Sarah Novo begins work as Granite Shoals’ interim city manager on Wednesday, Feb. 28. The City Council unanimously approved her $145,000-a-year contract during its regular meeting on Tuesday.

“I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to work with the community and the council for the city of Granite Shoals,” the new hire said after the council’s decision. “I look forward to doing great things together.”

Novo is taking over the interim city manager role from Fire Chief Tim Campbell, who has been performing dual duties since former City Manager Peggy Smith resigned on Jan. 9.

Novo was chosen from among several applicants who had originally applied for the assistant city manager position under Smith. After Smith resigned, the council considered Novo for the interim job. A series of positive interviews led to an offer.

“She was interviewed by all seven councilors and all the (city) department heads, and everyone had a favorable impression,” said Mayor Ron Munos when asked about the hiring process. “It’s seldom that you have all of the council and the department heads agree on something, so we took that as a win.”

After a month of negotiations, Novo was offered a contract on Feb. 21, which she accepted the same day. She will be commuting from her home in Liberty Hill. The nature of the interim job means nothing is set in stone and the contract can be ended without penalty by either party with 30 days’ notice.

The council’s Tuesday night vote was the final stamp of approval in the hiring process.

DailyTrib.com asked Novo about her decision to come to Granite Shoals.

“This was a very strategic move for me,” she said. “Granite Shoals has a lot of potential. I took some time to drive around the city. I see that it is a diamond in the rough. There’s a lot of great potential, a lot of great people, and super (city) staff.”

She cited her 20 years in local government, including a stint as the city manager of Flatonia, Texas, and as parks and recreation manager for Rocklin, California. She noted that her experience managing parks could be an asset to Granite Shoals, which calls itself “The City of Parks” for its 19 public green spaces.

“I served as a parks and recreation manager for over 600 acres of parkland,” she said. “We did major park redevelopment for a larger city, the city of Rocklin (population 70,000). I’ve got a lot of experience with managing and maintaining parkland.”

The previous two city managers in Granite Shoals had controversial tenures. Smith resigned following her involvement in a discussion on killing feral cats and her mismanagement of city funds. Jeff Looney was terminated in 2022 for interpersonal conflicts with City Council members. 

Novo is aware of the conflicts with past city managers and said she would do her best to communicate openly with city staff, council members, and residents.

“I understand that there may be a lot of conversations that need to be had so that we can find where people’s priorities are, whether that looks like a coffee chat or a newsletter,” she said. “I’m available, I’m here, and I’d love to hear from the community. I’d love to meet and understand better what (the community’s) concerns are and what they’d like to see different in the city.”

dakota@thepicayune.com

The Burnet County Sheriff’s Office is set to give final approval on Thursday, Feb. 29, of a mass gathering permit for the Texas Eclipse festival. More than 30,000 people are expected at Reveille Peak Ranch from April 5-9 to celebrate the upcoming total solar eclipse. 

The Highland Lakes is in the direct path of the April 8 celestial event.

A public hearing on the permit application was Tuesday, Feb. 27, during the regular meeting of the Burnet County Commissioners Court. Some residents were concerned about the festival’s potential impacts, some understood it was inevitable, and others questioned if county resources were being used to facilitate the private event.

“We’ve been working on this, with this group, for eight, 10 months,” said Burnet County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Alan Trevino during the hearing. “We feel that we have worked out any of the issues that we have seen in the (mass permit application) to our satisfaction. County expenses are not going to be incurred. (The festival) will be self-contained.”

According to Trevino, the Sheriff’s Office has spent months working with Texas Eclipse promoters to ensure planning is adequate for the estimated 30,000-40,000 attendees expected at Reveille Peak Ranch, a large recreational/working ranch off of RR 2341 near the eastern shore of Lake Buchanan.

The public hearing was mandatory under the county’s mass gathering permit policy, which requires the issuance of a permit from the Sheriff’s Office for events with more than 2,500 attendees.

