Lakeway council adopts 2026 comprehensive plan and restores Serene Hills to thoroughfare map

Lakeway’s City Council unanimously approved the Lakeway 2026 comprehensive plan on March 16, endorsing a streamlined 50‑page document with supporting appendices and restoring Serene Hills Drive to the city’s thoroughfare plan.

Assistant City Manager Ashby Gordon summarized edits requested by the steering committee and ZAPCO, including removing a numeric story range in the dynamic core section and replacing it with the phrase "as compatible." Consultant Olivia Sullivan said the steering committee and ZAPCO had recommended the change after additional review, and staff emphasized the primary 50‑page document would be the official plan while appendices remain supporting materials. Council members debated whether "as compatible" provided useful guardrails; one councilor said the change was intended to prevent automatic escalation to maximum stories while another warned the wording leaves room for differing interpretations. As Councilor Sherman put it during discussion, the vision page "really captures what we were trying to accomplish with the plan."

Council voted to adopt the plan and, after a separate motion, directed staff to return Serene Hills to the thoroughfare map. Staff clarified that the thoroughfare plan is conceptual and nonbinding — a tool used to identify connectivity and funding priorities — but that restoring the Serene Hills designation preserves options for future engineering and funding decisions. The council also asked staff to correct minor recognition and typographical items in the document before publication.