BY GRACE DICKENS & APRIL KELLEY
High priority city amenities In Lakeway’s 2023 Annual Community Survey, respondents ranked the importance of city amenities on a scale of one to five, with five being the highest.
The backstory
What’s next?
Lakeway’s bond wouldn’t be the only driving force for park improvements in the area, if approved. Planning for land acquisition, conservation and more near Lake Travis began last November following the passage of Travis County’s $509 million road and parks bond. If the Lakeway bond passes, the city the city estimates projects will take 2-3 years to complete. If the bond fails, however, Molis said the city would have to regroup. “If it was the cost, we may decide to come back with a lower cost bond,” Molis said. In the event the bond fails due to residents resisting any type of bond, Molis said the city could try to fund a smaller number of projects with capital reserve and parkland dedication funds, but that the scope of those projects would be “greatly reduced.” Early voting for the May election will be April 22-30, and election day is May 4. Cost per household If the parks bond passes, households can expect a slight increase in taxes collected. Lakeway parks bond: average additional collected in taxes annually $9 $57 Travis County bond: average in taxes annually from bond passed in November
The parks projects bond election amount was scaled back from $28.7 million to $22 million after the city received resident feedback via town hall events and an annual community survey, accord- ing to prior reporting by Community Impact . The Lakeway Parks & Open Space Master Plan was something the city worked on after passing the city’s third Comprehensive Master Plan in 2020—which outlined a strategy to keep the city moving forward for the next 20 years—according to previous reporting by Community Impact . Goal 7 of the comprehensive plan sought to build and renew city parks and facilities, resulting in the creation of the Lakeway Parks & Open Space Master Plan in 2021. Projects for the bond were part of the Lakeway Parks & Open Space Master Plan.
42.26% of the 1,803 people surveyed ranked walking trails as their top priority
walking trails
4.07
park facilities
4.01
hiking trails
3.88
recreation courts and fields
3.47
playgrounds
3.24
0
1
2
3
4
5
Weighted average
NOTE: NOT ALL RESPONDENTS ANSWERED EVERY QUESTION. IN TOTAL, 2,435 RESIDENTS RESPONDED TO THE SURVEY.
Why it matters
“I definitely think there’s a big need for it,” Hop said. “I also think that the one that exists currently is really difficult to ride, even for someone on a professional level, like myself.” Lakeway resident Larry Harlan said at a Feb. 5 meeting that seeing the bond amount shrink from the original $28.7 million means some important projects will be eliminated. “The reality of that is there are a number of very valuable projects that are probably going to either be eliminated or downsized as we move forward,” Harlan said.
Some Lakeway residents remain excited about the prospect of the additions and upgrades to city parks and facilities that are part of the bond package, while others want the city to invest more into the parks rather than scale it down. Lakeway resident Chase Hop said he is a professional BMX rider who has lived in Lakeway for three years at a Jan. 16 City Council meeting. Hop said he is a frequent visitor of the current skate park at the Lakeway Swim Center, and he was excited at the prospect of one being added for all skill levels to Lakeway City Park.
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LAKE TRAVIS - WESTLAKE EDITION
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