AUSTIN, Texas — Steiner Ranch, near Lake Travis, is a community with virtually one way in and one way out.
A new route was proposed for the community to get in and out, but it was met with a lot of opposition.
The Transportation and Natural Resources Department is now recommending the commissioner's court approve moving forward with design and construction of Route B as a gated-only emergency route.
Route B would be a gated connection going from Flat Top Ranch Road and Montview Drive. In the event of an emergency, Steiner Ranch or Montview emergency personnel would open the gate and allow traffic to proceed to a safe route.
According to a request in the Travis County Commissioners Court Agenda, approval of moving forward with Route B will allow staff to move forward with designing and constructing a viable emergency evacuation route within 12-18 months.
The request said while Route B will convey roughly half the number of vehicles per hour versus Route F, it will at least provide an additional evacuation route beyond what currently exists.
The Texas County Commissioners Court is expected to meet on this issue on July 9.
The route decided on before, Route F, was met with a lot of opposition as it would cut across this portion of the Greenbelt, going through hiking trails, on towards Highway 620.
The idea of making this area a public road is something some of the area's residents aren't happy about.
"I moved here because it was quiet, safe and cozy. Like a hidden little gem," Melinda Allen, a Steiner Ranch resident who lives where Route F would start, said.
Allen is worried Steiner Ranch won't be a quiet neighborhood anymore if officials move forward with Route F to create another exit point in case of an emergency.
"It'll be right where my kids are, right where the children of all the people I care about are playing," Allen said. "It would be so dangerous and a horrible idea."
Bob Riley lives along Bringham Drive and has similar concerns.
"We're going to get a lot of traffic in front of our house. That really is where our kids ride their bikes," Riley said.
Almost 1,000 people have already signed a petition on Change.org asking Travis County not to choose Route F.
"That's a lot of people who are saying, 'Listen to us,'" Allen said. "We want to be able to leave safely during a fire, not have all this traffic in our backyard."
"It's important for the Steiner Ranch community to have a second way out in case there's an emergency," Fire Chief Robert Abbott, with Lake Travis Fire Rescue, said.
Chief Abbott said one way or another, Steiner Ranch needs another way out.
"If we're not careful where we place these roads, in a situation like the Steiner Ranch fire in 2011, we could make things worse by putting traffic on the roads that are taxed right now," he said.
Allen just hopes officials find a solution that won't cause traffic troubles.
"We all want an evacuation road, but we don't want Route F," Allen said.
Residents of the area will be meeting with county officials within the next week to discuss what's next for this project.
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