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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublicity Vol. 56 (Jan. 7, 1997 - Dec. 19, 1997)SAME ON YOU CITY OF COLLEGE STATION PART C., PW c kav Its always nice to hear all the good things our City Council is try- ing to do for us. At the last City Council meeting on February 13, the council was scheduled to vote on a new hotel - convention center on the "Mudlot" in Northgate. This project was so admirably con- ceived within the insightful minds of our City staff that the citizens "foolishly" criticized their valiant efforts to Revitalize Northgate. The City Manager, Skip Noe, and his pencil pusher, Todd McDaniel, made such a profes- sional presentation of this idea that the spectators did not know which point to criticize first. On the other hand, Councilman Hub Kennady, the promoter of all these "vibrant" projects, was so assured of his own personal commitment to the future "welfare" of Northgate's citi- zens that he did not even bother to show up. It was quite a show. It was a rare opportunity to see City Hall on the defensive. After two years of working dili- gently behind the scenes in a "self- less" attempt to accommodate Mr. Hammon's hotel dreams, the City staff conceived the brilliant idea of offering him $6,000,000.00 in the form of land acquisitions, small and big business demolitions, and the funds to construct a glorified meeting room, which they would call a convention center. The best yet was our City Hall's approach to all these. They offered the public a full one week of notification of their intent and purpose, and on top of that, a full three minutes to address the City Council on this issue. After all, it took a good two years to put this deal together. The big idea was for the City Hall to have this deal in place before the public even heard about it, so that they could not possibly stop it if the public wanted to object. What a set up! It was traumatic for the City Staff to have to face this public criticism, which ultimately caused them to have to postpone the issue. It is noteworthy to add that the only reason these complaintants received this type of consideration was primarily due to "who" was complaining, instead of "why" they were complaining. Our City Hall has a special Sensitivity to "Big Bucks ", and to following the path of "least resistance ". The City was planning to acquire and demolish the Guarantee Federal Bank, and a couple of other small businesses. During the meeting, when a bank official inquired as to why he was only given a 7 day notice by the City, our City manager could not help but show his deep profession- alism and his secure handle on the situation. He quickly asserted that tha City had notified the bank of their intent long ago. Without much hesitation, Mr. Steve Crawford, retorted that he was contacted six months ago by a'local real estate broker with an inquiry by a poten- tial buyer for this property. The bro- ker refused to disclose who the client was. At any rate, the bank was not for sale; and contrary to what the City Manager was trying to say, the bank did not receive notice until seven days prior to the meeting. Yet our City Manager Considered this to be sufficient notification of the City's intent. What professionalism!! Yes indeed. I am confident that all of us as citizens feel quite secure within the caring hands of our City represen- tatives. After all why shouldn't we feel secure. We are paying our City Manager about $100,000 per year so that he can look and act professional. Now, if he treats the local busi- nesses that built this community with this type of gratitude, this is just "business ". We, as law abiding citizens, have to understand that its okay to hand out land, buildings and tax incentives to out of town corporations, and to demand that their local competitors pay the price tag for ail these promotions. It makes you wonder who our City staff members think they work for? 'The local hotel owners of this area are told to literally finance their competitor's ventures. Can anybody else see what is wrong with this picture? Can any- body else see the need to take advantage of the upcoming City Hall elections to replace some of the members of this City Council? We need to keep Brad Martin as a member of the council, for he has clearly positioned himself on our side. The other two councilmen seeking re- election are too involved in their roles to "play poli- tics", and unfortunately, they do not see what they are doing to us. The power to command decisions, affecting the welfare of each one of us, should not be determined by the depth of someone's pocket, but rather by the measure of his virtues, and his strength of charac- ter. As such we need to do what councilman Hickson had said, "if the public doesn't like our plat- forms we don't get elected." Well Mr. Hickson, I do not like your plat- form. As a matter of fact, your whole ideology of achieving growth for our community is faulty. What we need to realize is that growth will come one way or another, In actualityorowth is already here and is here to stay. Just look around us. We do not need to quickly disburse handouts to out of towners from fear that we will lose our chance to develop the area. There are going to be many chances ahead. What we need to concentrate on is how to achieve a checked growth plan, and not the disaster that our so called "profes- sional" staff is working on now. A good example of our City staff's professionalism and wisdom is the case of the H.O.K. study in the Northgate area. Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, Inc. (H.O.K.) was hired and worked with City staff and under the direction of the City Council to generate a Northgate Redevelopment Plan. After it was established that PARK- ING was the #1 problem in Northgate, H.O.K. made their "pro- fessional" evaluation of this area's needs based on a one day survey! The date they chose for this evalu- ation was during "dead" week when the students stay in their dorms and apartments to study for finals. The price tag for this "pro- fessional" evaluation was over $65,000. 1 am relieved that they did not choose a day between semesters like the Christmas break. They would have concluded that there is too much parking. After that how can we respect our council members who are so out of touch with the needs of both the City's businesses and the stu- dents? As of now, the City's efforts have taken existing parking spaces away for Northgate. On top of that, they have added to the parking demand by bringing the Texadelphia sports bar to the area. They are also planning to remove the Mudlot parking area, which accommodates a few hundred cars every day; and as if this is not enough, they are studying the scenario of building a hotel and Convention Center! At the same time these projects do not even take into account the fact that St. Mary's Catholic Church is expanding or that the City is planning to make bike lanes out of the parking spaces along College Main. Where are their pri- orities? Who is behind that great brain in City Hall? The citizens complained to City Hall about inadequate parking in Northgate and the City responded by taking even that parking away. The only move the City did to address the parking problem in a positive manner, was to eliminate the parking needs of selected busi- nesses by eliminating the busi- nesses themselves! Five small businesses in Northgate had to close down because of this City's eloquent actions; and now the City is trying to close down a sixth one, the BURGER BOY. Shame on you City Hall. George Sopasakis, Burger Boy Northgate, Proprietor 846 -2146 'ICI `+ egig a for Task force usin g mural to raise By DOUGLAS SCZYGELSKI Fayetteville, Texas. It shows a Eagle Staff Writer large tree with a group of three College Station is building a rabbits, one of them holding a book, and two tortoises. new public library, and the city's "I had several ideas," Johnson children have a chance to lend a said, "but the tree was natural hand. For a contribution of $250 to to do, because the handprints could be incorporated into the the College Station Library leaves." Task Force, donors can have Johnson said the fable of the their child's name and hand- tortoise and the hare gave her the print on one of 300 leaf - shaped idea for the animals in the pic- ceramic tiles that will be incor- ture. porated into the Ceramic Handprint Tree, a mural on the Task force member Kathi Appelt, a local author, said the wall of the children's section of three rabbits in the picture, with the library. one holding a book, have become Tiles cost $200 for additional the logo for the whole library pro - children from the same family. ject. The design for the 12- by -16- Johnson earned a bachelor of foot mural was presented fine arts degree in ceramics from Mond- to th t k J e as force by artist Pat Johnson of Please see LIBRARY, Page A5 If.# AAA The tiles will evc assembled by Johnso: feet by 100 feet mura Park in Longview. th In addition to the i e library task force money by offering ti inscribed with the nary. son, business or org With larger pavers 1 donations. The pavers will be pla library's entrance and I Prices range from $50 tc The task force is tryin $300,000 and has raised $ far, said Charlie shaar - i ) M 1 itti hands money for new CS library Artist Pat Johnson, left, and Kathi Appelt from the College Station Library Task Force display a rendering of what will be a mural on the wall of the children's section of the soon -to -be -built College Station Public Library. Station communication and ■ ritually be Librar y into a 19 From A3 in a city the University of North Texas in Denton. From 1973 to 1977 she andprints, lived in College Station and is raising worked as an illustrator for the e pavers, Texas A &M agriculture exten- m of a per- sion office. tnization, She has designed album dovers )r larger and T- shirts for musicians) such as Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl ed in t ed in th Keen. s. Johnson will help the children $500. ' make the tiles with their hand- to raise prints on them. She will be paid 40,000 so $15,000 for her work and F� the College materials. Appelt said nobody but Johnson was considered for the project. "We went right to Pat," Appelt said. "She's a regional artist. We wanted someone from the Brazos Valley area, and she was chosen because she is experienced in with children and with ® working murals." Johnson now has a job in Longview, Texas, teaching 5th grade students to make ceramic tiles. Please see LIBRARY, Page A5 If.# AAA The tiles will evc assembled by Johnso: feet by 100 feet mura Park in Longview. th In addition to the i e library task force money by offering ti inscribed with the nary. son, business or org With larger pavers 1 donations. The pavers will be pla library's entrance and I Prices range from $50 tc The task force is tryin $300,000 and has raised $ far, said Charlie shaar - i ) M 1 itti hands money for new CS library Artist Pat Johnson, left, and Kathi Appelt from the College Station Library Task Force display a rendering of what will be a mural on the wall of the children's section of the soon -to -be -built College Station Public Library. Station communication and Eagle photo /Dave McDermand information service manager. ritually be Voters approved a $2.6 million into a 19 bond issue for the library in 1995, in a city but task force chairman and for- mer mayor Larry Ringer said andprints, that will pay for only a 15,000 - is raising square -foot building, and the task e pavers, force wants a 16,500- square -foot m of a per- building. tnization, The library will be built at the )r larger corner of FM 2818 and Welsh Avenue. Groundbreaking is ed in t ed in th scheduled for March 1997, with s. completion expected by March $500. ' 1998. to raise For additional information on 40,000 so donating to the project, call Kathi College Appelt at 764 -2913 or Larry Ringer at 690 -8912. Eagle photo /Dave McDermand • • LJ �lh I IF3 PI i I q 9­7 Irn Town &T�xas College Station council sets workshop session The College Station Cit Council plans to meet Thursday. In the workshop session at 3 p.m., the council plans to discuss changing the wastewater charges for single-family residences from a flat rate to a rate based on usage, while lea ing multi- f amily residences at a flat rate. In the regular session at 7 p.m., the 'agenda includes the conditions under which the city will allow rezoning of 15 acres at the corner of Texas Avenue South and Holleman Drive East from Wolf Pen Creek zoning to commercial zoning, and the 1997 schedule of recre- ation user fees. College Station Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney holds brochures from seminars she attended during the National League of Cities conference. Area officials find national meeting thought - provoking 0 By DOUGLAS SCZYGELSKI Eagle Staff Writer Several local officials attended the National League of Cities conference in San Antonio in December, and they said they found it enlight- ening. ` The strength of these meetings is you hear from professionals," said College Station Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney. "You get a broader picture of what is going on throughout the country. I met people from North Dakota, New Jersey, Atlanta, California, pretty much every state. I talked to mayors from throughout the United States." But McIhaney often heard gloomy messages. A seminar by a group called America's Promise stressed fiscal problems. "They said we can't look to the federal gov- ernment," she said. "Money that municipalities depended on in the past is not going to be there in the future. We must be more creative." Population shifts will occur, too. "They said the cities will have the very rich and the very poor," she said. "The middle class will move out to the suburbs. Most services will lie needed by people who are least able to pay for (em. `� Please see CONFERENCE, Page Al2 Conference From "Local ate new Private become 1 local go the puM game. "It's go one at the The r Know I Ohio, that go to CORE al meth( about cc financial, McIlhan guide to p. duced by t called "Th "They t. Pueblo as "They t� sounds, sir The gu: of this do( define and governments must cre- partnerships with the )ctor. The public must etter informed, and the ernments that involve will be ahead of the ig to take having every - table," Mcllhaney said. ayor said she was by a program called "I ;an," from Columbus, encourages children to ,e by using motivation - 3s and information lege programs and was also struck by a Mimi; and design pro - city of Pueblo, Colo., Soul of Pueblo." ked about downtown a home," she said. ied about sights, Lls, feel and taste. e says, `The purpose rnent is to begin to weal Pueblo's soul so that it can be reflected in every new development, every renova- tion, each open -space design, and each piece of public art.' "That really hit me, because that is this community. Both Bryan and College Station have rich traditions. We're trying to define what our heart is." Bryan Councilwoman Kandy Rose also attended the confer- ence, and heard a talk by a disas- ter relief expert who startled his listeners by asking what they would do with debris after a cata- strophe. "We thought we could just take it to the landfill," Rose said, "but he said a severe tornado will fill a landfill in two or three days. "After that session I felt I was- n't well- enough informed about emergency procedures, so I asked for a city council workshop ses- sion about that. We'll probably have it soon." Bryan councilwoman Annette Stephney also attended the con- ference. "I met officials from all over the country," she said. "I heard a lot of news about race, class and gen- der. " Stephney was particularly impressed by a seminar called "Dialogue with Diversity." "It was about making people feel comfortable with city govern- ment, making them feel involved," she said. "Some people feel they don't have anything to say. We have to get them to tell us what they would like to see." Bryan Assistant City Manager Hugh Walker didn't go just to Iis- ten. He gave a talk on Bryan's Neighborhood Enhancement Action Teams, which have meet- ings throughout the city to let cit- izens share their concerns. "It was one of the better- attend- ed sessions," Walker said. "There was standing -room only, 150 peo_ ple. I brought 120 handouts, but I ran out, and several people gave me their business cards after- ward so I could mail a handout to them." The attendees said the confer- ence was well worth the price. "It's really encouraged for mayors and council members, because there is no school for that," Rose said. "It's the only opportunity to improve your knowledge about current issues that are important to cities." Eagle photo/Doug Sczygelski D ece-m bc-r �-> I j q_ q _� Tuesday. December 31, 199 50 cents Coca -Cola bulls 193 acres in CS By JOHN KIRSCH Eagle Staff Writer College Station may be the site of a new soft drink dis- tribution center. Texas Instruments recently announced it had sold 193 acres on the eastern edge of College Station to the Bryan Coca -Cola Bottling Co. and an undisclosed third party. The sale price was not disclosed - — Coca -Cola officials have declined to publicly discuss the project, but some information can be gleaned from documents prepared by the Bryan- College Station Chamber of Commerce, which has developed a package of economic incentives for the project. According to the chamber information, the project involves construction of a $4 million, 90,000 - square -foot soft drink distribution center. Officials say site may house soft drink distribution facility A Texas Instruments news release says the building would be positioned between state highways 30 and 60 on the east side of College Station Texas Instruments purchased 250 acres of land on the east edge of College Station in 1979 and operated a plant there until 1986. Texas A &M University has purchased the old TI building and uses it for research and storage. Local economic development officials say they believe the soft drink distribution facility will be built. "The project is going to happen," said Robert Worley, executive director of the Bryan /College Station Economic Development Corp. "It's a good deal for Bryan- College Station." The project is expected to generate about 40 new jobs, said Gary Basinger, business development manager with the chamber. Basinger disclosed that information during a recent presentation to the board of directors of the Bryan /College Station Economic Development The incentive package developed by the chamber calls for abating city and county taxes on the distribution center for four years. The board of directors of the economic development corporation recommended approval of the package. The College Station City Council and Brazos County Commissioners Court must approve the proposal before it can be offered. • CS agrees to pay for B Eagle Staff Report Bryan and College Station officials agreed Tuesday that College Station will pay Bryan $1,364,553 for the use of Bryan's electrical transmission lines during 1996. College Station Assistant City Manager Thomas Brymer said both cities had agreed to not appeal a November decision by the Texas Public Utilities Commission that College Station should pay that amount. Officials of both cities PUC will decide sometu what the payment rate v and beyond. College Station used to 1 