Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Development I35 107 topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Developer pitches convenience store and gateway monument at I‑35/107; board plans public workshop
Summary
CNR Engineering and a broker presented a proposal for a convenience store and entrance monument at the I‑35/107 corner that would reroute Evergreen, create a new curb cut, and could include developer-funded street and utility relocation; the EDC and staff committed to hold a community workshop before any formal filings.
A developer team represented by broker Wendy presented plans to the Bruce Valleti Economic Development Corporation on May 19 proposing a convenience store and gateway monument at the I‑35/107 corner, saying the project could reshape the entrance to the combined Bruceville‑Eddy community.
"They want to be a an asset for the community that they're in," Wendy said, describing a multi‑parcel redevelopment that would reroute Evergreen, open a new curb cut for highway access, and replace an abandoned roadway to create retail frontage. Her slides included an estimated capital investment figure and annual-sales projections and listed about $4.5 million as an example total investment on one slide.
Wendy told the board the store portion of the development alone could employ roughly 30 people. The presentation also outlined design concepts for a monument marking the town entrance and renderings that consider lower nighttime lighting to limit light pollution.
Board members and residents raised several concerns during a lengthy question-and-answer session. Property owners in the affected neighborhood said they had been contacted, and one landowner who spoke at the meeting said he was generally supportive of improvements that would increase adjacent property values. Questions from commissioners and the public focused on traffic safety at nearby intersections, the technical difficulty and cost of moving utility poles, and the effect of any new curb cut on school‑time traffic on Eagle Drive.
During the presentation the chair read a message provided by the developer estimating $350,000 for relocation of street and utilities and $100,000 for a new sign; the developer representative described those figures as estimates and said some site work and sequencing remain under discussion. The board stressed that no formal zoning or platting submittals had been made to the city: Lawrence Katroni, the city administrator, said he had no official zoning or platting applications before staff and recommended a public workshop prior to any formal filings.
Chairman Darren Weaver told attendees the EDC had been engaging with developers early to identify issues before items reach city council. "We're going to have a workshop before it ever gets to city council," Weaver said, adding that council members, stakeholders and neighbors would be invited to review renderings and traffic plans.
Next steps described at the meeting included developer follow‑up with property owners, engineering refinement (including possible traffic and access studies), and scheduling a community workshop to solicit neighborhood input and inform any future regulatory filings. No vote or formal EDC funding commitment was made at the May 19 meeting.
