To boost downtown, City Council exploring making street one way
The Pflugerville City Council is considering turning a portion of West Pecan Street into a one-way road in its exploration of revitalizing the downtown area.
Council members last week heard a presentation from city staff outlining possibilities for Pflugerville’s downtown area, which included the oneway Pecan Street idea to create a more pedestrian-friendly area.
Council Member Jeff Marsh sparked discussion on downtown in January to foster “Pflugerville’s sense of place” and give staff a clear vision of the area. Despite nearly 15 years of discussion and plans, the city has not taken any formal action on revitalizing the area.
Planning Director Emily Barron suggested creating a “road diet” for Pecan Street to foster more pedestrian and bicycle traffic. She said that could mean creating wider sidewalks and adding trees to the area.
One staff proposal has West Pecan becoming one-way eastbound from Fourth Street to Railroad Avenue with westbound traffic on Main Street.
Since the Texas Department of Transportation oversees Pecan Street, city staff have had preliminary discussions with the agency about the proposed plan, but will still need to have talks with the local school district and Fire Department, which would also be affected by any plans that moved forward, she said.
City staff would also talk to TxDOT about the city taking over control of the portion of Pecan from Swenson Farms to FM 685.
The plan suggested a 160-acre downtown area with a 19-acre entertainment district and downtown core. In comparison, Barron said Round Rock’s downtown core is about 37 acres with a total downtown area of 185 acres.
Gregory Pope, owner of the downtown business Mr. Pfranks, thanked the council for its renewed interest in downtown and suggested focusing on a smaller downtown center. He also suggested downtown signage.
Council Member Doug Weiss said the downtown center needs to be “entertainment surrounded by restaurants.”
“I very much like the concept,” Weiss said. “I don’t know if we’ve got the lines in the right place, but I do want to thank you for putting such a creative idea on paper.”
Mayor Victor Gonzales said there will have to be discussions about the effect on downtown neighborhoods, which could involve a study. But City Manager Brandon Wade urged action, saying he wants to avoid more downtown studies.
“This isn’t on our strategic plan,” he said. “I would hope that you would give me some direction, otherwise we kind of need to stop at this point.”
Weiss, Marsh and city staff were assigned to a downtown subcommittee. Council members also voted to direct staff to evaluate drawing larger boundaries for the downtown area and outline public outreach initiatives.