Staples residents urge Guadalupe County to remove FM 621 widening from major thoroughfare plan

Residents of Staples and other unincorporated areas pressed Guadalupe County commissioners on Oct. 14 to remove or substantially alter a proposed conversion of FM 621 into a major thoroughfare, saying the change would take homes and community buildings and would not be the best route for regional traffic.

Miles Muller, a City of Staples council member and former head of the city planning and zoning commission, told commissioners "Currently, the pavement width of 621 in Staples is about 30 feet. Turning it into a thoroughfare would make it about 120 feet right of way." He said that the park entrance is about "10 feet from the current pavement of 621," and stressed that widening would put children and residents at immediate risk and eliminate much of downtown Staples.

Mayor Ronnie Clark said the preliminary county alignment would affect "103 properties in the city limits, including the 100 year old Staples Baptist Church, a 123 year old United Methodist Church, our fire department, our City Hall building, and over 50 houses." Clark and other speakers urged commissioners to consider alternatives that avoid the downtown area and to favor routes through undeveloped farmland.

Carol Westwood, who said she helped lead Staples' incorporation, described the town as…