[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6671532,"mediaKeyId","2159045-b2bc3556d1d3c274a589504a7adfa894","parentId",2159045,"title","San Gabriel Park phase 4 plan favors more fields and parking; council weighs turf costs and park aesthetics","audioSeconds",2973,"startMs",4916600,"endMs",7890165,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159045-b2bc3556d1d3c274a589504a7adfa894&start=4916&end=7890","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159045-b2bc3556d1d3c274a589504a7adfa894/thumbnail_4916600.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6671532/Georgetown/Williamson-County/Texas/San-Gabriel-Park-phase-4-plan-favors-more-fields-and-parking-council-weighs-turf-costs-and-park-aesthetics","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6671532-c575df0830120aa0e2c0e3afdddef038/orig.mp4?Expires=1771104633&Signature=hZ8P6N11W5q~SEjCr0ncRJvLtjVko9dGx6ldQh7DIJyjWZZrji5miT4DV5O9bZZ25kGle6VpGPd5aJYo8vDwIjcDN0QrMKuuEJPaXAiwbubPAAtrUGHyXvpntOumHVU9ub21k9T6ZFw82XrlHNYpy-CBSsXKeklmFYYh-TYpR77VQGfbyXfhU8Avk84NX9j8jtHjhMJAgTeof36-fy4kaIeaUp1G4h01FYevtvTrtTU9K64Flrc5DJXbEphCLQAE3QtmEPTmfkbrycPtFjGpx8KLu3q-w54f~8mgnT1--4kmHGYCVZUSTGbUW-pEboIbewUGcxu6oISuoFL2mc-NKw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Georgetown","date","2025-01-28T00:00:00Z","article","City parks staff and consultants presented a refined concept for San Gabriel Park Phase 4 that seeks to increase sports capacity while addressing parking, floodplain constraints and circulation.

Eric Neuner, assistant parks and recreation director, introduced Philip Hammond and Henry Parker of Park Hill and Associates, who summarized public outreach with the Georgetown Youth Baseball Association (GYBA) and Georgetown Soccer and the results of a spatial-analysis exercise. The team presented three initial concepts and, based on public input and staff priorities, proposed a revised concept that balances field count and parking.

The refined concept places soccer fields in the northwest quadrant, outside the floodplain and adjacent to the recreation center, and proposes a central loop with additional parking north of the existing lot. Consultants said the revised concept would yield roughly 960 parking spaces citywide for the park footprint and provide about 6½ acres of multiuse soccer fields; inside the loop the plan shows seven smaller baseball fields (four 8U and three 10U) and outside the loop larger 12U and 14U fields.

Consultants and staff said some field locations must remain natural grass because synthetic turf is considered an impervious surface and cannot be placed in the creek buffer or FEMA-designated floodplain; they noted synthetic turf costs about $17 per square foot in current dollars and that turf becomes cost-competitive with grass at approximately 7–8 years when maintenance savings are accounted for. The consultants said turf increases playable hours and reduces rainouts, enabling more participants and tournament opportunities.

A key technical constraint is the site’s grade change along the river edge: consultants said some soccer fields would require terracing and cuts into the hillside, creating spectator terraces but not shade relief from late-afternoon western sun. Council members repeatedly raised concerns about the visual impact of parking visible from Austin Avenue/Weir Road (a designated scenic corridor) and expressed a preference to tuck parking into the park where possible to preserve the park’s entrance aesthetics.

Council members asked for cost comparisons that include the upfront turf cost, long-term maintenance, water use and irrigation impacts. Several members said they favored the revised concept for balancing fields and parking and requested that the consultant bring back cost estimates for full turf, full grass and hybrid options, plus tournament-usage assumptions and potential revenue offsets. Staff also discussed leasing and maintenance arrangements; city staff said the city would maintain fields and could lease usage to leagues under agreements similar to those now used for softball and other fields.

Consultants said the project will proceed to a final master plan and cost estimate and that the next steps include refining the design, developing construction costs and returning to the council in about six weeks.