Trevino told the Commissioners Court the permit would likely be issued by Thursday after the Texas Department of Transportation approved the festival’s traffic plan.

A 140-page site plan was delivered to the county with the mass gathering permit application. It included emergency medical protocols, traffic management plans, security protocols, and a slew of other documented procedures to handle the tide of festival-goers.

The plan had already been approved by Burnet County Emergency Management Coordinator Derek Marchio and Burnet Fire Chief Mark Ingram.

Trevino explained that the event would have about 370 private security personnel on staff and 14 certified off-duty peace officers directing traffic. 

Four residents spoke up during the public hearing. Mike Kammlah said the festival would put enormous strain on the roads near Reveille Peak Ranch.

“When you block the roads, 5,000 people can’t leave or come back,” he said, referring to his estimation of the number of residents that use the nearby roads. “They’re making money off the backs of those 5,000 people that live off of (RR) 2341.”

DailyTrib.com spoke with festival founder Mitch Morales after the hearing to learn more about plans in place to mitigate the negative impact on nearby residents.

“It’s been super important to me to create a positive experience for everybody, not just the people coming from all over the world but also those that are dealing with all of the attention that the area is getting because of the total solar eclipse,” he said.

The festival will provide all essentials, including toilet paper and water, so attendees don’t have to leave Reveille Peak Ranch during their stay, Morales said. All check-ins and traffic will be staggered across the five days so vehicles aren’t coming or going all at once. No tickets were sold for Monday, April 8, the actual day of the eclipse, so festival-goers don’t contribute to the expected day traffic from the Austin metro area. Traffic leaving the festival on April 9 will be let out in waves to ensure school buses aren’t bogged down by outgoing vehicles.

Sheriff Calvin Boyd told DailyTrib.com he is confident in the festival’s plans.

“I’m not real worried about Reveille Peak once we get (the festival attendees) in there,” he said. “They have a really good plan. It’s going to be like a little city. I’m more worried about the day traffic and the overnight traffic that’s going to be coming in.”

Burnet County Tourism Director Blair Manning told DailyTrib.com in an October 2023 interview that the county could see 100,000 or more visitors based on similar circumstances during the 2017 total solar eclipse that passed over Wyoming.

Law enforcement agencies and emergency preparedness organizations across the Highland Lakes are in the midst of preparations for potential issues caused by the eclipse, like running out of essential resources, downed communications, and increased response times for emergency services due to heavy traffic.

Morales added that, while the festival has required an enormous amount of planning and preparation, it is also a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“Part of the beauty of the eclipse is that it brings people together,” he said. “We’ll all be looking up at the same thing. Even if (eclipse totality is) just four-and-a-half minutes, we can all take a moment and just be humans together.”

dakota@thepicayune.com

Oh So Yummy! is back in downtown Marble Falls, now at 209 Main St., after being closed for almost a year. The sweet treats shop offers several flavors of Blue Bell ice cream, an assortment of flavored fudge, cotton candy, popcorn, and over 30 types of homemade salsa.

“We’ve got all kinds of goodies,” co-owner Nickie Coughran said.

It also has unique menu options, including ice cream nachos.

“The ice cream nachos come with two flavors of ice cream, toppings, and waffle cone chips,” Coughran said. “They’re pretty cool.”

Formerly at 300 Main St., Oh So Yummy! closed to make space for Third and Main, another business that Coughran operates. 

Oh So Yummy! is open seven days a week, typically from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

“With Spring Break coming up, of course, we’ll probably extend it,” Coughran said. “We’re still figuring it out.”

nathan@thepicayune.com

A fire destroyed the 150-year-old Conrad Fuchs home in Horseshoe Bay on Sunday, Feb. 25. Fuchs was an early Burnet County settler in the Cottonwood Shores area. Officials determined the blaze was accidental, caused by embers from a permitted controlled burn landing on the historic home’s wood-shake roof.

