By Samantha Smith

Refinement of design plans for an improvement to Main Street was one of several updates given to the Buda City Council earlier this month on the status of projects under Propositions 3 and 4 of the 2014 Bond. 

City Engineer John Nett gave a brief report to council members Sept. 20 on the current state of projects in Propositions 3 and 4, which involve streets and drainage, respectively. Engineering firm HDR, Inc. will be taking on projects under both propositions, Nett said. 

For Proposition 3, Nett updated the council on improvements to four streets in town – Main Street, RM 967, San Antonio Road and Old Goforth Road.

Nett said the Main Street improvements are taking the longest to extrapolate since there is more to consider with that particular roadway. 

The design plan for the Main Street improvements still needs refining, as does the cost for three segments of the project, he said. 

According to Nett’s presentation, the Buda Bond Committee also gave counsel to staff regarding the inclusion of the Cabela’s connector in the Main Street improvement plan. 

A Sept. 15 meeting involving city staff, Page architects, and Klotz engineering was held to coordinate Main Street design and the site design of the new municipal facility. 

For the other three streets, Nett said they were all progressing from 60 percent to 100 percent complete in design. Staff met with franchise utilities and Public Works on Sept. 13 to evaluate utility conflicts. 

Council member Angela Kennedy asked Alan Crozier of HDR Engineering if there was a plan to expand the storm water culverts beneath Main Street. She referenced the most recent flood event when the water was over the road. 

Crozier said under Proposition 4 drainage plans, more of the drainage issues would be mitigated so the existing culverts under Main Street wouldn’t need to be expanded, as they would only receive the amount of water intended for them to hold in the first place.

Nett also explained the Proposition 4 drainage projects to council members, which includes six different improvement areas. Those include drainage improvements on west Goforth Road, near the Buda Fire Station, Bluff and Houston streets, the Oxbow neighborhood and Lifschutz Headwaters.

Buda was awarded a grant from the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) for an early warning flood system to  help mitigate flood disasters in the city, Nett said. 

Staff will present their final plans to council in October, Nett said. They will complete construction plans and take bids on the project in late spring 2017. Construction is slated to begin for all projects by summer 2017.

Prop 3 Updates

Main Street Improvements

• Refining design and costs for segments 1, 2 and 3

• Received bond counsel opinion regarding inclusion of segment 5-Cabela’s Drive connector

• Met with Page and Klotz on Sept. 15 to coordinate Main Street design and municipal facilities site design

RM 967 and Main Street Improvements

• Progressing from 60% to 100% design

• Met with franchise utilities and Public Works on September 13 to evaluate utility conflicts

San Antonio Rd. Improvements

• Progressing from 60% to 100% design

• Met with franchise utilities and Public Works on September 13 to evaluate utility conflicts

Old Goforth Rd. Improvements

• Progressing from 60% to 100% design

• Met with franchise utilities and Public Works on September 13 to evaluate utility conflicts

Prop 4 Updates

Drainage Project Status Summary

• June 2015- Selected Design Consultant

• August 2015- Began Preliminary Engineering Phase

• February 2016- Completed Engineering Study

• July 2016- Delivered Draft Final Preliminary Engineering Report

• September 2016- Conducting Drainage Stakeholders Meetings

• October 2016- Presentation of Final PER to City Council

• Late Spring 2017- Complete Construction Plans and Specifications and Bid projects

• Summer 2017- Estimated Construction Start