May 29, 2024 Hood County Special Called Meeting

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Hood County Commissioner Court held a special called meeting to review and prioritize alternatives from the Master Thoroughfare Plan (MTP) workshop, focusing on key corridors including Pecan Plantation evacuation access, school connectivity, east-side north-south routes, river crossings, and Highway 4 intersection improvements. The commissioners discussed funding strategies, TxDOT coordination, and constraints such as topography, land acquisition costs, and federal restrictions on certain properties. After evaluating 18 alternatives and considering regional coordination opportunities, the court approved priority routes to move forward with detailed vetting of alignments, utility locations, and property constraints, with the understanding that the COG would model only major collectors and arterials.

• Call to order and invocationThe special called meeting of Hood County Commissioner Court was opened with invocation and pledges.
• Master Thoroughfare Plan workshop results overviewThe court reviewed results from an April workshop on the Hood County Master Thoroughfare Plan (MTP) to prioritize corridors and identify improvement alternatives.
• Council of Governments (COG) coordination and prioritization processCOG requested that the county bring workshop feedback before commissioners for concurrence on alternatives, with opportunity to eliminate or prioritize routes for modeling.
• Priority Route 1: Pecan Plantation access and evacuationAlternative 1 addresses evacuation concerns for Pecan Plantation by providing emergency access points to the south and east, away from the nuclear plant.
• Priority Route 4: School connectivityAlternative 4 would extend Pirate Drive to connect with Misty Meadow Drive to provide a second access point to a school currently served by only one entrance and exit.
• Priority Route 7: East-side north-south connectivityAlternative 7 provides additional North and South connectivity to Highway 377 on the county's east side without requiring use of Highway 144 or Fall Creek Highway.
• Priority Route 14: River crossing and southern connectivityAlternative 14 proposes an additional river crossing at Mitchell Bend south using County Road 326 to provide an alternate route to Highway 67 and Chism Trail.
• Highway 4 and 167 intersection improvementsTxDOT has studied the Highway 4 and 167 intersection and is planning right-of-way acquisition for a traffic light with dedicated turn lanes.
• Highway 4 and Acton Highway intersection improvementsThe county has already installed dedicated turn lanes at the Highway 4 and Acton Highway intersection, with TxDOT waiting on materials to install a traffic light.
• Classification and funding requirements for new routesCommissioners emphasized that routes bypassing residential areas must be classified as major thoroughfares to prevent unauthorized truck traffic through neighborhoods and qualify for federal funding.
• Development pressure on Highway 4 corridorSignificant new residential development (75 homes) is underway west of Crescent with Highway 4 widening and turning lanes being installed by the developer.
• Route 7 versus Route 171 analysisCommissioners discussed that Route 7 (northern alternative) is preferable to Route 171 because it can utilize the Highway 377 bypass, whereas the 377 bypass does not interconnect with Route 171.
• Pecan Plantation bridge and southern access concernsCommissioners debated proposals for bridge crossings and connections near Pecan Plantation, with concerns about cost, land acquisition, and traffic distribution.
• Consolidating multiple similar alternativesCommissioners noted that some numbered alternatives on the plan essentially represent the same route or concept and may not need to be separately modeled.
• TxDOT prioritization and funding strategyTxDOT funding decisions will likely favor routes that offload 144 traffic around town; more expensive river crossings and bridges may not be prioritized over less expensive solutions.
• Highway 4 and additional entry points discussionCommissioners discussed that widening Highway 4 and adding traffic lights could redirect flow away from downtown Granbury if alternative routes are built.
• Outer loop feasibility and land constraintsDiscussion of potential outer loop routes revealed constraints from federal restrictions on the Nature Center property and high costs of acquiring private residential land.
• Historical bypass planning and cost contextCommissioners referenced a previous south bypass proposal from decades ago and noted that TxDOT had estimated costs around $70 million for bridge construction alone.
• Bowser Ranch loop and existing TxDOT plansThe outer loop around Highway 567 through Bowser Ranch is already included in TxDOT's mobility plans (2045 plan, being updated to 2050).
• Planning process and future detailed evaluationAfter confirming and prioritizing alternatives today, the TMP team will conduct detailed vetting of alignments to identify physical conflicts, utility locations, and property constraints.
• Purpose of today's meeting and commissioner rankingThe meeting aims for commissioners to prioritize the 18 alternatives, give approval to move forward, and optionally identify top routes for COG modeling focus.
• COG modeling scope: major routes onlyCOG will model only major collectors, arterials, and principal arterial highways; local roads will not be included in the traffic model.
• Population growth and congestion contextCommissioners cited current and projected population figures (Pecan Plantation approaching 10,000; surrounding areas 21,000) to illustrate the scale of traffic challenges ahead.
• Topography and bridge alignment considerationsCommissioners noted that topography differs across the lake/river area, with higher elevation on the opposite side, potentially allowing less steep bridge or road approaches from certain directions.
• Road network and county road analysisParticipants reviewed county road designations and potential route options in the study area, identifying existing infrastructure and dead-end conditions.
• Loop and route elimination discussionParticipants evaluated whether certain proposed routes should be eliminated or modified as the study progresses.
• Johnson County coordination and regional planningParticipants discussed coordination with Johnson County's separate master transportation plan study and identified opportunities for regional collaboration.
• Stout Creek flooding mitigation and retention pond strategyParticipants reviewed Stout Creek flooding issues affecting Spring Branch area and discussed retention lake solutions to reduce downstream water flow.
• Railroad crossing restrictions and access limitationsParticipants discussed railroad policy limitations on grade crossings and previous failed attempts to provide alternate access across rail lines.
• Granberry grade-separated railroad crossing and regional policyParticipants reviewed City of Granberry's proposed grade-separated crossing and railroad policy constraints on new crossings.
• Route priorities and priority determinationParticipants consolidated discussion and identified key routes as high-priority based on feedback and feasibility.
• Old Granbury Road expansion concernsParticipants debated whether Old Granbury Road extension east of Industrial warrants inclusion as a thick red line indicating active planning.
• Pecan Plantation bridge crossing and elevation considerationsParticipants evaluated location options for lake crossing near Pecan Plantation, balancing cost and elevation factors.
• Special meeting motion and priority approvalParticipants voted to formally approve priorities and move forward with identified routes and studies.