“The building is considered a total loss,” Horseshoe Bay Fire Chief Doug Fowler said in a media release. “A dollar value for the loss has yet to be determined.”

The fire started at around 2 p.m. Sunday and was under control by about 4:15 p.m. Horseshoe Bay Fire Department crews continued to work the scene overnight into Monday morning to prevent additional damage.

“Due to the heavy fire involvement of the structure, the threat of structural collapse, and the age of the structure, the fire was fought defensively,” Fowler said.

Fuchs (rhymes with books) built the timber structure sometime during the late 1870s or early 1880s to serve as the Tiger Mill Post Office. The post office received its name from the steam gristmill and sawmill Fuchs constructed at nearby Tiger Creek. The building was also one of the area’s first schools.

“Yesterday’s loss of the Conrad Fuchs home is beyond devastating,” said local historian Debbie Holloway. She is the founder and organizer of the annual Legends of the Falls theatrical hayride through history, which featured a portrayal of Fuchs.

Fuchs’ widow sold the home after his death in 1898. The building received a now-lost historical marker from the Texas Historical Commission in 1974 after being restored in 1972-73.

The city of Horseshoe Bay purchased the home in 2017. The city sold it in 2020, and it has been private residence since.

“When we lose something this old, with so many life experiences, something tangible that allows us to live in that moment, history fades a little more,” Holloway said.

The building was one of the few remaining historical structures in southern Burnet County. 

“It’s heartbreaking to lose something of that significance,” said Burnet County Commissioner Joe Don Dockery, who represents Precinct 4 in which the building stood.

Its historic building practices contributed to the size of the blaze, Dockery said.

“Because of the age of the structure, the lack of blocking in the walls, and the lack of newer construction standards, I’m sure (the fire) ran rampant,” he said.

The Horseshoe Bay Fire Department received support at the scene by Marble Falls Fire Rescue, the Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department, the Granite Shoals Fire Department, and Spicewood Fire Rescue. Marble Falls Area EMS and the Horseshoe Bay Police Department also responded.

nathan@thepicayune.com

First responders are ready for whatever might happen during the total solar eclipse on April 8, but residents also need to be prepared, Llano County Emergency Management Coordinator Gilbert Bennet told county commissioners at their regular meeting on Monday, Feb. 26.

“Every individual and neighborhood needs to be prepared for this event,” he said.

However, he reminded everyone that the eclipse “is not an emergency; this is an event.”

“It is not a declared disaster in Llano County, yet,” he continued. “You can’t holler fire until you see a fire.”

The path of the eclipse will go directly over Llano County, making it one of the best places to observe the celestial event. The eclipse will begin at 12:16 p.m. on April 8 and end by 2:57 p.m.

The window of totality, when the moon completely blocks the sun’s rays, will occur in the middle of that timeframe, beginning at 1:36 p.m. and lasting about four minutes and 23 seconds. 

Officials are conservatively estimating that the county’s population will increase by about 50 percent on the day of the eclipse, which could cause major traffic congestion at locations such as the Roy Inks Bridge in Llano. 

Estimates are based on what happened in rural towns, like Madras, Oregon, during the 2017 total solar eclipse. The population in Madras went from 7,700 to 100,000 on the day of that eclipse — a 1,200 percent increase.

“There’s things you can control and there’s things you can’t control,” County Judge Ron Cunningham said. “We can’t control the number of people that want to come to Llano County. The only thing we can do is be prepared for what we anticipate.”

The Commissioners Court approved spending $8,800 on pre-staged fuel for emergency vehicles. An extra portable restroom will be placed at Llano County Park. Ten haul-off dumpsters will be rented to deal with the expected litter visitors could leave behind.

Eleven deputies and three dispatchers will be on duty at all times for the expected impact days of April 4-9, said Llano County Sheriff Bill Blackburn.

Bennett recommended residents do their grocery shopping and make necessary preparations by April 1 to avoid competing with visitors. He said grocery stores and gas stations could run out of essentials during the impact days.

