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Converse officials outline Topperwine Phase 1 redesign, warn of multimillion-dollar funding gap
Summary
City staff reported Topperwine Road Phase 1 is about 90% through redesign but requires additional storm sewer work, small right-of-way acquisitions and coordination with Enterprise Products; updated cost estimate is $6.63M with an additional $2–3M possible for intersection realignment, leaving a funding shortfall against a $2.9M Certificate of Obligation balance.
Converse city staff told the City Council on Dec. 17 that the redesign for Topperwine Road Phase 1 (Meadowgate to FM 1976) is about 90% complete but requires additional stormwater improvements, minor right-of-way acquisitions and coordination with utility owners.
Assistant City Manager Nina Mendez said the updated opinion of probable cost for the project is $6,634,200 and that figure does not include the intersection realignment design or construction management, which staff estimated could add another $2 million to $3 million. “Out of that C of O, we have a balance right now of $2,916,589,” Mendez said, underlining a significant funding gap.
Staff described two near-term technical issues: a storm sewer system in the city right-of-way that does not currently carry the modeled flows, requiring additional inlets inside the TxDOT right-of-way, and a conflict between proposed storm infrastructure and an existing 18-inch water line at Hilltop and FM 1976. To avoid lowering the water line, staff said the design will reroute the line around the storm infrastructure to save money.
The city also reported it needs a small amount of additional right-of-way for two parcels and an easement from Enterprise Products (pipeline owner). Enterprise has provided contract language, and staff said the company may request payment for placing an encasement around its transmission line; staff indicated an initial reimbursement figure provided by the company of about $116,000 plus traffic control and detour responsibilities may apply.
Public works staff said they had submitted revised plans to TxDOT and that TxDOT required an updated traffic study because available data and conditions in the area had changed since the original study. “It’s not something that we wanted to do or chose to do,” the public works representative said, noting that TxDOT requested the update because of changes in traffic and development patterns.
Council members pressed staff on maintaining previously approved design elements where no changes were intended, and on ensuring the project would be competitively bid once revised plans were complete. Staff said they will return with a full set of revised plans and then proceed with a competitive bid process.
Next steps: staff will complete the revised plans, continue negotiations with Enterprise Products and TxDOT, and return to council with a bid-ready package and updated funding options.
