[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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],{"_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",6468791,"mediaKeyId","5781696-f747f3fe1c5f988f8522b32fee9e96d3","parentId",5781696,"title","City, developers outline Westlake Village plan and $48 million in infrastructure investments","audioSeconds",2444,"startMs",633000,"endMs",3077000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5781696-f747f3fe1c5f988f8522b32fee9e96d3&start=633&end=3077","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5781696-f747f3fe1c5f988f8522b32fee9e96d3/thumbnail_633000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6468791/Waco/McLennan-County/Texas/City-developers-outline-Westlake-Village-plan-and-48-million-in-infrastructure-investments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6468791-dbddbebf0aa98e438503e919f60efb9c/orig.mp4?Expires=1776055560&Signature=LyX2k6NPxRNoJ8vfvybHpjOXMngfKo7RILy7kexF-qLqkxgbzsHjo5p51Y-8GwaC6Qx1AH4ppIKItwjHNBf9QmwSKGFIKyKweItEK54hgdFQ-5TpC3Hsphi~85eaUKTmpFJMPSFiAgUcsOMpX1br3YGsDipHcU2qh-H4LybFNWgpsNj~Uu-XF5gDL~tu3Dtdim9lBAUHKv1UGmrV-a8bYuz0vez5DzZWoAzmyL5YwRpFx42yOEwb5-fMjCkHuPdb74BXDa0RZpZJh60iYpxCL4qJvm3TfPrFaFjDiS-17Y2usehI0fnttXWpUj4JtCitv3bDE5W~QlQcCK3c8TLu2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Waco, TX","date","2025-09-17T14:32:41Z","article","City staff and representatives of the Westlake Village development presented a multi‑year plan to the Waco City Council on Sept. 16 to bring a large master‑planned neighborhood into the city and to finance shared infrastructure needs.

Assistant City Manager Paul Kane told council and the public the negotiations to reach the current framework took about three years and were intended to avoid a municipal utility district in Waco's extraterritorial jurisdiction by instead annexing the land and using a municipal management district (MMD) to finance infrastructure. “We think we've landed in a really good spot, with regard to this development and with regard to the future of the city,” Kane said.

The development team described the project as roughly 6,568 acres with about 247 acres planned for single‑family development, roughly 243 acres to be preserved in Lake Waco's flowage easement as parkland, about 37 acres of internal open space, and just over 1,200 residential lots (including a small townhome tract of roughly 20 lots). Access would be from Highway 6 and Tom Ledbetter Road. Thomas Fletcher of Kimley Horn reviewed renderings and design commitments including sidewalks, a spine collector with a 10‑foot trail, a five‑acre resort‑style amenity center and a commercial tract along Highway 6.

Mindy Caney, the development team's special‑purpose district attorney, described the MMD proposal and its limits. \"This district is a taxing entity, and so this district will levy taxes inside the boundaries of the district,\" Caney said. She said the MMD would be governed by a five‑member board (two city appointees, three developer appointees), would be permitted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality or the Texas Legislature, and that the district could not sell bonds until sufficient taxable value—she cited roughly $60 million—existed inside the district.

City staff and the developer presented an infrastructure summary the city said totals about $48 million across water, sewer and streets. Staff described the split as roughly $23 million attributable to the Westlake development (about a 50/50 split between city and developer for that portion) with additional costs accounted for by Spiegelville Road and adjacent developments already under way. Staff said the total wastewater need across the area is about $18 million (developers contributing roughly $10 million and the city about $7.8 million) and the water needs were shown at about $21 million (developer roughly $9 million; city roughly $11.7 million). City staff said most of that work is funded in the current budget package except for Tom Ledbetter Road improvements, estimated to occur in a later phase (around 2033 in the city presentation).

Council members asked for more detailed cash‑flow projections, year‑by‑year revenue and expense waterfalls, and clarifications on responsibilities for public safety and capital costs. City staff said estimated operational impacts at build‑out (roughly 10 years in the city's projection) included public safety costs of about $3.8 million a year (12 firefighters and six police officers estimated) compared with an estimated $4.8 million a year in new M&O revenue from new taxable value. Staff also said the city would acquire about 243 acres of parkland within the flowage easement at a price identified in the development agreement, payable at a later phase, to protect Lake Waco and provide parkland for the city.

Staff described a tentative schedule: a TCEQ application to create the district could be submitted in late 2025 with potential TCEQ action in 2026, and staff said the team was aiming for a final annexation and zoning action around the council's December meeting. Staff emphasized that all infrastructure and financial details remain subject to the formal development agreement, future council approvals and regulatory review.

