By Brittany Anderson
Residents in the city of Hays are concerned that a large development being proposed, Hays Commons, will threaten various aspects of the city’s environment, infrastructure and overall way of life.
Things turned contentious during the city of Hays council meeting on March 14 when multiple residents spoke out against MileStone Community Builders, the developers of Hays Commons, and voiced their concerns with both MileStone and the development agreement.
MileStone is the same developer as the Bailey and Armbruster tracts along FM 967 in Buda, a controversial residential and commercial project that has been met with intense scrutiny from Buda residents and city officials. If built, these tracts would be nearly adjacent to Hays Commons.
Hays Commons is expected to feature commercial and residential space along with a trail system across several hundred acres of land. The development agreement was first signed in September 2013, then with developers Walters Southwest. MileStone has since taken over, and while the agreement is being re-negotiated, it is set to expire in September 2023.
During the March 14 meeting, Mayor Larry Odom said that part of the requirement to change developers is to do an ‘assignment’ of the development. The item on the council agenda included documentation and a resolution for council to vote for or against the assignment.
Mayor Pro Tem Lydia Bryan-Valdez said that it is her “firm belief” that the current agreement is not favorable to the city, and that council received the assignment after business hours on Wednesday, March 9, giving them only two business days and a weekend to look it over before being asked to vote during the council meeting.
“I would like to take a slower pace to study this and not be so rushed into or pressured into signing documents that we may not be aware of what we’re signing,” Bryan-Valdez said. “It is my personal opinion that we are constantly pressured into passing documents, as with the last meeting, that we are not well-versed in or are not in the best interest of the city.”
Per Bryan-Valdez’s suggestion, council decided in a 3-1 vote to hold a workshop session in order to better study the assignment before voting on the item. Council member Richard Gibbens was the dissenting vote; council member Hannah Ballou was not present during the meeting.
Odom said that there have been multiple iterations of proposed plans throughout the years but none have been agreed upon, as the city of Hays committee is trying to be very diligent about making sure that the development “becomes something that will be positive for the city and everyone in the area.”
Residents have come forward during city council meetings and contacted council members with their concerns regarding MileStone and the development, which include future taxes and potential wastewater, drainage, flooding and seepage issues.
Two of their biggest concerns are how the development would affect the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, which all of the proposed homes would be built over, as well as concerns that the development agreement does not follow the minimum one-acre lot size requirement outlined in the city of Hays code.
One concerned citizen, Jim Camp, said that residents are not necessarily opposed to new growth, but many feel that there is a lack of transparency regarding the development that even council members seem to be unaware of.
Many residents also feel that this lack of transparency extends past this development agreement, with past council agendas, meeting minutes, financial audits and other city documents like the economic development plans not being easily accessible.
Darlene Starr of Manchaca, which is within the city of Hays ETJ (extraterritorial jurisdiction), read council an email with unanswered questions that she had sent weeks prior, noting that in addition to residents, many small businesses in the area will be affected by the development and need to be protected.
“The pressure on Buda by MileStone to fast-track their development plans further is indicative of the type of business they seem to be in, and thankfully the citizens and leaders in that neighborhood are not caving to Milestone's demands, insisting on thorough research, impact studies and community input,” Starr said. “It is our hope Hays City Council will also listen to the people who call your city and ETJ home. Do not be fooled by slick presentations and concept maps … Things don't have to be done the way they were in the past. Many feel things can be done better and more mindfully, and everyone still get what they need.”
This is a developing story.