According to Commissioner Linda Raschke, almost every single hotel and motel room, along with all short-term rentals, in Llano County have been booked for the days surrounding the eclipse. She made the firm recommendation that residents and visitors with accommodations stay in one place and avoid travel on April 8.

Local churches and county spaces could be used as temporary shelters for those stranded due to fuel shortages and traffic jams.

Llano County offices and Llano Independent School District campuses will be closed on April 8.

“We’re all in this together, and we’ll get through this as a team and a community,” Bennett said.

dakota@thepicayune.com

The city of Burnet tore down the fire-gutted and condemned Reagor building on U.S. 281 the week of Feb. 19, and the property is set to be sold at a public auction for back taxes on March 5. 

“We are devastated by this,” said Rhonda Martin, fiancée to property owner Kenneth Reagor. Martin has been acting as Reagor’s spokesperson in the battle to save the building, which came to a head at a City Council meeting in January with a final vote to condemn it.

The city first condemned the building after a December 2022 fire destroyed all but the granite walls. At the time of the blaze, the building was home to Reagor Air Conditioning, Heating, Plumbing, and Electric.

 The council approved a demolition order in June 2023 and again in October when the owners did not clear the property as ordered. The owners are listed on the Burnet Central Appraisal District website as Kenneth  R. Reagor and Verlon D. Reagor Jr., although Verlon Jr. died in 2016.

In November, Kenneth Reagor and Martin hired an attorney and filed for a temporary restraining order against demolition. Judge Evan Stubbs of the 424th Judicial District issued the order on Dec. 1, 2023, stopping demolition set for Dec. 4. 

At a Dec. 14 hearing on the matter, both sides told Judge Stubbs they agreed to meet one last time in Burnet City Council chambers to discuss saving the building. 

Reagor and Martin also agreed to abide by whatever the council decided, which ultimately was to tear down the building. 

The property is being sold at auction for back taxes. Bidding starts at $36,250, according to a listing on Burnet County’s website. The property is appraised at $190,512 by the Burnet Central Appraisal District. About $48,000 is owed in taxes dating to 2016, according to the CAD database. 

“Our attorney has offered to have the insurance company pay the property taxes (to the county) directly from our settlement, which is due in March, but it won’t be paid until after the auction deadline,” Martin said.

The city of Burnet will have a lien on the property for the cost of demolishing the building. DailyTrib.com has submitted a public information request for the amount. The city has 14 days to comply with the request, which was submitted Monday, Feb. 26. 

Martin said she and Reagor were trying to work with the insurance company to pay up. 

“We don’t know what’s going to happen,” she said. “The county wants a firm settlement amount and date set, which, of course, we don’t have yet.”

suzanne@thepicayune.com

Several Republicans seeking nominations in the March 5 primary participated in a Llano County candidates forum hosted by the Star Republican Women of Horseshoe Bay on Feb. 20. Many of the hopefuls have been making the rounds throughout primary season, but the Tuesday event had one of the first tandem appearances of both Precinct 1 justice of the peace candidates, Sam Silver and Allen Fletcher.

Early voting continues through March 1 before election day on March 5. Learn more about early voting times and locations in a Feb. 15 DailyTrib.com story.

The Star Republican Women forum was moderated by club President Sarah Boyd and Vice President Kathy Hussey.

Each candidate was allowed a brief introduction and conclusion. They were each asked two questions specifically geared toward them that were generated by Boyd and Hussey.

Precinct 1 justice of the peace

Sam Silver and Allen Fletcher are running to fill the JP Precinct 1 position that will be left vacant by Marquis Cantu, who gave up his seat in October 2023 to run for Llano County sheriff. 

Precinct 1 encompasses the lower-right quadrant of Llano County and stretches from the outskirts of the city of Llano to Horseshoe Bay on the Llano-Burnet county line. Justices of the peace preside over small civil cases and misdemeanors, pronounce deaths, and handle legal matters such as marriages and landlord-tenant disputes in their respective precincts. 

