Buda Weighs Using 3.89 Acres of Parkland to Realign Old Black Colony Road; Vote Moved to Dec. 1

Buda may shift part of the planned Old Black Colony Road rebuild onto city parkland instead of private yards. Buda, Texas, City Council held a public hearing on the idea during its Oct. 20 regular meeting, then postponed the vote to a second reading on Dec. 1, Community Impact reported.

The city may modify portions of three park properties, totaling approximately 3.89 acres, to provide the right-of-way and public utility easements the road needs:

• 0.42 acres of Whispering Hollow HOA parkland
• 2.40 acres of Whispering Hollow Park
• 1.07 acres of Summer Pointe Park

Why the parkland route

City staff say the realignment minimizes or avoids right-of-way acquisition for 12 property owners south of the parkland and adds slight curves to slow traffic. Staff analysis also concludes the project will cost less because it needs less land.

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Council Member LaVonia Horne-Williams framed the trade-off: "the alternative is someone's private property where they've already got homes on it," she said. "And what we have to do as a city is balance those types of things."

Why the vote waited

The city issued four public notices before the hearing, but Marc Calderaro, vice president of the Whispering Hollow HOA, said his association was not notified before the hearing. He called it a "lapsed notice." Council then voted to postpone and take up the item again Dec. 1.

The road project

According to the city's Buda Bonds project page, the work covers the reconstruction of Old Black Colony Road from FM 1626 to Cole Springs Road: widening the existing 2-lane roadway, adding sidewalks and bike accommodations, and improving drainage. The Buda bond program sets aside $24,000,000 for the traffic signal and road reconstruction. The new signal at FM 1626 and Old Black Colony Road is already done, and it became fully operational in early January 2026. City Council approved the 60% design on October 8, 2025.

After final plans are approved, the project goes out for construction bids. City officials hope to break ground in late 2027, and the project is expected to take about one year to complete.

Sources

• Buda proposes using parkland in Old Black Colony Road reconstruction, Community Impact
• Old Black Colony Road project page, City of Buda (Buda Bonds)