Ending: Council generally supported the revised concept but asked staff and consultants to return with detailed cost options (turf vs. grass, irrigation and maintenance), parking/landscape treatments to reduce visual impact from Austin Avenue/Weir Road, and comparisons with potential alternate sports sites on undeveloped city parkland.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Georgetown - Workshop - Jan 28, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Park staff and consultants proposed a Phase 4 master plan for San Gabriel Park that increases youth-sports capacity while adding parking; the revised concept moves soccer fields out of the floodplain but leaves choices about turf, water use and parking placement for the council to decide.","taxTitle","Georgetown, Williamson County, Texas","taxId",2823,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6671536,"Consultants present $109M roadmap to expand downtown Georgetown library; council questions timing and staffing costs",3337,1494200,4831620,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159045-b2bc3556d1d3c274a589504a7adfa894&start=1494&end=4831","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159045-b2bc3556d1d3c274a589504a7adfa894/thumbnail_1494200.jpg","/articles/6671536/Georgetown/Williamson-County/Texas/Consultants-present-109M-roadmap-to-expand-downtown-Georgetown-library-council-questions-timing-and-staffing-costs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6671536-c12832064f065acd29c8302cea63d59c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771104633&Signature=Q9sF0gFpcP8FXI3EPhdP9N3iKwUdi8SCWuhYnCMfA-Cl4QzjGY18R7HmEZdLAM6QsRNUMgVWFLtmu9SfJfoEXDG~YokWGyD7uYh0L7kTx~pyNyi5R1KaJbC-fUSM6Vmpm082cESijDxh5UvvIE0H8RuPWNM5-maDwdDcC0p0q8VmFaE8fM0vFfPH20I3F86qMj40MBzlHByDnpNmPioOOPRpKc79ZqnDFaLiru3-fXPn59A6oo~OU2bi8meffjJ4yM57VuEi89n8-FsgnMtqQz1ceC8FCq2-XJ8~cgeHvnkE0IZqwXMlPl5A0LwtyJVKwnZwCJzgZ7Wx4lFNQeWpoQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Consultants working with the Georgetown Public Library and a city steering committee presented a draft long-range plan that recommends expanding the downtown library, increasing hold-locker and outreach services, adding staffing and considering micro-branches before building new full-service branch libraries.

Sally (library staff) introduced Doug Moss and Lisonbee Kritz of Steinberg Hart, the consultant team, who described a three-part analysis: community and user input, peer benchmarking and architectural recommendations.

Consultants said public feedback favors maintaining a single primary downtown facility while expanding services. Their recommendations included expanding and renovating the existing downtown building; enlarging digital and physical collections; deploying hold lockers and errand services (book pick-up/drop-off) at city-owned sites such as the Carver Center and Sun City; piloting pop-up libraries and micro-branches in leased spaces; and adding staff and courier vehicles to support outreach.

Doug Moss told the council that the library’s current staff levels “are dramatically below what we have seen in most libraries of this size,” and that many short-term recommendations — additional hold lockers, courier service, pop-ups and outreach — would require new recurring staffing costs even if capital outlays are modest.

For capital planning, the consultant presented order-of-magnitude costs in today’s dollars, including a near-term package of outreach and lockers and a long-term expansion alternative that would remove the building’s west wing and add a new four-story wing (one below grade) to add roughly 30,000 square feet. The consultant said the full set of improvements could total about $110 million in current dollars and that the estimate includes contingency and a 4.6% annual escalation assumption to account for cost growth.

Council members responded with a range of reactions. Several members supported near-term, lower-cost steps such as additional hold lockers, pop-up libraries and courier services and urged piloting micro-branches in developer or leased spaces. Others questioned the timing and affordability given competing capital priorities — particularly the city’s road program and other planned capital projects — and noted limited debt capacity in the immediate four-year window. One council member said the city’s priority needs remain roads and public safety and expressed skepticism that a full renovation and expansion could be financed in the proposed 4–7 year window.

Members asked about alternatives to the consultant’s preferred four-story-plus-basement option, including phased vertical expansion within downtown height limits. The consultant said a full four-story expansion with a below-grade level addresses structural load needs and program requirements; removing the underground level would reduce capacity but is an option the team can analyze further. Council members also asked about use of parkland or parkland dedication to site future branch facilities; staff said they would research legal constraints on using parkland for library buildings.

Staff and council members pressed the consultants to provide clearer phasing options and to explore micro-branch pilots and partnerships with developers or nonprofits as lower-cost ways of increasing service area coverage, especially on the West Side and for older residents. The consultant reiterated that hold lockers and pop-up programs are a lower-capital, near-term approach but require staffing and recurring operating funding.

