Lake Travis Independent School District (LTISD) owns approximately 136 acres of land southwest of the intersection of Hwy 71 and Vail Divide.  Currently, LTISD has its ‘Transportation and Distribution Center” (TDC), Bus Barn, and “Technology Building” in northern part of this tract.  Also, portion of existing Vail Divide is located within the tract.  These facilities and associated infrastructures were built previously in two phases between 2010-2014, subsequent to City’s approval.

LTISD is planning to build a middle school (for 1200 estimated students) in the south portion of their tract and on the west side of Bella Colinas (specifically Section 7-9) residential subdivision.  This will be their 3^rd middle school, District-wide.  Construction funding for this school and associated facilities was passed as part of the November 2017 Bond election.  LTISD wants to open the school in the beginning of 2019-2020 school year.  To accomplish such goal, they conveyed they need to start construction in December of 2017. 

The Middle School campus proposed to include several interconnected two-story buildings totaling 225,000 square feet, playgrounds including football field, tennis courts, and associated accessory facilities.  The layout of proposed facilities will follow LTISD’s prototype middle school campus, which was utilized for the Lake Travis ISD Middle School, on Bee Creek Road.  

The recording of the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting (12/05/2017) is available Available here.  This particular item started at 38th minute and ended at 1 hr 48th minute.  Besides staff's presentation, the audio recording includes explanation by applicant and their representatives, comments made by Bella Colinas residents.  Also, the presentation slides is attached as reference file. 

Background and Scope: The property is located in the City’s ETJ.  City has jurisdictional authority for NPS pollution control, Signage, and Subdivision regulations.  The property is not subject to City’s Zoning regulations (e.g., Use, Parking, Landscape, Fencing and Walls, Building’s exterior design, Noise and Vibration standards, Lighting and Glare standards etc.). 

LTISD has also submitted similar site plan application to Travis County; it is currently under review.  Lake Travis Fire & Rescue (LTFR) has already approved the site plan and building permit.  TCEQ has approved the Contributing Zone Plan (CZP) for the project.

 Existing Condition: Generally, the tract has slope 0-15%, with average slope of 3%.  There is an existing small detention pond which will be enlarged with this site plan.  Outlet structures of that pond will be removed.

A well-defined waterway traverses the tract in northwest to southeast orientation.  This is a wet weather tributary located just south of the Bus Barn facility and is contained within a drainage easement (Document # 2010038537).  A Water Quality Buffer Zone (WQBZ) was established accordingly in the previous phase of developments and contains the site’s single critical environmental feature; a wetland located within a man-made stock pond.  The Vail Divide extension will cross over the tributary and the required culvert and supporting works will encroach the WQBZ.  This is allowed in City Code Section 20.04.045.

Access and Vehicular Circulation: The primary access route will be from Hwy 71 using Vail Divide. The existing Vail Divide will be extended southward almost up to the southern property boundary.  Internal circulating roadways of approximately 5,800 linear feet will be of approximately 25’-27’ in width.  These internal streets will be tied to two driveways which will be connected to the extension of Vail Divide. 

Traffic Impact Analysis and Improvements, Fiscal Security for Highway Improvements: The applicant is requesting additional time to complete the review of the Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) and determination of pro rata share.  As demonstration of their commitment to complete the review with staff, they are proposing to escrow approximately $43,000, which is equivalent to their estimate of their pro rata share until a final determination is made on the appropriate amount.  Staff is in agreement with the applicant that their contribution should recognize the costs they are planning to expend to 1) re-configure the intersection at Vail Divide and Cinca Terra Dr., which they are proposing to design and construct and 2) “upsize” the Vail Divide extension from a driveway serving the school only, to a minor arterial consistent with the City’s Thoroughfare Plan.

 Vail Divide Extension and Modification: Currently, Vail Divide is four-lane, divided arterial with a vegetated median (varies; up to 16’ wide), and 5’ sidewalks on each side.  It is contained within a 92’ roadway easement (Document # 2011172123) located on the LTISD property. 

