To Whom it May Concern:

I am writing you all because I am against Travis South coming into my neighborhood.  There is a direct safety concern for the City of Austin’s Intersection at Puryear and Old San Antonio Road, specifically that the intersections geometry will not permit semi trucks turning radius.  This Industrial project is also in direct conflict with the neighboring land uses, the new Texas Childrens Hospital, the City of Austin Comprehensive Plan and the supporting Travis County Land, Water, Transportation plan that was adopted in 2014, which provides guidance to minimize incompatible land uses such as this.  This will also downgrade my property values. 

Project Background

The Travis South Industrial project, formerly Onion Creek Industrial, (City of Austin - SP2021-0471D & Travis County - 22-37775) is located at the corner of Puryear and Old San Antonio Rd. The impact from this incompatible industrial use to the area creates a substantial safety issue and conflicts with established land uses in the immediate area. 

The proposed industrial site is opposed by myself in the area and the use is in direct conflict with Texas Children's Hospital, the Residential/Commercial/Medical developments proposed in the area, and the City of Austin (COA) Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan.

Stillwater Capital is pitching the project as a quick flip proposal for industrial and will leave both Travis & Hays counties, COA, and the neighbors to deal with the traffic issues and downgraded land use and values.

This large industrial project at 13422 Old San Antonio Rd is proposing 576,059 SF of industrial with parking for up to 290 Tractor trailers. The collective neighbors of the proposed industrial have created an accurate map to depict current and future land uses, you will notice there are no plans for industrial in the area in compliance with COA comprehensive plan.

Another issue arises from the traffic implications that the industrial use will bring, the current intersection at Puryear and Old San Antonio Rd will not support 18-wheeler traffic per consulted traffic engineers. The COA owns this intersection and is responsible for weighing in on the development as well from a safety concern and protecting the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan.

Additional concerns the neighbors have are:

• The residential development Estancia West will be on the Northern Border of this industrial. The 11-acre section between the residential development and the northern border of the proposed industrial project has a frontage portion dedicated to future public transportation use. There is a great deal of concern about the heavy truck traffic mixing with the future public transportation hub and the large residential development.

• There are concerns about the industrial traffic mixing with the elementary school traffic in Hays county which is less than .8 of a mile south on Old San Antonio Rd of the proposed location.
• The bridge and Old San Antonio Rd south of the proposed industrial development on Old San Antonio Rd has a weight limit of 28,800 lbs. Old San Antonio Rd is well over 100 years old and is shared by both Travis and Hays counties and share a common load range of 28,8000 lbs. The Load range of Puryear Rd would be similar. An 18 Wheeler tractor and trailer empty weighs approximately 35,000 lbs and loaded can be no more and 80,000 lbs, greatly exceeding the road capacity. In Short, Old San Rd does not have the load range or width to safely support 18 wheeler traffic.
• Significantly reduce surrounding land values and promote further uses degradation 
• Been completely incompatible with surrounding residential or commercial uses from safety and “quality of life” prospectives
• Their sales brochure shows a trailer parking pad along Old San Antonio Rd to add to the 218 Semi Trucks and numerous automobile parking places surrounding the buildings.
  

• We also have concerns about northbound traffic on Old San Antonio Rd from the site, this road has signage as a “no-heavy truck” road just north of the Puryear/Old San Antonio intersection. The Onion Creek bridge on Old San Antonio Rd has a max capacity of 24,000 pounds with a trailer restriction as well and the detour from the bridge takes you through the Estancia residential project on the North side of the future Texas Children's Hospital and over 500 homes in Estancia West. Additionally the TIA submitted indicates that Twin Creeks Rd would be used as an additional truck traffic route and its road and bridge system are at risk for the above same reasons.

Additional concerns that the neighboring landowners and over 2000 residences, that are immediately adjacent and impacted, have about the projected industrial development. Old San Antonio Rd has effectively served the 2000 residences as a collector and arterial, as well as, serving the population of Northern Hays county as an alternative to IH 35 during heavy traffic.

Travis county has the authority, per the Land Water and Transportation plan adopted in 2014, to "Provide guidance to minimize incompatible land uses". The COA has the authority to address incompatible uses that decrease safety at their intersection and must find a way to mitigate this industrial use. This is a perfect example of a development that is incompatible with the surrounding land uses and is in direct conflict with the COA's and Travis County's, Southern Regional hub.

Travis South