision in favor of using federal dollars from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which will be administered by CAMPO, for an upgrade of Whitestone Boulevard from Toll 183A to Cottonwood Creek Trail. The project will take between 18 and 24 months. Proponents of the construction said approving the project would improve traffic and keep the city from paying the entire cost of the construction later. Those who voted against the measure are concerned the construction would hurt the businesses at the 1890 Ranch shopping center and could lead the city to collect less sales tax revenue. Opponents would rather see money spent on other roads, such as the construction of Brushy Creek or an upgrade of US 183. Council approved the measure 4-2, with one member absent.

Commercial rezoning tabled

A proposal to rezone about 3.9 acres of land from single family to Transitional Commercial with Transitional Overlay will be revisited June 25. The ordinance would allow retail businesses with limited hours of operation on the land at 217 Thompson St. Owners Scot and Rachel Farber believe the rezoning would be an economic engine for the area and complement the city’s land-use map and comprehensive plan. About a dozen residents opposed to the rezoning listed among their complaints water runoff and drainage problems, reduced property values, increased traffic, industrial noise, diminished views and problems with emergency access.

Entrance monument signs approved

Council approved 11 stone structures to be erected over the coming 24 months near the city’s entry points. The city plans to place the first monument soon near US 183 south of Crystal Falls. The 10- to 12-foot monuments will help residents and visitors distinguish Leander. Plans call for the five sites the city owns to be developed first.

Public Arts Committee members appointed

Mayor John Cowman appointed Jack Kushner as chairman, Carmen Amaya as vice chair and John Jagger as secretary of the seven-member Public Arts Committee. Members will advise the council in matters of art, such as the recommendation of artists for city art projects and administration of art-related contests. The committee aims to beautify Leander’s public spaces while acting as a magnet to attract tourism dollars.

Skate park contract approved

Council approved the construction of a skate park in Benbrook Ranch Park, 1100 Halsey Drive. Once the contract is awarded, construction on the concrete skate park should be completed within 120 days, said Stephen Bosak, city parks and recreation director. Bosak said the parks department had considerable involvement on the design of the park from members of the skating community.

Council recognizes Villarreal

At his last city council meeting, June 4, Place 1 councilman Vic Villarreal was presented with a plaque by the city for his contributions over the last several years on the council and the planning and zoning commission. Villarreal was recognized for his accomplishments, one of the most significant of which was getting Austin Community College to commit to putting a campus in Leander in the near future. Mayor Cowman, council members and city staff said they enjoyed serving with Villarreal and believe the city is a better place because of his contributions. Villarreal recently lost a bid for mayor.