ity from the Texas Mu Authority. TMPA compri including Bryan. On Jan. 1, 1996, CollegE buying electricity from Electric Inc., but still had electrical transmission Iii Federal and state law i yan power line use aid the Texas to charge College Station no more than e this month the cost of providing the transmission ill be for 1997 lines, but the two cities disagreed on the cost. College Station sued Bryan in feder- ay its electric - al court and Bryan counter -sued. ticipal Power Both cities will still have the right to es four cities, appeal the Texas PVC's decision about rates for 1997 onward. Station began College Station Public Utilities exas Utilities Director John Woody said the agreement o use Bryan's and Texas PUC's future decision will 's. have no impact on the rates paid by cus- -quires Bryan tomers. �z The state of manufacturing in B -CS Economy experts hope new plants spark emplo ent By JOHN KIRSCH Eagle Staff Writer \ From a jobs standpoint, Bryan - College Station could be called Government City, USA. About 91 000 or 31 percent of the 67,000 non -farm jobs in the metro area are in government, according to the Bryan office of the Texas Workforce Commission. Most of the government jobs are at Texas A &M University. The picture's different when it comes to manufacturing. About 5.8 percent of local jobs, or 3,900, are in that_ sector_oLthe econo "In sheer numbers it is true that manufacturing has not had a strong presence," said James Latimer, MAAn , ager of the Bryan office of the Texas Workforce Commission. Local economic development offi- cials like Latimer and others want the percentage of manufacturing jobs to grow �� about 15 percent of the local t�Yfc't'ttu1 JUub Mat urdwe umn ' attractive to local officials like Latimer. "Many service jobs start at the mini- mum wage. Most manufacturing jobs tend to start at higher wages above the minimum wage," Latimer said. "The manufacturing sector provides the basic jobs that everyone else sur- � vives on," sale Worley. Beach Mid Tool, based in New pany hopes to have in operation by this fall. The wage structure for the plant has- n't been determined, said Dale Yost, Beach's chief financial officer. He esti- mated the average annual wage at $18,000, though some employees will make more. Yost said Beach will offer a good benefits package including medical insurance coverage and a College Station. "We need every one of the manufac- turing companies that we have here now and building on that base is desir- able. We've got a good base to build with," said Latimer. Another reason for optimism is the Sanderson Farms, Inc. chicken pro - ­ssing operation set to open in early J viauai terms, iixe banaerson r'arms, are part of an industry that generally pays low wages. "What we see with chicken process- ing plants is that they will have a niche on the wage and salary structure that fills in a gap between the mini- mum wage and the higher wage salaries in some of the mar- facturing areas," said Latimer. 4 CS council Small family waste bills targets ewage charges would decrease, of ers increase under new proposal By DOUGLAS SCZYGELSKI Eagle Staff Writer L The average College Station family would pay $4.25 more per month for the wastewater that goes down its sinks, bath- tubs and toilets under a proposal dis- cussed by the city council Thursday. But small families' bills would decrease. The council's vote on the proposal is scheduled for Jan. 23. Jim McCord, an engineering consultant, said a rate increase is needed to pay for the Carter Creek Treatment Plant for waste- water, which has cost the city $10 million, L 19 and for another $15 million ' i projects that will be necessary in the ne five years. Single - family dwellings ci rrently pay a flat rate of $19.50 per mor th for waste- water service, while the city average cost for service for such dwell' is $24.34, McCord said. He and city staff proposed barging such dwellings a minimum of $1415 per month, plus $2.40 for each 1,000 g ons of water used above 4,000 gallons a m nth. No addi- tional charge would be assessed for use above 8,000 gallons a month, so the maxi- mum monthly bill would be $23.75. The plan calls for apartment landlords to pay $20 a month per apartment — 50 cents more than now. McCord said service to landlords now costs the city $15.98 per apartment. McCord said commercial users now pay almost exactly what their service costs, so he recommended only a small increase in their rates. Councilman Larry Mariott said the cost estimates were based on water usage, not the amount of wastewater. Single - family dwellings probably create much less wastewater than their water Please see COUNCIL, Page A16 C 0 1 Council From A9 usage would indicate, he said, because they water their lawns and that water does not become wastewater. But Councilman Dick Birdwell said apartment families tend to be smaller than families in houses, yet both types are now charged the same. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that multi - family res- idences are subsidizing single res- idences," he said. City Manager Skip Noe said it is not fair that elderly people who live alone pay the same rate as families "with three teenagers showering every day," and that charging by usage would encour- age conservation. Noe and Birdwell said there is no good way to measure waste- water now, so it must be estimated by water usage. . Mariott predicted most single - family residences will pay $23.75 a month under the plan, but Birdwell said, "We're going to stop gouging students," and urged that apartment dwellers be switched to a rate system based on usage, too. City resident Norma Miller spoke at the regular meeting against "paying businesses to locate here," while creating a drainage fee and raising waste- water rates. Birdwell replied that for many People, wastewater rates will go down. The council also discussed what to do with money available from the state's Urban Street Program. Transportation Planner Edwin Hard advocated widening Anderson Street from Park Place to George Bush Drive to create bike lanes and separate right- and left -turn lanes near the Bush inter- section. Birdwell advocated widening e from Texas Avenue toad, calling it "a big - ck than Anderson." widening Kyle would Bch, but Birdwell said the money could be council voted unani- have the staff study ;ale and report back to ter Jane Kee reported reement had almost d on rezoning a piece he corner of Holleman exas Avenue. The pro- ►ange the zoning from ,reek to commercial disagreement left is y wants the right to roperty -owner for the the property's value Avenue is extended the Arbors apartment Irby has agreed to be the increase in value, s requires that other it will border on the Kyle be assessed, too. le, the manager of Limited, which cur - the property, said the already dedicated icres of the 15-acre lot y and the Kyle right of could not be asked to 2 voted 4 to 1 to delay for two more weeks tiations between the 1 the city continue. 'empore Hub Kennady ;t it. ynn Mcllhaney and Bill Fox were absent. The EaLle Date: j(n Iq9_� beau c it Y t Brya g Brazos Beautiful will use $35,000 to plant crepe m rtles at city's entrance on Briarcrest - 'AIR FANNIN Aaff Writer The city of Bry has given Brazos Beautiful a $35,000 grant to help dress up the entrances to the city. The first phase will begin at the i�ter- section of Briarcrest Drive at 29th Street and continue east to FM 158. The project will continue on William Joel Bryan Parkway from FM 158 to Sue Haswell Park. The 30 -gallon crepe myrtle trees will be planted in clusters of five. Planting is expected to begin in late January. "One of the areas that wE began [in our visual improvements] was the way we looked, what people thought of us when they came through the communi- ty and when they visited," said Bryan Mayor Lonnie Stabler. "How do you feel about a community? The cou icil felt the first impression is the last pression. We wanted to work on the f rst impres- sion." Brad Martin Landscaping which is owned by a College Station city council- man, has agreed to provide mainte- nance on the trees for two years. The city of College Station also has supported Brazos Beautiful's Beautification projects with a yearly $5,000 grant since 1993. The money has been spent on tree planting projects at Wolf Pen Creek Park, Southwest Parkway, Central Park, Miller Park and around the water tower on Texas Avenue. The trees were chosen because Bryan- College Station is known as the crepe myrtle capitol of Texas. • The Ea le Date: T extil e mi ll p rolm t ec oving forwar EDC board says illness in potential develop rs family has delayed progress By BLAIR FANNIN ' I '�'�,� Eagle Staff Writer The Bryan- College Station Economic Development Corp. board of directors reported during Thursday's monthly meeting that progress continues in attracting a textile mill to the Bryan- College Station area. While the project is still moving for- ward, an illness in the family has delayed a Turkish visitor from return- ing to the area. He expects to visit some- time in February, the board said. Approximately 150 jobs would be cre- a +Pd if the textile mill comes to the area, , )mic experts said. Cotton farmers e Brazos Valley also would benefit, s-.mce cotton would be used to manufac- ture the goods. "The mill would produce yarn and a small amount of knit goods as well as a small amount of woven goods,"' said Frank Murphy, an economic developer • "We have good cotton here, and we want to keep the cotton here and add value to the cotton by developing a mill.' RONNIE M RRISON President, B -CS Chamber ol Commerce for the EDC. The EDC has been working on the pro- ject for about a year and a h Af. "We have good cotton here, and we want to keep the cotton hE re and add value to the cotton by dE veloping a mill," said Ronnie Morrison, president of the Bryan- College Station hamber of Mill From A9 A9 really take off." Local economic leaders also said they plan to present two packages of economic incentives to the Bryan and College Station city councils within the next two weeks. The Bryan Coca -Co a econom- ic incentives proposa, is sched- uled to go before tI te College Station City Counc' Jan. 23, while economic incentives for the Norton Chemical Process Products Corp. will bE presented Jan. 28 to the Bryan City T 'M Ar Commerce. "It's a good project. It cer- tainly would add jobs and a tax base to this community." In other business, Sane Harwell, exec- utive director of the small business development center, announced that the Fast Trac program began last week with the city of Bryan. The program is designed to assist low- to moderate - income people in starting a small busi- ness. Twenty -one participants have enrolled in the free program, which is in its first phase. The city of Bryan has given $5,000 to help cover tuition costs, while the University of Houston has given a grant of $2,000 for books. Norwest Bank will sponsor the graduation ceremonies. "The class consists of people that don't have a high school education to doc- tors," Harwell said. "We think it will Please see MILL, Page A14 Council. The planned $4 million Coca - Cola distribution center in College Station would receive tax abatements for four years. City and county taxes would be abat- ed for eight years in connection with the Norton's planned expan- sion in Bryan. Forty jobs would be created by the Coca -Cola project, while the Norton project would create 25 jobs. The Norton project has the potential to offer salaries higher than the county average, said Gary Basinger, the chamber's business development manager. "The average salary without benefits would be around $30,000," he said. "With benefits, it would move it up to $40,000." BmCS sees increase Officials By DEANA TORKE Eagle Staff Writer statistics lore crimes were reported last year in -myan- College Station than in A95, but police say they are not greatly cencei r-ed. College Station reported an overall increase of 6.28 percent in major crimes, and Bryan had a 6 percent increase, while Texas A &M University saw a slight overall decrease. College Station Police Lt. Scott McCollum said year -end statistics are not exactly reliable because they don't show the whole picture. "Some things are down and some are ■ Crime decreases up. That's typical of in neighborhoods the year -end total," McCollum said. involved in COPS Bryan police blame program / A9 the population growth for part of their increase, Bryan Police Sgt. Choya Walling said. He also said the num- ber of crime reports are increasing because school resource officers are encouraging stu- dents to do so. "I've looked back at least three years and [crime stats] had gone down some in the last couple of years," Walling said. "When it goes down some it will go up some. "Overall, it wouldn't be realistic to see it con- tinue to go down. If it continues to up, there's reasoli for concern." In College Station, the largest increase was 'ehicle theft. In 1996 there were 101 thefts as -)sed to 79 in 1995, a 27.85 percent increase. —fie greatest decrease was in rape, with 26 in 1995 and 16 in 1996 — a 38.46 percent decrease. Please see STATS, Page A2 statistics include: 1995 and zero in t in 1995 and 32 in �d assault, 64 in 996; theft, 1,506 in in 1996; and bur - 1995 and 1,020 in police officials .tistics and look to see if there's them. gent tactics for )f crimes," he we have some number of mur- , om four in 1995 and car thefts :ent, from 234 in use of a vehicle that's always' a ig said, adding are 11 percent necessarily indicative of the true rape cases, however. "Rape is probably one of the most underreported of crimes," he said. "If that were the case, it would be a bright spot." Other statistics include: rob- bery, 69 in 1995 and 83 in 1996; aggravated assault, 354 in 1995 and 370 in 1996; burglaries, 763 in 1995 and 915 in 1996; and theft, 2,799 in 1995 and 2,798 in 1996. Walling said the Bryan police officials also will look at the sta- tistics to see if there's anything specific they can target and reduce. Texas A &M University Police's major increase was in burglaries, with 65 in 1995 and 80 in 1996. There were no murders report- ed either year. . Other major crime stats include: rape, three in 1995 and two in 1996; robbery, three in 1995 and four in 1996; aggravated assault, one in 1995 and two in 1996; motor vehicle theft, six in 1995 and 10 in 1996; and larceny theft, 642 in 1995 and 600 in 1996. "Everything's running about even except burglaries," said University Police Director, Bob Wiatt. "That's why we continue to talk about crime prevention." On Page Al Saturday, The Eagle misspelled the name of Sister Gretchen Kunz, president and chief executive officer of St. Joseph Regional Health Center. L ion plans CIOS@ By DOUGLAS SCZYGELSKI Eagle Staff Writer College Station officials have decided to temporarily stop drivers from using Sebesta Road to get on Bent Tree Drive at the intersec- tion of the two streets. Beginning Monday, the lane on Bent Tree Drive for that turn will be closed for the next 'four to six weeks. - The lane that allows drivers to go from Bent Tree Drive to Sebesta Road has been closed since Dec. 4. A-' Edwin Hard, the city's transportation plan- ner, said the closing will make that end of -Bent Tree Drive "more like a cul -de -sac than a - j , 7' intersection." Hard said before the closings started, 1,100 bto 1,200 cars a day were using Bent Tree Drive to travel between Sebesta Road and Emerald Parkway. He recommended that those motorists use Sandstone Drive instead. Thy closing is part of an experiment to see what can be done to reduce through traffic on Bent ee Drive while minimizing the incon- venie ice for residents of the street. "We're trying both, partially closing it and completely closing it, and then we'll see which way tie residents like it best," Hard said. W' ie Allen, a member of the Emerald Fores Homeowners' Association board, said partia I closure hasn't worked. "Mz ny people are just driving the 100 feet the wro way through that single lane," he said. Allen said neighborhood residents are afraid to walk along the street or let their chil- dren cross Bent Tree Drive alone because of the heavy traffic. Ben t Tree has no sidewalks and is only 28 feet Wide, he said. In contrast, Sandstone Drive 'as 38 feet wide, he said. Allen said a poll of neighborhood residents found more than 80 percent favored partial closure. Most of those who opposed it lived on Sandstone Drive. The poll did not ask for an o inion on fully closing the street. Cal Boykin, president of thE homeowners' association, said he favors moving the traffic from Bent Tree Drive to Sandstone Drive. "The people on Sandstone won't like it, but that street is wider and was built to carry heavier traffic," he said. "We can't please everybody, but we try." Hard said if the city decides I o permanently close the end of Bent Tree Drive, it will erect a locked wrought iron gate acro s the street at the intersection with Sebesta Road, Emergency vehicle crews will carry a key to the lock. "There is nothing like that in College Station now," Hard said, "and there never was before." Bent Tree Drive The Eagle Date: JlI,YIUCI,(U2A 19 Monday, January 20, 1997 Slower 9 foreseen cents for BMCS By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer One Texas A &M University economist predicts 1997 von't see the construction boom that brought more )usinesses and homes to Bryan- College Station last year. "I talked to the builders last month and said, `Don't get stars in your eyes because you had a good year last year,' " said Jared Hazleton, a Texas A &M economist. "I think we're in a period where we're going to digest what we've done in the past few years." Hazleton said builders are usually about two to Please see GROWTH, Page A2 Eco omist says boom of 1 96 won't be repeated three yeas behind economic growth. "The gr wth in 1996 was probably based on growth in 93 -94," he said. "In general, they tend to lag behind." Buildinwr reports for last year show a 94 percent growth in home building in Bryan and a 41 percent rise in ne business construction in College Station. Howev r, the same report shows the same amount new of new business construction in Bryan during 1995 and new home construction in College Station was virtually at the same level. Although building reports for last year show major growth in some areas, the growth came in spurts, says Lance Simms, a building official for College Station. November building activity showed a drop both in residential and commercial projects. Business construction permits were way down in November. Reports for November 1995 for both cities C cS councii, •wur snop slated for Thu day+izz The College Station ity Council plans to hold a workshop Thursday in the council chambers • before its regular council t City Hall eeting. The council plans to discuss the Northgate revitalization project at the 3 p.m. workshop and look at remodeling the council chamber at a cost of $15,000. The agenda for the 7 p.m. regular meeting includes an ordinance to raise rates for the city's was ewater cus- tomers, a request to the Texas Department of Transportation to con- sider funding a grade separation at the intersection of Universi Drive and Texas Avenue and a request for a vari- ance so a road in the T ber Forest Subdivision can be built th only 45 to 50 feet of right-of-way stead of the required 70 feet. I !