Balanced proposal puts focus on people over cars
Friends of the Grove is a grass-roots organization of neighbors and stakeholders who support a vision for the Grove at Shoal Creek that features a balanced mix of uses, opportunities for affordable housing, multimodal transportation choices and amenities available to everyone. Located in the urban core only a few miles away from downtown, this property provides a unique opportunity to pursue the principles of “compact and connected” established by the Imagine Austin Comprehensive plan.
Our group has brought together more than 450 members, two Austin City Council members, several Austin nonprofits and property developers ARG Bull Creek for productive and transparent conversations about the future of this site.
The growing success of our group illustrates there is a legitimate and positive voice in the community wanting to provide constructive feedback to the developers. We, the founding members of Friends of the Grove and residents of the neighborhoods adjacent to the property, support ARG Bull Creek’s proposed vision because it provides the greatest number of benefits to current neighbors, future residents and Austin as a whole.
In a city desperately in need of more housing, the Grove will allow more than 1,500 new households to live within the urban core. We are extremely fortunate to be living where we are — and we are happy to give others the chance to join our community. The Grove also presents a historic opportunity for affordable housing in Central Austin as an additional 180 units for rent and purchase will be built for households with annual incomes as low as $25,000. Notably, this affordable housing will be located in a high-opportunity area of West Austin that provides access to quality schools, public amenities, and other resources.
In addition to the much needed housing, the Grove will also feature a 13-acre park — more than twice as large as the nearby, much loved, and heavily utilized Ramsey Park. With another 4 acres of open space spread throughout the Grove, we feel the area’s park needs are more than adequately fulfilled.
As neighbors, we also understand the need that exists for retail, recreational and office space within walking and biking distance. Currently, many residents are fairly dependent on cars to get to the places they need to go. This development is a chance to change those habits by providing appropriate density right where Austin needs it the most. Every home and business not built in Central Austin will need to be built in the suburbs to accommodate the rapidly increasing population. This pattern leads to increasing car dependency, sprawl and congestion on our highways. The Grove will help make the area a more livable and walkable place that we can all enjoy.
A planned unit development (PUD) needs to be superior to what could be developed under conventional zoning, and we feel this project meets that goal. Our favorite part of a denser development like this is the focus on people over cars. There will be plazas, pocket parks, trails, parkside restaurants, meadows and greenbelts sprinkled over the site. And they will be filled with people — existing residents and new ones — all enjoying these places together.
The developer is also willing to invest money to help partially fund off-site improvements, such as protected bike lanes along Bull Creek Road, traffic-calming measures in the neighborhoods and extending the Shoal Creek Trail. These area enhancements will be a tremendous asset to our neighborhood.
While the planning for the Grove is not finished nor perfect, we believe the developer has made great efforts to develop a vibrant community while also being responsive to its immediate neighbors. The current plan has been heavily influenced by neighbors who have spent years advocating for positive changes throughout the process. Community concerns about traffic and park space have been heard and are reflected in the Grove’s proposed offer to expand road capacity at nearby intersections so that congestion will not increase and preserve more than 20 percent of the property as park space.
Ultimately, the concrete benefits the Grove provides to Austin far outweigh the few potential drawbacks. There are many people in this city desperately looking to live in a place where they can afford to put down roots in a thriving community with easy access to jobs, parks, and all the attractions for which this great city is known. Let’s give them a place to live.