Granite Shoals eyes stretch of Phillips Ranch Road for business
STAFF WRITER JENNIFER FIERRO
The city of Granite Shoals is looking for ways to encourage business development along one of its main thoroughfares.
During the April 23 regular City Council meeting, council members and city staff discussed the benefits of rezoning portions of Phillips Ranch Road for general business.
Currently, Phillips Ranch Road — what many consider to be the city’s Main Street — is zoned for residential multi-family use with some businesses on the left side when turning onto it from RR 1431.
The area under consideration stretches from West Bluebriar Drive to West Castlewood Drive.
City Manager Jeff Looney said a general business designation for Phillips Ranch Road would allow more economic development along that stretch of road.
While council member Todd Holland requested this item to be on the agenda, it’s not new. Past councils have also discussed the idea.
Also regarding Phillips Ranch Road, city staff told the council crews are working on side street entrances from New Castle View to the end of Phillips Ranch Road, patching potholes and overlaying the street with 2 inches of pressed asphalt.
“Folks have been patient, and we’d like to get the project finished,” Looney said.
In December, the city completed major work on Phillips Ranch Road stretching from New Castle View to RR 1431. The stretch of the road was closed for approximately a month for the upgrades.
In other business, the council discussed Granite Shoals-Bob Sylvester Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration approved the change from a private facility to a public one in October 2017.
The city has requested the Texas Department of Transportation’s Aviation Division study the facility to give recommendations on what to do and how to improve it. The airport, which has a grass strip, was built in the 1960s before Granite Shoals was incorporated.
“We want to continue to make it safe for people to land and take off,” Looney said of the airport.
City leaders also commended residents and businesses that made the first-ever GraniteFest, held April 27, a success. More than 1,000 people attended the event, which featured live music, food, a car show, and other activities.
Officials plan to make it an annual gathering with a future date that doesn’t conflict with other area festivals. This year’s event fell on the same weekend as the Llano Crawfish Open and the Marble Falls Soapbox Classic.
“We’ll have to work on that, but I think it was a success,” Looney said. “I can’t say enough about the sponsors who put faith in Granite Shoals and the locals.”
5 thoughts on “Granite Shoals eyes stretch of Phillips Ranch Road for business”
Comments are closed.
It would help if we had a sewer system.
It has been voted down always but if we expect any growth at all – more restaurants, etc., we are going to have to get smart and vote it in. It will mean raising taxes and there will be an out of pocket expense for everyone, but I believe it is high time. I am still waiting on that grocery store to put up signs saying it is REALLY coming here.
GS simply cannot afford a sewer system. It already has a city tax rate that is 22% higher than the tax mecca known as Austin (.536 vs. .44). The last sewer proposal estimated at $30M for just 1/3rd of the system. With about 2000 households/taps in GS, that would be $45,000 per house, if we paid cash. Finance it and it will cost more. Studies show that that average government/municipal projects run 80% over their initial estimated costs, and nearly double their projected time. With no disrespect to any local leaders, none have the experience or ability to manage a near $100M public utility project. So expect the costs to be more like $180M and $90K cash per house to pay for this dream. And what do you get? More business — do you profit from that? More traffic? Revisit and pass it and simply watch everyone leave due to the un-affordable inevitable costs. Bloom where you are planted! GS is a nice place — enjoy the laid back pace. Let Marble Falls build empires.
Correction to the “voted down” as concerns a sewer system. In reality, it was NOT the sewer system that was voted down, it was the ridiculous and very costly method f financing only the 1st phase which would not have included most all homeowners and tax payers. A mere $500,000 grant then $14,500,000 loan from the water board compared to many other options was stupid to approve. The fact is, that a complex “all-in-one” waste water system is NOT necessary for GS to encourage business and economic growth. The State of Texas provides many varying OSSFs ( Package Treatment Plants) as options for impervious area such as GS. However, the city refuses to get involved with current technology that bypasses their buddy system of operations and provides necessary options and methods to achieve the needs, especially as concerns waste water. Even their new “sports complex” has a easily solvable problem with water and particularly waste water that was ignorantly left out of the grant for the complex. Sadly there is far too much ignorance in City Hall, the City Council, and the general community as to realistic technologies to solve their problems. The real problem is that the city does not want to engage in proven methods and technological sound, efficient, and cost effective directions.
Why start another round of business welfare. Marble Falls is drowning their tax paying citizens in business welfare and running people out of town and preventing new housing with their high taxes and ridicules permit fees. Why give away business subsidies, to have them turn around and charge higher prices, then justify it with “do you want to drive to town?” Granite Shoals, Kingsland and Cottonwood Shores are about the only place service workers can afford to live. Marble Falls and other whinners run off family wage paying businesses in order to brag about bringing in 100 minimum wage food service jobs and expect them to buy the $350,000 to $500,000 imaginary homes they’s protecting. A good business ran efficiently will stay around for a long time. Carpet baggers are not welcome.