2023 ANNUAL COMMUNITY GUIDE
Cities of Buda, Kyle begin planning for next decade of growth BUDA AND KYLE are both in the midst of planning for the next 10-30 years with new plans that are aimed to strategically tame growth and focus on speci c areas of each city. sewer service, to accommodate and support potential development. The city of Kyle was expected to adopt its downtown master plan in December. Barnes Gromatzky with Kosarek Architects has been conducting workshops, outreach events and questionnaires to gather input from Kyle residents for most of 2022 as the downtown area struggles to attract visitors. BY ZARA FLORES
OTHER STORIES TO FOLLOW IN 2023
“They’re literally just kicking o , and we are doing our rst public engagement piece, a survey,” Buda’s Director of Development Services Melissa McCollum said. “We hope to follow up with an open house that will go over the survey results on Jan. 25.” The city of Buda has four di erent long-range plans in the works that will help guide decisions made by sta , City Council and members of the community regarding the city’s future. The comprehensive plan is designed to be long reaching and forward thinking by about 30 years, which focuses on the entirety of the city and the city’s extrater- ritorial jurisdiction. “It’s how we can utilize land, looking at some of our environmental features ... and what we hope future land uses will be for either vacant property and/or potentially redevelopment areas,” McCollum said. The city is also working on a downtown master plan, an FM 1626 corridor study and a trails master plan. There are various parcels of empty land along FM 1626, and with the corridor study, the city will be able to outline potential uses for the land. However, the city will need to invest in infrastructure and utility extensions, such as water and
However, it has stalled after months of work between city sta and BGK Architects as the council seeks to keep downtown more historic. “Making downtown prosperous, that’s hard. Right now, we probably have the most economically suppressed downtown in the entire Austin metro,” Mayor Travis Mitchell told Community Impact . The city and rm’s e orts thus far have culminated in goals to make downtown more family friendly and accessible, expand infrastructure to support restaurants and retailers, and provide more residential options. There has been some successful work in the area to improve downtown and bring in more visitors, namely the renovation of Mary Kyle Hartson City Square Park. The city is also renovating a building behind the park at 104 S. Burleson St. that the city purchased this year. The scope of the project has been reduced due to budget constraints but will still add to the downtown amenities. City sta and council will continue to work on the master plan in the new year to create a document that will maintain the historic charm of downtown.
A proposal to regulate the commercial sale of pets is expected to come before the San Marcos City Council in January.
ZARA FLORES COMMUNITY IMPACT
San Marcos to revisit retail pet sale ordinance
The San Marcos City Council is set to revisit the ordinance regulating the sale of pets at retail shops sometime in January. The council failed to approve the second reading and adoption of the ordinance in November and ultimately postponed the vote. The ordinance had been a topic of discussion for weeks, especially as neighboring cities, such as New Braunfels, passed a similar ordinance in October. The ordinance has also been sent back to the city’s animal services committee for further review. The 44-page ordinance details how animals can be sold in retail stores and where they must come from to be eligible for sale. The ordinance also details regulations surrounding cats and dogs, including documentation and record keeping of animals, their vet visits and medical records. Other amendments to the ordinance outline spaying and neutering, microchipping and more in relation to animals found and turned in to the San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter. Kyle seeking city manager The city of Kyle is still on the hunt for a new city manager following Scott Sellers’ resignation in September. Sellers had been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation, which found “no unlawful harassment or discrimination.” However, Sellers resigned following the investigation. The city is still accepting applications for the position, Mayor Travis Mitchell told Community Impact , and the goal is to have a candidate selected and hired by March. Assistant City Manager Jerry Hendrix has been serving as acting city manager since July and will remain until the city appoints a new city manager.
LOOKING AHEAD
Both the city of Buda and city of Kyle are working on long-term plans to improve speci c areas and plan for the growth that is to come as Central Texas continues to boom. The plans range in focus from 10 to 30 years into the future.
BUDA
KYLE
PROJECTS UNDERWAY
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
Power lines have been removed along Center Street and nearby downtown streets. Power poles will be removed in the coming weeks. 104 S. Burleson St.: The building was bought by the city and is under construction. The original plan was for the building to be a three-story building with a restaurant on the main oor, o ce space on the second oor and a rentable public space on the third oor. However, the estimated costs have exceeded the budget, and the city is now planning on renovating the building for a restaurant or retail space on the main oor with an extra loft area. 108, 110 W. Center St.: the city owns one half of the building, while Greg Henry, owner of Willie’s Joint & Grill, owns the other half. Negotiations are ongoing to determine if the building will have one or more owners and what the plans for it will be.
Will look at future land use for physical growth Assesses parks and public space Assesses economic growth and potential including incentives Conduct surveys and analysis
Assesses city and extraterritorial jurisdiction land for potential utilization Future land use plan for future development or redevelopment Considers existing and future needs of city, community Looks up to 30 years down the line
Expected adoption in late 2023
DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN
DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN Streetscape designs Looks at accessibility and connectivity throughout downtown area More focused, looks up to 15 years ahead FM 1626 CORRIDOR STUDY
Utilize empty alleyways for public events, spaces Install art murals by students, local artists Add grocery store Increase residential o erings Assess existing and future parking needs
Will look at vacant parcels of land along corridor
Restore existing buildings Increase pedestrian safety
Utility, water, sewer service extension along corridor for potential development
Adoption TBD
SOURCES: CITY OF BUDA, CITY OF KYLE COMMUNITY IMPACT
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SAN MARCOS BUDA KYLE EDITION • JANUARY 2023
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