`n—i —I fmm ctaff and wire reoorts DIP CS Citv Council votes t connect streets Segmented thoroughfares By DOUGLAS SCZYGELSKI Eagle Staff Writer ` Old questions about connecting Welsh Avenue to Houston Street and connecting all the segments of Appomattox Street were debated again Tuesday, as the College Station City Council considered the city's proposed comprehensive plan. Appomattox Street currently con- tains three separate segments: one in the Windwood neighborhood, one in the Raintree neighborhood and one in the Emerald Forest neighborhood. The proposed plan would've left them that way. "We should have the plan say Appomattox will be connected up," said Mayor Pro Tempore Hub Kennady. "Maybe we'll never do it, but we shouldn't abandon the idea." Councilman Dick Birdwell agreed, saying Appomattox was 56 feet wide and taxpayers "ought to get our money's worth out of it" by connecting the segments. Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney said con- necting the streets will cause traffic from outside the neighborhood to go through Appomattox, and this part of members' discussion of comprehensive plan "There's a need for traffic flow and a,, pos- sibility of development there, and that's Oood." HUB KE Mayor Pro will be unpopular witl but Kennady was not sw "It's time to stand up bullet," he said. "There': traffic flow and a po development there, good." The motion to conne ments passed 5 -2. The Councilman Brad Ma against it. Mcllhaney also oppos ing Welsh to Houston, good idea "from a logical and a transportation s but saying the residents oppose it because it will traffic through their are residents, .yed. id bite the a need for ,ibility of id that's t the seg- iayor and tin voted d connect - alling it a Standpoint andpoint," )f the area irin� more "It was on a bond issue twice, and it lost both times," McIlhaney said. But Birdwell favored having the connection listed on the compre- hensive plan for eventual construc- tion. It will take traffic off Texas Avenue and Wellborn Road," he said, and would require the acquisi- tion and demolition of only one house. City Transportation Planner Ed Hard said the connection would be used by only 1,000 cars a day. City Manager Skip Noe said he doubted the project would ever seem impor- tant enough to rise to the top of the city's priority list. The council voted 6 -1 to connect the streets with a bike path only. Birdwell voted no. In other matters: ■ The council was against plans to zone the Eastgate /College Hills neighborhood for apartments. Martin and Councilman David Hickson said residents want to keep it zoned for single - family housing. The council voted 5 -0 to have th plan say redevelopment in the ar( Please see PLAN, Page A 46W X must be for single - family hous- ing. After the meeting, city planner Jane Kee said the plan had Eastgate and other neighbor. hoods near Texas A &M zoned for apartments so students could live there, walk to campus, and not contribute to traffic congestion. ■ Parks and Recreation Director Stephen Beachy told the council the plan called for acquir- ing 842 more acres of parkland in the next 20 years, up from about 400 acres now. ambitious," "That's pretty Beachy said. He also endorsed having parks near schools and partially in flood plains, but said playing fields should not be in flood plains. ■ One of the goals stated in the plan, that the city should not annex undeveloped land, was unanimously deleted. Noe said annexation before development is a good way to pre- vent development that is not up to the city's standards. ■ The plan has no space for heavy industry, but Kee said that doesn't mean heavy industry will be forbidden if the plan is adopt- ed. ■ The council directed the city staff to investigate ways to con- fine commercial development to major intersections. mg ' suggested compli- cIlhaney ev with the The reviewed counc eve Y agreed. W* t out a vote, The council unanimously delete voted to en angered spec es as a goal of the plan• is going One day somebody find a yaupon wax - winged war bler and we're going to be pre- veited from building houses," B dwell said. The council decided to dis- c iL ss the electricity, wastewater d water service aspects of the plan at their workshop meeting Feb. 13. Fox was Kenn dy leftathe for meet meeting. i c for an hour and returned. criticized a proposal a to hold well a public hearing and amend the comprehensive plan contradict- every ed the ime a rezoning plan, saying that would slow down development too much Kee agreed, saying rezoning two public hear- already requires ings. But Councilman Bill Fox warned against making easy. ,, If on a piecemeal we rezone little by little, one day We basis, up and this plan we wa muc money to develop just bein ignored," he said. D veloping the plan cost the meet , AFn 000. Kee said after mg ' suggested compli- cIlhaney ev with the The reviewed counc eve Y agreed. W* t out a vote, The council unanimously delete voted to en angered spec es as a goal of the plan• is going One day somebody find a yaupon wax - winged war bler and we're going to be pre- veited from building houses," B dwell said. The council decided to dis- c iL ss the electricity, wastewater d water service aspects of the plan at their workshop meeting Feb. 13. Fox was Kenn dy leftathe for meet meeting. i c for an hour and returned. E refurbish By DOUGLAS S(ZYGELSKI 1123 Eagle Staff Writer Someone once said it takes a heap of liv- ing to make a 4ouse a home, and someone elge said it takes a heap of paying, too. The paying is what the College Station Community Development Office tries to help people with by offering grants ' and low -cost loans to low- income homeowners and landlords of low- income tenants. "A lot of people think College Station doesn't have a housing problem, and that's not true," said Community Development Administrator Jo Carroll. "We have people living in houses with single walls, or with big holes in the floors so they're walking or using wheelchairs Habitat From A9 ing in Bryan - College Station since 1988, and there', is another chapter on the Texas A &M University campus. Local churches, civic organizations and businesses assist the Christian grass - roots', movement to provide affordable, housing to low-income families in the Brazos, Valley. Thirteen families already have gotten homes through the pro- residences ency plans to spend almost $3 mil - year — most of it from the federal .ent — on various types of housing of the agency's work is lending or money so people can afford to nd paint their homes, or make andicanned- accessible or more fy for loans or grants, the prop - must be paid on the house and rots' income must be below a gram, and about five other homes are under construction. The homes cost about $34,300 to build, wid the families purchase them a cost. Families are chosen through an app. ication process that deter- mines the family's need, their desire to become partners with Habita and their ability to repay their loan. This home will go to Richard and Cyathia Juarez and their two childreri. The family has complet- ed moi e than 260 hours of their sweat equity. Rich d Juarez works at Zarape s Restaurant in Bryan. CS s Some residents angry with plan to incre By DOUG SCZYGELSKI lives alone and creates ] Eagle Staff Writer wastewater, but waters lawn a great deal, so it is w The College Station City to base her wastewater bi] Council raised some people's her water usage. wastewater bills and lowered Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney others Thursday, and heard customers could buy a sep� some angry public comments meter if they wish to be chE about the lack of parking in for the amount of wastwater Northgate. generate. The meter costs $z The city currently charges Laughter erupted in each single - family house $19.50 chamber as Pugh said, "C a month for wastewater ser- build an outhouse ?" vice. Under the new plan, the Councilman Dick Birc city will charge single - family said charging people by houses $14.15 a month if they water' usage was more fair use 4,000 gallons of water or "we are one of the last citi less, and $23.75 if they use 8,000 Texas that still charges gallons or more. rate. "' Between 4,000 and 8,000 gal- Councilman David Hic lons, the bill will rise with said 40 percent of the water usage. houses will see power Resident Helen Pugh said she because of the change. Bei ater rates ise bill with water usage the the wastewater system's costs ner are rising, he said the only - air alternative would be to on increase everybody's bills. Mayor Pro Tempore Hub ;aid Kennady said the plan will con - ate tinue to charge apartments a ged flat rate, and it would be more hey fair for houses to pay a flat rate 0. and treat them the same. the "Lots of apartments have a In I number of students in them," he said. vell The new rate plan was Zeir approved by council 5-2, with and Kennady and Councilman s in Larry Mariott opposed. flat On the Northgate parking issue, businessman John :son Raney praised the work of the ty's council in improving sidewalks )ills fuse Please see COUNCIL, Page A10 A Page A10 The Bryan - College Station Eagle Friday, January 24, 1997 News Kennady said "public private part Mcllhaney said she didn't want to give $150,000 in tax breaks over five years to developers who want to build nerships" could be used to provide remove e path e plan ` until we how city 500 multifamily housing units in the Council parking. May or Lynn Mcllhaney said the things are developing in Northgate." Jones Butler Road /West Luther Road ham, «3„ct tpa,-- No vote was taken on the Northgate area. From Al and facades in the neighborhood, but said the council exacerbated the park- ing problem by deciding to let a Texadelphia restaurant open there. - "Were going to k' ing than we've ever had," he said, "but we're not going to have more spaces. Don Ganter, another Northgate businessman, said the parking in the area was "woefully inadequate." He criticized the promenade and water fountain or pool the city plans to put in Patricia Street. - "We want what precious in�es there are in the area used for park- ing," he said, "not for a water feature. My God I]rOD1tliI1 GCUU L Uc ay..—. J J --- -- -_ __ ing down buildings and putting up parking," but the city is working to create parking spaces. "We're not going to solve the prob- lem in one night," she said. - Councilman Brad Martin ur that the new parking lot the city is building in the area be accessible from Collage Main. City Manager Skip Noe said having two access points would make management of the lot more difficult. Chris Penn, the manager of the Marooned music store, said the plan to put bicycle lanes down College Main and thereby eliminate parking spaces will hurt his business. Noe said there is "no imminent action" to put in the bile lanes, but issue. In other actions: ■ The council unanimously agreed to a plan to rezone 15 acres at the cor- ner of Texas Avenue and Holleman Drive. dispute The last s�c�g point, - a - d over the value of a right-of-way to be sold by t h e landowner to the city, was solved by agreeing to hire an appraiser, and split the differ- ence if the appraisals are different. Birdwell suggested that if the two estimates are more than 15 percent apart, a third appraiser be hired. If that appraisal also d ifferent, the parties could go to arbitration. His suggestion was adopted. ■ The council approved a plan to t31['UWCII LULU •�acu �.aa no shortage of apartments, so subsi- dizing apartment construction is pointless. Mcllhaey replied that the developer will make significant Off site improvements and the school dis- -trict favore the project. The plan passed 5-2, with Martin and Birdwell opposed. = R psi -dent Fanny Laverty said she hoped her house at 503 Angus Ave. would never be demolished so Welsh Avenue can be connected to Houston, and she offered to have her house declared a historic landmark to ensure that. c aney promised to transmit her offer to the historic preservation committee. J � Team examines CS City is first of six to participate i_ n TOOT By DEANA TOTZKE Eagle Staff Writer 1 College Station police officers teamed up this week with officials of the Texas Engineering Extension Service, an agency from the Texas A &M University System, to exam- ine traffic and safety issues. The project, sponsored by the Texas Department of Trans - portation, will assist the police department in its ongoing efforts to improve traffic services and (reduce injuries and accidents. "We go into communities and deal with the police departments," Law Enforcement & Security Tr Division Project Manager Joe Montgomery said. "We rais public awareness and some traffic Issues." Assessment team members, who began their appraisal Monday, talked to police officials, members lead - the news media, community ers, municipal engineers d oth- ers. The team is expected tc turn in its preliminary report to College Station Police Chief Edgar Feldman on Friday. The final report should be complete in a few weeks. Montgomery said he hopes not only to achieve a h Wherl e level of transportation safety i gram, but better education) of traffic issues as well. "It [traffic] affects and how you feel raffic issues afety improvement program our life, how you get to work bout the community." JOE MONTGOMERY MP ing in if an i Law Enforcement 995, the Texas Dep ent of Safety documented 095 traffic nts in College Stati n, result - five fatalities and 70 injuries. itgomery said damages from accidents add up. Council National Safety is that the cost per dividual accident involving a fatality is )00. For accidents involving acitating injuries, t e cost is )o and'$14,000 for no - incapaci- injuries. possibility of here is only the ,jury, the cost per in ividual is 0 the council repi irted, and 0 with no injuries. .ese numbers are oetermined igh wage and produ ivity costs, ical expenses, a inistrative nses [insurance, olice and g, car and property cage and loyer costs, the coup it reported. College Station, the total mses for the 995 traffic accidents Security Training Divisi Proje M would be $16,850,800. "Traffic is an issue," Montgomery said. "It affects your life, how you get to work and how you feel about the community." College Station is the first of six communities this year to partici- pate in the program. The others are Del Rio, S Angelo, Tyler, Fort Worth and Tarrant County. During the last two years, the team has appraised 12 areas in which they have learned a lot and have assisted with m any p he said. Bernita Barnes, communications specialist for the North Texas Regional Training Center, said towns are successful in some areas but not in others. The team passes on what works and helps adjust what doesn't. "We want people to communicate Please see TRAFFIC, Page A15 L W L � Friday, J anuary 24, 1997 The Station Eagle Page A15 Traffic From All with each o er," Montgomery said. "All could learn from each other." "The ideal situation," Barnes said, "would be to get talking to each other to work the kinks out ... [of problems]." As a result of the assessment, for instance, officials in Waco recently formed a transportation division.' "We've made improvements on seat belt usage and ... [driving while intoxi- cated arrests], but there's a long way to go," Montgomery said, adding that legis- lation currently being discussed is included in the assessment. College Station police officials said they are eager to get the results from the assessment to improve traffic safety in the community. "We're hoping we will learn something about ourselves — our strengths and weaknesses," College Station Police Lt. Scott McCollum said. "They said in some areas we are above the urve, but there are other areas where certain adjustments could be made to make things better." McCollum estimates that the majority of the changes probably would be inter- nal, but the entire community would !'re always striving to make a big to address the traffic situation," he M ntgomery believes the initial asse sment could bring a DWI check- point to town and tighter standards for and rage drinking and driving, as well as possibly streamlining DWI paper- the takes three to four hours to process paperwork on DWIs," McCollum "Any reduction in paperwork is iitely a plus." resigns' CS post Harsh criticism targets city ,council By DOUGLAS SCZYGELS Eagle Staff Writer College Station City Councilman Brad Martin has resigned — harshly criticizing the City Council in the process. "They don't do an adequate job of inform- ing the public of the agenda for meetings," ne said Friday, "so things pass before the public even knows what they are. "And they do that on purpose, so they can get things passed without a lot of controver- sy," he said. Mayor Lynn McIlhaney disagreed. "I don't know of any city council anywhere that has made a greater effort to make sure the public knows what is going on," she said. "I tell people they can call me at home, they can call City Hall. What more can I do ?" Martin has often and vehemently criticized the city's plans to condemn and demolish the Burger Boy restaurant, build a promenade in the Northgate neighborhood, and allow a Texadelphia restaurant to open in the neigh- borhood. His resignation followed a council meeting Thursday night at which, at his instigation, the Northgate plan was placed on the agenda so several Northgate businessmen could com- plain to the council. Northgate was "the last straw," Martin said. "The council has their own agenda and I don't think they're representing the people who elected them." Councilman David Hickson disagreed, say - ing, "Our agenda is set by what the public wants. There are platforms that we run on, and if the public doesn't like our platforms we don't get elected." Hickson said that, until recently, he didn't Please see MARTIN, Page A2 From Al f T know that many Northgate busi- nessmen op osed the plan, and they should iave attended council meetings to express their concerns before the pl 3.n was passed. "My opin on is that Brad just does not ur derstand the process and the discussion of issues and the attempt to come to a consensus and meet in the middle," Hickson said. The College Station City Charter says a vacancy on the council must be filled by a special election within 30 days, unless the vacancy occurs when there are less than 90 days before a scheduled election. The next College Station elec- tion is set for May 3. Ninety days before that is Feb. 2. McIlhaney said she hopes Martin will make his resignation effective after Feb. 2, so the city won't have to pay for a special elec- tion. Martin said he wasn't sure of the proper procedure for turning in his resignation, but he has no desire to attend any more council meetings. "I'm just one vote out of seven," he said. "I feel like I was wasting my time." The next council meeting is scheduled for Feb. 13. The Eagle Date: Jan (kaw 2 k i I 0��1111 Martin `� he'll remain on council Councilman says callers asked him to rethink option By LILY AGUILAR Eagle Staff Writer College Station City Councilman Brad Martin said Saturday he had decided not to resign from the council. Martin said he received calls from people throughout the Brazos Valley pledging their support after he announced that he was resign- ing from the City Council belcause of what he termed irreconcilable differences. Instead of leaving, he said he has opted to go a few more rounds and renew his fight for the people he represents before his seat is up for election in