Posting Language
Title
Authorize negotiation and execution of all documents and instruments necessary or desirable to acquire approximately 10.821 acres (471,363 square feet) of land located at 13017 Bob Johnson Road, Unit C, Manchaca, Texas 78652, together with an approximately 28,599-square-foot access easement across 13017 Bob Johnson Road, Unit B, Little Bear Orchards, LLC, for a total amount not to exceed $1,434,000 including closing costs, for watershed protection purposes. The property to be acquired consists of fee simple ownership of real property situated in the Walker Wilson Survey No. 2, Abstract No. 27, being all of that land described in the deed recorded in Document No. 2008044226 of the Official Public Records of Travis County, Texas, together with the easement reserved for ingress and egress over, upon, and across a 50-foot strip of land described in Exhibit C of the deed recorded in Volume 8266, Page 476 of the Deed Records of Travis County, Texas, and appurtenant to the property. Funding: $1,434,000 is available in the Capital Budget of Austin Financial Services.
De
Lead Department
Austin Financial Services.
Fiscal Note
Funding is available in the Capital Budget of Austin Financial Services.
Prior Council Action:
August 14, 2024 - City Council adopted Resolution No. 20240814-024 that directed the City Manager to create a dedicated land acquisition fund that the City could utilize to acquire land for parkland, protecting the City’s water supply, improving drainage, and mitigating flood risks.
For More Information:
Brandon Williamson, Austin Financial Services, 512-974-5666; Michael Gates, Austin Financial Services, 512-974-5639; Erin Wood, Austin Watershed Protection, 512-974-2809.
Additional Backup Information:
The property totals approximately 10.821 acres and is located along Bob Johnson Road in the Austin 2-mile ETJ, at the confluence of Little Bear Creek and Bear Creek.
This proposed acquisition is funded through certificates of obligation established by Resolution 20240814-024, which directs the City Manager to acquire land to protect the City's water supply, improve drainage, and mitigate flood risks. It also directed the prioritization of land with additional environmental benefits, such as reducing the City's carbon footprint, increasing the City's resilience to the effects of climate change, and protecting sensitive ecosystems vulnerable to development.
This property scored very high on the prioritization matrix developed by a cross-departmental team to meet the goals outlined in the resolution. The property will be managed by Austin Watershed Protection.
The property features a quarter mile of frontage along Bear Creek and Little Bear Creek as well as sensitive environmental features, including rimrock formations, multiple springs, and a healthy riparian corridor. Staff conducted a field visit and found the site to be in good ecological condition, with minimal erosion, limited invasive species, and a resilient mix of native trees and groundcover, significantly reducing the initial and ongoing workload for land management.
Permanently preserving this property will safeguard water quality, maintain floodplain function, support carbon sequestration, and promote habitat connectivity. In addition to its ecological value, the property provides future potential for community access, allowing people to engage directly with nature through environmental education and shared stewardship.
An independent third-party appraisal was procured to establish the fair-market valuation of the proposed acquisition. The appraisal supports the purchase price of $1,414,089. The amount of the purchase price plus closing costs is not to exceed $1,434,000.