April 9, 2008 22:55 - Kyle council stalls Dacy project
By Bill Peterson
KYLE – Showing jitters about the county's commitment to road projects, Kyle city councilmembers voted last week against a $65,000 expenditure for preliminary engineering on Dacy Lane.
The council's reticence surprised City Manager Tom Mattis and his staff, who expected a routine passage. However, Mayor Mike Gonzalez led a council majority in opposition.
Gonzalez motioned for the city staff to produce a memorandum of understanding with Hays County outlining the latter's financial involvement and the timing for improvements.
The county has agreed in principle to improve Dacy Lane as part of the Seton Hospital project. Precinct 1 Commissioner Debbie Ingalsbe (D-San Marcos) and Precinct 2 Commissioner Jeff Barton (D-Kyle) have been especially vocal in their support. However, the county hasn't determined how much it will spend or when.
"If they're not going to fund it for five or six years, we don't know how it is going to develop," Gonzalez said.
The county commissioners have struggled to agree on even the broadest outlines for road improvements since the present court was seated in January 2007. The Kyle council evidently is not highly confident in the commissioners following recent high dramas on the court regarding transportation issues.
Nearly a year after a $172 million road bond election failed last May, the commissioners are at work on bond election this coming November. And even that election would be out of the question if the court hadn't salvaged a pass-through financing agreement with the state.
Mattis argued that the preliminary engineering study is a necessary first step towards improving Dacy Lane, which runs along the east side of property designated for the Seton project. The study would determine the potential footprint for a widened Dacy Lane and identify right of way issues.
The city manager said the matter of whether the city or the county should move first on the road is "a chicken and egg situation," adding that the road already is behind schedule with the hospital scheduled to open in 2010.
"We can't get the commitment that we want (from the county) until we get this analysis," Mattis said. "In any scenario, the city is going to pay at least $65,000."
However, the council was unconvinced.
"If the county is not committed to funding this, it's not moving forward," Gonzalez said.
Barton said he was surprised and disappointed by the council's vote.
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April 10, 2008 23:10 - Circling the square
Commentary
By Bill Peterson
KYLE – When two problems seem intractable, the solution to each may lie in combining them.
Take, for example, a recent Kyle City Council meeting, in which that august body learned that a renovation of the historic city hall is too rich for the city’s blood right now, as is a potential downtown location for a new library. What to do?
Assistant City Manager James Earp threw one idea on the table, though the table was outside the council chambers. Without endorsing or campaigning for the idea, Earp simply opened up a thought experiment: How about renovating the old city hall, then placing a new library on the town square, incorporating the renovated city hall as part of the library space?
Advantages: The costs for the two projects, which the city puts at a combined $4 million, could be reduced to about $3 million. How? By subtracting the $670,000 city hall renovation from the $3 million cost of the library building, then subtracting the $300,000 cost of library land acquisition, since the city already owns the town square.
A 15,000-square-foot library could be achieved by including the 3,000 square feet of the old city hall, then building an additional 12,000 square feet of library space. The new library space could be a two-story building on a 6,000-square-foot footprint. And the new library could be a nice appointment to the original part of Kyle.
Disadvantages: The old city hall would be obscured. The space on the town square would dramatically shrink, and there would be no provision for parking beyond that already available on the local streets. Furthermore, a two-story library requires more staff, because it's much easier for a librarian to watch one floor than two.
It might not be exactly the right idea, but it is a fascinating idea. The old city square isn't as lively as it used to be. Fair on the Square has moved to Gregg-Clarke Park, the renewed Market Days have moved across the street, the city council isn't using the old city hall and even the Kyle Area Senior Zone has been forced to move out due to the building's condition.
The city square right in the middle of town needs an active, living centerpiece. An old building useful only as an artifact of history won't do in such a crucial location. Perhaps a library project as part of the city hall renovation is too large, because it would eat up the square.
But maybe something else? What kind of project would at once restore and preserve the old city hall, make it cost effective for the city, bring the building back to life and draw activity to the city square?
Put your thinking caps on. This is a good one.
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