Coker United Methodist Church
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
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Growth PlanningChange is coming, but it'll be good. No really, it's all good. Honest.Nobody likes change except a wet baby. Change is coming to Coker UMC, potentially the most significant change in Coker’s 127 year history. God is blessing Coker with dramatically improved visibility and access. The Growth Planning Board was formed to help guide Coker through the changes resulting from the construction of the Wurzbach Parkway. Completion of the Wurzbach Parkway will reveal the previously hidden location of Coker to thousands of travelers per day on both Wurzbach Parkway and on US 281. It will open opportunities to minister to many new people. To take advantage of that opportunity, we need to properly prepare. That is the charge of the Growth Planning Board.
In the short-term, during construction, our usual patterns of travel to Coker may be disrupted. The Growth Planning Board will monitor the construction work to anticipate and publish traffic flow plans that will minimize the impact of accessing our campus. After completion of the Wurzbach Parkway we will have enhanced visibility and access from all directions. The Growth Planning Board is analyzing the impact that the Wurzbach Parkway and subsequent development will have on Coker and preparing recommendations. Detailed schematics of the Parkway construction will be available for review. In the meantime, if you have questions, please feel free to e-mail the Growth Planning Board at Cokergrowthplanning@gmail.com. Change is coming, but it’ll be good. Honest. You can also get more information by going to the TXDoT Wurzbach Parkway - Weekly Updates page.
Frequently Asked QuestionsWhen will Wurzbach Parkway be open for traffic behind Coker?The latest TxDOT information is that the Wurzbach Parkway is scheduled to complete by mid-2015. Bridge support columns for the overpass over US 281 are being poured, and there is a lot of work yet to do around 281. There will be various lane closures around Nakoma and Bitters affecting traffic for some time to come. However, the contractor is ahead of schedule right now, perhaps as much as six months.
When will Growth Planning Board bring proposals for Coker’s future to the congregation?Growth Planning Board is working on a proposal for the long-range Master Plan for Coker’s campus. It will include initial steps to begin implementation. Consideration by the congregation is expected at the annual Church Conference on Tuesday, December 11, 2012. Please save the date.
Current ClosuresUpdated September 5th, 2012/div>
 West AvenueTxDOT closed a section of West Avenue on April 30th. According to TxDOT, West Avenue will re-open by Halloween. The bridge over Panther Creek will be finished. However, there will be significant additional work on the overpass bridge of Wurzbach Parkway necessitating overnight closings of West Avenue.
The road work includes building a bridge over Panther Creek, which will solve high water issues in that area. The work will also widen this part of West Avenue to make room for a turning lane.
281 Direct AccessThe North Loop Road access is permanently closed. The work will not include North Park Drive, the street a bit further south between Tax Solutions and Hicks Carpet One. From there take an immediate Right at the stop sign, and you should wind your way back to North Loop Road. If you miss this street, or choose to exit at Nakoma, you can take a right on Nakoma and another right on N. North Loop Road.
Please keep in mind that both of these changes will increase traffic flow on the 281 South access road, and you should allow for extra time to get to church. Also for your protection, PLEASE do not cross the access road from the Nakoma exit to try to get to North Park Road.
OverviewSummer is coming and so is the Wurzbach Parkway. TxDOT has announced that the contract for the section of Wurzbach Parkway that borders Coker UMC between West Avenue and Jones Maltsberger, crossing over US 281, has been awarded to Williams Brothers Construction Co. We can expect to see heavy equipment moving dirt starting in late summer, probably August. Work should finish by late 2013 or early 2014, according to a TxDOT announcement. Once the Wurzbach Parkway is complete, TxDOT engineers anticipate between 38,000 and 44,600 vehicles a day will travel on the parkway between Blanco and Wetmore (see aerial view below).
Coker has received a gift of 2.25 acres of land from Interpark Associates, Ltd. in the corner between Coker's driveway to West Avenue and the right-of-way for the Wurzbach Parkway. The gift of this deed means that Coker UMC owns all the property fronting on the Wurzbach Parkway from the eastern edge of our property to West Avenue (see aerial view below). This gives Coker options for a good entrance from the Parkway access road into our property.
Along with the gift of land, Interpark Associates has offered Coker UMC the opportunity to place a sign on their property, south of the IInterpark entrance and north of Shearer Hills Baptist Church, along US 281's southbound access road. This potential sign could help direct people to North Loop Road to get to Coker.
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