May. "As a result of the Bryan- College Station Eagle article, I had numerous callers from all over say not to resign," Martin said in a tele- phone interview from Atlanta, Ga. "They said they appreciate me standing up for what I think is right and for representing the public's inter- est." Please see MARTIN, Page A6 Martin "Fro Al _ Martin, who resigned after Thursday night's coun- cil m ting, long has argued about the way in which City all has handled Northgate renovation plans and comn unications with citizens. He charged the coun- cil wz s not listening to the people of College Station. "I N iant to just stay in there and fight a little hard- er," artin said Saturday. "I hope to change the direc- tion fliat City Hall is going in." Co ncilman David Hickson said Saturday that he and Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney tried to deter Martin from resigning. Hickson said they told Martin that sit- ting n the council was a learning experience and that his input was significant. He said he was not, however, surprised that Martin decided to stay on the council. "The stories always seem to change," he said. Hickson said Martin stated that his original rea- sons for leaving were health and business related. Martin, he said, never said his resignation was brought on by a lack of respect .for what the council was doing. "Bu I'm glad he's decided to stay," Hickson said. "We think he's important -" Despite Martin's sharp criticism of the council, Hickson said there probably will not be any ill will betweim the other council members and Martin. -Witen you run for this position, you typically get grief,' Hickson said. "Even rlt , though he made some c icism ... we'll take it with a grain of salt." McIlhaney, who said Saturday that Martin had not contacted her about his decision to remain on the council as of 6:30 p.m., said the council members will continue to work together, regardless of differences in personality. ,, We are a professional council with professional staff that work together," she said. "In order to be pro- fessi nal, we focus on the issue, not the individual. I don't see that changing." • City Council to review giving tax abatement -7 t meet The Bryan City Council plan Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Mar3 Branch Elementary School, 2040 W. Vi la Maria Road, to consider granting a t Lx abate- ment worth $338,000 over 10 ye s to the Norton Chemical Process roducts Corporation. The company, in retu n, has promised to expand, creatinE 25 jobs with a payroll of $750,000 a yeE r. The council also plans to consider other matters, including an agreement between the city, the Bryal I School District, and the Windover Cc. to close Oak Ridge Drive and extend C unbridge Drive to the East Bypass fee ler road. This would allow Bryan High School to expand. • The public is invited toattend. The council plans to meet in execu- tive session, fibin which the public is barred, at 5 p.m. at the Bryan 'Municipal Building to discuss litiga- on. An open session may occur after the executive session if the city council deems one necessary. _ • i j Je • l ju p CS of f e rs Eagle Staff Report ` \ql� The College Station City Council has ffered the job of municipal court judge to Alexis "Tr' p" Walter III, the former Bryan city attorney. Mayor Lynn Mellhaney said it was a d' Ticult deci- sion. "We were very fortunate �o have a number of excel- lent candidates," she said, but Walter's experience in municipal law made him stand out. McIlhaney said Walter adn't formally accepted the job yet, but she planned to meet with him Tuesday to discuss it. to Bry man could not be reached for comment Monday night. Walt r began working in the Bryan city attorney's office in December 1988 and became city attorney in May 1934. He resigned in November 1996. Neither he nor Bryan city officials said why he resigned, though Mayor Lonnie Stabler said the city attorney's office needed a more "proactive" approach. The unicipal judge handles class C misdemeanor cases, uch traffic offenses, shoplifting of less than $50 and disorderly conduct. It also handles violations of mur icipal ordinances. "�� l Businessmen too busy ` bile Brad Martin's decision to resign from the College Station City Council was hasty and ill-advised, I am sure that his frustration was genuine. As a business owner I keyed on the com- ments made by Councilman David Hickson, who said that until recently he didn't know that many Northgate businessmen were opposed to the plan and they should have attended council meetings to express their concerns before the plan was passed. I live in South Brazos County and have my business in Bryan and don't know what Hickson doss for a living. My time is con- sumed dealing with laws and ordinances already on the books, meeting delivery schedules and generating new bus sss to keep my employees gainfully employed. According to Hickson, if I were doing busi- ness in College Station I would a!iso have to attend city council meetings to l :eep him and his peers from blind - siding tie with additional problems. I simply don't have time for that and neither do most business owners. Perhaps if the College Station, City Council members were to examine their past actions they might understand why their industrial park has been empty for so long. JAMES H. STASNY College Station -- 10, 1 (� L_ —A sive plan, Councilmen Hub Kennady and , Dick Birdwell felt an urgent need to have the plan state that Appomattox will be con nected between Windwood, Raintree and Emerald Forest. They persuaded three of their colleagues' to vote accordingly. Why would the council want to destroy the tranquility of three beautiful neighbor- hoods by creating a major thoroughfare in the middle of each one? If, at some later date, a justifiable need should arise to connect the three areas I have little doubt that they could have done so without adding the above words to the plan. The proposed plan did not say they could not and even if it did they could change the plan. So why? The disagreeable suspicion is' that the change resulted from an outside influence of the owner(s) of the properties between the neighborhoods. They are the only ones who could benefit from the decision. Even more disagreeable is the thought that the change would only be of significant benefit to the owner(s) if they develop some - thing other than "medium' density residen tial" like the existing neighborhoods. ` -i 4 A r . 1 ED LAYMAN _J College Station ,� NI VVIIU& uvn■■W%a - -- ' am a relatively new resident of College Station and I purchased a home in the Windwood addition last April. The home is located on the corner of Appomattox street and Sandalwood Court. As reported in The Eagle, when the city council discussed the proposed comprehen , ,7 Don't connect Appomattox am writing in response to the action by the College Station Council when it voted to require developers to connect Windwood and Raintree by way of Appomattox Drive. One council member said that this might encourage development. jcon- In nection my opinion, it would do just the opposite since it would require the developers ito build an expensive bridge over Wolf �en Creek. There's just not enough land out of the flood plain between the two subdvi- sions to develop and make a profit after the bridge is paid for. Some say that it would make it more convenient for people living in the two subdivisions to go between Texas 30 and Raintree Drive. My, my, it's less than a ® mile on the bypass frontage roads between these two subdivisions now. Considering that the connection would invite outsiders to drive through these subdivisions, I'm sure that the residents would rather', con - tinue to use the frontage roads and have the council forget about the expensive con - nection. Since the taxpayers would have to pay for part of the cost of the bridge, I believe that they would prefer that the council rescind this action and spend tax dollars on more worthy projects. Now, on the other hand, requiring devel- opers to connect the Raintree and em erald Forest subdivisions probably would be justified. since the city has already helped pay for a big bridge in that area. Finally, inviting outsiders to tray el through Windwood to and from Texas 30 compound the existing problem of would getting in and out of the subdivisiari. A traffic light would help, but experts say that the Appomattox -Texas 30 intersection is too close to the East Bypass to h�ve such a light. Fellow citizens, speak up at upcoming hearings in February and March if you're also concerned. BURT HIERMANN Bryan The Eagle Date: O rfDr 6 ' i 199 CS P01 dISCIpl off icer ,%,e ne By DEANA TOME Eagle Staff Writer C , The College Station Police Department disciplined one of its offs rs after an internal investigation showed he did not take proper action after. a T A&M stu- dent drove his car into -a house and a car in December. The owner of the house filed a com- plaint with the police department after the officer working the case failed to issue a citation or administer a sbbriety test to the driver. College Station Police Chief Edgar Feldman said letters yvere mailed Tuesday to the homeowner and three other people who disagreed with the offi- cer's actions. The letters explain the disciplinary measures taken Friday, Feldman said, but he would not release the details or the officer's name. Feldman said no f irthe action can be taken against the driver. "We've talked to the o icer involved and have taken the necessary action tc hopefully satisfy the needs. of the com munity," he said. "We f It we've madE mistakes, which we've orrected, am now we are moving forward. "I know for a fact the were no delib erate acts in the situation, just mistake, we made." Feldman said the investigation wa completed early last week and the coi rective action was taken, though the off cer was not entirely at fault. The Eagle Date: Fdjr Lou li `b I GG Bosh lib rary receives pig Eagle photos /cave Mc Workers work on the rotunda of the George Bush flew in World War 11 sit in the room Bush library on Tuesday. Right, two wings from the reconstructed airplane will be disl a plane similar to the one former President when the library opens in November. f _i � es of history Plane, Berlin Wall will be exhibited in presidential museum's collection By JOHN KIRSCH dency, Alsobrook said. The words "Yes you can" and Eagle Staff Writer "vision" are painted on the slab. A piece of the Berlin Wall and Bush dedicated the piece in a a restored World War II torpedo ceremony April 22, 1993, at bomber wouldn't seem to have Texas A &M. "The fact that we actually much in common. But both objects are slated to have a piece of it here will be dominant exhibits in the Bush Presidential remind people ... that that huge wall of concrete no longer George Library and Museum, sched- stands," said Alsobrook. The TBM Avenger torpedo uled for an early November ded- ication on a 95 -acre site at Texas bomber is the type of plane A &M University. Bush flew as a World War II The 2.6 -ton piece of concrete Navy pilot in the Pacific the - Bush was shot down dur- and the plane were moved Tuesday to the library and ater. ing a bombing mission in museum site off of FM 2818. September 1944 and was rescued The artifacts will help the by a submarine. "This is not [Bush's] plane. complex fulfill its main function of informing visitors about the His plane is still underwater life and times of George Bush, somewhere in the Pacific," said who served as U.S. president A o Plans call for suspending the from 1989 -93. "'This entire museum includes plane from the ceiling of an not just the story of George exhibit hall at the library and Bush's life and career. It's a museum, Alsobrook said. "For pretty big hunk of American younger visitors who don't have any memories of history since World War II," said David Alsobrook, acting World War II, that corner of the director of the Bush museum will he a real learning he said. "It will Presidential Materials Project. The chunk of gray concrete experience," show how George Bush's experi- symbolizes the crumbling of the ences in the Pacific fit into the Berlin Wall and the fall of com- munism during Bush's presi- Please see LIBRARY, Page A7 • Nei to n Eagle photo/Dave McDermand Library where it will be placed for permanent exhibit. crane Tuesday onto a platform outside the Bush The library is scheduled to open in November. Library st overall scheme o things in World War II." Theo Rouse, senior project manager for Manhattan Construction Co., the general contractor for the library and museum complex. said the work in schedule. .ouse said native Texas lime - ne and granite have been d for the exterior stone fac- of the 122,000- square -foot •ary and museum building. presidential conference cen- and an academic building are part of the Bush site. en completed, the complex 1 be known as the George sh Presidential Library iter, Alsobrook said. Total project cost is estimated at $82 million, said Texas A &M spokeswoman Mary Jo Powell. The presidential library and museum is expected to cost about $40 million, and is being funded by private donations, said A &M spokeswoman Mary Helen Bowers. The other two buildings are being built with Texas A &M funds, said Bowers. In Town &Texas Barnes & Noble plans to pen .- , CS books ore Barnes & Noble Inc. lans to open a 25,000- square -foot sto a in College Station in October. The store will be buil at the intersec- tion of Texas Avenue and Lincoln Street. It will carry more than 150,000 book titles and feature an extensive children's book selection. The store also will fee ture a Barnes & Noble Cafe, which will serve Starbucks coffee, cappuccino, es resso and the full-leaf teas of The P epublic of Tea. Cold drinks, gourmet dwiches and desserts also will be av ilable. Barnes and Noble o rates 433 super- stores under the Be es & Noble, Bookstop and Bookst trade names, and 611 mall stores under the B. Dalton Bookseller, Doubleday ook Shops and Scribner's Bookstore tradenames. Barnes & Noble Inc. also publishes books for exclusive sdes through its retail stores and nationwide mail -order catalog. SHAME ON YUU CITY OF COLLEGE STATION • I was relieved to find that City property, and slowly, slowly our Councilman Martin decided to rights. IM the process, you remain on the council. On January improve your own standard of liv- 23, 1 was an eyewitness to the cold ing to the detriment of the rest of shoulder treatment he received us. from City Manager, Skip Noe, and Fore ample, a little over a year to the obstacles that were put in ago Cou cilman Hub Kennedy, the front of him by out Mayor. main moving force behind the Mr. Martin, you are right to say Northga Revitalization Project, that the public is not informed. initiated actions against his neigh - The sad truth is that the average bors! T e eople could not citizen has neither the time nor the believe i . This City Councilman resources to keep up with the wanted ircumvent deed restric- numerous actions of our City gov- tions by u dividing his lot in order ernment. The few that do try to to up more money into his pocket keep up, are met with multiple from the sale of this land -(Reg. obstacles erected in order to dif- Council 0,1 fuse any opposing reactions. If I was at City chambers and nothing else the gity staff has could n believe it. I was there mastered the art of passing the arguing ig in with the City council buck to someone else. If you talk about OL r tight to remain in to the City staff, t4ey will tell you Northga e. Mr. Kennady had been that the Council is responsible. If arguing v ith me because he want - you talk to the Council they will tell ed us to see the `whole picture ". you that the City Staff recommend- He had he gall to ask us to sacn- ed their action. If you are alert and fice our usiness in Northgate for you call their bluff you will be told the "con mon good ". Mr. Kennedy, that you are to blame for not show- you are he last person who has ing up to express your opposition. the right to ask for sacrifices. We Like in the Northgate case, it understood what "common good" does not matter whether or not meant to you when it personally several citizens justifiably opposed involved you: you sacrificed your the Council's plans during different neighbo s trust and your voters Council meetings What did matter trust for a :ew more dollars. So I was that a Councilman had to am left wo daring what is your resign over this shameful situation benefit f o the Northgate project, amid a big crowd!of upset Mr. Ken ia y? Northgate merchants, who were Man orthgate businesses told to come to speak to their City would h iv axemained open if City Council. Yet our pity Mayor tried to Hall hac k pt their relocation cut their time short. Afterwards, promise 3. They would be open if we heard what the City Council City Hal had obeyed the federal stated in "The Eagle ", "we did not laws go erning relocation assis- know that so many Northgate busi- tance in ide a revitalization area. nessmen opposed the plan. They After all our city used $900,000.00 should have attended council of feder il funds for this project. meetings to express their concerns But Collage Station refuses to do before the plan was passed." I - so. guess I would have to agree, for Inste id our City is anxious for we, the citizens of College Station, the sma I businesses in Northgate have chosen to elect these leaders to close down, and quickly move who can not understand our con- out of th air way so that big chains terns. can ent r this market to create big It is sad that in this day and age tax reve iues. Our City Hall will our City council does not allow our bring b heard, instead the later. Then Ildozers first and apologize afterwards, they will voice to be citi- zens have to converse through say that they were unaware that newspapers or lawsuits. It is a sad their ac orbs would adversely affect commentary that Mr. Martin, a so man citizens. But it will be too, Councilman, was not only stifled, late. ' but also prevented from reading a I am grateful that someone in letter written by concerned citizens the City Council has the fortitude during this workshop meeting held to voice opposition. Mr. Martin for that very purpose. It was should of resign. Instead some - shameful that Mr: Martin was inter- body el ern there should be look - rupted by his pears and insulted by ing for graceful way out. We bia city staff, while he was diligent- intend t the full story before ly trying to get to the bottom of this the pub c, as this is only the first bring terrible mess called the Northgate part. S a e on you City Hall for Revitalization Project. using d caption and dishonor in Shame on you City Halll You order to promote this Northgate have lost sight of what is impor- project. We have had it with you tant. You have been elected to and YOL r games. manage the problems of our com- munity in order to improve our - Geor opasakis, Burger Boy standard of living. But instead, North a te, proprietor you try to manage the people themselves, not their concerns. You are taking away our land, our Paid Advertisement �k. ____ ---I- _­_____1 I ___ �-­ -1. W SHAME ON YOU CITY OF COLLEGE STATION I was relieved to find that i� Councilman Martin decided t remain on the council. On January 23, 1 was an eyewitness to the cold shoulder treatment he received from City Manager, Skip Noe, and to the obstacles that were put in front of him by our Mayor. Mr. Martin, you are right t y that the public is not informe The sad truth is that the aver e citizen has neither the time n r the resources to keep up with the numerous actions of our City gov- ernment. The few that do try to keep up, are met with multiple obstacles erected in order to d fuse any opposing reactions. If nothing else the City staff has mastered the art of passing the buck to someone else. If YOL t Ik to the City staff, they will tell you that the Council is responsible. If you talk to the Council they Will tell you that the City staff recommend- ed their action. If you are alert and you call their bluff you will be told that you are to blame for not Fjow- ing up to express your oppos tii l n. Like in the Northgate cas , it does not matter whether or not several citizens justifiably op osed the Council's plans during di elent Council meetings. What did 'natter was that a Councilman had to resign over this shameful situation amid a big crowd of upset Northgate merchants, who were told to come to speak to their City Council. Yet our city Mayor tried to cut their time short. Afterwards, we heard what the City Council stated in "The Eagle ", True di of know that so many Northgat usi- nessmen opposed the plan. T ey should have attended counci meetings to express their concerns before the plan was passed." guess I would have to agree, f r we, the citizens of College Si a ion, have chosen to elect these I a ers who can not understand our n- cerns. It is sad that in this day and age our City council does not allow our voice to be heard, instead the citi- zens have to converse through newspapers or lawsuits. It is a sad commentary that Mr. Martin, a Councilman, was not only stifled, but also prevented from reading a letter written by concerned citizens during this workshop meeting held for that very purpose. It was' shameful that Mr. Martin wasr i ter - rupted by his peers and insu ti d by his city staff, while he was di i ent- ly trying to get to the bottom D this terrible mess called the Nortiq ate Revitalization Project. Shame on you City Hall! You have lost sight of what is impor- tant. You have been elected to manage the problems of our c m- munity in order to improve our standard of living. But instead you try to manage the people themselves, not their concerns. You are taking away our land, our property, and slowly, slowly our rights. In the process, you improve your own standard of liv- ing to the detriment of the rest of us. For example, a little over a year ago Councilman Hub Kennady, the main moving force behind the Northgate Revitalization Project, initiated actions against his neigh- bors! The people could not believe it. This City Councilman wanted to circumvent deed restric- tions by subdividing his lot in order to up more money into his pocket from the sale of this land -(Reg. Council 10/12/95). 