Council will consider adding five new amendments to the transportation plan, which was originally adopted in 2005 and updated in 2010 and 2016.
According to a news release sent out by the city of Kyle, the amendments include:
- Amendment No. 1 – Blanco River Span Bridge: The city has a contractual requirement to place this on its transportation plan based on the development agreement that was approved by City Council on May 3, 2016.
- Amendment No. 2 – Kyle Parkway from Dacy Lane to Lehman Road: The city is proposing a new route for the extension of Kyle Parkway, east of Dacy Lane, because the city will not be able to build any type of structure in the area of the reservoir.
- Amendment No. 3 – Rebel Road/RM 150 from Center Street to IH-35 Southbound Frontage Road: The intent is to provide another connection to I-35 with the possibility of providing an underpass/overpass across the railroad tracks.
- Amendment No. 4 – Bebee Road connection from Seton Parkway to Kyle Parkway: The proposed route would provide a direct connection for any proposed development on the north side of Bunton Branch.
- Amendment No. 5 – Seton Parkway South Extension: Seton Parkway, by Goodwill, is currently a dead end. As development begins south of the dead end, the intent is to provide a connection to the new section of Philomena.
In the past weeks, amendment No. 1 has stirred a frenzy of discussion after the Blanco River Span Bridge was first brought to citizens attention during a CAMPO meeting Sept. 11.
In a previous interview, Kyle Director of Planning Howard Koontz said he is aware of the present opposition—much of which is based on environmental concerns—but does not believe people have a reason to be concerned.
“Are the concerns valid? The truth is, no,” he said. “I don’t believe that anyone would be putting a project together that is going to cause harm to the community. There are so many details of this project that [have] not yet been developed or revealed that to get down in the weeds of deleterious impact is premature.”
Kyle Mayor Todd Webster said in a news release that it is unfortunate that there are anti-development groups spreading misinformation about the planned bridge before the bridge plans exist.
“While it won't be built for over a decade, it is important that Kyle now take the necessary steps to plan for the city's future road needs,” Webster said.
The landowners of the Nance-Bradshaw Ranch voluntarily annexed their land to the city of Kyle in 2016 and created a development agreement that would “create a single family, multi-family, commercial and office sites along with recreational facilities, public parks, open space and space for public use that would not exceed 9,000 living unit equivalents."
As a result of the agreement and the potential increase in traffic, City Council amended the transportation plan to make sure new roads would be built to accommodate traffic. A new bridge is planned because current access to the property is only available through low water crossing areas.
However, Kyle City Manager Scott Sellers said there are years between the concept of the bridge and the final product.
“As with many proposed projects on the CAMPO 2040 plan, the Blanco Span Bridge is in the conceptual stage,” Sellers said. “There are no plans to even let a contract out until approximately 2025. The bridge is a line on a map at this point and would need to go through the engineering and design process prior to any construction.”
Addressing those who have publicly expressed environmental concerns about the bridge, Koontz said in a news release that the city will follow all laws and regulations required by the state to keep the environment safe.
“Should the project move forward, the city of Kyle will comply with all state requirements and regulations regarding environmental protections, which may include studies to determine any adverse impact to the local environment, including any impact down river,” he said.
The Kyle City Council meeting takes place at 7 p.m.
