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City celebrates Downtown Georgetown as one of five Great Neighborhoods in U.S.
The City will celebrate the recent naming of Historic Downtown Georgetown as a Great Neighborhood by the American Planning Associations with an ice cream social on the Williamson County Courthouse lawn, 710 S. Main St., on Oct. 15 from 4 to 6 p.m.
The event will feature ice cream from All Things Kids and will include a proclamation from Mayor Dale Ross.
“It is exciting to learn that Georgetown’s historic downtown district, centered around the Most Beautiful Town Square in Texas, has been named one of the Great Places in America,” Ross said. “Our downtown, with art galleries, museums, our public library, and street festivals, is also a state-recognized cultural district. This wonderful recognition for the heart of our community is a tribute to our citizens who have cared for the historic buildings as well as the people who live and work and visit here.”
According to the APA, the Great Places in America Program recognizes the streets, neighborhoods, and public spaces in the U.S. demonstrating exceptional character, quality, and planning—attributes that enrich communities, facilitate economic growth, and inspire others around the country.
The Great Neighborhoods of 2018 are places that are unique and exemplary in their amenities and infrastructure, cultural identity, and use of sustainable and innovative practices.
“Great Places take decades to create, maintain and evolve into the spaces we have the privilege of enjoying today,” Georgetown Planning Director Sofia Nelson said. “It is through the leadership and work that happens every day by citizens, property owners, elected and appointed officials, city staff and the community at large that we have the Historic Downtown Georgetown we have today.”
Historic Downtown Georgetown was one of five neighborhoods to make the APA’s Great Places in America list. Other Great Neighborhoods include:
- Canalway Cultural District – Lowell, Massachusetts
- The Village of Shelburne Falls – Shelburne & Buckland, Massachusetts
- Guthrie Historic District – Guthrie, Oklahoma
- Ghent – Norfolk, Virginia
For more information about the award, visit www.planning.org/greatplaces/neighborhoods/2018/georgetown.
Bicycle Master Plan community workshop on Oct. 11
The City of Georgetown is seeking input from the community as the first step in developing a Bicycle Master Plan. Opinions of cyclists and non-cyclists are sought at a community workshop from 3 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 11, at the Georgetown Public Library, 402 W. Eighth St. The purpose of the workshop is to learn from community members about existing conditions for cycling as well as types of cycling activity in the city.
The City of Georgetown Public Works Department is working with graduate students from The University of Texas at Austin to create a Bicycle Master Plan for Georgetown. The Plan will serve as a blueprint for potential cycling transportation enhancements in the future.
The online survey to gather community input for the Bicycle Master plan is currently closed. For questions or concerns about this survey or the Bicycle Master Plan, please contact Mady Akers, transportation analyst intern for the City, at (512) 930-6552 or mady.akers@georgetown.org.
City considers voluntary annexation
The City of Georgetown is considering voluntary annexations. The Public Hearings for these proposed annexations will be held at the October 23, 2018 3:00 pm Special Meeting and the October 23, 2018 6:00 pm Regular City Council meeting, located at the City Council Chambers, 101 E. 7th Street, at the northeast corner of Seventh and Main Street. The areas being considered for annexation are:
Public Hearing for the Voluntary Annexation and designation of initial zoning to Local Commercial (C-1) zoning district upon annexation for an approximate 6.375-acre tract in the Lewis P. Dyches Survey, Abstract No. 171, and County Road (CR) 245, a right-of-way of varying width described to Williamson County, Texas, generally located at Ronald Reagan Boulevard and CR 245, to be known as the Highland Village 2 Non-Residential Tract.
Public Hearing for the Voluntary Annexation and designation of initial zoning to Public Facilities (PF) zoning district upon annexation for an approximate 22.896-acres to include adjacent right-of-way in the William Addison League Survey, Abstract No. 21, generally east of CR 110 and North of CR 111, to be known as Georgetown ISD Elementary School No. 7.
Agenda items will be posted with more information prior to the meetings at: http://agendas.georgetown.org/ Or contact the Planning Department at Planning@Georgetown.org.
City hosts Arbor Day Tree Giveaway on Nov. 3
The City of Georgetown Parks and Recreation Department will host the Arbor Day Tree Giveaway on Saturday, Nov. 3, from 8:30-11:30 a.m.
Georgetown residents can register in advance to receive one free 5-gallon tree per household. Trees are intended to be planted on private property. Four hundred trees across three varieties, including Shumard Oak, Cedar Elm and Tuscarora Crape Myrtle (20 foot tall hot pink variety), will be available. These trees are native or adapted to the Central Texas climate and soil. Tree species and quantities are limited and available on a first come, first served basis.