1 was at City chambers and could not believe it. I was there arguing again with the City council about our right to remain in Northgate. Mr. Kennady had been arguing with me• because he want- ed us to see the "whole picture ". He had the gall to ask us to sacri- fice our business in Northgate for the "common good ". Mr. Kennady, you are the last person who has the right to ask for sacrifices. We understood what "common good" meant to you when it personally involved you: you sacrificed your neighbors trust and your voters trust for a few more dollars. So I am left wondering what is your benefit from the Northgate project, Mr. Kennady? Many Northgate businesses would have remained open if City Hall had kept their relocation promises. They would be open if City Hall had obeyed the federal laws governing relocation assis- tance inside a revitalization area. After all our city used $900,000.00 of federal funds for this project. But College Station refuses to do so. Instead our City is anxious for the small businesses in Northgate to close down, and quickly move out of their way so that big chains can enter this market to create big tax revenues. Our City Hall will bring bulldozers first and apologize later. Then afterwards, they will say that they were unaware that their actions would adversely affect so many citizens. But it will be tod late. I am grateful that someone in the City Council has the fortitude to voice opposition. Mr. Martin should not resign. Instead some- body else in there should be look- ing for a graceful way out. We intend to bring the full story before the public, as this is only the first part. Shame on you City Hall for using deception and dishonor in order to promote this Northgate project. We have had it with you and your games. - George Sopasakis, Burger Boy Northgate, proprietor Paid Advertisement Biotechnology comony to move to CS By BLAIR FANNIN �PD_P Eagle Staff Writer ProdiGene, a biotechnology company that develops industrial enzymes and edi- ble vaccines for humans and animals, said Tuesday it is moving its headquarters to College Station. ProdiGene will move into the Centeq Building at 1500 Research Parkway. The company was formed after Bryan -based Terramed Inc. and the former Protein Products Division of Pioneer Hi -Bred International Inc. of Des Moines, Iowa, merged. ProdiGene initially will have eight loyees, but it hopes to grow, said rt Dose, ProdiGene's vice president former president of Terramed. John Howard, ProdiGene president and CEO, said the company chose College Station because Texas A &M is a leader in c CEO says dy was attractive because of A &M, economy agriculture, engineering d medicine. "Very few schools mated that combi- nation," said Howard, whb is regarded as one of the nations leading bioscientists. "We were also interested iti the local econ- omy development, which was very good, the state department of agriculture, and we felt for a new incustry d company we were going to neec that su port." Rick Perry, state agriculture commis- sioner, played a rde in lur the company to Texas. He called the moN a "a great exam- ple of private aid public partnerships working together' and said the state will benefit greatly lecause of ProdiGene's developments in he future of agriculture. "I have been loo ,ring forward to today for Compan From All to convince them that this was going to be a good environment for them to flourish. This thing has the potential to get really big." The company is developing transgenic plants that contain oral vaccines to treat diseases such as transmissible gastroen- teritis, a swine dis ase. A portion of the NA from the virus is transferred into the corn seed. After eating corn that car- ries the vaccine, animals may a long time, for at least a year," said Perry, who came to College Station for the announcement. "When Dr. John Howard sat in our office a year ago, he had an extra- ordinary vision. I think truly that Texas is positioning itself to be the leader in tech- nology, not just in agri - technology, but in the entire arena in technology. The Bryan- College Station Economic Development Corp. also played a key role in recruiting the business to this area. Robert Worley, president and chief execu- tive officer of the EDC, said Brazos County was in competition with Davis, Calif., home of the University of California- Davis. The university's big attraction was its highly regarded plant biology department. "I guess it just got down to us talking about quality of life," Worley said. "Texas A &M was a given and we more or less had Please see COMPANY, Page Al produce antibodies that provide immunity to certain diseases. ProdiGene is also developing cost - effective edible vaccines for humans, including one for hepati- tis B. Perry said ProdiGene will help revolutionize agriculture over the next several years. "We are going to be able to insert vaccine into fruit that liter- ally a mother can pick from a tree and feed to a child in a Third World country and vaccinate that child for childhood diseases," Perry said. "People will start looking at the fresh fruit and vegetable part of the supermarket as the pharma- cist." Rick Perry, state agriculture com= missioner, speaks Tuesday in College Station as ProdiGene, a biotechnology company, annou- nced it was locating its headquar- ters in the city. � Survey says CS efficient with traffic safety issues Assessment shows roa q congestion By DEANA TOTZKE "WherE Eagle Staff Writer �� a major concern there can be The College Station Police an improvement it's Department appears to be suc- cessful with traffic safety being done. issues, according to a recent survey. The Texas Engineering Extension Service's Law Enforcement & Security Training Division, an agency, of the Texas A &M University sys- tem, conducted the assessment two weeks ago and the prelimi- nary results are in. "It went very well," Project Manager Joe Montgomery said. "The department is ahead of a lot of places we've visited." Montgomery said College Station did well in interagency cooperation, and there was some excellent education pro- grams for students as well as positive involvement from res- idents. Traffic congestion was called a large area of concern for the team due to the size of A &M. During 1995, there were 995 traffic accidents reported in the city resulting in five fatalities and 703 injuries, the survey showed. Based upon figures from the National Safety Council, the l EDGAR FELDMAN CS police chief economic cost to the communi ty for each fatality is calculatec at $920,000. Each traffic accident injun causes economic costs to th community between $8,800 an $46,000, depending on the sever ity of the injury. The estimated cost to Colleg Station in all accidents wa $16,850,800. The survey i designed to cut down on thes accidents. Police Chief Edgar Feldman agreed that, overall, the evalua- tion_ went well, though he sai he hasn't made any immediat plans to improve the traffic si - uation. "I thought it went very we myself," he said. "With thi report, there's some things we can look at. It has helped to this Please see SURVEY, Page A14 Surve a" .From A9� point." Feldman said he hopes the team can make some sugges- tions for future traffic conges- tion problems that may occur when - the A &M Special Event Center and the George Bush Library opens. "There's a lot of questions we had," he said. Some suggestions offered by the survey include enhancing the monthly traffic reports and the use of video cameras in patrol cars. Feldman said most of the rec- ommendations already were being implemented — for instance, 18 new video cameras are scheduled to be in use by patrol cars over a three -year period. "Where there can be an improvement, it's being done," he said. In general, Montgomery said, College Station was doing so well he could use the city as an example in some areas, citing involvement with the school sys- tems, the handling of special events and the setting up of safe- ty management systems. He also said communication between the various city agen- cies was strong. "Communication solves a lot of problems," Montgomery said. "It's amazing when groups get together and discuss specific problems how much can get done. They're well ahead of many places we've gone." The team, which is sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation, has evaluated 12 areas in the past two years. Feldman said the preliminary report will be discussed by city leaders to look for areas of improvement until the final report comes in, which should be in a few weeks. It is expected to go into more detail about the strengths and weaknesses found during the survey. Z,J (,) 9 - 1 W Restaurant O • "Sery HE ets license despite church protests The future site of Texadelphia Sandwiches is located prietor across the street from the Texas A&M Methodist Ran Church. holic Access C 0 The tutes t] was ai phis & beer a protes Metho tist Stu The the dec hol car feet of The pr meet c The lic terest c Y LAURA OuvEIRA THE BATTALION luestion of what consti- front door of a church >wered when Texadel- idwiches was issued its d wine license despite from the Texas A &M ist Church and the Bap - ent Ministry. :ity ordinance on which .ion was based says alco- Iot be served within 300 ie front door of a church. prietor of the bar must rtain legal requirements. ise must be in the best in- the public and the pro - iust be over the age of 21. y Field of the Texas Alco- Severage Commission measured the distance between the church and the restaurant. Field said the distance from the front door _of the Methodist Church to the front door of Tex - adelphia Sandwiches was about 200 feet. The measurements did not meet the 300 -foot requirement, but the city waived the ordinance. County Judge Al Jones found all oth- er legal requirements were met and issued the license on Jan. 22,1997. The Baptist Student Center and the preschool of the Methodist Church are in closer proximity to the restaurant than the front door of the Methodist Church, but were not regarded as main places of worship. See LICENSE, Page 6 raises awareness BY MARISSA AIMS THE BATTALIO Students experienced simulated hearing loss, visual impairment and speech impediments NVednesday during the fifth annual Access Chal- lenge, an event to raise awareness of individuals with disabilities at Texas A &M University. Participants wore sunglasses smeared with petroleum jelly to sim- sophomore element ry education major, said as an elerE entary school student she and her classmates par- ticipated in disability awareness ac- tivities, such as beino blindfolded or mute. Wilson said becau a she and her classmates were ec ucated at a young age about the i ssue, miscon- ceptions about peopl with disabil- ities were avoided. "From my standpoint, we are not xew mine, IHE DA7TAUON ENTER? someone recently, na Center was like end that you don't you can talk to as acquaintances and ;vould like to thank and appreciate over dTracy, Heath, and tore I can't remem- n to better things. 1 this great Univer- !ll and strong com- ;ful blend of quali- ily service. Thank n�ks, C. E t 700 E. University Dr. ( 268 -6050 4223 Wellborn Rd. 846 -8855 'E value all the ut their innovative gong as it is today. n of professionals, t is our employees' >_ the same goal -to e e difference in our :. are seeking ire challenge, growth I BATTALION MPUS Page 6 Thursday • February 6, 1997 LICENSE Continued from Page 1 Jones said his personal convictions could not influen the legal decision he made. "I have to make a legal decision, not a moral deg sion," he said. "Since it met the legal requirements aj it was approved by the city of College Station and t TABC, I saw no reason not to issue the license." Willy Madden,one of the owners of Texadelpt Sandwiches, said he is not depending on beer sales i the restaurant's success. He said beer sales at the Ausl location make up only 2 percent of total sales. Madder's intention for the College Station locati is to create a welcoming restaurant environment i families and students. "My place in Houston on Sunday afternoon packed with people who are there with their kid Madden said, "some of which have just come frc church." Charles Anderson, the Senior Pastor of t Methodist Church, said selling alcohol is not necess< if Madden is gearing toward a family atmosphere. CAMAC Continued from Page A dinner banquet Saturday night will feature I no writer Victor Villasenor. His novel, Rain of G about the struggle of living between two cultures, be made into an ABC television movie. A diverse sampling of entertainers including B Folklorico and the Aggie Wranglers will perform. Aguirre said 300 to 400 delegates will attend weekend conference. "People that come to our conference, whether I are Latino or of another race, will have ideas of di ent cultures," Aguirre said. Raya said She hopes the delegates will broaden t knowledge of Latino culture and meet other deleg� "If anyone r Ott aw :hen alcohol would be superflu- ous and the NvkX%,, m t need to have it," he said. "I ap- plaud the ititetttl�;. "lit I question the reality." Madden s,tid ; ��`il Sandwiches is a restaurant and not a bar. "Once 1 ge t ;aultting and they see the type of es- tablishment t �� t`4NV. they will be embarrassed and ashamed they t1W*R -tti a big deal about it," Madden said. Anderson tht' WNtaurant itself is not a threat, but it contribute. t "' All rNisting problem. "This is all "ttity N O"ligate issue — not a Texadel- phia issue," he s--AM, ­ *x - adelphia is just 5 inches of rain on a 20 -foot fttk�l Dr. Bob Ai; Director of the Baptist Student Center, said t>aatv,, her the expansion of Northgate are discouraging tc, for , ,`hutrh community. "Only time ran t>r1l " he said. "But they have not con- vinced methat , kItYtVate is church - friendly." Madden said 1 e-\" - 4Phia Sandwiches will try to be an exception to thr tiriil Northgate scene. "I intend to enhu� ;• \ , x ry strictly that no one will be able to walk out \vt'th Yt1\ bottles," he said. "The way the place is set up, 1 ku the ttianager will be watching the front door so t d" tt„t think it will be a problem." "We want our sRhlents to see that there's a variety of us (Latinos) H11d to accept that," Raya said. "Whether they t*1W ur disagree with their opinions." Aguirre said Lli it1k>s need to unify to help each oth- er advance in satyet�, "It's really dift%QWt because there are so many eth- nicities," Aguirre .Hits, "It's hard to have a unifying voice because eHrh of these people came from differ- ent backgrounds," Raya said she WhIl s the conference to serve as a medium for Lathlos to OVetrome the obstacles theyface. "The only W?'Y \\V rtul overcome obstacles is to be- come educated," RtWzk sitid. Conference fees are $30 for A &M students, $40 for non -ACM students and $50 for non -stu- dents. For 11101,e ittfornlation, contact Lorena Raya at 845 -1515, UPD The UPD The as also received two \Viatt said the department con - Awards and Meritorious Service he annual Mothers Ct" Ittxtteson charities helpingvicdms. Continued from Page 1 Aga instD Driving award, givetl IA. Russ Kline has been policing AS.N4 for 17 Made up of 3 sworn officers, the to the officer taking the most DWI years. He said the best part of his job is helping the public, group strives to inform the public arrests durinE the year. while the worst part is dealing with on crime prevention through com- UPD also I iarticipates in several thr criminal element. mon sense. community c iarities, including tlit- " We seem to be looked on pretty The members earned the 1995 Rape Crises enter, Scotty's House ittvonibly (bystudentsandfaculty)," Outstanding Crime Prevention for abused children, the Salvation Kline said. "We try to get out into the Unit award for an institution of Army and Ph ebe's Home for bat- University as higher education. tered women much as possible ... ,,,,,t t ,►,;.,�, .� ,... �...., ._.__.