JUNE 19, 2019 NOW OPEN
OUTSOURCED
Gay Ruby Dahlstrom Preserve now open to the public.
$76,252, spent outsourcing inmates for one week.
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Hays Free Press © Barton Publications, Inc.
75¢
Vol. 124 • No. 12
HaysFreePress.com
Serving Buda, Kyle and Northeast Hays County, TX
Southwest Kyle Public Improvement District okayed for assessment plans BY KATIE BURRELL
The city of Kyle is in multiple Public Improvement District (PID) agreements in an effort to allow more home projects and upgrade city areas. Kyle City Council recently approved a preliminary assessment plan for yet
Goforth Road rezoning cause of concern for neighbors
The total PID will house a total of 540 singlefamily homes, 345 apartment units and 13,000 square feet of commercial retail space.
another PID. The Southwest Kyle PID is located on 171 acres between Roland Lane and Opal Lane
along I-35. The PID was approved over a year ago, according to Kyle Mayor Travis Mitchell, who said the city sees
PIDs as a way to benefit the city and its residents in ways it cannot on its own. The PID will allow the developers of the
area to apply a PID tax to its residents to pay off 20-year bonds. This PID will be divided into two phases, according to Jon Snyder, Kyle’s PID administrator. “This was the approval for the planning of phase one,” Snyder said. “There
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Ultimate Frisbee
BY KATIE BURRELL
REZONING QUESTIONED, 12
PHOTO BY MOSES LEOS III As the 2019 school year came to a close, students and alumni joined Hays High staff in the annual Ultimate Frisbee tournament held on campus. The event was spearheaded by Hays High educators Billy Norton and Chris Gardner and featured students past and present. See more photos, page 7.
Coming Up Kyle Downtown Development Meeting Business owners and Kyle residents are encouraged to attend a meeting with Kyle officials to discuss the development of the downtown area. Topics will include parking, zoning and design.The meeting is Saturday, June 22, 9 a.m. at the Kyle City Hall, 100 Center Street.
$
Kyle Movie in the Park
Kyle begins its Movie in the Park Series this month in its new location in City Square Park. The June 21 Movie in the Park will feature the film Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation. Bring a blanket or chair to sit on. Food and coolers are allowed. Movie begins at sundown.
FIRST YEAR ON US
Kyle develops marketing plan for tax rebate program, nixes expansion.
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INDEX
A rezoning request for 127 acres of agricultural land along Goforth Road to residential has been met with vitriol and concern from surrounding residents. Land owners Robert and Karen Schlortt have requested to rezone 127.46 acres of agricultural land to Neighborhood Commercial, Community Commercial, Residential Condominium and Single-Family Residential zones. The land is currently used for agriculture and has one home on it but was annexed in 2016 as part of Kyle’s corporate limits. The land is south of the Southlake Ranch subdivision and the Kensington Trails neighborhood, which according to the city, is considered low density. The property’s neighboring citizens disagree with the low-density diagnosis and have written to the city requesting
Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters free program
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters Program will host a residential rainwater harvesting and turf management training June 20 in Kyle. The free program will be from 1-5 p.m. at the Kyle Fire Department 1, 210 W. Moore St. It is being offered in collaboration with the Plum Creek Watershed Partnership.
News……………… 2, 12 Opinion………………… 3 Sports…………………… 4 Education……………… 5 Community………… 6-8
Closed crossings on FM 150 hurting business BY EXSAR ARGUELLO Nestled off the beaten path in the Hill Country, surrounded by the loud buzzing of the summer cicadas, are a plethora of destination businesses which are losing money by the week. Typically, the summer season is the busiest for the numerous wineries, breweries, distilleries and restaurants in the rural parts of Hays County. But a road closure is keeping people away, costing some businesses up to a 20 percent loss during this peak season. Driftwood is a quaint destination portion of Hays County. The drive is scenic, filled with various low water crossings, wildlife encounters and the roaring waters of the Hill Country. However, one of the most scenic portions of the drive, a low water crossing over Onion Creek on FM 150, is closed, cutting off a major thoroughfare to Driftwood. “It’s having a big impact on those business owners out there and it’s been over 40 days and counting that the road has been closed,” said Driftwood Historical Conservation Society (DHCS) committee member Casey Cutler. “The May flood had a huge impact on the crossing, so we’re just waiting for the best.” The DHCS and business owners met with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) last week on the status of the road. Cutler said the conversation with the state agency was positive, but the road desperately needs to open once again. On the periphery of the road closure sits Vista Brewing, a modern brewery tucked away between the wildflowers and trees of Driftwood.
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IDEA Academy drawing more students, applying for building expansion BY KATIE BURRELL IDEA Academy in Kyle has applied for permission to expand its building into phase two if the school’s expansion plan. IDEA Kyle is currently located at 640 Philomena Dr. in the northern part of Kyle. The school currently
Business……………… 9 Service Directory…… 11 Public Notices……… 10 Classifieds…………… 10
serves 704 students, according to IDEA Kyle, who are in Kindergarten through third grade and sixth through seventh grade. The 30,000 square foot expansion will allow IDEA Kyle to serve high school students as well, a concern for Hays
IDEA ACADEMY, 8