This Site Plan, consistent with the City’s Thoroughfare Plan, proposes to extend Vail Divide approximately 1,400 feet southward toward Hamilton Pool Road. A ROW reservation/Roadway easement exists on the west and south side of Bella Colinas Section 7-9 to potentially extend the Vail Divide to Hamilton Pool Rd.  However, LTISD shifted the roadway towards west and this Vail Divide extension will be entirely within LTISD property and approximately 45 feet away from Bella Colinas homes's rear boundary fence.  This arrangement will provide added separation. The proposed extension is designed as Minor Arterial and will generally follow Travis County Public Roadway design standards. 

 As a minor arterial, the road would typically be assigned a 45 mph speed limit.  However, the roadway design meets all criteria for 35 mph speed limit.  The posted speed limit will be 30 mph with School Zone enforcement.  Travis County staff has consented to this deviation.

The City references the City of Austin Transportation Criteria Manual for street design, which includes an absolute maximum (8%), a design purpose maximum (7%), and a preferred /recommended (6% or less) vertical curve slope vis a vis school bus maneuverability.  Vail Divide extension is proposed at 7.67 percent. The School District’s engineers have represented that the School District is aware of such grading and comfortable with the road design relative to the recommendations in the manual.

City Code Section 30.03.005 requires a minimum of 5’ sidewalks constructed minimum of 4’ away from the street curb.  LTISD proposes 6’ concrete sidewalk adjacent to the curb on both sides of the street.  They are seeking an exception to the buffer citing the following reasons (a) They consider the provided 6’ is sufficient for pedestrian safety considering low 30 mph posted speed limit.  They also think it will be a low use sidewalk.,  (b) They will need to shift the retaining walls as designed with current layout, (c) Change in design will require earthwork encroachment outside the property but within a roadway easement on the east side.  This will require removal of some existing trees which is being preserved in current design and provides screening. 

 City and County staff both recommend requiring the buffer, except over the culvert portion.

While City Code or Travis County subdivision development regulations do not have more specific standards for sidewalks near and to the school, staffs reviewed a guideline document titled “ Safe routes to School Guide "prepared with supports from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). The document strongly recommended 5’-6’ sidewalk with a buffer area in between the sidewalk and edge of pavement or back of curb.  The document suggests that if a sidewalk buffer (along an arterial street or adjacent to school) does not exist, then a wider sidewalk such as minimum 8’ to 10’ should be built.  City of Austin is implementing "Safe Routes to School" program and other cities are also adopting similar policies and standards. 

A substantial discussion took place about the sidewalk and the mentioned buffer.  Developer's engineer explained their difficulty and expressed unwillingness to modify design to accommodate any such buffer.  A resident from Bella Colinas talked about importance of sidewalk network and connectivity and also student's safety aspect.  Ultimately, P&Z Commission waived the sidewalk buffer requirement and granted exception for this project.  If City Council deems a buffer is unnecessary, the motion should include an exception from City Code Section 30.03.005.  If City Council does not grant the exception, this specific portion of the site plan (e.g., Vail Divide extension) could be required to come back with an amendment so the remainder of the project is not delayed. 

Vail Divide Intersection Modification: The existing median near the Bella Colinas Amenity Center will be removed and modified. The intersection of existing Vail Divide and the proposed Vail Divide extension near the Bella Colinas Amenity Center will ultimately need to be re-aligned with the Cinca Terra Dr. for the road to function as a minor arterial and safe traffic maneuvers.  This Site Plan for this reconfiguration is currently under City and County review and will be on a future agenda as LTISD Phase 4. 

 School buildings and other facilities: The proposed facilities are positioned on the southeast side of the tract.  The school buildings are 4 interconnected two story buildings with total 3.95 acres of impervious cover building footprint and 225,000 floor area.  The associated facilities include 1 team sports football field and track around it, 2 practice field, bleachers, small concession building, tennis courts, approximately 5,800 feet internal driveways, other supporting infrastructures.   

 Note that LTISD has future development plan for the property including potential expansion of the campus from a middle school to a high school.  If that were to occur, such a project will include additional building, parking, athletic and sports facilities.  Utility systems for the middle school are designed to accommodate certain amount of future developments or potential conversion. 

 Parking: The development is not subject to City’s off-street parking requirement.  The Site Plan shows a total of 322 parking spaces (8 being ADA).  For your information only, City Code requires 1 parking space for each 12 students (design capacity) in a middle school and 1 parking space for each 3 students, faculty, and staff (design capacity) in a high school.  City Code also requires parking space for recreational uses such as team sports facility.