�. _ _ ,. In Town &Texas 0 • t CS still raising oney for planned new library College Station still is rz ismg money for its planned new library. For $250, a person can have a child j name and hand print put on one of 3CD leaf-shaped tiles planned to be placed in a mosaic picture in the library's children's sec- tion. For a second child, the price is $200. The name of a person, rganization or business also can be nscribed on paving stones planned to e embedded in the library's front er trance. The price is $50 for a 4 -by -8 incl tile, $100 for an 8 -by -8 inch tile, $250 or a 12 -by -8 inch tile and $500 for a 16 y -8 inch tile. Charlie Shear, the College Station communications and information ser- vices manager, said Friday that $165,000 has been raised b the library committee so far, including $10,000 in free advertising from the I ryan-College Station Eagle. The goal is 00,000. Shear said there is enouj h money for construction, but if the goal is not met, plans for buying books an I computers will be scaled back. Anyone wishing to make a donation or buy a tile should call Shear at 764- 3538 or Kathi Appelt at 764-2913. council to consider Motel in N City would have to provide land as part By DOUGLAS SCZYGELSKI Eagle Staff Writer Plans for a hotel in College Sta ion's Northgate district seem to be ma serial- izing. The College Station City Council will consider a preliminary agreement of intent between the city and John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc. during a meet ing on Thursday. The hotel is planned for the "mud lot" in Northgate, a commercial park- ing lot on Nagle Street across fr m St. Mary's Catholic Center. It is exrected to have more than 200 rooms. The meeting is scheduled for p.m. in the City Hall council chambers. City Manager Skip Noe said the might be a "University Plaza," a 1 of hotels Hammons owns, but that is not certain yet. "We're still hoping scale hotel, perhaps Suites, "' he said. Hammons Hotels struction costs at $20 I Hammons plans to atl meeting. As part of the deal, ; ;-/) 1 Z_ deal for I a more up- a `Embassy esti ates con - niil on. John Q. en Thursday's have to provide the land and promise to build a foot convention center, cost $6 million. Noe said the city woul $6 million and repay t] property taxes on the taxes from all hotels and city. The city would own tt Please see C If city would or the hotel i square- s�imated to borrow the loan with hotel /motel iotels in the convention NCIL, Page A7 �' Council Fro Al center. Plans for a mid -size hotel of 200 to 300 rooms were outlined in the January 1996 Northgate Redevelopment Plan. That plan also mentioned a separate small conference cen- ter and a parking garage. Gail Macmillan, the head of Bryan's community develop- ment office, said she isn't wor- ried that the new hotel will compete with the La Salle Hotel in Downtown Bryan. It is planned to have only 54 rooms when fully restored. "I think the College Station hotel will be a completely dif- ferent kind of hotel with a dif- ferent clientele," she said. "And based on what I've heard from people in the com- munity, there's a real need for hotel space." Bryan City Manager Mike Conduff agreed the two hotels won't be in competition. "The La Sall.P Hotel is going to cater to the business travel- er," he said. "It's going to have a fax machine in every room." Gary Basinger, manager of business development for the Bryan - College Station Chamber of Commerce, pia the new hotel might also attract tourists. ,,with the George Bush Library and Reed Arena open - ing soon, we're probably get- ting to the point where we need more hotel rooms," he said. Noe's written summary of the issue for the city council also emphasized tourist demand for hotel rooms. Also during the regular meeting, the council will con- sider authorizing $450,000 to hire HDR Engineering to do work related to the design of a new solid waste landfill. The agenda of the 3 p.m. workshop meeting includes a discussion of parks and utili- ties in the city's proposed com- prehensive plan. The regular and workshop meeting agendas also include discussing and voting on whether to use a state grant to widen Kyle Avenue from Texas Avenue to Dominik Drive or to widen Anderson Lane from Park Place to George Bush Drive. The Ea le Hate: 2 I' CS council delays hotel I do three major restaurant By DOUGLAS SCZYGELSKI �� \��{ city to mall that ar�9 fit' Eagle Staff Writer hotelmpanies, " e said, "and they all the Fat Bi Most in the crowd of 60 people overflow• Tutoring bi ing the College Station City CotmcO chain thought in this. building, b Thursday night seemed angry at a city "My con idea to give land to John Q. Hammon, working h Inc., to build a 200 -plus room hotel in reopen," s] many of his Northgate. "and he wil The council voted 6-0 to delay any deci- way to sho near campus. Sion on the plan for at least 30 days to allow nessmen w public comment and alternative propos Resident als. developer I Steve Crawford, an official with when othei tor next door; Guaranty Federal Bank, said the plan was assistance. too one-sided in favor of the developer and _.,.,._ u.­__._— a,a, -a not Oven a Cou ncil ; From Al City Manager Skip Noe said experts told him a large develop- ment such as this never happen without government incentives, and the city's expenses will be paid by property tax money on the hotel and hotel/motel taxes from all the city's hotels and motels. White said the motel/hotel tax money could be put to better use, but Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney said the hotel/motel tax money, by state law, can't be used for general purposes. White replied, "If we have so much hotel/motel tax money, why dou't we reduce the tax?" Mahesh Thakrar, the owner of m Day's h, Said the city didn't help him start his hotel and he shouldn't have to pay a tax to help a competitor. ers complained that square foot convention built by the city as part would be too small to be "We need a convention center," said Jerry Albrecht, director of sales and marl etifig for Manor House Inn, "but 45,000 square feet is not a convention center. It's a meeting room. Anyone in this business will tell you that" Some speakers said too little advance notice of the plan had chance to bid on the project. ed co repli 'We'll do that deal! Where do we get in li So I think there was a lack of " Crawford also was angry that the plan involved demolishing his bank's building on University Drive. It would hurt his business, he said, because depositors are students who need a bank "I'll tell the students to take their deposits elsewhere, maybe'to my competi- ' he said. Applause broke out as he added "Why isn't the city taking his land?' ,lorthgate been given. Crawford said his bank wasn't told until "seven days ago," but Noe insisted the bank was notified long before that. Albrecht said, "if certain people hadn't spoken up in the last 48 hours, this would've been approved tonight. Some speakers said the hotel and convention center will worsen the parking problem in Northgate because they will be built on the "mud lot" park' g lot In other mattes: ■ The coun it unanimously decided to mak e widening Kyle Avenue to four lanes from Texas Avenue to Dommik Drive its top priority when pplying for state grants for street pmects. Edwin Hard, the city's trans- portation planner, said the Kyle Avenue project would cost $1.4 mil- lion plus the cost of condemning land. The state grant would be $340,000. Hard said the second -best alter- native would, be widening Anderson Lane from Park Place to George Bush Drive. That would be a cheaper project, he said but Kyle Avenue carries 10,000- to-12,000 vehicles per day and that number is expected to grow, while Anderson Lane carries only 6,000- to-8,000 per day and that num- ber isn't expected to grow. Hard said the right- of-way for the street wouJ require acquiring 10 lots on the north side of the street, one on a south, and parts one of ing. It tally f kind o to get Han hotels The ' app— posalI City numbs near I goal. into tI Alb torpor get th erty I years. He intere attem oping confer Hot the Si of three others on the south. Councilman Dick Birdwell that would leave one row of h4 south of the street Stan between an increasingly busy Avenue and a commercial disi He called that an "undesil situation," and suggested the of -way be bought entire ly fro south side of the street. That make the curve in Kyle A ision ded for demolition by the way for a parking lot, was ., hotel plan would demolish er restaurant and A -Plus dines. as well as the bank etitor had a fire and he's been mself to death so he can a said, choking back tears, get a vacate notice. Is that the r gratitude to the small busi- o built College Station ?" David White asked why the eeds free land from the city businessmen do without such Please see COUNCIL, Page A8 he bigger ones in terms of board - die conference center] would basi- ean larger air traffic. With that traffic, it might allow the airport restaurant," he said. non, Inc. specializes in building m conjunction with universities. ;to of College Station was ed in October 1995 after the Pro- it a dead end with A&M, Noe said. officials showed the developer a - of sites, but building the hotel ie university was the company's ;ontinued talks later developed proposal for the "mud lot" site. icht said he and Manor House Inn ite officials have been trying to city to help with developing prop - !hmd their hotel for about three so said he submitted a letter of to his corporate office in another to get the city involved in devel- oat property in light of the hotel - ice center proposal. said the owners of his hotel — belt division of Lane Hospitality have written a letter to the city describing their interest in the hotel -con- ference center proposal. He said he thinks the city has done a. good job in trying to come up with ideas' to promote tourism, but he doesn't want this proposed project to be rushed. As part of the proposal, the developer ', has requested 200 feet for a boulevard . entrance, which calls for Guaranty' Federal Bank at 717 University Drive to be demolished. The proposal also seeks the demolition' - of the Fat Burger restaurant and A -Plus Tutoring to make way for a parking lot.' "The location itself — it's too crowdedr in this area," said Moe Mooti, owner ofr.. Fat Burger. 'y Mooti said if the proposal is approved, he stands to lose money if he is forced out-. of his current location. "I'm just a small business," he said,. "I'm going to lose money and have tq•, relocate. It's easy access in- and -out in, front of the restaurant That's the most, important issue to us. "Honestly, I don't think we have a say;, in it. The big sharks will eat the little - fish," Mooti said. inpp waner, the tlrst Tull -time municipal court judge in College Station's history, is administered the oath of office Thursday night by Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney. sharper, he said, but "that will said slow down traffic." uses The council unanimously ling agreed to have city staff study both Kyle scenarios. riot. ■ The council unanimously able decided to have the city's compre henive plan say the west part of the I t- 1 the Eastgate /College Hills neighbor - otbld hood is for apartments but the east e part is for single - family houses. inpp waner, the tlrst Tull -time municipal court judge in College Station's history, is administered the oath of office Thursday night by Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney. Company to buy tract for all -suite CS hotel • �X] Spirit Development I, Ltd. of Dallas has contracted to buy a thr cre tract for the first all-suite hotel in College Station. Quality Suites plans to pen an 80- room hotel at 1010 Unive s'ty Drive East. Construction is schedule t begin in late March or early April. Quality Suites is assoc with Choice Hotels International one of the world's largest hotel comfianies with more than 3,000 properties rldwide. Quality Suites will hav two -room suites with separate livin and bed- room areas, specially des' ed furni- ture and upgraded ameniti . The hotel will feature large rooms business center, conference rooms, ring area and a lounge. T.W. Mole 3 + Partners of Houston have been selected as the architects. The general contractor ill be S.L. Crawford Construction, Inc. of Houston. In Town &Texas The Eagle Date: ZI I a Iq ■ Obituaries /A5 • • Opinions /A6 • Sports /B1 In Town& exas CS shopping center under const ction A.B. Shopping Cent r Properties, Inc. of Birmingham 1a., recently announced the development of Lone Star Pavilion, a 94,0)0-square-foot shopping center currently under con- struction at the intersection of Texas Avenue and Lincoln DI ive in College Station. Barnes & Noble, Dffice Depot, PetsMart and On The Border restau- rant will be included the project, which is scheduled to ba completed in May. A.B. Shopping Cent ?r Properties, Inc., is a real estate development firm with a portfolio that in udes 6 million square feet covering 14 states, includ- ing 19 existing centers already under construction. The firm also is ar active buyer nationwide of existing centers. C Hickson' for re -e I e to CS coy By DOUGLAS SCZYGELSKI Eagle Staff Writer David Hickson has filed for re -e College Station City Council seat. Hickson, 41, is married with thre ident of CIC Corp., a medical techn Hickson has been a counciln since 1993. He is on the board of dv tors of the Boys' and Girls' Club, the Brazos Valley and was on board of directors of the Bry College Station Chamber Commerce. Hickson was an outspoken supp er of the $22 million bond issue I was approved by College Station ers in 1995 for rehabilitating Southwest Parkway, building a and other projects. He said one of his main reasons is "to ensure that those projects want funds diverted to other proje the Southwest Parkway being use( Hickson said the completion o: project was also important to hin Hickson is the only candidate tc Nobody filed candidacy papers City Council. Filing for city council seats Station ends March 19. The electi Ation incil ;tion to his Place 5 sons and is the pres- bgv consulting firm. of of HICKSON r public library dr seeking re- election 0 completed. I don't ts, such as money for for other roads." the drainage district have filed for Place 5. `uesday for the Bryan Bryan and College is set for May 3. Cal • CS slates on Wolf Pen Creek plan 2-c College Statio is planning an interactive group workshop about updating the master plan for Wolf Pen Creek. The workshop will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Colle a Station Conference Center. The agenda includes dis ussion of the perceived problems an benefits of the Wolf Pen Creek C*idor and ideas for the future of the corridor. A second interactive group woi k- shop is scheduled for Marc 25. Its agenda includes discussion of the results of the first workshop and specific recommendations o the city council about the master pl in. At both workshops, a 1 ght meal will be served to participa ts. Those wishing to take p rt in the workshops should call Ric loeger at 764 -3415 by 5 p.m. Friday. hose not wishing to participate m attend and observe, but may spe only if time permits. Compiled from staff reports l � u Hotel p ro p y /–�� Critics proponents agle Staff Writer 1 A proposal to build a 200 room The proposal calls for the city to pa otel with a 45,000 square -foot conference for the land and the construction of the inter in Northgate is getting a mixed conference center, while John Q. action, ranging from 'fantastic" and Hammon, Inc. would build the hotel. we think there is a market" to "a bed of The proposal's framework calls for the sakes" and "the big sharks will eat the city to provide 8.5 acres for the hotel and .ttle fish." fund the approximately $6 million con. A6 The differ y struction The cite motels in work. Ha ble for t 1997 i city's needs sts of the convention center. expenses will be repaid perty taxes on the hotel and taxes from all the hotels and a city, according to the frame - nons, Inc. would be responsi- $20 million estimated con- reactions struction costs of the full- service hotel. At a Feb. 13 meeting, council members voted 640 to delay any decision on the plan for at least 30 days to allow public comment and alternative proposals. Jerry Albrecht, director of sales and marketing for Manor House Inn, calls the proposal "just a bed of snakes," since the Please see HOTEL, Page AS News Hotel From Al city has proposed to give the land to Hammons, Inc. to build the facility on the "mud lot" in Northgate. Albrecht thinks the proposed 45,000 square -feet of convention space isn't big enough. "There is a definite need for a confer- ence center, but what they are proposing is not a conference center," he said. "The critical thing about a conference center is providing the exact type of rooms for the exact type of groups coming in. "If you talk to anyone, we have to turn down groups because we don't have con- ference and convention sites that will seat 200. Forty -five thousand square -feet is a good -size meeting configuration. You've got to get up to 145,000 to be any kind of conference center, then you've got a place for exhibitors." Barron Hobbs, general manager of the full- service College station Hilton, agrees with Albrecht that the convention center is too small. "A convention center the siz square -feet in the Northgate a limits your ability to grow wit] munity in regards to space," H "I would say a minimum square -feet is needed." College Station City Man Noe, who recently met with Editorial Board, said there is a new hotelconferene center. He said hotel occupancy i Station for the months of Oc November of 1996 was at 60.6 up 2.3 percent from those same year earlier. "When you get into the 60s,, start looking," Noe said. "We think t4ere is a marke George Bush 'Library and Te University," he .said. "One of missing is we don't have a pla to sit down and eat breakfast e a large meeting area. The confe ter would be able to be divid would not be exhibit space." Noe said the conference cei proposed "I'm going to lose money and have to relocate." ea really the com- MOE MOOTI >bbs said. I f 100'000 Owner of Fat Burger Eger Skip he Eagle seed for a be finished in carpet, complete with a wooden molding finish, and a kitchen I College inside the hotel also would serve the con - :ober and ference center. He said the city would iercent — oversee managing the conference center, months a and it likely would negotiate a manage- ment contract. evelopers Easterwood Airport would see an increase in traffic and revenue if the with the hotel-conference center was built, Noe Kas A &M said. he things "I think it will be fantastic," sa}d Paul e in town Diener, general manager for American 14, go into Eagle at the airport "I'm all for it. -encb cen- "If they are going to build a conference d =this center, then obviously we are looking at an increase in traffic. We a a pretty ter woula' busy station as it is. For our level, we are C S leaders evaluate 4 olf Pen Creek plan Citizens cite myriad of problems, possibilities By DOUGLAS SCZYGELSKI ) .