Why it matters: staff framed the project as a strategic way to bring growth near Lake Waco into city limits while sharing costs with developers and oversizing utilities to benefit future growth. Council members asked for more detailed financial modeling and time‑phased projections before final approvals.

Plans discussed at the work session remain proposals; no formal council vote was recorded during the work session on annexation, zoning or formation of any district.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Work Session (September 16, 2025)","oneSentenceSummary","City staff and the Westlake Village development team presented a multi‑year plan to bring roughly 6,568 acres near Lake Waco into the city and to finance shared water, sewer and roadway improvements using a municipal management district (MMD) and city participation.","taxTitle","Waco, McLennan County, Texas","taxId",2807,"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},6468782,"Cameron Park Zoo and TSTC begin prototype for keeper‑assist robot to reduce exhibit downtime",546,6352000,6898000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5781696-f747f3fe1c5f988f8522b32fee9e96d3&start=6352&end=6898","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5781696-f747f3fe1c5f988f8522b32fee9e96d3/thumbnail_6352000.jpg","/articles/6468782/Waco/McLennan-County/Texas/Cameron-Park-Zoo-and-TSTC-begin-prototype-for-keeperassist-robot-to-reduce-exhibit-downtime","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6468782-7c3e26a4c3d0de9dff41022718c9e499/orig.mp4?Expires=1776055560&Signature=fOmAWYpUuf0Ec67DNBlcVv16LGZagYjLBSTkxGN6QwEbZATmDMTYTm~eGjBCHj7aJIgr41xMluiFMb3CjBNnSnv9cjAAb8vBQTlB7PERisBCHHKfRIxr4czS51~pqAKJoXLPY-dwc-haxqpejOBXSJf1JdxaQPGDwzspLYIN3szN2KTvz~3U2e~jSzDphYpOGOBaWgxq1YYAhB0d5gTdMc5g~dv7~7ecp-SPoaiK1nPobNoOr1BXvbpi~D7MsCEI-baeeFPIVB-hsuT1Vdag9HDSAPLLhPUBMbUAIoSmiJeiImZZS6MPek5XP42DzDaqtSiBWHwjOjCPZzpXOq3sEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cameron Park Zoo staff and Texas State Technical College (TSTC) students presented a technology partnership at the Waco City Council work session on Sept. 16 to design and test a robotic keeper‑assist device intended to reduce manual exhibit maintenance and give zookeepers more time for animal care and training.

City manager Bradley Ford introduced the item and praised the zoo’s veterinarian and staff for ongoing innovation; a zoo veterinarian who spoke at the session (identified in the transcript as “Dr. K”) said the project’s goal is not to replace zookeepers but to reduce labor spent on exhibit maintenance tasks. “The goal of this project is is really not to replace, zookeepers,” the veterinarian said. The project grew from an idea to use technology to cut routine exhibit downtime and improve keeper safety.

Zoo staff described the prototype, which the student team dubbed “Frank” (an acronym chosen by the students). The prototype already includes sensors and core functionality, and the plan is to scale it up for field use. The project timeline presented is three semesters (about 18 months) and an estimated total investment of $45,000–$55,000. Initial funding of $45,000 has been carved from zoo budget savings and was approved for use; staff said a longer‑term plan will include additional phases and scaling.

Presenters and council members discussed testing and animal introduction strategies. Staff said early testing will use scaled‑down motors and smaller exhibits to develop student skills and limit cost risk, and that autonomous or evening operation (when animals are off exhibit or resting) may be used initially to avoid animal disturbance. Possible secondary benefits discussed included automated environmental sampling (temperature or waste sampling) and the collection of diagnostic data for animal health.

Council members praised the local partnership with TSTC and said the project demonstrates how city assets and local educational institutions can collaborate to develop practical technology solutions. Staff noted the project could produce a locally built model that would be refined and potentially replicated elsewhere, but emphasized there remain behavior‑and‑animal‑safety questions to resolve before broad deployment.

