Lakeway Approves Revised Park Plan, Considers Tech Upgrades

The new Butler Rough Hollow Park in Lakeway will now have a safer biking course and more shade as a result of community feedback collected by the Parks and Recreation Department. The City Council approved the new plan on Monday.

The department presented an initial plan to the council in December but that went roughly $1.5 million over budget, totaling $3.5 million, department director Andra Bennett said during Monday’s meeting. The plan approved on Monday costs approximately $2.6 million.

In the past six months, the department focused on incorporating the community's feedback from October while staying within the budget. The feedback resulted in moving parts of the bike course off the sidewalk to address residents’ safety concerns. It also eliminated the plan to fence off part of the park for students from nearby Rough Hollow Elementary School, off Bee Creek Drive, to use during school hours.

The new plan will have a mountain bike course, which is designed for children to learn biking skills, and a Ninja course for kids to challenge themselves. Those features were already in the plan, but the department had to revise them to reduce costs. It also will include an amphitheater, a basketball court with multiple hoops, a soccer and baseball field, and a playground that is mostly covered with shade, which was one of the concerns brought up during the December meeting.

The plans are part of the $22 million bond that residents approved in May 2024 and looks to improve city parks, including Butler Rough Hollow Park, the Lakeway Activity Center, City Park, the Swim Center and the Live Oak tennis courts.

Intelligent infrastructure proposal

Council Member Kent O'Brien also proposed a plan to improve technology infrastructure in Lakeway, which would include improving service gaps, strengthening connection for first responders and providing high-quality Internet service.

O’Brien suggested achieving those goals through modernizing infrastructure that provides low-power cellular and Wi-Fi services, which could help first responders stay connected during an emergency when the service might decrease. The technology also could eliminate the need for a large cellphone tower, which residents have opposed for safety and aesthetic reasons, and it could put power lines underground, creating a cleaner look around the city, O’Brien said.

The technology is focused on using Public Infrastructure Network Nodes, which could provide low-power service, and fiber optic networks, which improve the speed. According to the staff report, through discussing this plan, developers for The Square project and the Rough Hollow community have started "assessing and planning the integration” of the intelligent infrastructure to those projects.

O’Brien said using the intelligent infrastructure could qualify for a state-wide project, which could provide the city with state and federal funding.

The council did not take action on the plan, but Mayor Thomas Kilgore said it is a “good idea” but has questions and needs more information.

Main Street, Lohmans Spur update

The council also approved an amendment to the construction of The Square at Lohmans Crossing that would extend the finish date for the Main Street and Lohmans Spur expansions from June 2025 to June 2026.

The Square is within the new City Center development, and it will host businesses, retail, restaurants and living spaces. Since Main Street and Lohmans Spur go through the project, the developers are extending the roads to adapt to the change in traffic with four lanes and a dividing median.