By Samantha Smith
Buda City Council held a second public hearing last Tuesday to hear public comments on the land annexation plans for 460+ acres located along FM 2770.
According to Buda Director of Planning Chance Sparks, the annexed land will be zoned in accordance with the city’s comprehensive plan for that area. Agricultural (AG) properties that are annexed by the city will be allowed to default to AG zoning.
More than one Buda citizen in attendance at the hearing voiced its concerns about the annexation to the city council. Buda resident Rose Marie Shelton was concerned about the cost to the city for providing services like water, wastewater, and utilities to the land once it is annexed.
Sparks says Buda has adequate capacity to serve the utility needs of the annexed land, but stressed that “the extension of utility lines is at the discretion and expense of the owner or a future developer.”
Jeff Reeves, president of the Hays County Youth Athletics Association, also spoke in opposition to the annexation of the land in question that includes the property belonging to the Youth organization.
Reeves said that after researching the city’s plan for the land, he cannot see any improvements that the city intends to extend to the property. According to Reeves, there is already access to police, fire and EMS services and that they are provided with wastewater and they have their own well and trash service.
Reeves said he represented 1,000 athletes and their families at the hearing and expressed their collective concern that the city would annex the land, not improve on it, but still try to impose city codes and ordinances on Reeves and others.
“Nobody cared we were out there for the 35 years that we have been in business, but when an ethanol plant moves in next door to us which will create a change from (AG) to Commercial land, now you want to annex us because you want the money from the taxation; that’s all this is in our opinion,” Reeves said.
Sparks said that the construction of the ethanol plant began at the beginning of the 2001 Interlocal agreement between Buda and Austin.
“The annexation of the proposed land will result in Buda’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) and allow for the final release of the (ETJ) from Austin which will significantly clarify administrative boundaries,” Sparks said.
In February, the Hays Free Press reported Flint Hills Resources, which has refining, chemical and biofuel operations in Texas and the Midwest, was moving forward with its project to build an ethanol terminal in Buda.
The project is estimated to be a $50 million operation, and will be located along FM 2770 near the Union Pacific Railroad.
No decision has been made regarding the annexation of the land at this time.