Ending: Council members generally supported piloting hold lockers, exploring micro-branch partnerships and returning with more detailed phasing and cost scenarios. Several members requested additional analysis on funding options, operational costs, and the timing of a major downtown expansion in light of other capital demands.
","Consultants presented a long-range plan that recommends expanding Georgetown’s downtown library and adding outreach services such as hold lockers and micro-branches, while warning that staffing and construction costs could push a major expansion into a multi-year financial plan.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6671540,"Georgetown staff outline 2021 road-bond project updates, cite utility conflicts and rising material costs",1468,19244,1487905,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159045-b2bc3556d1d3c274a589504a7adfa894&start=19&end=1487","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159045-b2bc3556d1d3c274a589504a7adfa894/thumbnail_19244.jpg","/articles/6671540/Georgetown/Williamson-County/Texas/Georgetown-staff-outline-2021-road-bond-project-updates-cite-utility-conflicts-and-rising-material-costs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6671540-344e0dac690863ce45d74a12d2643be7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771104633&Signature=mdUW8XqGcqEMmbsOKo3BOxSH2cjH1A7tu-GZ1wY5kgyk5GW2BnCTfnHErL72HfMmYzETtAkJb52nsaT65nHz83IxVr~YJoI2Xn1gFZlR0X1v5US8OX-AyACNXn8SgeUozESM08EE1zQWFjmJCB5Hvf0gkyG7ve9MlD-TpCaQeTVMkahp1-Y8e5pdjNDcivX5~TFmUdJ4UwHi9EdJqq0HN4J007Q5UL4PkqCyO6Rw08J3VzKeaUXAaIQv4x5Z2U9hT7Qq~HTyRZRtVfPxiCta1V4YRMOLO8GV37sNNX2YXX8Hwxhr59-LzeBiPU-vYV8qRaVfuTK-XitFyqIFTx3tIg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff delivered an update on projects funded through Georgetown’s 2021 road bond at the city council workshop, outlining schedules, funding sources and causes of delays for multiple corridor and bridge projects.

Lou (city staff) opened the presentation as the city’s 2021 road bond update and reviewed project scopes and recommended next steps. Staff emphasized that actual bid prices for Rock Ride and Shell Road will inform decisions about returning to council, and that grant decisions expected in June will affect funding plans.

The presentation covered individual projects in varying stages of design and right-of-way acquisition. For Williams Drive, staff described a phased approach focused on access management where driveway density and crash history are concentrated. Proposed improvements for the first phase (Serenata to I-35) include a 10-foot shared-use path on the north side, ADA ramp upgrades, illumination paid in part with highway safety lighting funds, raised medians and access controls. Lou said the corridor’s access-management work and lighting were estimated at about $3.78 million, excluding easements and right-of-way costs, and that the city has engaged about 60 property owners for the shared-use-path easements.

On intersections, staff and CIP manager Chris Busan described separate projects, including right-of-way negotiations and a federally funded land swap tied to parkland and a pool property that requires National Park Service review and appraisals. Busan estimated approximately a year for the federal process and said the city is roughly six months into that process.

The DB Wood bridge rehabilitation and adjacent projects were discussed as contingent on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approvals; staff said the Corps’ review could add months. On the Southwest Bypass and other signal projects, staff said signal material costs and supply times have risen sharply. Lou told the council that a full traffic signal that previously cost roughly $300,000 can now cost in the mid-$600,000s and that increased steel prices and longer lead times for components are driving much of that increase. Council members also noted labor and land costs have increased since the bond was approved.

Staff framed several near-term actions: advertise lighting work for Williams Drive in August, continue easement acquisition for access management, and return to council in July after Rock Ride and Shell Road have been bid so that the city can compare actual prices to estimates. Staff also listed several grant applications under review, including TASA and other TxDOT safety funding requests, with awards expected in June.

Council members pressed staff on the common cause of project delays. City staff and consultants said utility conflicts are the principal driver: one Southeast Interloop example initially expected to involve seven utility relocations and instead showed 22 conflicts, including Atmos, Encore and AT&T. Staff explained that when utilities occupy the city’s right-of-way they are obligated under franchise agreements or state law to relocate, but relocation timing and cost depend on whether the asset is in an easement (the city may pay) or in the right-of-way (the utility must move but the city often funds relocations when it triggers roadway work).

Council members urged staff to pursue options to accelerate relocations where utilities are not meeting timelines, including using city funding to move infrastructure and then recovering costs per legal options. Staff said state law sets specific time requirements for utility relocations but that staff would provide more precise statutory timeframes and enforcement pathways in follow-up.

Council members also raised long-term capacity questions — particularly whether bridges would need replacement or widening to match planned future lanes near new schools — and asked whether the Army Corps would speed approvals if school openings were imminent. Staff replied the Corps’ schedule is unlikely to accelerate because of the school timetable.

