By Camelia Juarez
In an attempt to plan for the next 20 years, Wimberley community planners have recommended new sidewalks and pedestrian walkways for Old Kyle Road.
The current comprehensive plan is set to expire in 2022, which is the reason the Wimberley Downtown District Committee and the Wimberley Comprehensive Committee met to make recommendations to outline downtown Wimberley.
Theresa Shell, of the Downtown Wimberley District Committee, said her committee’s goal is pedestrian safety, adequate parking and improved aesthetics. The committee’s goal is to connect downtown to the parks.
“It would be so beneficial to downtown and to our residents, visitors if there was the connectivity between downtown and the park. I think there would be more pedestrian mobility, evening activity. The challenge is creating the connectivity with pedestrian walkways and more parking – not only for tourists, but for our residents,” Shell said.
Currently, the city has three crosswalks, one close to the square. Shell said as the city continues to grow and tourism increases, the city needs to be more accommodating.
“There is confusion for tourists. The pedestrian walkways don’t have flashing lights, so we need to find a way to remedy that. Currently, we have a constable guiding people across the street and hopefully we can find permanent solutions,” Shell said.
Landowners and business owners will be able to give their opinions on the Old Kyle Improvement at the next city council meeting. Outlines for the sidewalks have been drawn by retired architect Burt Ray and will be featured at the meeting.
