By Moses Leos III
Buda’s long-awaited downtown master plan (DMP) is nearing completion almost ten months after it was commissioned.
The original plan was to reveal it in June, but personnel changes at the contractor, Halff and Associates, as well as city-requested specification changes delayed the timeline.
While the final report won’t go to council until mid-September, city staff and the DMP advisory committee await it’s unveiling.
“A lot of people put personal differences aside for the betterment of the city,” Mayor Todd Ruge said. “I’m anxious to see the final product.”
Halff and Associates started the process in December 2013. The city broke down Halff’s services into six-phases. The first four are: pre-planning, reviewing existing conditions, gaining public input and making recommendations.
The two final phases are draft preparation and final adoption. Halff and Associates is working on those sections now, according to Jim Carrillo, Vice President, Director of Planning.
He said the firm has worked with city staff on refining the smaller details, such as the scope of the downtown plan and ensuring the recommended changes compliment adjacent neighborhoods.
“It’s a good plan. It’s one where everyone loves downtown Buda,” Carrillo said. “There are a lot of opinions on how [downtown] should change. We are trying to balance it out.”
He said they are also addressing items such as loading hours for Main Street businesses and the locations of commercial dumpsters.
“It’s just getting everything addressed and [making sure] the recommendations are in line and where they need to be,” Carrillo said.
While Halff works on the smaller details, the larger scope of the DMP remains mostly intact.
Providing a framework for downtown growth, while keeping the city’s small-town charm, is the overall goal of the DMP.
“There is a balancing act. You can put a lot of things downtown, but it wouldn’t be downtown Buda,” Carrillo said. “It would be a downtown with a different character.”
The plan, crafted in 2013, features input from Buda city leaders, a 14-person informal advisory committee and the general public.
Easing traffic concerns at the corner of FM 967 and Main Street is at the top of Halff’s recommendations. The addition of a dedicated turn lane on the southbound side of Main Street is still in the works.
On August 12, the FM 967 intersection reconstruction was included in one of five propositions for Buda’s November bond election.
Improving walkability in downtown was another area of focus. Recommendations include widening sidewalks in front of businesses, along with adding streetscape and landscape improvements.
Aesthetic improvements and the addition of sidewalks are recommended for Houston, Railroad and San Marcos Streets. The goal is to alleviate traffic issues on San Antonio and San Marcos streets.
Carrillo said readjusting where San Antonio meets Main Street is important. Getting it away from Garison Road is the goal.
However, San Antonio would remain a two-way thoroughfare. Preliminary recommendations called for San Antonio to become a one-way street.
Halff also got citizen feedback addressing speed concerns on San Marcos Street. That includes possibly adding traffic calming measures, such as speed humps.
Also staying the same are measures to improve the greenbelt. That includes the possible addition of landscape elements.
However, Carrillo said all of their recommendations aren’t set in stone. Halff plans to present the final report to the advisory committee. It wouldn’t be finalized until the Buda Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council approve the DMP.
Carrillo said Halff is working on implementation strategies for the plan.
Despite extending the city’s timeline, ensuring the plan adheres to the city’s vision was important for Carrillo.
“We want to make sure we get it right, even if it takes longer to get it right,” Carrillo said.