Trees can be picked up at the Georgetown Municipal Complex, 300-1 Industrial Ave.
City considers Voluntary Annexation
The City of Georgetown is considering a voluntary annexation. The Public Hearings will be held at the September 25, 2018 3:00 pm Special Meeting and the September 25, 2018 6:00 pm Regular City Council meeting, located at the City Council Chambers, 101 E. 7th Street, at the northeast corner of Seventh and Main Street. The area being considered for annexation is:
The Voluntary Annexation and designation of Public Facilities (PF) zoning district for an approximate 1.42-acre tract in the William Addison Survey, Abstract No. 21, generally located north of E University Ave and west of Inner Loop, to be known as Fire Station No. 7.
City extends pilot program with Lyft
The City of Georgetown has extended its partnership with Lyft to offer discounted rides to new and existing users through the end of October or until all available funds are expended, whichever comes first. The extension of the promotion will allow the City to learn about rideshare use in Georgetown.
Rides that originate in the Georgetown city limits are eligible for the Lyft partnership. Lyft passengers are responsible for the first $2 of the cost of the ride. The City will then pay up to $10 above that initial passenger payment. The passenger is responsible for any additional cost of the ride. The promotion allows for up to 10 rides per customer, per month until all funds for the pilot program are expended.
To use the promotion on a Lyft ride in Georgetown, download the Lyft app on an iPhone or Android smartphone and set up a Lyft account using a credit card. Then add the code GTOWNTX18 to the promo section of the Lyft app before requesting a ride. Note that you must be in “personal” mode for the code to apply. You will only need to enter the code one time. Once you have requested your ride, “applied credit” is displayed on the ride payment screen.
Data from the limited-time promotion will help the city to better understand ride use patterns for a transportation network company. Ride data available to the City after the pilot will not include names or addresses of riders or any credit card information.
National Night Out and On the Table event on Oct. 2
National Night Out, an annual event to support safe neighborhoods, is on Tuesday, Oct. 2, in Georgetown. Block parties are being organized from 6 to 9 p.m. The City’s planning department is also partnering with the police department for its On the Table Georgetown event on Oct. 2 as part of the public input process for the 2030 Comprehensive Plan update.
National Night Out
Online registration for National Night Out block parties in Georgetown ends Friday, Sept. 21. Registering your block party provides the information to the Georgetown Police Department so that an officer or other City employees or officials can visit your block party.
Last year there were more than 100 registered National Night Out events in Georgetown. Georgetown Police Department officers as well as other local law enforcement officers, elected officials, Georgetown firefighters and EMS technicians, and other City employees attended block parties in Georgetown.
The Georgetown Police Department is hosting a reception for hosts of NNO block parties at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 26, at the Public Safety Operations and Training Center, 3500 D.B Wood Road.
To register your National Night Out block party in Georgetown, go to pd.georgetown.org/national-night-out.
On the Table Georgetown
As part of the 2030 Comprehensive Plan update, the City and its community partners are asking residents to put all their ideas on the table. Don’t miss this opportunity to share your voice in the 2030 Plan, which will be a roadmap to guide the City’s growth and future development decisions.
In the past, the City has held public meetings to gather community input for planning efforts. For the first time the City is asking the public to bring the discussion to their own tables, collect input from their peers and report it back. On the Table Georgetown is a citywide engagement effort that will allow residents across the City of Georgetown to participate in a brief small group discussion all on the same day, wherever they are at.
On Tuesday, Oct. 2, everyone in Georgetown is invited to host a mealtime conversation—breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between—with up to 12 of their friends and neighbors. Conversations can be hosted anywhere: homes, restaurants, coffee shops, schools, libraries, offices, parks, or places of worship. Residents participating in National Night Out are also encouraged to consider hosting a small group discussion about their ideas for Georgetown in the next 10 years before, after or during their gathering.
Several community organizations will be hosting venues for multiple discussion groups open to the public. Times and locations can be found at 2030.georgetown.org/how-do-i-get-involved/ott.
The City will offer a training session for table hosts on Sept. 26 in conjunction with the National Night Out reception.
For more information and to sign up to host or attend an On the Table Georgetown discussion, click on the On the Table icon at 2030.georgetown.org.
GoGeo offers free rides for Southwestern students, faculty, and staff
By showing a Pirate ID card when boarding, Southwestern University students, faculty, and staff can take a GoGeo bus for free to destinations in Georgetown. The program started on Aug. 15 and is funded by an agreement between the City and Southwestern.