Parent drop-off lanes as well as bus loading areas are provided. 

Impervious Cover: As mentioned earlier, total tract is 136 acre. After deducting WQBZ, net site area is 128.53.  Phase 1 and 2 of LTISD developments included 14.63 acres of impervious cover.  This third phase will have 16.78 acre new impervious cover within approximately 67 acre (limit of construction and potential ground disturbance).  Total impervious cover will be 31.41 acre which equals approximately 25% of net site area.  Tennis courts and tracts are counted as impervious cover.  Football field and practice fields are assumed as pervious because of grassy surface.

 Grading, Drainage, Water Quality, and Detention: The tract drains northwest to southeast.  Cut and fill will be minimized by utilization of retaining wall. The runoff from the undeveloped area on the north and west sides will be diverted around the site by a diversion berm and drainage swale. 

Proposed grading activities partially change the existing drainage area (approximately 4.5 acre) and drainage pattern on the southern side, which is not recommended practice in Code.  Applicant explained that it was necessary to follow the project layout.  Design engineer has stated there will not be any environmental or drainage impacts.

Stormwater will be directed to three retention ponds and then discharged to the proposed irrigation fields. Project will have two detentions ponds.  Analysis at discharge points indicates flow at below existing rates. 

The applicant has submitted variance request letters (attached as reference file) for the following sections of Chapter 20 (Non-Point Source Pollution) -

• City Code Section 20.04.044 (e) (1) states that “Impervious cover shall not be constructed downstream of water quality controls.”  Approximately 10,000 sf of impervious cover will be located at the southerly end of extended Vail Divide and will i bypass the retention re-irrigation water quality control system. Runoff is proposed to travel through rock rip-rap and rock berm before leaving the property.

• City Code Sections 20.04.103 (c) (4) and 20.04.114 requires every applicant to post fiscal security in the amount equal to construction cost of temporary and permanent erosion and sedimentation controls and water quality controls.  They have cited public entity status and additional expenditure of public bond proceeds.  City has previously granted them this same variance in 2009 for the construction of existing facilities.  Meeting minutes is attached as reference file.

• City Code Section 20.04.111 requires that the water quality control facilities must be contained with a water quality easement or restricted platted lot.  LTISD submitted a “Variance” request letter from the requirement to dedicate water quality easement for all water quality control facilities at this time.  This easement can be established via separate instrument later (but before site acceptance) or can be part of development plat process in future.

 Utilities: Lazy Nine MUD 1-A (wholesale from WTCPUA, 20 LUEs for wastewater service) is the water and wastewater service provider.  The existing 12” waterline that serves the TDC will be extended south to the middle school campus.  A second 12” service connection will be provided from the existing 16” water line on the southeast side. 

The existing facilities are currently served by septic and will continue that way.  Wastewater lines from the middle school facilities will be connected to an 8” gravity wastewater main that head east and will connect to an existing wastewater manhole.  Off-site wastewater lines will be installed at the extreme south side of Bella Colinas subdivision.  An on-site lift station will pump wastewater and deliver to the existing WTCPUA lift station (Regional Lift Station # 22) that serves the Bella Colinas subdivision, located near Hamilton Pool Rd.  A meter vault and meter will be installed on the force main within the lift station so that WTCPUA may meter the wastewater flows coming from the LTISD site. 

Austin Energy will provide electricity.  A blanket easement exists on the north portion of tract and second blanket easement will be dedicated for the balance of the tract.

Building’s Exterior Elevation Plan: The development is not required to submit exterior elevation plan sheets.  They confirmed that the buildings’ exterior architecture will be similar to the newly built Middle School at Bee Creeks Road.

 Landscape Plan: Because of its location in the City’s ETJ, the development is not subject to City’s Tree preservation and Landscape requirements.  Applicant informed staff that tree removal will be minimized to the extent possible.  The trees on the southeastern side (i.e., on the rear side of Bella Colinas homes) will be preserved to the extent possible.  This will be helpful to ensure screening in between the Middle School with the extended Vail Divide and adjacent residential community.  Applicant informed staff that they are designing landscaping plan to meet the needs of typical middle school. 

