Marble Falls council gets earful on school stadium near subdivision

By CHRIS PORTER • Daily Tribune Staff

MARBLE FALLS - Residents of the High Ridge subdivision flooded City Council chambers Monday night to air concerns about about a proposed stadium at nearby Marble Falls High School, including fears the facility will be disruptive.

“The reason I bought property in that area is because it’s a nice, quiet neighborhood,” said High Ridge neighbor Peggy Simon at the crowded meeting. “We want to keep it that way.”

Several community members spoke against the proposed parking and landscaping at the stadium during the meeting, which also saw council members grant final approval to next year’s $14 million city budget, which calls for a property tax increase.

The council also approved a project to bring more than 30 sculptures to the downtown area.

But what generated the most discussion were a trio of requests by Marble Falls Independent School District Superintendent Ryder Warren that would have paved the way for the district to construct a 5,000-seat athletics facility at Marble Falls High School.

Voters approved the facility last November as part of a $63.2 million MFISD bond package.

At issue are two 5-acre lots just east of the 80-acre high school campus, according to Simon. Both lots were conveyed to the district more than 10 years ago, and both would have been included in conditional-use permits allowing the district to build the stadium.

Current school district plans would place a large retention pond across the two lots, in addition to a 200-car parking lot - a sticking point for several subdivision residents.

Simon said the school’s plans to use the two lots - which are currently undeveloped - would violate deed restrictions put in place by the property’s former owners.

“I was under the impression (the property) was for use for single-family housing,” Simon said.

High Ridge resident Kay Zagst asked the council to leave the lots out of any additional permits or re-zoning related to the high school.

“We would ideally like to see a house, or a couple of houses, on that property,” Zagst said.

MFISD Assistant Superintendent Glenn Graham said the placement of the proposed stadium and parking lot boils down to one issue - cost.

“We have basically the foundation for the new stadium at the high school already,” Graham said. “It’s the most cost-effective option. We have to consider all of our taxpayers, and we have to protect taxpayer money as well. Not to sound cliché, but the needs of the whole outweigh the needs of the few.”

Graham stressed the plans aren’t finalized, adding both he and Warren are willing to meet with residents to discuss details of the construction.

The council agreed to postpone any additional zoning or variances until preliminary construction plats for the property are submitted.

In other action, the council granted final approval on the Fiscal Year 2007-2008 budget. The $14 million spending plan will be funded by a property tax rate of about 49 cents per $100 of property value, a 9-cent increase over last year’s rate. Public hearings on both the tax rate and budget were held in August and September, though no residents spoke at the hearings.

Council members also gave their approval to a licensing agreement between the city and the Historic Main Street Association, allowing the group to display more than 30 large-scale outdoor sculptures around the downtown Main Street area.

“I think (the sculptures) are going to bring a lot of people into the city,” Interim City Manager Judy Miller said. “I think it will be a good thing for the city.”

Historic Main Street President Russell Buster said the group is already placing advertisements in tourism-related magazines throughout the state.

The sculptures will be located on city-owned curbs and medians around downtown, with several others placed on public property near U.S. 281.

The artwork will begin appearing downtown next month, and will remain on display for about a year.

chris@thepicayune.com

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Marble Falls council gets earful on school stadium near subdivision