Fletcher introduced himself and laid out a career in law enforcement, his success in business, and multiple stints as the state representative for District 130.

“Sitting on the dais as a chairman of the Texas Legislature, I worked for many, many thousands of hours on many, many cases and laws that we passed, and I think that is very similar to what the JP does,” he said.

Silver offered up her 36 years as a first responder and noted her experience in creating firefighting and EMS career programs for Texas high schools.

She joked that her greatest challenge would be “filling the shoes” of Cantu but then brought it back to a more serious note.

“I have seen death many times, and I have worked with prisoners in their cells,” she said. “I have researched many, many, many areas of justice of the peace. I think it would be a phenomenal opportunity. I believe I am very qualified.”

Some friction between the candidates became evident during their conclusions.

Silver was asked by Boyd if her relationship with her husband, Llano County Precinct 1 Constable Gary Silver, would influence how she did her job. 

“That is not only an insult to me, but it is an insult to every woman in this room,” she said. “We think for ourselves. We do not have to be influenced by anybody. I love my husband dearly, but I think for myself and I speak for myself.”

There is no law against a husband and wife serving as justice of the peace and constable in the same precinct, Silver said. Llano County has a husband-and-wife constable-JP duo in Precinct 3, Bill and Deb Edwards.

Fletcher used the vast majority of his final statement to express his concern for a potential conflict of interest between the Silvers if his opponent were elected.

“I want to address this thing about the husband-and-wife issue,” he said. “I really feel like it is a conflict of interest. I do not believe that is something that should be happening in our court.”

He alluded to his former colleagues in the legislature agreeing with him on the matter and said that the law surrounding the issue could be changing soon.

Silver used her final statement to compare her qualities to Fletcher’s. She noted that she only lives two minutes from the JP Precinct 1 office, while Fletcher resides about 30 miles away on Texas 16 outside of Llano. She claimed that Fletcher did not work full time while he was in the Texas Legislature and that she did as a firefighter and while with the EMS. 

Llano County sheriff

Marquis Cantu and Les Hartman are hoping to replace retiring Llano County Sheriff Bill Blackburn. 

Both candidates have met at forums on several occasions covered by DailyTrib.com.

Cantu highlighted his 25 years in law enforcement, including as a Texas Ranger attached to Llano County, and his service in the U.S. Marine Corps.

“What I bring to the table is my experience,” he said. “I haven’t done everything, but I do have the experience in traffic enforcement, I do have the experience in narcotics enforcement, and I do have experience as your Texas Ranger.”

Hartman focused on his deep roots in the community. He was born and raised in Llano County and comes from a family that settled in the region in the 19th century. He is a sergeant with the Llano Police Department and once served as a deputy with the Llano County Sheriff’s Office.

“This is my home, these people are a part of me, and I want to make sure they’re given every opportunity,” he said. “I grew up here, I understand the way, the people, the culture. Those are the things that I think are important to me, and I don’t want to see that get taken over by anything political.”

Hartman was asked about his “moral values” by Boyd, who brought up a 24-hour suspension he received from the Llano Police Department in December 2023 for not properly filing a report.

He said he could not reveal details as the investigation is ongoing, but he added that the cause of the suspension was for not filing a report after he conducted an investigation and found no evidence to support a crime.

33rd/424th district attorney

Marie Primm and Perry Thomas are running to take the place of outgoing DA Wiley “Sonny” McAfee. 

Both candidates began campaigning early, having announced their runs in October 2023. They both thoroughly established their platforms and positions on key issues at the Burnet County Republican Party candidates forum on Feb. 8. 

Primm introduced herself as a passionate prosecutor with decades of experience in the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and over 100 jury trials under her belt. She currently lives in Sunrise Beach Village and works on the Capital Murder Team of the Texas Attorney General’s Office.

