Terraces Phase 1 site plan must be fixed

Developers of the Terraces project will head back to the drawing board after a site plan for the first phase of the project was rejected recently by the Bee Cave City Council.

The development, across from the Hill Country Galleria near the intersection of RM 620 and Bee Cave Parkway, would consist of a condo and townhome development with restaurant and office space. The project is subject to a planned development district ordinance that was approved by the City Council in April 2017, conditioned upon adding an entrance onto RM 620 to lessen the traffic impact on Bee Cave Parkway.

In the presentation to the City Council, Steve Metcalfe, the attorney representing the developer, said the Ethan’s View Condominiums and Town Homes site plan consists of 57 residential units — 41 condos and 16 town homes — 25,000-square-foot restaurant and office space and approximately 65,000 square feet of garage space.

City staff reviewed the plans and pointed out several issues with the proposal. Parking and the design of the restaurant and office building seemed to draw the most objections.

Parking for this portion of the project has 108 spaces under the building, Metcalfe said. The proposed plan shows to have 122 total parking spaces but only 76 spaces are part of a joint parking garage. There are an additional 32 spaces shown to be parking under the building but are designated as two-car personal garages for the town homes. Fourteen surface spaces, intended to be visitor parking, are also available.

“The project based on the number of units would require 114, and we have 122, so we’re over parked by eight spaces,” Metcalfe said.

Metcalfe said the 25,000-squarefoot office and restaurant building — 14,500 of which is restaurant space — is a three-story building with a rooftop bar, patio and swimming pool.

The restaurant and office space, as required by the ordinance, allows for a rooftop bar and patio at no more than two stories high. The proposed plan appears to show the building at three stories high, with two stories of restaurant and one story of office, and includes a rooftop bar, patio and pool.

During the public comments portion of the discussion, residents asked the council to deny the plan citing issues with the proposed parking arrangements, lack of impervious cover and building elevations.

“You guys need to do your job and hold this guy accountable and this project accountable for meeting the requirements of the PDD as written,” resident Carrell Killebrew said.

While city staff and council had a few other concerns, nonconformance with the parking arrangements and building design and elevations were proof enough for denial.

“I have reviewed the site plan under consideration and find that it fails to comply with the zoning ordinance in effect for this property for reasons,,” Council Member Bill Goodwin said.