Several council members signaled support for staff’s recommendation to return in July with updated bid results and to use that data to refine funding choices. Staff repeatedly noted that some decisions remain contingent on June grant outcomes and on completing easement and right-of-way work.

Ending: City staff urged patience while they complete right-of-way and easement work, obtain grant awards in June and return with firm bid data in July, and the council signaled general support for that schedule and for exploring options to reduce delays caused by utility relocations.
","City staff presented an update on Georgetown’s 2021 road bond projects, telling the council that utility relocations and rising material costs have delayed multiple road and bridge projects and that staff will return with actual bid results after Rock Ride and Shell Road are advertised.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6671527,"City staff to keep ETJ development standards, steering committee urges stronger tree-preservation and faster UDC tweaks",1120,7933280,9054140,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159045-b2bc3556d1d3c274a589504a7adfa894&start=7933&end=9054","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159045-b2bc3556d1d3c274a589504a7adfa894/thumbnail_7933280.jpg","/articles/6671527/Georgetown/Williamson-County/Texas/City-staff-to-keep-ETJ-development-standards-steering-committee-urges-stronger-tree-preservation-and-faster-UDC-tweaks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6671527-a52f26a123201634f3763a3493da0b7e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771104633&Signature=CHsY1S1QJly4qCL4cv7kJVoP9opP3uzArPaA3R~xasLRzvD3HiUjdFTrwCmVaFKK6ZdtlSW5jpUjr1oVl6ydKVCMh-PH3dOpuv9PsoXy-LdiXIIrNy8spkkv~b9tRsPGkM-rvhLSMv7k-U8jnlrrBNiZ7I~3BWV-gPLJd~EfGkc3NnPOYK2dm~llyeK6cWrckHCCSIO1DHHttuRzjb~g3VcT-3PycJQ6nV4ciDyoK1iTN~TM3E7H6KwjFYbt2Z3RUP0FcH~fk9Xtem9yZvBC2oL1DWy0~nXsiOpZ4tX8E~RTPn10jhIXPS1UDVOT2191fjEdnH42HVQHNAP9n~rWKg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City planning staff reported steering-committee recommendations on extraterritorial-jurisdiction (ETJ) rules and proposed a group of Unified Development Code (UDC) amendments the city plans to advance on an accelerated schedule.

Sofia (city planning staff) told council that the steering committee evaluated which UDC application types should remain enforceable in the ETJ and concluded that the city should keep its current ETJ standards rather than substantially deregulating. The committee reasoned that preserving regulatory parity gives the city leverage when negotiating with developers who might pursue deannexation or conditional development in the ETJ, and reduces the risk of a wave of lower-standard development. Committee members identified tree preservation as the highest-priority topic for further drafting and incentives.

Sofia outlined several near-term UDC text amendments staff recommend advancing quickly: changes to amendment procedures (streamlining the distinction between executive and general amendments), a residential-landscaping item (including a proposed restriction on St. Augustine turf), a downtown parking change consistent with the downtown master plan that would not require parking for retail and restaurants in a defined downtown Area 2, and a site-plan record-drawings procedure to speed approval of field changes.

On tree preservation, Sofia said staff and the steering committee had reviewed other cities’ approaches, including canopy-based programs, and that the team is developing incentives and clarifications to minimize unintended consequences that drive property owners to deannex. Council members asked staff to move carefully, noting that implementation and interpretation of tree rules — not only the ordinance language — have produced many concerns in recent months. Staff said a draft tree-preservation package is being finalized and will be provided to the advisory groups for review.

Sofia asked for council concurrence to move the recommended text amendments forward on a schedule that would include planning commission review in mid-February and council readings later the same month. Council members signaled general agreement and asked staff to brief advisory committees and the planning commission before final readings.

Ending: Council agreed with the steering committee’s recommendation to keep ETJ standards aligned with city standards and asked staff to prioritize the tree-preservation ordinance draft and to move a set of targeted UDC text amendments through planning commission and council for consideration in the coming weeks.
","A city steering committee recommended retaining Georgetown\rpoint-of-sale style development standards in the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) rather than loosening them, and urged staff to prioritize a revised tree-preservation approach and a set of targeted Unified Development Code (UDC) text amendments for early council review.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

San Gabriel Park phase 4 plan favors more fields and parking; council weighs turf costs and park aesthetics

Consultants present $109M roadmap to expand downtown Georgetown library; council questions timing and staffing costs

Georgetown staff outline 2021 road-bond project updates, cite utility conflicts and rising material costs

City staff to keep ETJ development standards, steering committee urges stronger tree-preservation and faster UDC tweaks