Circle C Residents Express Concerns Over Traffic from Proposed Apartments

The Austin City Council has approved two items related to a development in Circle C, near Kiker Elementary, which has sparked concerns amongst residents regarding potential traffic impacts. The area, Tract 110, was initially zoned for office space, but the developer, Stratus, seeks to rezone it for multi-family residential use, proposing approximately 1,000 apartment units, including affordable housing. One of the agenda items involved removing a requirement for the developer to construct an extension of South Bay Lane.

Residents have voiced their worries about traffic safety, particularly in the school zone, and the potential environmental effects of the proposed development. ‘We are not against them developing on that land. We don’t care if it’s offices. We don’t care if it’s apartments. We do worry about the density that they’re asking for, because they’re asking for 1,000 units,’ said Lisa Lyons from the Protect Circle C Coalition.

Parents in the area report existing traffic congestion, urging the city to conduct a traffic analysis before the development moves forward. ‘As part of the developing of this Tract 110, they were supposed to build a road that was going to guide the traffic out of our neighborhood… instead, they’re now asking for an access point on Dahlgreen Avenue, which is 500 feet from our elementary school,’ Lyons added.

Concerns were echoed by Kiker Elementary parents, with one mother, Annaelisa Baker, stating, ‘I live behind Kiker, so I use Dahlgreen to walk up to go to the school. I see the traffic backing up, and it scares me to think… the potential is very scary.’ Alicia Keswani, also a parent, expressed worries about vehicle speeds in the vicinity of the school.

In a statement, Beau Armstrong, CEO of Stratus, addressed community concerns, asserting that much misinformation surrounding the project exists. Armstrong clarified that of the total 190 acres, only 16 acres are being developed, with the remaining 174 acres preserved as open space. He emphasized that the development would adhere to stringent environmental standards and that traffic impacts would be lower than those generated by the previously allowed office use. A full Traffic Impact Analysis will be conducted when a site development permit is sought.

Armstrong maintained that the project aligns with Austin’s housing policy for multi-family housing near major transit corridors. He noted that the proposed density is lower than other recent developments in the area and that Stratus has a long history of environmental stewardship in Southwest Austin. ‘On Tract 110, Stratus is going well beyond the SOS environmental standards,’ he concluded.