To mark the start of free GoGeo service, Southwestern University and the City of Georgetown will hold a kickoff event at 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 29. The kickoff will be on the Academic Mall on the Southwestern campus near the flagpoles in front of the McCombs Campus Center. Southwestern President Edward Burger will speak at the event as well as Georgetown Mayor Dale Ross and Todd Hemingson, executive vice president of strategic planning and development for Capital Metro. Capital Area Rural Transportation System or CARTS, which operates the GoGeo buses, will also be at the event.
The GoGeo Orange Route 471 has two stops on Maple Street on the Southwestern campus. With a transfer to other routes at the Georgetown Public Library, students can take the bus to locations such as HEB, Wolf Ranch Town Center, the Rivery retail area, City Lights Theatres, the City Recreation Center, or shops on Williams Drive. Free bus service serves an important mobility need for many Southwestern students who do not have their own vehicle on campus.
GoGeo service hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. Details about routes, service hours, and more is at gogeo.georgetown.org.
City celebrates San Gabriel Park Phase 1 completion, groundbreaking for Phase 2 on Sept. 6
The City will break ground on Phase 2 of improvements to San Gabriel Park at 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 6 at the new playground at Chamber Way and Morrow Street while also celebrating the completion of the first phase of improvements.
Phase 2 of the San Gabriel Park improvements project includes a new basketball court, restrooms at the disc golf course, two new playgrounds and swings, additional pavilions, road improvements, restoration of two existing springs, and trail improvements—including the extension of the San Gabriel trail to Katy Crossing neighborhood.
During construction, the lower parking lot will be closed, and park guests are encouraged to park in the new lots on the west end of the park.
The $4.2 million Phase 2 project is expected to be completed next summer.
City Council approved a contract with Ritter-Botkin Prime Construction Company Inc. of Pflugerville to complete the construction of Phase 2.
Phase 1 of the project included a new playground with sensory walk, improved entry and directional signage, and the restoration of the spring habitat to its natural state through the re-establishment of the spring channel and native vegetation.
Other improvements completed in Phase 1 included parking, roadway, utility and drainage improvements; realignment of the Morrow Street and Chamber Way intersection; additional restrooms and pavilions; upgraded park furnishings throughout; and trail and accessibility improvements throughout the park.
Future phases of the San Gabriel Park project include improvements to the remaining areas of the park.
Funding for the improvements was approved by voters in a 2008 bond package.
Access to the park will not be affected; however, short-term road closures and detours are expected to happen throughout construction.
The San Gabriel Park Master Plan, which was completed in June 2015, identified improvements to be completed in phases to limit park disruptions.
City offices and facilities closed for Labor Day
City of Georgetown offices and facilities will be closed on Monday, Sept. 3, for the Labor Day holiday. This includes these locations:
- Airport Terminal, 500 Terminal Drive
- Animal Shelter, 110 W.L. Walden Drive
- City Hall, 113 E. Eighth St.
- Economic Development, 809 Martin Luther King Jr. St.
- Municipal Complex, 300-1 Industrial Ave.
- Municipal Court, 101 E. Seventh St.
- Parks and Recreation Administration, 1101 N. College St.
- Planning Department, 406 W. Eighth St.
- Public Library, 402 W. Eighth St.
- Public Safety Operations and Training Center lobby,
3500 D.B. Wood Road - Recreation Center, 1003 N. Austin Ave.
- Tennis Center, 400 Serenada Drive
The Visitors Center, 103 W. Seventh St., will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Swimming Pools and Aquatics
The Williams Drive pool at 3201 Williams Drive will reopen for three days starting Saturday, Sept. 1, through Monday, Sept. 3. The hours will be 1 to 7 p.m. each of those days. Other outdoor seasonal pools have closed for the summer season.
The splash pads at San Jose Park, 1707 San Jose St., Rabbit Hill Park, 1109 Blue Ridge Drive, and at the Art Center, 816 S. Main St., will remain open through the month of September. The splash pad at Garey Park, 6450 RM 2243, will be open through October, weather permitting.
GoGeo bus service
There will be no service Monday, Sept. 3.
Recycling and solid waste
There will be regular recycling and solid waste collection for City of Georgetown customers on Monday, Sept. 3. Please place carts at the curb by 7 a.m. on your scheduled pickup day. For questions, call Texas Disposal Systems at (512) 930-1715.
The Collection Station at 250 W.L. Walden Drive will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 3.
