Waco council OKs water restrictions, 25th Street plan, more

Council members also heard presentations from city staff on the state of city street pavement and the planned expansion of the Bull Hide Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. The council also adopted the Kimley-Horn 25th Street Corridor Plan, which was presented to the council last month.

The drought contingency plan must be updated every five years, while the water conservation plan is a new document that outlines strategies to safeguard Waco's water supply for the next 100 years. The plans were first presented to the council in March, and after amendments, the council approved the plans on first reading during the council's most recent regular meeting earlier this month.

The updated drought contingency plan calls for a three-day-a-week lawn watering schedule year-round, regardless of the current drought level, similar to restrictions already in place in many other Texas cities. Under the plan, hand watering is not restricted unless the city reaches more severe drought stages. The long-term water conservation plan calls for expanding Waco's water supply to avoid over-reliance on Waco Lake for water, which is now the city's only source of drinking water. Strategies outlined in the plan include securing more Brazos River Authority water rights to draw water from the Brazos River.

The council approved an agreement to lease a 3,100-square-foot facility downtown for use as a new visitor center. The city's current visitor center is directly next to the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, and city staff said they hope the new location will result in increased foot traffic to the visitor center .

The new location is 323 S. Sixth St., in the space attached to the AC by Marriott hotel and near Magnolia Market in Silos. The lease is for 10 years with two five-year renewal options, and city staff said they hope to move into the new location by the end of the year.

Another item the council approved Tuesday allows a developer, SLF-Waco, to secure $58 million in tax-exempt bonds for a senior housing project, the Cottages at Warren Road. The project, planned for the intersection of Warren and Ritchie roads, would include 146 senior housing units. The city is not directly involved in the financing, but the tax code requires city approval for the developer to receive the tax-exempt bonds. SLF-Waco is wholly owned by the Senior Life Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Georgia.

The council got its first look at the Kimley-Horn 25th Street Corridor Plan completed last month and the results of traffic studies done ahead of a planned project to increase foot traffic on 25th and 26th streets. The council signed the plan on Tuesday. It includes two-way traffic and roundabouts, along with other measures aimed at reducing traffic speed and encouraging foot traffic from the many businesses along the corridor.

City Manager Bradley Ford presented a study that found 41 percent of Waco's streets are in good condition, 23 percent are in fair condition and 36 percent are in poor condition. According to the council's agenda package, the city has spent $144 million since 2020 to renovate city streets and has seen an increase in roads rated as good and a decrease in roads rated as poor.

Council member Josh Borderud said half of Waco's roads were rated poor in 2015, signifying the progress the city has made in improving roads.

The council also heard from Public Services Director Lisa Tyer about the planned expansion of the Bull Hide Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. The plant currently processes 1.5 million gallons of wastewater, with a total capacity of 2 million, prompting a requirement from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to plan for expansion once a plant comes up at 75% of its capacity.

Tyer said the plant would be expanded to allow it to process up to 4 million gallons a day, at a cost of $70 million. The cities of Lorraine and Hewitt, which are also served by the plant, would share the cost of the expansion.