AUSTIN | Project Updates Thread Part II - Page 91

drummer · #**1801** Posted **Mar 26, 2015, 9:57 AM**

Assuming growth in 2015 is the same, give or take, Austin MSA should hit the 2 million mark this year or next year.

I'd be interested to see the growth patterns of the Austin metro area. Is it still predominantly to the northwest? Obviously it's not limited to that direction, but I read somewhere a while back that the growth center (whatever the technical name) was moving in that general direction.

Given that Hays County is growing so fast, it'll really begin to connect SA and Austin even more. What is Comal County doing lately? Any of you demographics guys know?

The ATX · #**1802** Posted **Mar 26, 2015, 10:08 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by drummer

Assuming growth in 2015 is the same, give or take, Austin MSA should hit the 2 million mark this year or next year.

I'd be interested to see the growth patterns of the Austin metro area. Is it still predominantly to the northwest? Obviously it's not limited to that direction, but I read somewhere a while back that the growth center (whatever the technical name) was moving in that general direction.

Given that Hays County is growing so fast, it'll really begin to connect SA and Austin even more. What is Comal County doing lately? Any of you demographics guys know?

Austin is probably already at the 2 million. The Census numbers are always about a year behind. I keep hoping Burnet Co. will be added to the metro, but we'll have to wait at least another year for that.

Novacek · #**1803** Posted **Mar 26, 2015, 2:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hill Country

Austin is probably already at the 2 million. The Census numbers are always about a year behind. I keep hoping Burnet Co. will be added to the metro, but we'll have to wait at least another year for that.

Only 9573 behind San Jose

28k behind Indianapolis.
51k behind Columbus.

By now (2015) we're probably already ahead of SJ. We may be ahead of Indy.

smith_atx · #**1804** Posted **Mar 26, 2015, 2:38 PM**

Thankfully we have significant infrastructure projects moving forward to prepare for the 50k+ people moving here every year.

Oh, wait...

Novacek · #**1805** Posted **Mar 26, 2015, 2:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by smithlua

Thankfully we have significant infrastructure projects moving forward to prepare for the 50k+ people moving here every year.

Oh, wait...

North Mopac Expansion
South Mopac Expansion
183 North Expansion
183 East Expansion
45 SW
Lone Star Rail

all in progress _right now_.

In future Campo plans:
I35 managed lane expansion
Commuter rail to Manor/Elgin

smith_atx · #**1806** Posted **Mar 26, 2015, 4:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Novacek

North Mopac Expansion
South Mopac Expansion
183 North Expansion
183 East Expansion
45 SW
Lone Star Rail

all in progress _right now_.

In future Campo plans:
I35 managed lane expansion
Commuter rail to Manor/Elgin

I'm pumped for Lone Star Rail but I don't see much progress. Maybe I'm out of the loop.

IMO the others are quite minor in response to the population growth.

Novacek · #**1807** Posted **Mar 26, 2015, 5:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by smithlua

I'm pumped for Lone Star Rail but I don't see much progress. Maybe I'm out of the loop.

IMO the others are quite minor in response to the population growth.

I know the lone star rail has been slow going, but they're doing the EIS now, which is a required part of the process, so they're still making progress.

The road expansions in progress now represent a couple of Billion dollars of construction. Then the I35 expansion is like _4 Billion_ on top of that.

I wouldn't call it "quite minor"

Tech House · #**1808** Posted **Mar 26, 2015, 5:10 PM**

We're on pace to see 5 million by 2050. Spooky. Water may end up being the limiting factor. The battle over ground water in Hays County that is currently taking place, between Electro Purification, Goforth, and private well owners, could just be a tiny taste of what's in store for the future. Certainly the state of Texas needs to abolish the absurd Rule of Capture. The entire state needs to manage water resources responsibly and sustainably. This is where ostensibly-conservative Texas legislators needs to live up to the true meaning of the word they're so fond of chanting with religious fervor in every election year.

JoninATX · #**1809** Posted **Mar 26, 2015, 5:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hill Country

Austin is probably already at the 2 million. The Census numbers are always about a year behind. I keep hoping Burnet Co. will be added to the metro, but we'll have to wait at least another year for that.

Even though Burnet County isn't added to the Austin MSA, I still add it to the area. Not having Marble Falls to the area just seems weird to me. As well as your right right Hill County, the estimates have Austin at 1,943,000 in 2014. I would suspect that Austin grew another 50,000 putting it very close to the 2 million mark or just above it.

ATXboom · #**1810** Posted **Mar 26, 2015, 7:04 PM**

Anyone know the population of burnet county?

JoninATX · #**1811** Posted **Mar 26, 2015, 7:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATXboom

Anyone know the population of burnet county?