“Y’all deserve a district attorney who has the experience and leadership skills to lead this community and keep it safe,” she said. “I was under a pressure cooker every day (in Harris County) and I excelled. I will bring that experience and that knowledge with me here.”

Thomas laid out his 32 years as an attorney. He served in the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office for over 20 years, then under McAfee as first assistant district attorney for 4½ years. He currently runs his own law practice in Burnet and touted his 10 years in the community as one of his strengths as a candidate.

“I come to you with experience on both sides of a criminal docket, having tried hundreds of criminal cases of all sorts,” he said. “I come to you with a relationship already developed with the judges, court staff, clerks, law enforcement agencies, and the other departments that are involved in the criminal justice system.”

Texas House District 53 representative

Hatch Smith and Wes Virdell are seeking the Republican nomination in the House District 53 race. Incumbent Andrew Murr chose not to run for re-election. The winner of the March 5 primary will face off against unopposed Democratic candidate Joe P. Herrera in the November general election. 

The candidates gave extensive personal introductions and visited with Llano County residents at a Kingsland Chamber of Commerce meeting on Feb. 8.

Smith talked about his Llano County roots, having grown up on a multi-generational family ranch outside of Llano. He attended Cornell University and worked in finance in New York and Dallas before returning to Llano to operate the ranch. He is currently the chief administrator of Midcoast Health Systems, which has a hospital in the city of Llano and clinics across Llano County.

He listed water, health care, and rural infrastructure improvements as prime concerns for the district and Llano County.

“If we’re going to be the state that says, ‘Come to Texas, live here, move here, bring your businesses here,’ we better get all of those things right before we ask everybody to move here,” he said.

Virdell touted his experience working at the Texas Capitol to combat anti-gun legislation and getting pro-gun laws passed. He is a lifelong resident of Brady, a U.S. Air Force veteran, and currently serves as the Texas state director of Gun Owners of America. 

He said his main concerns are Second Amendment rights and effective representation by Republican leaders in the Texas Legislature. He pointed to the practice of GOP leaders appointing Democratic chairs to committees in the legislature as a major problem.

“Our biggest issue is we have to fix how our state house operates,” he said. “If we don’t change how our state house operates, we will not change anything.”

dakota@thepicayune.com

A civil lawsuit against 33rd/424th District Attorney Wiley “Sonny” McAfee was dismissed with prejudice on Wednesday, Feb. 20, meaning the plaintiff cannot refile on the same charges. 

Zachary P. Hudler v. Wiley McAfee et al. was settled out of court and was the last of two lawsuits that named the DA, his investigator Jack Schumacher, Blanco County Sheriff’s Deputy James Loving, Blanco County Sheriff’s Sgt. Adam Acosta, and Blanco County as defendants. 

The other lawsuit, Jarrett Jay Bous v. McAfee et al., was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman on Dec. 28, 2023, at the plaintiff’s request, also without prejudice. Bous stated in an Unopposed Dismissal by Stipulation submitted by Hudler, his attorney, that he “no longer wishes to pursue this action.” 

The request to dismiss Bous v. McAfee came less than three months after Bous’ original attorney in the civil suit, Tanner Franklin of Franklin Law in Etoile, asked to be removed as counsel.

Both cases were related to the 2020 killing of James Robert Poole in Blanco County. Bous was charged with first-degree murder with bail set at $3 million. He spent eight months in jail before the charge was dismissed. 

In his lawsuit, Bous claimed he was arrested despite evidence that exonerated him, that his bond was set too high for him to make bail, and that he was denied due process and equal protection under the law. 

Hudler served as Bous’ defense attorney in the murder case. Hudler was arrested for evading a search warrant for his mobile phone. 

In his suit against McAfee and Blanco County, Hudler claimed he was not shown a search warrant when asked for his phone and was thrown to the ground and handcuffed in public for refusing to turn it over.

