Waco staff propose updated street and stormwater standards; consultants estimate modest per‑lot cost increase offset by long‑term savings

City consultants and public works staff presented proposed updates to Waco's street and stormwater design standards in a Jan. 21 work session, saying the changes aim to reduce flooding, improve water quality and extend the service life of new streets. Jed Walker of Walker Partners and Interim Public Works Director Charles Leese summarized more than two years of technical work and stakeholder meetings with builders, engineers and trade groups.

Walker said the package raises stormwater design standards (city staff proposed moving design to a 25‑year storm) and tightens lot grading and detention rules intended to reduce sediment transport into the city's waterways. He said sediment was a leading pollutant and contributes to loss of lake storage. On streets, staff proposed a performance standard that targets a 50‑year design life rather than the shorter life the city has accepted in many recent subdivisions. Proposed construction changes include increasing subbase under curbs and a small additional asphalt thickness; staff said a recycled crushed‑concrete subbase was accepted as a compromise to limit cost while achieving the longer design life.

Consultants said they conducted a local cost comparison for a subdivision typical to Waco and worked with a local contractor for pricing. Walker reported a combined net increase in per‑lot construction cost of about $905 per lot under the proposed criteria. He said for smaller lots (60‑foot lots) the estimated per‑lot increase is about $784. The presentation framed those near‑term costs as a tradeoff for reduced long‑term reconstruction: staff projected the city could avoid roughly $240 million per year in reconstruction costs over the life cycle of streets that otherwise would require repeated rebuilding if short‑life standards remained in force.

Walker and Leese said staff held repeated meetings with the development community (Hardin‑Texas Builders Association, Associated General Contractors and others) and accepted or compromised on 24 stakeholder comments while holding firm on several technical items – particularly the 25‑year drainage design and more prescriptive lot grading plans. Walker emphasized that accepted public drainage facilities serving multiple lots and located wholly in public right‑of‑way or easements will be maintained by the city, and staff said that language was revised after stakeholder input.

Council asked for clarification on sidewalk standards and how they would be implemented. Staff said sidewalk width and placement are defined in the design criteria but a separate ordinance change would be required to make sidewalks mandatory on all street types. Council members discussed cul‑de‑sac radii, the use of reinforced concrete at cul‑de‑sac turnarounds to reduce maintenance, and equity concerns about who bears the long‑term cost of infrastructure.

The item remained a work‑session presentation; staff said they plan to return with proposed ordinance language and final criteria for council consideration in a future meeting.