Why it matters: the project aims to reduce manual, labor‑intensive tasks at the zoo, increase keeper time for enrichment and veterinary care, and create a local applied engineering opportunity for TSTC students. Initial funding and a prototype exist; further development requires testing, animal desensitization plans and possible scaling.","Cameron Park Zoo and Texas State Technical College students described an 18‑month prototype project to build a robotic keeper‑assist device intended to reduce manual exhibit maintenance and give zookeepers more time for animal care.",{"_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},6468786,"Waco STEAM Center: construction on track; Transformation Waco tests curriculum and community pilots",1588,4164000,5752000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5781696-f747f3fe1c5f988f8522b32fee9e96d3&start=4164&end=5752","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5781696-f747f3fe1c5f988f8522b32fee9e96d3/thumbnail_4164000.jpg","/articles/6468786/Waco/McLennan-County/Texas/Waco-STEAM-Center-construction-on-track-Transformation-Waco-tests-curriculum-and-community-pilots","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6468786-ae65d47583c366ef9d7112250182e1ba/orig.mp4?Expires=1776055560&Signature=E8dyqScHtxQzgoMwy6~DCMMUt6HeIQjSuWjNKUUEm5ZFs2Dx5WbLVhAi01G5HdZFmY2glTr0T83U5N4ru5~SprPk9AAqhW2rHT0e371cNwbics4fXGI-lMbWNSM58h~L9~wpbnnHewk2u0cR2kiMYNc7rByqC6qN7zB1NcipJD07b-80nBgVzi5~wEVFMnQPJ8eaRnjWcQXAHUIRXdosOM8jg9-W~Tb~y7buQ6LJFEVEDLG0694ME5-iJ~btsooHgWDwmRVJUpCKZaQwHomA917n8bw5sCZ8~lyQN1wZmLYHmTWJkIcaAex0bNlkdW~vFosVh9FdMmZGd7-XmV85qQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff, Transformation Waco and library leaders updated the Waco City Council work session on Sept. 16 on the Bledsoe Miller STEAM Center, reporting that construction and program development are on schedule and that community pilots have validated several curriculum elements.

Deputy City Manager Deidre Emerson said the project has assembled more than $13.5 million in combined funding from sources including ARPA, a congressional special appropriation, city CIP funds and corporate donations, and that the project is “on budget and on schedule with the completion set for the 2025.” Emerson credited local partnerships and federal compliance work for keeping the project on track.

Joshua (Josh) Butcher of Transformation Waco summarized Phase 2 program development, saying the organization moved from concept to tested lessons this year by piloting curriculum in schools and at community events. He described partnerships with Discovery Education (which provides e‑learning content and corporate sponsorship connections), the U.S. Naval Academy for hands‑on STEM activities, Cisco for networking curriculum, and local higher‑education partners including TSTC, McLennan Community College and Baylor. Butcher said pilots have included robotics, virtual reality, maker activities and summer STEM camps with local students.

Roberto Zapata, director of libraries and cultural enrichment, and facilities staff reported construction progress. The council packet lists a $13.8 million project budget and staff said $11.8 million of that amount is already committed. Council materials and staff noted the construction contract was awarded to Mazanic Construction in December 2024; structural and rough‑in work is complete and interior finishes are underway. Change orders total about 10.2% so far and staff said that remains well under the state 25% threshold for changes to a contract.

Staff also described an enhanced, space‑themed outdoor play area connected to the center. The council previously approved $1.2 million for the playground replacement; design features cited by staff include two age‑segmented play zones, a rubberized ADA‑accessible surface, shade sails, night lighting and elements intended for sensory and inclusive play.

Transformation Waco described outreach and program testing at schools, the public library and community events; examples included a STEM expo for after‑school students, summer STEM camps in partnership with Goodwill and an ongoing slate of senior tech classes delivered through AARP’s Senior Planet curriculum. Butcher said the work aims to serve “K to gray” audiences and to create intergenerational programming.

Staff said the next steps are final procurement of furniture and equipment, IT and AV fit‑out, and facility setup and prelaunch tasks. The target for public programming opening was presented as January 2026.

Why it matters: the STEAM Center is positioned as a community learning hub with workforce and lifelong learning partnerships; staff and Transformation Waco emphasized tested curriculum and partner commitments as key to an on‑time, on‑budget launch.","City staff and Transformation Waco told the council construction of the Bledsoe Miller STEAM Center is on schedule for 2025 completion and programming pilots—ranging from robotics to senior tech classes—have been tested. Funding is chiefly federal and local, and the city plans a program launch in January 2026.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City, developers outline Westlake Village plan and $48 million in infrastructure investments

Cameron Park Zoo and TSTC begin prototype for keeper‑assist robot to reduce exhibit downtime

Waco STEAM Center: construction on track; Transformation Waco tests curriculum and community pilots