In a statement submitted to DailyTrib.com concerning the Hudler settlement, McAfee called the civil suit “vexatious.” It was settled by the Texas Association of Counties’ attorneys for one-tenth of the original claim of $250,000 in damages. TAC represents Blanco County and provides insurance for the county. 

“TAC agreed to pay Hudler $25,000 as a settlement with no finding of liability on the part of the parties sued,” McAfee said. “TAC settled without any input from us (defendants), whatsoever. Although I understand lawsuits and TAC’s decision to avoid paying more in additional legal fees than the settlement would cost, I don’t like it.” 

Hudler told DailyTrib.com the lawsuit was about accountability, which he believes was achieved in the settlement. 

“Cases like this are important because they are about holding government officials accountable,” he said in an email to DailyTrib.com. “This case brought about changes as some of the defendants are no longer employed by (Blanco County) or not seeking re-election.”

McAfee confirmed that one of the deputies involved in the case, and whose name was later removed from the lawsuit, recently retired from the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office. The DA also acknowledged he is not seeking re-election after serving 12 years in office, but that he made that decision before Hudler filed his suit. 

“Hudler’s lawsuit and the subsequent settlement had nothing to do with accountability, it was about money,” McAfee said. “The only thing his lawsuit accomplished was getting money from the organization that provides insurance to Blanco County to get rid of Hudler’s vexatious lawsuit with no finding of liability.”

Legal costs were mounting as attorneys continued to conduct depositions, draft motions, and answer interrogatories and requests for admissions, McAfee continued. 

“After discovery was complete, lawyers representing Blanco County filed a motion for summary judgment,” he said in his statement. “The motion essentially asserted that Hudler’s claim would fail based on evidence produced through discovery, including Hudler’s deposition. I believe the law firm representing the county very clearly demonstrated the lack of merit in Hudler’s lawsuit. “  

In granting the Order of Dismissal in Hudler v. McAfee, Judge Alan D. Albright stipulated that each party would be responsible for paying their own attorney fees and costs. 

suzanne@thepicayune.com

The Marble Falls City Council on Feb. 20 unanimously approved a planned development near the U.S. 281-Texas 71 junction in south Marble Falls. H&H Ranch will have 188 detached, built-to-rent, apartment-style units behind nearly 30 acres of commercial development on the south side of Texas 71 across from Baylor Scott & White Medical Center.

Plans are still being worked out.

“One of the reasons why it doesn’t have a lot of details at this time … is because it’s being affected by some discussions with (the Texas Department of Transportation),” said Marble Falls Development Services Director Kim Foutz at the Tuesday council meeting. “(The developer has) had to delay a little bit on their plan.”

Talks surrounding H&H Ranch started back in 2014 and centered on a roughly 30-acre tract owned by Hohenberger and Hohenberger Family Ltd. The property owner transferred the site to Wier Hills Ltd. in January 2024. Wier Hills opted to add an adjacent 24-acre plot to the west side of the site’s footprint to create more space for construction.

“They’re expanding the project,” Mayor Dave Rhodes said.

The developer plans to request voluntary annexation into the city while also merging the two adjoining lots. Councilors will vote on whether to accept the voluntary annexation during a March 5 meeting, Foutz said.

The developer will build a road, Buck Run, to connect the development with a previously constructed entrance to Baylor Scott & White, Texas 71, and the neighboring Gregg Ranch subdivision.

“Those plans have already been designed and are in our possession,” Foutz said.

Other public improvements, such as the installation of water and wastewater lines, have already been completed. 

The developer also dedicated easements and will have to make pro-rata contributions and pay additional wastewater irrigation fees as part of the agreement approved on Feb. 20, Foutz said.

H&H Ranch is the latest in a string of developments along the Texas 71-U.S. 281 corridor. Other area developments approved by the Marble Falls City Council in the past few years include Gregg Ranch, Thunder Rock, and Legacy Crossing.

nathan@thepicayune.com