� j„ Eagle Staff Writer f� About 40 College Station A ommunity leaders gathered Tuesday night to dis- cuss the problems and benefrl of the Wolf Pen Creek master plan. They mostly agreed on the benefits, but their litany of problems was more con- tentious. All participants s poke under ndition of anonymity so the discussion7icould be free and frank. "Wolf Pen Creek provides a safe haven for family, civic, natural, political and spiritual events," one person said when the benefits were discuss Someone else drew lau, "That says it all. We're d Other benefits mentior bol that "creates an idea Station," an "attractive f. gram," a habitat for wilc nity focal point," a place forms of transportation" or walking, and a "dr attract businesses, famil to the city. Use of the amphitheat ment events was mentioi Please see W O LF PEN, Page A2 r by adding, �d were a sym- tity for College >od- control pro - [ife, a "commu- for "alternative such as biking wing card" to es and retirees for entertain t often. r� • WoR Pen [� rom A7 Discussion of Wolf Pen Creek's problems often centered on its failure to provide as many bene- fits as it could. The original plan called for businesses, restaurants and apartments near the creek to face the creek, he said, but, "Nobody has developed the trees, the walkways, the other things to look at that would make people want to orient their buildings toward the creek." The same man said the new city library was intended to be built in the creek district. "Taking the library out of Wolf Pen Creek was a major blunder," he said. Some said the Wolf Pen Creek zoning district that was created was too restrictive and discour- aged development in the area, but others said restrictions were nec- essary to accomplish the plan's goals. They lamented changes made by the city council. "The planning and zoning board voted five to nothing to for- bid rezoning of Pooh's Park," one man said, referring to a large lot in the district, "and the city council just reversed that deci- sion without a second thought." But others said land bordering on Texas Avenue and Harvey Road should never have been put into the district in the first place. "What drives businessmen's economic fortunes on Texas and Harvey is totally different from what drives the rest of the corri- dor," someone said. Many said the biggest problem with the district was that the pub- lic never supported it enough. Some blamed this on the city gov- ernment, saying not enough had been done to educate the public about the benefits of the district and special events there. While flood and erosion con- trol was often listed as a benefit, some people said the district did- n't do enough for those problems. Others complained the district had a split personality: part San Antonio River Walk, part drainage project. City Manager Skip Noe and Parks and Recreation Director Steve Beachy stressed that the meeting was not designed to solve Wolf Pen Creek's problems in one night. Another meeting is planned for March 25 to discuss plans for the district's future. 1� L 1 In Town &Te as CS council to AS puss parking in Northgate The College Station City uncil plans to meet Thursday at 3 p. . �in the council chambers at City H for a workshop meeting to discuss ways to increase parking spaces in N rthgate and the possibility of buildinj a new city hall. The council also plans to hav a regu- lar meeting at 7 p.m. Thursda to con- sider a new contract betwee i i Bryan and College Station for operati n of the Bryan- College Station Library System and to vote on awarding a $771,000 con- tract to West Oaks Constructors for sewer and drainage work along a creek between Adrienne and Normand dri- ves. look By DOUGLAS SCZYGELSKI Eagle Staff Writer College Station officials are discussing spending $11.7 mil- lion or more on new office space, but sentiment on the City Council is strong for having a referendum on the plan. The plan is to build a city cen- ter — 73,400 square -feet of office space consisting of three new buildings and an addition to the police facility — by the intersec- tion of Texas Avenue and Krenek Tap Road. Assistant City Manager caras to Aorea anu jdFw„ "Japan is a huge basketball card market," he said. "They love Michael Jordan." id is worth $2.6 million. Brymer and City Mar :ip Noe said the current all is too small and do (ve enough parking. City Councilman rdwell said such a n pense should not be pass( e council without a ref un. The consensus of the ( l agreed. No vote was take e issue. Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney early numans gatnereo enunKS of quartzite and chipped them into crude cutting and chopping tools. Using a technique called ther - offices the council will discuss the mat- ter again in May or June after the city's new comprehensive plan is adopted, because that plan may affect the Krenek Tap Road area. In another matter, the council decided to build two parking lots in Northgate and hire a con- sultant to study Northgate's parking needs. Todd McDaniel, the city's Northgate Project coordinator, said the Patricia Street parking lot, to be built this summer at the southeast corner of the .Church Avenue -Boyett Street intersection, will have 116 park- ing spaces. Around 70 more parking spaces could be built on land owned by the A&M Presbyterian Church between Boyett and Second streets, he said. Church officials approve of putting a lot there, McDaniel said, as long as the city pays for 2.4 m.,.._ said that times been widely acceptea. Council From Al it and church members can use it. Construction would cost $173,000. He said two other sites in Northgate — the northwest and southwest corners of the Church Avenue -Boyett Street intersection — would make good parking lots, but they would be expensive because they would require land acquisition and the demolition of buildings. McDaniel recommended that the council build the planned 116 -space lot and a, lot on the church's land, and hfre a parking nsultant to study ideas for more parking. Birdwell suggested the Patricia S t lot be the site of a multi -story parking g 3rage. He said a multi -story garage would not turn a Profit, but would lose less money per parking Space than other parking ideas for Northgate. Noe said a garage would have to be at least four stories tall to be worth building, and in that location it would be much taller than all nearby buildings and look incongruous. After the meeting, McDaniel said a four - story garage at that site would "eradicate the character of the whole neighborhood." Northgate businessman Bernard Gessner suggested that construction of the Patricia L e -5 Street parking lot be delayed two until the parking consultant could f study. Noe said that would cause much of struction to occur in the autumn, wh in the area is heavy, rather than in mer, when traffic is light. Northgate businessmen Richard and Don Ganter said they supported the two parking lots now. A parkin could be built in a few years, they sa Birdwell said creating the two par would ease the demand for parking that a parking garage would never nomically feasible. The council decided by consensus the two lots without delay, and hire a consultant. McDaniel said the consultant woul bly cost less than $15,000. In other matters: ■ The council voted 7-0 to approv contract between the city and Bryan i Sting the library system. The new d( College Station and Bryan equal rer tion on the library advisory board. College Station will now pay $46,00 to the system, up from $29,900, and for and operate the interlibrary lc gram. Bryan still will pay and hire al employees. months nish his the Con- n traffic he sum - 3enning wilding garage i. ing lots o much be eco- to build parking I proba- a new )r oper- d gives -esenta- a year rill pay M pro- library ■ John Anderson of the Bryan- College Station Economic Development Corporation reported that the Business Center at College Station soon will have a second occupant, a computer company that he declined to name. The Beach Mold & Tool Co. already is located at the center. Anderson said plans for bringing jobs to College Station are going well, and he praised the council for its wisdom in creating the cen- ter. He called for the council to build a 50,000 square -foot office building in the center to attract more businesses. "The risk," he said, "is it will sit empty for a year and people will start calling it a waste of money. But I think it will fill pretty fast." Mayor Pro Tempore Hub Kennady said a city -owned office building would compete with private landlords, but Anderson said the private sector is not creating the office space needed, so the city must step in. Councilman Larry Mariott said the city could sell the building eventually. No decision was made on the proposal. ■ The council hired Harvey Cargill of Lubbock to be the new city attorney. ■ The council gave a $10,000 bonus to Noe. "I appreciate the council's positive com- ments about my performance and I plan to continue to wo *k to improve the city's ser- vices," Noe said. CS hires new 11�' By DOUGLAS SCZYGELSKI 11 Eagle Staff Writer The College Station City Council has ended a seven -month search for 'a new city attorney. Harvey Cargill Jr., the city attotney in Abilene since 1977, was hired by a unan- imous vote of the council Thursday night. Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney said Friday that Cargill has "a strong, broad base of experience in litigation, management and utilities." She said one of the other lawyers inter- viewed for the job had worked under Cargill and "was very impressed by him." The decision was very . difficult, vlcllhaney said, and Councilman Larry Mariott agreed. ­We got it down to three finalists," he said. "Any of them would've been good. But we were very impressed by his expe- rience level and he seemed like someone we could really work with." ci ty attorney Councilman Dick Birdwell stressed Cargill's experience in utilities law, "one of the things that occupies a fair amount of our department's time." Councilman David Hi son said College Station "is growing t i the point where we need someone xith experi- ence." Cargill said he want to leave Abilene. "I kind of feel like the guy who was city manager of Dallas. After 20 years, he decided it would be good for him to go somewhere else for a while." He said he had no Chang in mind for the city attorney's office, akid praised College Station as "a city with a major university" and "fairly pro essive." Cargill, 51, received his �aw degree from the University of Houston in 1970. He was an assistant city attorney in Amarillo and Abilene bef rp becoming the Abilene City Attorney. He is divorced, and his ughter is a student at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene. Please see ATTOR EY, Page A16 Attorney Cargal is scheduled to start work ch 31. He will be paid $73,800 a year, plus $7,500 annual- ly in re tirement benefits. The position had been vacant since August. City Attorney Cathy Locke's contract was not renewed for reasons neither she nor the city government i. explained. Assistant City Attor- ney Roxanne Nemcik has been acting city attorney in the inter- im. C CS receives five new proposals for hotels311 The city of College Station has received five more proposals for build- ing a major new hotel in the city, Assistant City Manager Thomas Brymer said Friday. The deadline for submi g propos- als was 5 p.m. Friday. Brymer said the principals and the details of the proposals will kept con- fidential until April 10, when the city council plans to discuss subject again. John Q. Hammons Hote s Inc. has proposed building a 200 -plus r om hotel in the Northgate neighbor od if the city will provide free land and build a convention center. Critics at a city council ir. aeting Feb. 13 said a deal more favorabl to the city could be negotiated, so t decided to consider other pr ie council posals. � f 11h_A Your View C1111 Hotel needs a better site lthough supportive of Noringate revitalization, I am opposed to the proposed site for a hotel ar d confer- ence center. This project would demolish a functioning commercial area wvhich provides a variety of everyday services to the students, faculty and staffof Texas A &M. The availability of banking, Mod, etc., within easy walking distance of the cam- pus is an important part of the quality of life in College Station. Any commercial activity in the hotel complex would inevitably be priced out of the everyday range of residents. If there is a market for a hotel and con- ference center, why not put it in'' the Wolf Pen Creek area? There it would timu- late the commercial development of Wolf Pen Creek, which has lagged behind expectations. There would be room for a sufficiently large and expandable confer- ence center. If the conferees need to visit the university, it will still only be a 10- minute bus or van ride away. S. %FULLING Col ge Station cers hope to build city, Community policing office opens By DEANA TOTZKE O Eagle Staff Writer The College Station Police Department bet on Monday will open the doors of its me newly relocated Community Oriented 7 ing Office in the Lincoln Center. tio, e Community Oriented Police an( am is an ongoing effort of the pr( ent to build and maintain a coop- " erative problem - solving partnership we Page A16 The Open thing ourselves. It takes the p ple." The program originally v based in Southgate Village, nearby apartment compl Police officials decided on in ing the office to make the p gram more accessible to I entire neighborhood. "It's more centrally located that particular area," Todd so "We feel we can reach more c tens." Please see OPEN, Page A16 He also said there already are a lot of programs going on at the Lincoln Center, which is part of the College Station Parks and Recreation Department. Moving the program there would just add to these, he said, and is a step toward the program's growth. Todd said the department plans to expand the office to four offi- cers by June 1, and there are preparations to open another office in town. To celebrate the move, police officials are inviting the public to an open house from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the center, located at 1000 Eleanor St. near Wellborn Road. Cookies, drinks and fruit een neighborhoods and city govern- :, officials said. e concept is to return to the tradi- d police officer who knows residents helps them by solving a variety of through itbe as their > blic partnership h the right agency — whether .f light out, no one picking up ige or someone needing an vithout the funds to pay for neighborhood groups in order to address crime issues or to provide alternative activities for youths in the area, he said. Todd, who has been in law enforcement for 22 years, said it was going back to the way he remembered it when he fast joined the force. "It's the best thing since the washing machine," he said. "We can't do every- one," sail Lt. Irvin Todd, project coordi- nator. come to us with problems that These ollipers also organize youth pro- care of ourselves or put them grams, c ime prevention seminars and Station and vegetable trays will be served. The open house will feature members of the Project Unity/ Children's Partnership Board who will provide information pertaining to 45 different family assistance organizations. The police department's Crime Prevention team will be on hand to provide crime prevention tips and representatives from the College Station Fire Department will give fire prevention tips. Community Development offi- cials will provide useful informa- tion pertaining to housing and funding. For more information, call Todd or Officer Tom Jagielski at 764 -3626. f What's For Lunch? Dial 776 -LINE ( 776 -5463 The Eagle THE 368 FOR The Eaghoa.. Date: 31 BmCS leaders b reak f or CS librar Facility will house study rooms, offer reading groups for children By MICHELLE LYONS jI , 1 Eagle Staff Writer Despite the cold, wind and mud, Bryan and ollege Station officials broke ground Sunday for ae new College Station library at 800 FM 2818. The $1.65 million project is expected to be com- plete in March 1998. Larry Ringer, chairman of the Library Services Task Force, said that, in addition to featuring a wide range of books, the library will house small study rooms, comp7ter facilities and a large meeting room. Ringer said the 16,585 square }foot structure also will offer reading groups for ch dren. Among those on , hand for the groundbreaking were College Station Mayor Lynn McIlhaney and Bryan Mayor Lonnie Stabler. While the recent rains may have dampened the construction site, McIlhaney said they did not dampen the community's spirits. "This is a proud day for the community," she Please see LIBRARY, Page A2 I • 4:71 C .�.auier, mayor of Bryan, Clara Mounce, Crockett Elementary agle photo /Stew Milne 1 st- grader, and Caitlin Bryan Public Library director, Lynn Mcllhaney, Cunnin ha mayor of College Station, Larry Ringer, Librar, y g Southwood Valley Elementary 4th - Services Task Force chairman, Mitchell E Y grader, breaak ground Sunday at the future site of lder, the College Station Public Library. • • Ell" Sanderson to begin production Processing plant expects to e By BLAIR FANNIN Eagle Staff Writer Sanderson Farms' poultry pro- cessing plant is set to begin pro- duction Tuesday in the Brazos County Industrial Park, said Chuck Hancock, processing divi- sion manager. The processing plant expects to employ 1,200 workers and process 150,000 birds per week. Plans call for gradually increas- ing production to a first -shift capacity of 650,000 birds per week in time for Labor Day. The company originally announced the processing opera- tion would begin Monday, but Hancock said officials "just decid- ed to delay until (Tuesday)." The plant is operating on sched- ule, hitting its target date of the week of March 3, Hancock said. The $68 million poultry complex also includes a hatchery in the Bryan Business Park and a feed mill operation in Robertson County. "It's been a long, lengthy process," said Hancock. "We've had a lot of excellent support from the community. To this point, it's been a real good move as far as employment." Hancock said more than 2,000 People have applied for work with loy 1,200 workers NA.1. think the poten- tical in this area from th sales and market- inj standpoint is ur limited." CHUCK HANCOCK rng division manager there growt "Wf area f stand "Now <<' looks: in the Han Brazo; to "gr( "Th; Hanco "We allied when ing caj are goi 'son Farms locally, and is a lot of potential for in the local area. think the potential in this )m the sales and marketing Ant is unlimited," he said. ie have proof. labor is here and the future W good as far as the growth Brazos Valley." Eck said residents in the alley will have a chance in agriculture." is something new," said. "It's large volume. e going to touch so many ppliers and vendors, but are here we will be buy - gas, welding rods ... we g to touch a lot of people." • IIJIP Your View Don't extend Apoomattox W e are writing to express our strong support to end Appomattox Drive at the edge of Windwood Subdivision. We see no justification to do otherwise, nor do we see any need for th a city to encourage any further comm rcial or resi- dential expansion in this area. For the past 10 years, we he ve seen College Station and Bryan grow at a very rapid pace. We see old sections of the town decaying and higher-income resi- dents moving further and further away from the city. Perhaps, it is time to think seriously how to sustain growth as we all know that excessive commer ial and industrial growth of any urb area invariably breeds poverty an crime. We voted for our council members, espe- cially Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney, because of their beliefs in sustainable de 7elopment and in keeping College Statior small, beautiful and a safe place to li 7e and to raise a family. We have confidence in their integrity. We hope they would not compromise the quality of life for many in order to accommodate the wishes of a selected few. ANTHONY and R[ S'ALIND JUO oNege Statim Please haln V - - - - - -- i r� am very concerned over the Feb. 26 paid advertisement in The Eagle written by George Sopasakis. It was a b tal and unwarranted attack on our city council members and city staff, especially City Manager Skip Noe. I am disappointed in The Eagle for publishing somet ing so libelous. I am personally acquainted with most of our council members. They are kind and dedicated volunteers. I