Bee Cave council approves Lake Flato contract amendment to redesign library for Skaggs site

The Bee Cave City Council on June 20, 2025 approved Resolution No. 2025‑33 to amend the contract with Lake Flato Architects to redesign the Bee Cave Public Library for a new site on the Skaggs property and to revise scope, schedule and certain contract terms.

City staff (presented by Miss Maldonado) summarized the change in approach: after site exploration the project will be designed for the Skaggs parcel as a single‑story building of about 20,000 gross square feet. Staff said many program areas remain similar to the prior design but the new site and single‑story approach reduce complexity and topography issues. Staff also said the city envisions relocating the historic Bee Cave Schoolhouse onto the library site and that Lake Flato requested input on placement to ensure compatibility with the building.

Staff reported that the owner’s construction cost estimate had been revised downward from the earlier $19,000,000 figure to $15,450,000. Lake Flato and the city negotiated a reduced architectural compensation figure; staff cited different interim figures during the presentation (the packet originally showed one number, staff referenced a negotiated sum of $1,854,000 at one point and another staff comment referenced $1,000,008.54). Staff told the council that Lake Flato will update Exhibit K in the contract to provide a consistent breakdown of fees and that the clean contract copy on the dais already incorporates the negotiated changes.

The amended schedule in the packet calls for an immediate July kickoff, a due‑diligence phase and subsequent schematic and design development work leading to construction bidding. Staff and the architect noted an anticipated construction start in November 2026 and substantial completion estimated in January 2028; staff and council said those dates will be coordinated with the selected construction manager’s schedule and any election timelines.

City attorneys reviewed technical contract edits. Staff noted several negotiated changes at the city attorney’s recommendation, including removal of a broad termination‑expense line, an agreed reduction in certain professional‑liability thresholds (from amounts that staff described as premium‑costly toward more typical consultant coverage levels) to avoid passing excess insurance costs to the city, and cleanup edits throughout the agreement. Staff also said Lake Flato’s final fee exhibit will be corrected before finalization.

During public comment, Katherine Burford suggested design features including a multipurpose community room, a small permanent observatory or open‑air platform for public stargazing, native landscaping for water conservation, dark‑sky certified exterior lighting, storage to loan instruments and puppets, and future‑proofing for possible solar or tornado reinforcements. Staff acknowledged the suggestions and said budget and site constraints will inform final decisions.

A council member moved to approve Resolution No. 2025‑33; the motion carried unanimously by voice vote. Staff said the city will next coordinate a minor amendment with Hoar Construction to align construction scope and then pursue ballot and financing steps required to use the Skaggs parcel for the library project.