Burger King agreement helps city have it their way
Glynis Crawford Smith/The Highlander
Through a licensing agreement with the City of Marble Falls, Burger King is taking over a refurbishment and future maintenance of the triangle of city land on the southwest corner of the intersection of Farm to Market Road 1431 and US 281.
Before opening its doors the new Burger King will be taking on a good neighbor project through a licensing agreement approved by the Marble Falls City Council Tuesday, Oct. 17.
The project is the rehabilitation of the triangle of city property at the southwest corner of the intersection of Ranch to Market Road 1431 and US 281.
“We have been faced for a number of years with what to do with that corner,” said Robert Moss, director of the Parks & Recreation Department. “When and if we improved it, it woud have taken more maintenance.”
Robes St. Juste of Hill Country Restaurant Services LLC was at the meeting to discuss the proposal and quickly agreed to extend the terms of the agreement to 10 years.
“We want to take care of it for as long as we are here,” he said.
The city's granite welcome monument, now almost overgrown by crepe myrtle trees, is located in the patch of public land. Whether the monument is moved some day or not, the Burger King owners want to see the corner landscape well maintained with a xeriscape that does not obstruct the view of the new restaurant.
Their initial investment will be about $8,000 and the city's $4,000 on improvements to the property that eventually will revert to city ownership. In addition, Moss said the fact that construction is going on makes now a good time to extend city sidewalks in the area.
Most of the items approved Tuesday night, including a consent agenda item to remnew permission for Highland Lakes Creative Arts to continue Sculpture on Main exhibits on city property, passed unanimously. Only on the question of the licensing agreement with Hill Country Restaurant Services was there a dissenting vote. Mayor pro tem Richard Westerman voted no without comment.
Also approved by the council, after public hearings, was a request for re-platting of lots on Avenue H and for others along Heathrow Drive and Stonehenge Way in a subdivision east of Park View Drive.
Valery Kruger, Development Services director, explained to the council that in, 1983, one office building had been constructed on Avenue H on Lots 1-4, and a north 40-foot portion of First Street right of way, adjacent to Lot 1, Block No. 2, Marble Falls Original Township that had been abandoned in 1967. Combining the property into one lot will accommodate maintenance permits on the property according to current ordinances.
Along with approval the group of replat requests in the residential subdivision was approval of abandonment of right of way along the lots where city streets were never developed. A 0.301-acre portion had been valued at $4,650.99 and another tract of 0.189-acres, for $8,768.91. The council accepted an offer of $10,000 for both properties from Robert and Susan Sotkovski and Rudy and Ronelda Wendler. Any new developer in the area would be responsible for new streets.
In one case, four lots and purchased right of way were combined into a single lot and another another lot had right of way added to it.
