Georgetown officials presented the updated design for Blue Hole Park at a Sept. 22 meeting.

Now at the 30% design phase, officials estimate the project construction will cost about $7 million, with features focused on flood resilience, natural preservation and visitor experience.

The update: The initial park design is very similar to the Blue Hole Park Master Plan, presented to council last fall, interim Parks and Recreation Director Eric Nuner said at the meeting. Many of the changes are reductions to development, he said.

"Some of that is due to what we learned last year in the July 2025 flood," Nuner said.

What they're saying: During the design review, City Council members expressed support for the design reductions and asked staff to prioritize green park space over concrete parking.

What's next: City staff expect to finalize construction documents later this year, with state and federal regulatory permitting continuing through spring 2027. Construction bidding is scheduled for December 2027, with construction targeted for completion in early 2028.

Georgetown City Council voted 4-2 on Sept. 22 to adjust a development agreement with the Woodside Municipal Utility District that will add increase the number of age-restricted homes.

What happened: The Woodside MUD is already in development, with the original agreement including 1,169 homes with 465 of those being age-restricted.

The vote adjusts the Woodside MUD development agreement to convert 143 homes planned to built as traditional housing into age-restricted single-family homes. This brings the total count to over 600 age-restricted homes.

The developer has a private agreement with Pulte Group, the developer of Sun City, to integrate the active adult homes into the Sun City neighborhood where the two developments are contiguous.

The history: At a July 28 presentation from development partner Blake Magee Company, the developer also proposed annexing the 162.5-acre Thompson Tract into city limits to build about 500 new age-restricted homes as apart of the MUD.

Check out six trending stories in the Austin area from Sept. 21-24.

1. Event center slated for site of old pharmacy at Parmer and Whitestone

2. Nana B's Country Kitchen showcases slow-cooked family recipes near Round Rock, Hutto border

3. Texas Roadhouse to open in November in Georgetown

4. Tacodeli plans new Dripping Springs location

5. ARA Diagnostic Imaging opens Leander location

6. Fritz Park holds grand opening in Hutto

Last fall, Gov. Greg Abbott deemed Texas "the epicenter of AI development" during an event about Google's data center investments in the state.

Since making that remark, the Republican governor has issued several directives aimed at regulating AI-powered data centers. Meanwhile, state agencies are expanding their use of artificial intelligence in government services.

The overview: At the state level, one of the primary uses of artificial intelligence is to improve government efficiency, said Tony Sauerhoff, who leads the Texas Department of Information Resources.

Down the road, that will likely mean reducing the number of staff members at state agencies, Sauerhoff said, noting that agency leaders are being "intentional" about those changes.

Zooming in: When asked which state agencies will be most impacted by AI in the coming years, Sauerhoff pointed to the Texas Department of Transportation.

TxDOT uses artificial intelligence in a variety of forms, including to analyze transportation infrastructure, determine which construction projects should be prioritized, optimize road safety plans and manage the flow of traffic, according to its AI strategic plan.