By Samantha Smith

Action was taken by the Buda City Council in June as they approved final design costs and bids for the Proposition 3 street projects. 

The project includes improvements to Old Goforth Road, San Antonio Street and the intersection at FM 967 and Main Street.

While final design plans for improvements to Main Street have not been approved, construction to the intersection at FM 967 and Main Street will go forward.

Buda Assistant City Manager Brian LaBorde informed council that design plans for Main Street improvements were not ready for approval at the June 21 meeting. 

LaBorde said the reasoning was design firm HDR was still preparing alternative design plans that are intended to preserve the heritage trees along Main Street, while still accommodating for current and future growth. 

According to LaBorde, the design plans for improvements along Main Street need to be re-evaluated by HDR to discover a solution to the issue of designing around the trees. HDR will have those plans ready for approval once further studies of the area are completed, LaBorde said. 

HDR representative Allen Crozier said after getting council’s feedback on their initial design plan, they are exploring different options to improve Main Street without sacrificing the trees.

The intersection at FM 967 and Main Street improvement designs were approved even at $300,000 over budget.

Crozier said this outstanding estimate is not as scary as it appears to be.

“Estimates tighten up as you advance in design,” Crozier said, indicating to council that the estimate will become more finite as the design process progresses. 

Crozier also told council that HDR is working with RPS Klotz Associates Inc. to look at things that can be done to bring the cost estimate down.  

Crozier told council that the design plans for Old Goforth Road were complete and that HDR was waiting on final approval from the school district to start construction. 

Final design plans for San Antonio Street were approved that will separate San Antonio St. from Garison.

Mayor Todd Ruge was optimistic that the decisions by council on the final design plans for the proposed street improvements were the right ones.

“The San Antonio Street improvement option that was chosen was the most expensive option, but it was the most aesthetically pleasing and addresses the traffic concerns the best,” Ruge said. 

Buda citizens approved Proposition 3 improvements after voters passed the $55 million bond initiative in 2014. 

Council members had mixed reactions to Crozier’s presentation, but were eager to move forward with the improvements.

“It will be interesting to see what comes of the Goforth/Cabela’s connection,”  council member George Haehn said. 

“Yes it will,” Crozier said.