Cedar Park, Leander continue makeover plans for US 183

Cedar Park, Leander continue makeover plans for US 183

By Robert Bell Friday, 19 December 2008

For many years, US 183 was the primary passageway through Cedar Park and Leander. Businesses sprouted up along the highway to serve the growing communities and gave many visitors their first impressions of the cities. Now, a good deal of the region’s through traffic bypasses US 183 in favor of its younger, faster cousin, Toll 183A, which opened in March 2007. Although the older highway has problems, both aesthetic and logistical, it nonetheless remains a vital artery for the two cities, which have plans in place to remake it into an accessible, functional thoroughfare for both vehicles and pedestrians.

In 2004, Cedar Park initiated the US 183 Corridor Enhancement Project, which was designed to address issues of safety, mobility, aesthetics and pedestrian access, said Duane Smith, director of planning and transportation. The project provides money for business owners to make certain improvements to their properties. The 4B Board — the city’s community development corporation, which gets its money from a half-cent sales tax — funds the program.

Leander has a plan to shape the future of its portion of US 183 in a way that will create a better looking, easier to navigate and more profitable urban environment. In 2004, Leander and Capital Metro commissioned a study to determine what would create the best environment for the city’s northeast quadrant. The study found that developing the area according to urban design principles would create a tax base of $2 billion when it was completely built out — twice as much money as would be generated if current planning patterns continued, said Pix Howell, Leander urban design officer.

Cedar Park upgrades

“The [corridor enhancement] project is important for a lot of reasons,” said Maria Talamo, vice president of Cedar Park’s 4B Board. “That older business corridor is important to the city, and the success of that corridor is important. Even as new businesses come to town, you want the old business corridor to survive and be successful.”

But there were — and still are — problems with that part of town. It is often difficult for motorists and pedestrians to get from one business to another due to few sidewalks and the non-interconnected driveways, Talamo said. The area was also considered unattractive, with lots of large pole signs and little to no landscaping.

The Corridor Enhancement Project was created to eliminate many of these factors. To that end, the 4B Board will fund up to 75 percent of a business owner’s eligible costs for improvements to driveways, signs, landscaping and sidewalks, with a limit of $50,000 per property.

So far, the 4B Board has funded seven enhancement projects, totaling $415,384. The first participant in the program was Dr. Michael Farst, a dentist who received $45,241 for improvements to his clinic at 702 N. Bell Blvd.

James Lynch, owner of Cedar Park Body & Frame, which is next door to Farst’s clinic, received $47,182 for improvements.

“Anybody who had plans to do any remodeling certainly would want to take benefit of what [the program] offers,” Lynch said.

Jack and Jacki Spillman own Yello Corner Child Development Center at 751 S. Bell Blvd., and they received $49,348 for improvements to their property.

“It was just a wonderful thing and it makes our building look a lot nicer,” Jack Spillman said. “It makes all the businesses in the city that have participated in the program look a lot nicer.”

New urban Leander

Leander’s plan to shape the area around its stretch of US 183 does not have a definite beginning date.

“I would say the earliest it could get started would be five to eight years from now,” Howell said.

The city partnered with major landowners in the area and conducted a study to assess the effect of denser, urban development. The city then adopted a Transit Oriented Development district and a master plan that would call for slower traffic, higher density building and a grid-type layout for streets in the 2,300-acre area. Leander City Council unanimously approved the master plan in September 2005. Developments in the TOD will be subject to the city’s Smart Code, which is different from the composite code the rest of the town is subject to in that it focuses more on the location and form of the building rather than strictly focusing on its use, according to the city’s website.

“The Smart Code is based upon New Urbanism principles designed to create traditional pedestrian-oriented communities with neighborhoods and town centers with a mix and integration of residential, commercial and retail uses,” the website states. The plan envisions US 183 as a four-lane road with the railroad tracks on the east side, and businesses and a one-way slip road to access them on the west side, Howell said. Leander will have to change the designation of the area along US 183 with the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, which coordinates transportation planning among the transit agencies in Central Texas.

“If we’re successful in creating a more pedestrian atmosphere here, obviously you can get quite a bit more density, and not just residential, but commercial density as well,” he said. “You create more of a live-work-play environment than there is there now.”

There are still issues of funding and planning coordination to deal with, though.

“We’re probably going to start a process to amend the 2035 plan that CAMPO is right now in the process of putting together,” Howell said. “The CAMPO plan deals with transportation region wide, but since this is a federal highway, in order to change that, we have to change its designation with CAMPO.”

One way the project could get funding is through a partnership of regional and local sources, such as having landowners pay for portions of the redevelopment and reimburse them with money from a tax increment financing district, Howell said.

4A - Economic Development Sales Tax Corportation

• Responsible for promoting and developing new and expanded business enterprise, assisting and enhancing economic development of the city
• Board of directors manages affairs; daily operations overseen by Phil Brewer, Cedar Park economic development director, and staff
• What this means for residents:
  • Funds water, sewer and road construction around retail developments
  • Offers performance-based incentives to businesses increasing sales tax revenue

4B - Cedar Park Community Development Corporation

• Projects include streets, roads, transportation systems, public parks and facilities, municipal facilities, sports facilities and entertainment projects
• Corporation has power to acquire, maintain, lease and sell property
• Board is comprised of seven members appointed by the city council
• What this means for residents:
  • Funds construction of roads to undeveloped service in commercially zoned area
  • Funds street realignment for safety and easier access to businesses

Cedar Park enhancements

To find out more or request an application for the US 183 Corridor Enhancement Project, stop by the city offices at 600 N. Bell Blvd. or call 401-5060. Applications are also available online at www.cedarparktx.us/cp/page19474218.aspx.

Other US 183 beautification projects

• Applicant: Dr. Michael J. Farst’s dental practice, 702 N. Bell Blvd.
  • Date: Sept. 1, 2005 4B funds: $45,241
• Applicant: Joe Jooya for Down the Aisle Florist, Salon Amore, Cedar Park Packing Supply/FedEx, 1-Stop Financial Service Centers, 519 N. Bell Blvd. and 605 N. Bell Blvd.
  • Date: Sept. 15, 2006 4B funds: $66,629
• Applicant: Bloom Joint Project for Premiere Auto Sales, Hudgins Company, Austex Guns, Josh’s Used Tire and Wheel, 1806-1900 N. Bell Blvd.
  • Date: Aug. 28, 2007 4B funds: $100,000
• Applicant: Rachhpal and Jasvir Singh, Village Belle Center, 201 S. Bell Blvd.
  • Date: Feb. 22, 2008 4B funds: $49,734
• Applicant: John Trovato, TV Stereo Clinic, 601 S. Bell Blvd.
  • Date: Sept. 9, 2008 4B funds: $43,216

Source: City of Cedar Park