20261118-002, McLemore Tract Multifamily Water Service Extension Request No. 6517 Presentation — original pdf

Backup

McLemore Tract Multifamily Water & Wastewater Service Extension Request #6517 & 6518 Austin Watershed Protection | November 18, 2026 What is a Service Extension Request?  A service extension request is an application for City water or wastewater service from a property owner or developer.  Required when:  a property is more than 100 feet from accessible water/wastewater system or  existing infrastructure isn't adequate for the proposed project demands  May involve the construction of a new line/associated facility or upgrades to existing lines/facilities.  Applicant pays for the associated infrastructure, as outlined in the service extension request. 2 Service Extension Request Policy  A Service Extension Request requires Council approval if property:  is in Drinking Water Protection Zone and  is outside of the City's full purpose jurisdiction  AW & WPD staff review plans and present staff findings  Environmental Commission and Water & Wastewater Commission make recommendations for support or denial  No conditions may be placed on Service Extension Requests per State law 3 Request Summary  Water & Wastewater Service Request (SER)  10656 N FM 620  10 acres  Lake Travis Watershed  North Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone  Drinking Water Protection Zone  Water Supply Rural  Property removed from City of Austin’s extraterritorial jurisdiction in September 2024 and is within unincorporated Travis County (near Council District 6) 4 Proposed Development Intended Uses  303 multifamily units with 152 Living Unit Equivalents (LUEs)  10-acre development with 59% impervious cover  Parking covers approximately 34% of property 5 Background  Owner previously submitted Water and Wastewater SER for this property  Approved by Council on 7-4 vote on June 5, 2025, but subsequently expired  WPD did not recommend approval of the SERs primarily due to environmental impacts because the property has been removed from the 2- mile ETJ and therefore, the development on the property is not subject to more protective City of Austin environmental regulations. 6 Service Extension Request #6517 & 6518 Site Location Austin City Limits Austin extraterritorial jurisdiction Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone Edwards Aquifer Contributing Zone 7 Imagine Austin Growth Concept Map 8 Proposed Water Extension # 6517  950-foot extension from the existing public water main on the north of the property in North FM 620, south of the property. 9 Proposed Wastewater Extension #6518  1,300-foot extension from the existing public wastewater main north of the property in North FM 620, south of the property.  Applicant will be required to upgrade Volente Lift Station & 1,400 feet of existing downstream gravity wastewater main north of El Salido Parkway.  SER improvements do not cross any known environmental features. 10 City of Austin Jurisdictional Boundaries 10656 N FM 620 Road Two-mile Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Limited Purpose Jurisdiction 11 Environmental Impacts  Upstream of known Jollyville Plateau salamander habitat  Portions of the site contain slopes greater than 15%  No critical environmental features (CEFs) identified by applicant  COA database shows a seep CEF on the western corner of the property  No critical water quality zone/water quality transition zone 12 Environmental Features Seep Critical Environmental Feature Critical Environmental Feature Buffer Property Boundary 13 Environmental Regulations  If property had remained in the City’s extraterritorial jurisdiction:  Subject to Watershed Protections Ordinance  Impervious cover limited to 20% net site area  40% of downstream portion of the site would have been required to be preserved within a natural state  Construction on slopes greater than 15% are limited  Cut and fill no greater than four feet  Protections for critical environmental features  More protective water quality treatment standards than county & state requirements  Today, the property is subject to Travis County Code 482.216(a)(1)(a):  No impervious cover limits for commercial subdivision on a tract with primary driveway access on a state road (such as FM 620) 14 Alternative Wastewater Service Texas Land Application Permit (TLAP) Soils  Spray irrigation or subsurface irrigation  Tarrant soils onsite are limited due to  Permit issued by Texas Commission on Environmental Quality  Not feasible without drastically scaling back the number of LUEs planned Onsite Sewage Facility (OSSF)  10-13 LUEs possible due to Travis County rules for lot size (0.75-acre lot for development with public water supply or 1-acre for developments without) depth of bedrock and number of course fragments  Imported soils would be required required for both systems  Not ideal for either system  Severe limitations for septic tank absorption fields and pond construction due to shallow depth of bedrock  Maintenance requirements would increase due to the underlying soils.  Soil piping & preferential flow paths would still likely form, allowing wastewater migration below the root zone. 15 Other Community Considerations  There are currently three existing multi-family community developments located along North FM 620 between the Property and Anderson Mill Road.  The proposed project will add more affordable housing options to an area that is primarily developed with single-family homes and retail businesses.  This project aligns with the City Council’s goals of increasing housing supply in the Austin community.  The development is proposed under the Travis County Public Facility Corporation model and will provide 50% of the units as income-restricted affordable housing, helping expand local long-term housing opportunities.  An increase in housing units may support and justify an increase in public transportation options as well as funding for state highway improvements. 16 Consolidated City Recommendation  Based on City Council’s previous approval of these SERs and the significant benefits this project will bring to the community, the City recommendation is approval of SER #6517 and #6518. 17