[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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],{"_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",6540110,"mediaKeyId","3457744-54c7b514320847110897d92b9a52f841","parentId",3457744,"title","Planning commission denies variance to waive 10‑foot sidewalk along 183A; fee‑in‑lieu proposal rejected","audioSeconds",887,"startMs",5117000,"endMs",6004000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3457744-54c7b514320847110897d92b9a52f841&start=5117&end=6004","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3457744-54c7b514320847110897d92b9a52f841/thumbnail_5117000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6540110/Leander/Williamson-County/Texas/Planning-commission-denies-variance-to-waive-10foot-sidewalk-along-183A-feeinlieu-proposal-rejected","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6540110-e33c0d87e0d5ec9d3e9e9699cc30c315/orig.mp4?Expires=1775342933&Signature=VhZU1Y33yyxgYbTF8BcgF2P9OB1ezdu8lJd0ocvRltJg1lc~i9SB24jGQcMq5RavsZ7r-OfV2dsOG4caznsQCWj6tiewyJ5seOKXZ7bK5sjAMgkqZKkXfXDxb1oCSCElz2m7SWApdUrnPlssxIu0pkS37fpyCQ-4gXnVcXoxOBZI1f~1iysxCsEYKTn-p7n~cYm3-z7RLDJ7w-KDJmIvINyz1~glJNUwC5WOHYWy1gGhAT3pKJwJbEdO7TJvTlTAXrktRvxZZlFgerSgZdkvPprfP-49vgQ3~NChQNRl7e4pvJpFx-RnwfI~3zALJU5ZQg2gJo4V0pREClGAdnlhqg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Leander","date","2025-05-22T00:00:00Z","article","The Leander Planning and Zoning Commission denied a variance request to forgo construction of a 10‑foot sidewalk along the west side of 183A Toll Road, voting 3–2 against the developer's proposal to pay a fee in lieu of construction.

Planning staff presented the request as a variance to Section 42(e) of the subdivision ordinance; the application sought permission not to build a required 10‑foot sidewalk along the development’s frontage on 183A, a stretch of right of way under the jurisdiction of the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA). Staff recommended approval of the variance and said the applicant proposed a fee in lieu that could be applied to future trail or sidewalk connections within the city. \"Staff feels the spirit and intent of the composite zoning ordinance will be best met with a fee in lieu payment for the 10‑foot sidewalk and applied to a future trail system or sidewalk connection within the city,\" planning staff stated during the presentation.

The property at issue is one parcel of about 4.151 acres (Williamson County CAD r346169), generally located at 1550 County Road 269 in Leander. Staff said CTRMA has told the city it currently has no plans for a future sidewalk on that side of the toll road; as a result, the sidewalk would not connect to an existing or programmed sidewalk if built now.

A local resident, Anita Shumnovich, told the commission she opposed the variance and urged construction of the sidewalk now. \"Sidewalks are not just aesthetic features. They are essential for walkability, public safety, accessibility, and long term community cohesion,\" she said, adding that a fee paid today may lose purchasing power as construction costs rise.

Commission discussion focused on two competing considerations: the practical effect of constructing a short, isolated sidewalk segment that would not connect to other sidewalks and CTRMA’s jurisdiction over 183A, versus the long‑term value of building pedestrian infrastructure now rather than delaying it. Several commissioners expressed concern that a sidewalk built now next to CTRMA right of way could be removed and rebuilt later when interchange construction occurs, while others said the city should not create persistent gaps in its pedestrian network.

After debate, the commission voted 3–2 to deny the variance. The record shows the motion to approve the variance did not pass; the commission did not record a dollar amount in open discussion at the vote, and staff noted the fee‑in‑lieu figures were included in the meeting packet.

Next steps: denial of the variance requires the developer to provide the required sidewalk under the subdivision ordinance unless another legal mechanism or further council action changes that requirement. The city may use any collected fees (if later accepted) for trail or sidewalk projects in the vicinity when and where appropriate.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Leander - P&Z Commission - May 22, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The commission denied a developer's request to avoid building a 10‑foot sidewalk along the west side of 183A (CTRMA right of way) and to instead pay a fee‑in‑lieu. The vote was 3–2 after public comment urging construction of sidewalks now rather than later.","taxTitle","Leander, Williamson County, Texas","taxId",2825,"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},6540115,"Leander planning commission approves comprehensive plan change for Journey Parkway site; zoning decision postponed to council",4799,117000,4916000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3457744-54c7b514320847110897d92b9a52f841&start=117&end=4916","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3457744-54c7b514320847110897d92b9a52f841/thumbnail_117000.jpg","/articles/6540115/Leander/Williamson-County/Texas/Leander-planning-commission-approves-comprehensive-plan-change-for-Journey-Parkway-site-zoning-decision-postponed-to-council","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6540115-f0290bf8132d768392425ea8183a2903/orig.mp4?Expires=1775342932&Signature=FV75zZLhQGQCEjKiFMHjo9r9ag8tg1lje7sQsrMzRSZOGyaovoF1pNTvJkJQU9vN3hUs94p-z850VGhYZnjCTpysgnTIn7TxxuNlglRsuFbdGbnv65E~PBG5IagDRfcClT6qUQ9it4v~Qamdei2xfvnN2i8NxOo7EeBCEnub4laPJ2kZ0RJ2xbj8tH3tZfC-Tyq3lrD5YMuqJjdr2jfp2m32HKIry-iB95eU0J6Ksb2ktd~sqXDtQwsAES5Y7FXfcI9z8DmkTk4Zyb21tQ68Wy9ZDOQyKPMksNAHGHziIyGASPCSNKQK~HwJUZLKYwJcbqsbBfg5vbTHKM1FckX1Qg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Leander Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to approve a comprehensive plan amendment that would change the future land-use designation for roughly 52.92 acres at the northwest corner of Journey Parkway and County Road 175 from \"neighborhood center\" to \"neighborhood residential.\" The change was recorded at the commission meeting that began at 6:01 p.m.; the commission then declined to take action on the companion zoning request and forwarded the zoning matter to City Council.

