Council reviews Citation corridor connections; Asbury Lane drainage design advances amid neighborhood concern

Councilmembers and city staff discussed the Citation connection projects — primary links from Citation Boulevard to Winburn and Russell Cave — and a related design item for drainage and roadway connections that includes Asbury Lane in the Green Acres neighborhood.

Director Burton explained the primary connections are Winburn (phase 3a) and Russell Cave (phase 3b). Staff said the connection to Winburn is the first priority and the Asbury Lane connection would not be opened for traffic until the full Russell Cave connection is complete; that sequencing is intended to avoid creating new through-traffic in neighborhood streets.

The item before council was limited in scope to drainage and design work tied to the new roadway: staff said the design is intended to pick up stormwater flows from the northern side of the map and route them into existing stormwater systems along and behind Asbury so the project does not worsen neighborhood drainage. Staff advised postponing or removing the item would delay design decisions and would require re-survey and rework of the drainage approach, potentially pushing back the Winburn connection.

Councilmember Morton and other councilmembers voiced concerns about preserving the historic African American Green Acres neighborhood and said residents were caught off guard by recent project activity. Morton said the neighborhood does not want Asbury opened for vehicles and suggested alternatives — closing the street, pedestrian-only access, or different design treatments — and said she will schedule community engagement meetings with staff and neighborhood associations.

Staff and council emphasized that the current action addresses design and drainage, not a decision to open Asbury Lane to vehicular traffic, and committed to continued public engagement as design and right-of-way work proceed.