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Building commission approves height variance for Lomond's Crossing fire station
Summary
The Lakeway City Building Commission approved a variance allowing Travis County ESD 6 to build a new fire station at 1211 Lomond's Crossing Road up to 40.5 feet to accommodate apparatus bays and automatic roll-up doors, after presentations from the project's engineer and brief public support comments.
The Lakeway City Building Commission on Wednesday approved a variance allowing Travis County Emergency Services District 6 to build a new fire station at 1211 Lomond's Crossing Road up to 40.5 feet above the highest natural grade under the slab, exceeding the 32-foot maximum in the Lakeway code of ordinances.
Commissioners granted the variance after hearing a presentation from project engineers and representatives from the fire district explaining that site constraints and the need to accommodate automatic roll-up apparatus doors require a taller apparatus bay. Supportive comments from nearby residents were received during the public hearing.
Cameron Balman, an engineer with Malone Wheeler, told the commission the current station on Lomond's Crossing Road is about 30 feet tall and the proposed station would allow first-floor finished-floor elevation and equipment clearances that add up to 40.5 feet above the highest natural grade under the slab. Balman said the site is constrained by multiple easements, a natural creek area the team will not develop, and a plat-dedicated building line that is more restrictive than the City of Lakeway's standard 25-foot setback. Those horizontal constraints, he said, left the design team limited to a smaller buildable footprint and necessitated more vertical space for the apparatus bay and interior spaces that house personnel and equipment.
Balman said the design reorients apparatus bays to face Lomond's Crossing Road so trucks can exit directly onto the roadway, reducing maneuvering time caused by the current left-turn exit. He described the proposed doors as automatic roll-up doors and said the taller bay is needed to accommodate those doors and the turning geometry of large emergency vehicles.
Two Lakeway residents spoke in support during the public hearing. Fritz Weiss, of 208 Corinthian, said, "Anything for the public safety. That's it." Larry Conwell, of 109 Duck Lake, said he supported the fire department "100%" and shared photographs of creekside trash and local wildlife, telling the commission he clears debris from the creek near his property annually.
Following discussion among commissioners — one member observed it would be "very hard to deny" the request given the potential impact on emergency response times — a motion to approve the variance was made and the commission voted in favor. The meeting record does not list individual roll-call votes; the chair announced the motion carried.
The commission's packet noted the request as a variance to Section 30.3.015 of the Lakeway Code of Ordinances and included conceptual renderings and site maps showing the existing station footprint, easements, the natural creek area, and the proposed building footprint placed closer to Lomond's Crossing Road to reduce visual and noise impact on nearby residences. Commission staff and project representatives confirmed the creek area would not be developed.
No additional conditions, funding details, construction schedule or permit timeline were specified in the public record during the meeting. The commission moved on after the vote and adjourned the meeting at 9:16 a.m.