Planning staff said the amendment is the first step required before any zoning change. Michael Chinoski of the planning department told the commission the applicant has also submitted an annexation request that the City Council will hear concurrently with the comprehensive plan and zoning requests. \"Staff recommends option 2, which is to deny the proposed comprehensive plan amendment from neighborhood center to neighborhood residential based on the city council's decision following the development proposal back in September,\" Chinoski said during his presentation.

The property, described in staff materials as Williamson County Central Appraisal District parcels R338810, R407804 and R407805, is about 52.92 acres and lies at the northwest corner of Journey Parkway and County Road 175 in Leander, Williamson County, Texas. The application was filed as comprehensive plan case CPA-25-0017 and zoning case Z-25-0166; the zoning request would change the current interim SFR-1B (single-family rural) designation to a mix of single-family compact (SFC 2a), single-family urban (SFU 2a) and single-family suburban (SFS 2a) districts to allow a new single-family subdivision.

The applicant’s consulting planner, Ethan Harwell of Kimley‑Horn Associates, described the site as surrounded primarily by single-family subdivisions and civic uses, including schools. He told commissioners the developer, MI Homes, modified the proposal after neighborhood meetings to place larger 70-foot lots along the northern edge where existing homeowners had requested larger lots. \"The area surrounding this property is completely residential,\" Harwell said. He also described plans for about 2.3 acres of parkland and a detention pond to work with the site’s topography and to preserve existing trees.

Dozens of nearby residents spoke during the public hearing and urged the commission to deny a move away from the neighborhood‑center designation, citing traffic near the three adjacent schools, concerns about noise and lighting, potential commercial nuisances and water supply limits. Anita Shumnovich, who spoke during public comment, argued the proposal \"directly undermines the city's own water policy\" and said the amendment would remove the neighborhood‑center buffer and set a precedent for piecemeal erosion of the future‑land‑use map.

Developer representatives and the applicant said they had engaged with neighbors, held multiple community meetings and revised the plan in response to feedback. MI Homes’ Royce Rippy said the design seeks to match surrounding neighborhoods and that the project timeline is phased to align with the city’s water‑capacity upgrades; he described preliminary sales and construction timing that would not bring homes online until after planned water‑capacity projects are completed.

Commissioners debated competing priorities: adherence to the adopted comprehensive plan and the council’s prior direction, water‑supply limits reflected in a city water resolution prioritizing low‑density zoning, traffic and school‑zone safety, and the city’s interest in a more diverse tax base. Several commissioners said they were sympathetic to neighbors’ traffic and safety concerns and also worried about the city’s water resolution, but ultimately the commission approved the comprehensive plan amendment. \"We’re going to be looking at the comp plan again,\" one commissioner said during the debate, noting a scheduled update.

The vote on the comprehensive plan amendment passed unanimously. The commission took no action on the requested zoning changes and left the zoning matter for City Council to decide; staff had recommended denial of the comprehensive plan amendment, and commissioners’ approval marks a divergence from staff’s position. If the comprehensive plan amendment remains in place after council review, the zoning request would still need to address limits in the city’s water resolution and any conditions imposed by council.

Next steps: the zoning request and the applicant’s annexation request will proceed to City Council for concurrent review and final decisions. The commission’s packet includes staff analysis, neighborhood meeting notes and the developer’s preliminary phasing and lot‑size plans.","The Leander Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to amend the future land-use map for about 52.92 acres at Journey Parkway and County Road 175 from neighborhood center to neighborhood residential. Commissioners did not act on the corresponding zoning request and left that decision to City Council.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Planning commission denies variance to waive 10‑foot sidewalk along 183A; fee‑in‑lieu proposal rejected

Leander planning commission approves comprehensive plan change for Journey Parkway site; zoning decision postponed to council