Haslet EDC approves letter of support for BNSF grade‑separation grant application after heated public comment
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Summary
After public comment urging smaller, near‑term fixes and an allegation about muted remarks at a prior meeting, the Haslet Economic Development Corporation voted 3–2 to approve a resolution supporting a state grant application for a grade‑separation project at Avondale/Haslet Road and FM 156/Schoolhouse Road. The vote was for a letter of support to pursue funding, not for design approval.
Haslet Economic Development Corporation members voted 3–2 on a resolution to support the city’s application for state grant funding to study and pursue a grade‑separation project over the BNSF railway at Avondale/Haslet Road and FM 156/Schoolhouse Road.
The vote followed extended public comment from residents and business representatives. Carol Clark, of 117 Schreiber Drive, told the board she worried about both process and project scale, alleging that "the muting began both times when he started to speak and it stopped as he walked away" at a prior meeting and calling the large bridge design financially risky for the small city. Kitty Wertz, president of the EDC Type B board, said she surveyed 15 local businesses and reported broad support for solving traffic and railroad delays but strong concern that a high flyover could divert customers from Schoolhouse Road; she said the city engineer, Mike Anderson, had clarified that the updated drawing included a ground‑level turnaround at FM 156 rather than full on/off ramps.
Board discussion emphasized that the requested resolution was a letter of support to continue an application to a newly created state fund and not an approval of engineering, design, procurement or scope. The presiding official said the letter was a routine part of pursuing state funding. Several board members urged moving forward so the city would remain competitive for grant dollars; others voiced caution about potential cost overruns and long timelines.
A board member moved to approve the resolution in support of the city’s BNSF railway crossing grade‑separation project application; the presiding official seconded. The presiding official called the vote and the motion passed 3–2. The board did not vote on design or construction authorization; those steps remain subject to future approvals and funding decisions.
Next steps: the city will include the EDC letter of support in its application to the state fund. The project’s scope, funding allocation, design and schedule will depend on competitive grant outcomes and later engineering review.