Approx 45,000.

Novacek · #**1812** Posted **Mar 26, 2015, 7:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATXboom

Anyone know the population of burnet county?

2013 estimate was 43k

It doesn't have a 2014 estimate yet for some reason

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/48053.html

JoninATX · #**1813** Posted **Mar 26, 2015, 7:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Novacek

2013 estimate was 43k

It doesn't have a 2014 estimate yet for some reason

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/48053.html

Cool, I just decided to add an extra 2,000 since it's been 2 years for their estimates.

lzppjb · #**1814** Posted **Mar 26, 2015, 9:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Novacek

I know the lone star rail has been slow going, but they're doing the EIS now, which is a required part of the process, so they're still making progress.

The road expansions in progress now represent a couple of Billion dollars of construction. Then the I35 expansion is like _4 Billion_ on top of that.

I wouldn't call it "quite minor"

I believe he was talking more about how much they'll help. Not so much the money being spent.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tech House

We're on pace to see 5 million by 2050. Spooky. Water may end up being the limiting factor. The battle over ground water in Hays County that is currently taking place, between Electro Purification, Goforth, and private well owners, could just be a tiny taste of what's in store for the future. Certainly the state of Texas needs to abolish the absurd Rule of Capture. The entire state needs to manage water resources responsibly and sustainably. This is where ostensibly-conservative Texas legislators needs to live up to the true meaning of the word they're so fond of chanting with religious fervor in every election year.

I believe in ground water rights.

drummer · #**1815** Posted **Mar 27, 2015, 1:19 AM**

It really does make sense to add Burnet County for a lot of reasons. A lot of people utilize 281 (via 29) to avoid Austin to San Antonio traffic, especially truckers. Burnet utilizes a lot of the northern metro conveniences; Marble Falls, while it's growing a lot in its own right, still utilizes a lot of things in south metro area (via 71). The school district (at least MFISD) competes in the same districts for extracurricular activities as many of the Austin area ISD's. Many people commute to the Austin area for work. Many folks from Austin frequent the Marble Falls area on the weekends. It just makes sense. Isn't it already a part of CAMPO? I think I read that recently.

I've still got some family in the Marble Falls area. It's a pretty cool area, really, for a smaller town. I like the way it's growing, though, according to my family that lives there, they're struggling with "keeping the small-town charm" and growing wisely when people are inevitably moving there. They've avoided building a loop for decades because of older viewpoints (don't build it and they won't come, for instance...which hasn't worked). There's a stoplight on every block and the current and future traffic flow estimates are much greater than capacity. I especially like that it's not entirely dependent on other areas for retail and work (too much, anyway); it's not really a bedroom community. Many smaller towns in the Hill Country actually consider Marble Falls a regional hub of sorts, outside of Austin.

KevinFromTexas · #**1816** Posted **Mar 27, 2015, 2:19 AM**

Can someone post the link for the most recent county and metro data numbers? Is there an EXCEL link?

LoneStarMike · #**1817** Posted **Mar 27, 2015, 2:42 AM**

You can try here, but they're not EXCEL

http://www.census.gov/newsroom/press...estimates.html

KevinFromTexas · #**1818** Posted **Mar 27, 2015, 3:58 AM**

^Thanks. I'll get on there and poke around.

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news....257263.735682

Quote:

Adler calls for plan to reduce Austin’s backlog of development permits
Posted: 8:11 p.m. Wednesday, March 25, 2015

By Taylor Tompkins - American-Statesman Staff

Mayor Steve Adler said he wants to fix the problems with the city’s planning and development review departments — starting with the backlog of development permits.

Speaking Wednesday to the Real Estate Council of Austin, Adler said he proposed a resolution this week that would give the city manager 30 days to create a plan that would eliminate the backlog of permits. The resolution is slated to be discussed at the April 2 City Council meeting.

“Unless we get the permitting process functioning at a really high level in this city, it’s going to impact” Austin’s housing market, Adler said. “We have a process right now that takes too long and costs too much.”

A draft report released this month by consultant Zucker Systems said there was an estimated a backlog of 119 residential cases, 79 commercial cases and 76 site plan reviews. Among the 464 recommendations in the wide-ranging Zucker Report: “All backlog of permits should be reduced to zero.”

lzppjb · #**1819** Posted **Mar 27, 2015, 5:32 AM**

It's about time.

pscajunguy · #**1820** Posted **Mar 27, 2015, 6:38 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

^Thanks. I'll get on there and poke around.

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news....257263.735682

The Zucker Systems Report sure lit a fire under somebody! I'll bet that a lot of people in the Planning Commission were asked who said what on all those questionnaires. I'm not at all surprised that the response was so quick, considering all the head-banging that must be going on!