Lowe's Offers City a Deal

After several weeks of postponements and behind-the-scenes negotiations, Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse on Tuesday offered an "SOS-equivalent" proposal for its controversial big-box retail project on Brodie Lane in the Barton Springs recharge zone. "Even though not required by law, [the proposal] addresses water quality issues more aggressively than any project in the same category," former Mayor Bruce Todd, now a consultant for Lowe's, announced in a press release.

The land where Lowe's wants to build -- within walking distance of competitor Home Depot -- was originally subject to Sunset Valley development regulations, but the small city, worried about growth and environmental impacts, released the property to the city of Austin's jurisdiction, and Austin wants Lowe's to comply with the Save Our Springs Ordinance. The retailer claims that the site is in fact grandfathered from SOS because of the initial filing with Sunset Valley, but that it will be developed "substantially " in accordance with the ordinance's water-quality standards.

The Lowe's proposal also includes funds for 52 acres of mitigation land to offset the store's planned 40% impervious cover (the amount allowed under Sunset Valley regs, but much higher than the 15% allowed under SOS). Other highlights: compliance with the city's Green Builder and (in the store's garden center) Grow Green programs; a promise to not use the coal-tar-based pavement sealers the city suspects of contaminating Barton Creek; a traffic signal at Brodie and Oakdale; and, most importantly (in Todd's view) early annexation of the site by the cash-strapped city. By petitioning for early annexation, the Lowe's will bring in an extra $1.8 million of sales-tax revenue over three years, Todd says, along with creating more than 150 jobs. The agreement "is extremely attractive from a financial standpoint during one of the tightest budget crunches in several decades."

However, the city has yet to take the bait. The Lowe's proposal was actually made to the Travis Co. Commissioners Court, which on Tuesday voted 3-2 to approve Lowe's preliminary plat. (Under a controversial amendment passed by the Lege this spring specifically regarding this project, Lowe's is only governed by Travis Co. regs, but nobody seems to take this at face value.) While Todd indicated "look[ing] forward to positive action by ... the city of Austin in the very near future," Lowe's is not posted on the City Council agenda today (Thursday) for either public or executive-session discussion.