Government
BY ANNA MANESS, BEN THOMPSON & GRACIE WARHURST
Austin metro 25th most populous in US The Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro area became the 25th largest in the country last year after continuing to rise in national rankings, boosted by the arrival of hundreds of thousands of new residents since the start of the decade. Overview Entering the 2020s, the Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area ranked as the 28th most populated in the U.S. with 2.3 million residents. Following years of steady population increases, the region ranked 25th with about 2.55 million residents as of July 2024, a nearly 11% increase, according to new census estimates released in March. The Austin metro totals include Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties.
Round Rock moves forward with Hwy. 79 engineer work Round Rock City Council began the process of collaborating with the Texas Department of Trans- portation on a project to improve Hwy. 79. A $1.3 million contract was approved for the preliminary engineer work at its meeting Feb. 27. The details The Hwy. 79 project will create a six-lane divided roadway with a raised median and shared- use paths from I-35 to A.W. Grimes Boulevard. An overpass over A.W. Grimes will be installed, with at-grade intersections everywhere else. Because it is a state roadway, TxDOT will be responsible for at least 90% of right-of-way acqui- sition and dry utility relocations, with Round Rock responsible for the remaining 10%. TxDOT will also be responsible for all construction costs.
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After HDR creates the initial design plans, the city will begin public outreach for the project. “There will be disruption not only to the trac for our citizens, but for the businesses you see along this route,” Thane said. “This project’s not going to happen quickly. It’s going to take several years.” The city will come back to council in the summer of 2026 for a nal engineering contract for work that will last into 2027. “In the meantime we will be having continuous discussions with TxDOT,” Thane said.
New WilCo subdivision rules address trac, water Williamson County commissioners approved amendments to the county’s subdivision regula- tions at a March 4 meeting. Changes went into eect immediately. The subdivision regulations were last revised Dec. 7, 2021, according to county documents. In a nutshell “The fastest growing ‘city’ in Williamson County is Williamson County. We are putting
AVERY NELSON PKWY.
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more homes on the ground in the county than in the cities.” RUSS BOLES, PRECINCT 4 WILLIAMSON COUNTY COMMISSIONER
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72-acre Verona tract approved for single- family homes Round Rock City Council moved to rezone the Verona tract at its meeting Feb. 27. Located in east Round Rock, the land can now be used for a traditional single-family residential development. The details City Council originally annexed the land as a Planned Unit Development in May 2023. The new proposal includes detached homes in a range of lot sizes, as well as an amenity center.
A new subdivision rule relates to turn lane and trac impact analyses, and will mostly be triggered for larger developments. Development crews will be required to provide necessary safety improvements to address any impacts to their development. Additional water and wastewater infrastruc- ture requirements are also a part of the new regulations. Prior to the approval of a nal plot for o-site and major infrastructure, any necessary permits for creating a water system or wastewater permits must be in place. Additionally, the infrastructure’s construction or bonding must take place prior to nal plot approval. “As water continues to be a challenge around the county, we are asking for rm, written commit- ments from the water providers to these proposed subdivisions,” Williamson County Engineer Adam
Boatright said. Developers can utilize data from the county’s Atlas 14 ¡oodplain study, which is close to being nalized, Boatright said. One more thing Transportation corridors that have been studied around the county will be documented within the subdivision regulations, as the county entered into a corridor agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation. The updated regulations also clarify the county’s position on new municipal utility districts and MUD road maintenance, and addresses recent legislative changes.
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ROUND ROCK EDITION
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