Residents air gripes over roadway
In their last regular hearing for October, Williamson County Commissioners Court members heard from a growing number of residents decrying plans for Arterial K — an envisioned eastwest roadway to accommodate continued growth.
Commissioners also appointed an interim fire marshal for the county, following the sudden resignation of his predecessor. Court members also approved, without discussion, the allotment of an additional $84,000 to the County Attorney’s Office.
Formerly dubbed Corridor K, the project is part of the Williamson County Long-Range Transportation Plan described as a way “... to maintain safety and mobility as the county continues to experience exponential growth,” according to a county document.
The roadway is undergoing a planning and right-of-way preservation study in the central part of the county to determine the best alignment and roadway section for an east-west route from Interstate 35 to East Wilco Highway, with segments for the latter currently underway.
Despite the mobility goals tied to construction plans, a growing chorus of residents has emerged at meetings to air concerns over the project, with grievances ranging from potential erosion of greenbelt space to intrusion into private property.
Edward Penniman, a resident of Twin Creek Farms — a gated, equestrian-friendly community near Walburg in east Williamson County — spoke to the changes the roadway would bring to what is now pristine landscape.
“We moved to Walburg to get away from congestion and have enjoyed the peace and quiet,” Penniman said. “One of the amenities that attracted us was the greenbelt. We know growth comes with impact, but I don’t understand why we’d want to build a road through a greenbelt — in a floodplain zone at that.”
Kevin Wheeler, owner of 55 acres of land off CR 329, presented findings of his own study toward determining which of two iterations of the proposal — labeled Plan A or Plan B — would be the better option.
“Plan A does not do nearly the environmental destruction or heavyenvironmental impact that (Plan) B does,” he said. “Also in my study, I did learn that this road is not yet funded, and a bond election must be put on to fund it. The question is: What is the wisest thing for the environment, the fiduciary responsibility and the responsibility to the greater number of people affected who truly have to pay for this road?”
It wasn’t just the grownups who voiced their opposition to the road plans. One 15-yearold described traversing the greenbelt armed with his Merlin birding app to identify various avian species based on their songs and calls.
“One morning, there were easily at least 15 different species that my phone picked up just in the area over the trees in the greenbelt,” he said.
The teen also noted the presence of deer.
“The environmental mixture of everything is so connected, and for that road to be built there just destroys it all,” he said. “The birds will not be able to handle the noise; they’ll migrate away. The deer will not have a safe way to cross the roads. I love these animals and wish for them to stay.”
More than a dozen residents shared their concerns over the road plans. After their comments, Precinct 4 Commissioner Russ Boles said he had set up meetings next week to hear from more residents.
“Trust me,” Boles said. “You never run for county commissioner thinking I’d love to be in the position I’m in right now. This isn’t anything that’s fun or something I look forward to. There is a lot of growth in Williamson County. You’ve all seen that, and we don’t control that growth. And there is growth that may not be as apparent to you today (that is) planned. We have a good relationship and talking to the individual who actually owns the greenbelt. So we’re going through our process and will try to get as much information as we can.”
County attorney’s office secures more funds
In other business, commissioners unanimously approved a budget amendment allotting $84,000 in additional revenue to the County Attorney’s Office. The action was passed as part of a consent agenda item requiring no comment from commissioners, categorized as a “... grave necessity due to unforeseeable circumstances” in order to approve the funds transfer.
Commissioners noted the salary supplement was received from the state, and is to be paid throughout fiscal year 2025.
Interim fire marshal sworn in
In other business, the elected leaders unanimously approved the appointment of Ron Cunningham as Williamson County fire marshal. The move comes after the resignation of Hank Jones, who had the distinction of having been the county’s first fire marshal upon his appointment in October 2019.
Jones’s last day on the job was Oct. 17.
According to a county document, Cunningham’s appointment effective Oct. 29 required securing a $10,000 bond.
“This is for the appointment of a Williamson County fire marshal on an interim basis while we are actively seeking to fill the role,” commissioners wrote. “The Texas Commission on Fire Protection has approved this temporary course of action.”
County Judge Bill Gravell took the opportunity to formally swear in Cunningham, who was joined by family members for the spontaneous ceremony.