During the P&Z Commission meeting, one Bella Colinas resident complained about the existing tree  removal in the buffer area.  Staff visited the area, could not find any tree removal, and documented findings by photographs.  See attached file for existing condition after recent silt fence installation.   Currently, there is one project (Water quality ponds modification by Meritage Homes) ongoing within Bella Colinas. Some Cedar trees and existing ground vegetation were removed near the San Solano Ct. and Amenity center as part of that project

 Lighting Plan: The site is not subject to City’s zoning requirement such as lighting and glare standards.  However, staff requested applicant to review City Code Sec. 32.05.012 and plan accordingly to reduce glare, urban sky glow, light trespass and light pollution.  Applicant shared photometric plan and lighting fixtures information for City's collection purposes only.  Applicant informed staff that their consultant is designing the sports field lighting with City Code in consideration to the extend possible. 

The football field and surrounding track will be lit.  For your information, there will be total 56 lighting poles of 80’ height.  Lights will be mounted at different heights.  The provided summary table indicates acceptable uniformity ratio in most of the area.  Design lumens will be very high. 

 Exception Requests for Platting and Fiscal Security: City Code Section 30.02.007 and 30.02.009 respectively describes process for final plat and development plat.  Applicant submitted an “Exception” request letter asking waiver from the requirement to record the development plat before beginning the development as required by Section 30.02.009.  They are planning to record the development plat upon completion.  They have cited that the scale of development is large and it will be easier for them to include all information after construction completion.  They also mentioned that their strict timeline to open the school and necessity to start construction activities without any delay for going through the development plat process.  Staff as well as P&Z Commissioners want to make sure having a mechanism to complete the development plat process as soon as feasible.  Staff is currently working on determining a timeline for applicant to submit the development plat application to City and a deadline to get such application approved. 

City Code Section 30.06.002 requires the applicant to post fiscal security covering the completion of public improvements/common infrastructure. Applicant submitted an “Exception” request letter following guideline in City Code Section 30.02.004. 

Construction Traffic Management: Construction entrance will be located at the northernmost driveway to the school property off of Vail Divide near the Technology Building.  From there a temporary gravel access road will lead to the actual construction site. 

In an effort to further reduce conflict with residential traffic entering/exiting Bella Colinas, signage directing construction traffic to this entrance will be installed.  Additional traffic control measures will be implemented as required following schedule of works and overall situation.  Bella Colinas HOA will be notified duly by the applicant.   

While P&Z Commissioners asked staff questions about the requested variance/exceptions for clarity purpose and additional information about the project, they did not express concern about the requests.  The P&Z Commission unanimously recommended to grant all the requested variance and exceptions and approve the project as submitted (no change for sidewalk) with the conditions listed below. Staff recommends approval of the site plan after granting the following variances and exceptions -

a.   Exception from City Code Section 30.02.009 requiring development plat. This variance is for short duration. They must meet this requirement as mentioned in the "Issues and Analysis" section. 

b.   Exception from City Code Section 30.06.002 - requirement of fiscal security for public improvements.

c.   Variance from City Code Section 20.04.044 (e) (1) which dictates that “Impervious cover shall not be constructed downstream of water quality controls.”

d.   Variance from City Code Section 20.04.103 (c) (4) and 20.04.114 requiring posting fiscal security for NPS permit.

e.   Variance from City Code Section 20.04.111 - requirement of water quality control facilities must be contained with a water quality easement or restricted platted lot.  This variance is for short duration. They must meet this requirement before site acceptance or with the development plat process. 

f.  Variance from City Code Section 20.04.006 for TCSS manual, chapter 5 of which requires following certain COA ECM design guidelines (COA ECM Section 1.6.7.5.A.4.b in this case for infiltration test and rate assumption for irrigation field sizing).

 If similar to P&Z Commission, the City Council wishes to grant an exception on the sidewalk buffer, a variance to City Code Section 30.03.005 should be included in the motion.  Otherwise, motion should mention requiring site plan update to address City Council's recommended standard for sidewalk and buffer.

Staff recommends approval of the site development plan subject to following conditions –

 A.  Prior to issuing Site development permit –

1.   Payment of all pending fees. 

2.   Submission of updated plan as necessary.

3.   Execution of “Road Construction and Improvement Agreement” with City.

B. Prior to final inspection -

1.      Recordation of ‘Water Quality Maintenance Plan and Integrated Pest Management Plan’ with Travis County.

2.      Completion of development plat and all other easement recording process.