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Developer scales back West Oak plan, tells council financing will require PID support
Summary
Developers presented a retooled West Oak mixed‑use plan that cuts density from about 600 units to 219 for‑sale townhomes, reduces building heights to two stories and shrinks retail to ~40,000 sq ft. They said $19M in infrastructure and PID/TIRZ financing will be needed; council pressed for better connectivity and clearer public benefits before approving incentives.
Developers of the West Oak project returned to the Buda City Council on Dec. 4 with a substantially scaled‑back plan, saying earlier concerns about density, height and product type have been addressed but that public financing will still be necessary to deliver the project’s roads and utilities.
At a council workshop, a presenter for West Oak described reductions from the earlier proposal: residential density down from roughly 600 units to 219 fee‑simple townhomes, building heights cut from four stories to two, and impervious cover trimmed from about 68% to the mid‑50s. Retail was reduced to about 40,000 square feet from a previously larger footprint; the plan retains a family‑oriented outdoor entertainment area and a proposed brewery as anchors.
The team said the development will require about $19 million in on‑site infrastructure — water and wastewater lines, grading, traffic improvements and a new roadway spine — including about $6.7 million directed at roads and traffic signals. The consultants estimated the local fiscal benefit at roughly $57 million in new local activity and $8 million in tax revenue accruing to the city over 20 years, and argued the project would create jobs and enable further growth along FM‑1626.
Council members praised the reductions but pressed the team on pedestrian and vehicular connectivity, safety at Cold Springs Road and FM‑1626, and whether the project still qualified for Tax Increment Reinvestment or PID support. Council member Davidson said the brewery and restaurant anchors “feel disconnected” and worried patrons would make unsafe left turns on FM‑1626 rather than use pedestrian connections. Developer representatives said they will enhance pedestrian links, work with staff on road design and discussed requesting a variance from the city’s PID policy to apply a PID enhancement fund to West Oak.
Public testimony raised traffic and school‑safety concerns near Elm Grove Elementary and asked for an updated traffic analysis; a resident noted there was no formal traffic study included in the workshop packet. The developer said new numbers show a 45% reduction in traffic impact compared with earlier, denser plans and pledged to continue coordinating with TxDOT and Hays County where needed.
The presentation and council discussion closed with the developer saying they hoped to return in 2025 with a refined PD/DA and requested council support for future PID/TIRZ considerations. Mayor Benoski and several council members said they welcomed the modifications but wanted more clarity about the public benefits tied to any requested incentives before moving to final approvals or financial commitments.
The workshop did not include any binding votes; staff said further zoning and financing requests would come back to council with more detailed traffic and fiscal analyses.
