AUSTIN — The team planning to build more than 1,500 homes in Central Austin have finished changes to their plan. The Grove at Shoal Creek would be developed on 75 acres that used to be owned by Texas Department of Transportation.

Plan Scaled Back

Developers said Wednesday they’ve heard neighbors’ concerns and plan to scale back the project. That includes the removal of large lot homes that would have higher values and 12-percent reduction of single-family houses, 35 percent less office space and rules to control the types of shops that will call the Grove home.

Garrett Martin said it’s a departure from his original vision for the Central Austin property.

“We actually reduced the number of units there because of people's concerns there over density,” Martin said. “It is part of the neighborhood dialog and that process that I think leads to some of the challenges that Austin has in front of it in terms of growing and growing in a smart way.”

The latest site plan includes 26 percent more park space than originally proposed a year ago. Martin is still committed to creating 180 affordable apartments and houses.

Homes that will be for sale will range from $160,000 to market rate for the area. That is quickly approaching a $1 million; new construction has surpassed that price point on a few occasions.

Traffic Analysis Complete

This past week, city staff finished reviewing the project’s traffic impact analysis. The Chair of the Austin Environmental Commission postponed a vote on the project in November until the traffic review was complete. Mary Gay Maxwell said it would be discussed in committee in the interim, but the project has not been posted for any meeting since the initial postponement.

The traffic study found drivers currently wait about a minute to clear the intersection of Bull Creek Road and 45th Street during afternoon rush hour. By 2024, the analysis estimates drivers would have to wait more than 95 seconds to clear the intersection if no improvements are made and the Grove at Shoal Creek is not built.

Developers plan to make the intersection five lanes in both directions of 45th Street and northbound on Bull Creek Road. The changes which would cut wait times to around 35 seconds in 2024, the traffic impact analysis said. That includes the new traffic generated by the development.

“It is a huge improvement,” Martin said. “You don’t see that kind of thing at intersections in Austin, Texas.”

“Adding lanes to intersections and streets are always going to help move traffic,” said Grayson Cox, a nearby resident. “Our main point is that once the vehicles go through 45th and Bull Creek Road, where do they go?”

Developers hope that once the residents move into the Grove, they'll spend most of their work and play time there.

Next Steps

“My hope is that we end up with a project that becomes easy to approve and easy to pass because it is something the community wants to see,” District 10 Council Member Sheri Gallo said.

The project still has to clear several approvals with the city. The Environmental Commission and Zoning and Platting Commission must review the project before it appears before Austin City Council for a vote.

That could take several months. Developers plan to break ground within four months of final approval. Build-out could take up to eight years.