take offense at hav- ing their character and integrity attacked. Noe is a true professional. To infer that he would benefit financially from t e devel- opment of Northgate is a lie. The role of city council memblers is to make decisions on the future of lour city. They do this by gathering information from their constituents. Often the staff will bring ideas to them. But ul imately, the decisions are made by the council members and they direct the city manager to implement and develop their ideas. No one group or person benefits from such a collaborative effort. I have lived in College Station since 1985. I have buried my husband here and am raising my children here. MU family owes this city a great debt. TheS were very supportive of my late husband, for- mer City Manager King Cole, during his lengthy cancer illness. I don't like or want "Louisiana Politics" in our community. Citizens of College Station historically don't attack their leaders. No do we demean and undermine our city staff. We appreciate them. . Next time I see one of our cou cil mem- bers, I'm going to thank him or her for giving us their time. How about ou? LEE COLE _ Station Don't attack our council • ea��� - - l a, 1 q P7 CS council schedules workshop meeting r, u i s The College Station City Council will be seeking public input during a workshop meet- ing Thursday afternoon ( � the city's arts and cultural aff l s. The council has schedido a workshop meeting at 3 p.m d a regular meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday in the council ch ber at City Hall. The council will seek in t on other areas during upc ing workshop meetings: healt i and human services on April 10; edu- cation and information on May 8; and quality service on June 12. The agenda for Thursday's workshop meeting also includes a report on implementi the Community Enhancement Study's code enforcement m- mendations. Topics scheduled for the gu- lar meeting include awardin an architectural /engineering con- tract, not to exceed $142,8 8, to the Arkitex Studio Inc for designing a maintenance wild- ing for the public works d art - ment and a utility custom ser- vice building. The agenda also inc ludes spending $25,000 to buy a v a ant house at 118 Southland St. �° it can be renovated and sot 4o a low- income family. The council also plans to consider rezoning land along Stonebrook Drive opposite Wilshire Court to OOW 13 houses to be built there ' stead of nine. News .al l� 7 CS councilman Brad Martin won't seek re- election By DEANA TORKE gle Staff Writer —College Station Councilman Brad Martin announced Thursday night that he will not seek re- election to his Place 3 seat. The 26- year -old landscape contractor said time constraints were his reason for not running again. "My landscaping and lawn service business is getting really busy, and with that I don't have the time I feel you need to put into this position," he said. "When you're in business for yourself, time is so limiting." Martin, who was elected to the coun- cil in September, said his decision had nothing to do with his recent opposition to some council decis _i, In January, Martin re criticizing the way the informed about meeting ag time, he said he felt the posely informed the public ner it did in order to get t without a lot of controvers: He also criticized and city's ,plans to condemn a the Burger Boy Restaur, promenade in the Northge hood and allow a Texade' rant to open in the neighbo Shortly after announcing tion, Martin withdrew it received many calls fi throughout the Brazos pledged their support. Though he disagreed witt council's decisions, M ,igned after Thursday that did not make him decide public was not to run for re- election as he original - !ndas. At the ly had planned. council pur- "It hasn't had anything to do [with in the man- the opposition]," he said. "I want, how - iings passed ever, to encourage citizens to become ' more involved with government, and )pposed the particularly the city council, because I id demolish feel there's not a large amount of peo- nt, build a ple that do get involved. :e neighbor- "They need to learn more about the ?hia restau- city and attend more meetings," he said. 'hood. Martin said he would miss being on his resigna- the council to assist with decisions, saying he "I appreciate all the public support in am people the past, and will miss representing Talley who them on the council," he said. Filing for city council seats ends some of the Wednesday. The election is scheduled irtin said May 3. l 1:�� y-' Pro sal may hurt CS p urse Water director warns council of legislation By DOUGLAS SCZYGELSKI. Eagle Staff Writer The College; Station City Council ;.was wamed , Thursday that legis- lature - may soon .pass::;that would take $150,000 from- city residents and give them nothing in return. Bill ,.Riley, the 'director of the city's ■ Maf`llli Won't return /A6 w a t e r a' n d wastewater utilities, told the coun- cil them is a proposal calling for the state to collect one dollar from cities for each ..water connection - per month. The total from College Station would be about $150,000 a year, he said. The state then would grant the in to cities for water and waste- water infrastructure improve- ments : f College Station's infrastructure, is fairly new,. Riley said, so the city is unlikely to - receive any of the grants: ' He said the plan is supported by legislators from cities that charge much lower rates than College Station and, therefore, haven't been able to upgrade their infrastructure in recent years. Councilman Dick Birdwell spoke against the idea, saying, "We build Please see COUNCIL, Page,A6 A6 The Council From Al -� our own water, and sewage plants. Why can't every other city ' 'Texas do the same thing? Riley said a Texas M cipal League `official who recently t red against the :idea was "mauled by le ' lators on the committee considering plan, most of whom fa#0r , it. line ed the coun- 'cilmembers to make th A opposition known to the legislature'?'. �._ Riley'said there is ano er.roposal to give" }he state control o er water charged from water treatt ent plants. Since College Station ge s its water out of wells, he said it shoulc be allowed to ' control and reuse water d scharged from I treatment plants into ter Creek and elsewhere without _ gett' g' permission from the state. In other matters: ■ Mayor Lynn McIlhaney said Texas A&M University officials asking the Legislature to designate.. 'campus a school zone so it Will have wer speed limit. The city then' Would a to pay for ,the new speed limit signs d'for enforce - tA! Birdwell criticized the university, saying, "It galls me thataey would go to the Legislature and . #o get ,this passed withoutJMalking ' tp, ;­r ! bo March 14, 1997 3 1 11 first." 'Mayor Pro Tempore Hub Kennady said this lack of communication showed the need for a "formal coordination council" of city and university officials. ■ Assistant City Manager Thomas Brymer announced that the city would open a Code Enforcement Action Center around April 1 in the Fire Administra- tion Building at 1101 Texas Ave. S. The new center will consolidate the city's code enforcement activities, he said, -so residents could get their code problems resolved without being "ping- ponged' between city offices. Brymer 'said code inspectors will be trained to -handle all the city nodes, unlike the current situation in which, for example, the fire department enforces safety codes, the sanitation department enforces solid waste codes and the devel- opment services office deals with aban- ' Boned cars. ■ The council voted 3-2 to give the Texadelphia restaurant company, until Aprz122 to find financing to buy a city - owned building at the corner of Patricia Street and College Main. The company intends to put a restau- rant at the site. The.contract between the company and the city required the company to have financing by March 8. Mcllhaney said the company needs more time to apply for a Small Business s a ut it Administration loan. Birdwell said the Patricia Street Promenade to be built this summer will have a narrow entry onto College Main if the building is left standing. He proposed demolishing the building to make the entry wider. ,, - - Kennady disagreed, saying the pro - coeds from the sale could be used by the city to pay for more parking 'in Northgate. Mcllhaney, Kennady, and Councilman Larry Mariott voted yes. Birdwell and Councilman Brad Martin voted no. ■ The council voted 5-0 to seek new bids for landscape services around the Utility Service Center and Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater. Birdwell said the contract hadn't been rebid in four years, and that is too long. He stressed he meant no criticism of the current contractor. Kennady agreed, saying the Chimney Hills office park recently had rebid its landscaping contract and realized a $600- a month savings. ■ The council voted S-0 to rez piece of land along: Stonebrook opposite Wilshire Court so 13 house be built there instead of nine. ■ The council voted 5-0 to' aw $143,000 contract to Arkitex Studi to design a new- maintenance bui for the public works department new utility customer service bull. Councilmen David Hickson an( Fox were absent on vacation. Gr oup opposes'Northgate plan City accused of violating Texas law First in a series By DOUGLAS SCZYGELSKI and BLAIR FANNIN Eagle Staff Writers proposals By DOUGLAS SCZYGELSKI and BLAIR FANNIN Eagle Staff Writers Six proposals have been submitted to the city of College Station to build a full- service hotel in Northgate. The first proposal, by John Q. Hammon Hotels Inc., calls for building a 200 -plus room hotel with a 45,000- square- foot conference center. The total cost of the proposal is about $26 million, exclud- ing d acquisition. Aill was announced that the city presented n Hobbs, general alter of the Colleg Station Hilton d Conference CenteiJ, said his com y, the Hilton hotel chain, made a proposal. Larry Haskins, the attorney for John C. Culpepper III, the owner of most of the "mud lot" and of other properties on roject is to be built, said id the Leddy Company of jointly made a proposal to it would be a full-service bleTree chain with about ry suites on the top floor, Leddy, the principal of the any, said the total cost of the Ad be $22 -23 million, includ- A proposal to build a 200 -plus room hotel with a 46,000 - square -foot confer.. ence center in Northgate is drawing opposition from members . of the Brazos Valley Hotel and Motel Association — with the group's president accusing the city of College Station with violating state law. Group president Barron Hobbs said that, under state law, the city should have had competitive bidding on the proposed hotel and convention center project rather than negotiating exclu- sively with John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc. After it was announced that the city council was to consider a preliminary deal, the city agreed to accept proposals from other businessmen, but allowed only 10 days for the proposals f be writ- ten.. In a letter, the association states: "Any development project completed under the city's auspices and with the use of city-owned land must be conduct- ed in accordance with the city's own bidding guidelines in order to insure a level playing field for all who may want to bid on the project and a fair and open consideration of all such proposals: The city's own Purchasing Policies and Procedures require it and the city's tax- payers who will fund it should demand no less. "The city's own purchasing princi- ples recognize that 'by giving all ven- dors equal opportunity' in 'a fair and unbiased' bidding procedure, 'taxpay Please see HOTEL, Page A7 2 I �rom Al rs can be assured that their tax ollars will be discreetly spent.' lie city's failure to abide by its wn procedures, including its dlure to provide proper public otice of its intent to accept bids n the proposed project, is a clear ontravention of the city's pro - xsed regard for the taxpayer's est interest." Hobbs said if the city proceeds IL with the deal with Hammons Hotels, other businessmen* may sue the city. College Station City Manager Skip Noe declined comment on whether state law was violated, but said the c' may not do the project with H#mmons Hotels. At a recentl meeting, associa- tion members agreed to send a let- ter to Noe voicing their opposi- tion to the proposed hotel-conven- tion center. The association's letter, a draft copy of which was obtained by The Eagle, states that the group "is all for building a convention News Sunday, March 16, 1997 The Bryan - College Station Eagle P center t but only after priate study confirms th appfr need for "It's [Northgate site] boxed in. You need to one." The letter goes on to raise ques- lock up about 400 -to -600 acres." tions about: ■ The community's current BARRON HOBE and projected needs for conven- Brazos Vall Hotel Motel Associate lion center. and ■ Whether the propos d 45,000 - square -foot facility is su icient. interest. If, after that analysis is Morrison and bureau di ■ Can the proposed f c>lity be complete, you determine that con- Dick Forrester, without me expanded to accommod a future struction of a convention center ing the Northgate sit growth. complex is appropriate, the [the Hammons Hotels. ■ Whether appropriat feasibil- association] believes state and Noe said the city last su ity studies show the need for an local law, as well as the taxpay- also briefed County Jud; adjoining hotel. ers' best interest, can only be Jones on the possibility of ■ What are the projec ed occu- served by compliance with proper ing a hotel in Northgate, bi panty rates, average daily rate bidding procedures which pro- n't mention Hammons Hot and anticipated reve ues for vide fair and equal access to all any specific dollar amounts rooms, food and beve !s. qualified bidders." Morrison told The Eagh a ■ What is the env' ntnental Hobbs told The Eagle Editorial city officials didn't for impact the project Board that the proposed inform the chamber of the p ■ What impact will project Northgate site will not allow future growth. al. "Most of the time they have on the city's existing infra- °It's boxed in," he said. "You know what is going on, and structure• need to lock up about 400- to-600 times they don't," he ■ What impact will th project acres." "Sometimes they think have on police and fire verage Hobbs said the association feels things have to be done in s and similar city-provided ser- the city acted too quickly on the way. We didn't know about vices. matter and feels more study proposal] until we saw it c ■ How will the project be fund- should be done. agenda. ed. He also complained that city "We heard off-and-on for . ■ What do commune organi- staff never informed officials ple of years that hotel deve zations, churches, business lead- from the county, the city of were looking at Bryan ers and the taxpayers o College Bryan, the Bryan- College Station College Station. The only Station think, of the pr 'ect and Convention and Visitors Bureau official we had was the L the "city's proposal to doi kate city- or the Bryan- College Station Hotel deal," he said. owned property to a r-profit Chamber of Commerce about the Morrison said it isn't the entity?' negotiations until just a few days ber's position to play a de( The association, acco ding to before the city council was to con- making role in the hotel-cc the letter, "encourages tie city's sider approving a preliminary tion center proposal. managers to postpone i clearly deal with Hammon Hotels. "What we do as a champ premature award of the project to Noe said the city had no obliga- commerce is we servic( Mr. Hammon and to complete a tion to inform those people, but motels and try to service the proper feasibility study before he had discussed the desirability erties by bringing businesr making any determinations on of adding hotel space in the area for them. I don't think it's or how to best serve the t. xpayers' with chamber president Ronnie to say what they should do.' I I V1./VVN■ :From Al spare the city the cost of acquir- ing Culpepper's land through condemnation proceedings. Haskins said Culpepper was unhappy that the city negotiated with Hammon Hotels without notifying him. My client would've preferred a somewhat more open process," he said. "He wishes Mr. C W Hammon had approached him about purchasing the property instead of approaching the city." Leddy said he believed there was enough hotel demand in Bryan- College Station to justify a new hotel, if it and a convention center were built correctly. "You don't just build any old thing," he said. "You customize to your audience." The Manor House Inn company also submitted a proposal to the city, but Jerry Albrecht, the com- pany's director of sales and mar- keting in College Station, said he was not sure the proposal arrived before the deadline. He declined to discuss the proposal. A Secretary at Duddlesten Investments Inc. in Houston, who declined to give her name, said her company recently had exten- sive correspondence with the city of College Station, and probably also submitted a proposal. No high - ranking company offs - cials were available to comment on the proposal. The Engle also has learned of another proposal. Developer Ramiro Galindo said he recently approached officials in Brazos County, Bryan and College Station about building a ftil -ser- vice hotel and 36-hole champi- onship golf course west of College Station. He said the project includes 1,000 acres that extends off West Villa Maria Road past FM 2818. "Not all of the 1,000 acres would be necessary for the project;" Galindo said. "The project would include about 600 acres or less. The thing about this proposal is that I'm not asking local govern- ment to purchase the land for the hotel, I will purchase the land." Galindo said the project includes a full-service hotel with conference facilities. The project also would include an expo center, although he said it was too early to give estimates on its size. Funding for the expo center would be provided from another entity, such as the coun- ty, Galindo said. He said the hotel would attract class reunions, meetings and other activities combined with the golf course. Tom Aughinbaugh, chairman of the board of the Bryan- College Station Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber hasn't taken any action on the proposal. "The chamber would be sup- portive if anything economically was both feasible and beneficial to the community," he said. "We are still discussing it now and trying to pull everybody together including the private sector, the hotel -motel people," Aughinbaugh said. "Right now, we are trying to get data gathered and see what type of occupancy we will be able to promote and contribute. "We feel like our goal is to focus and carefully study every- thing and make sure it is done right," he said. A The Eagle Date: �3 11 )9r1 :3 co A story in Sunday's Eagle on a proposed hotel /convention cen- ter in Northgate incorrectly reported a statement by College Station City Manager Skip Noe. Noe said lie couldn't comment on potential litigation, but that the city attorney had ad id ed the city council that it wap not in violation of state law. A photo /caption in unday's paper incorrectly ident ied the "mud lot" in Northgate. The lot is located o Nagle Street across from St. Mary's Catholic Church. �c The Eagle Date: 31 � I Al Research � u rged for hotel plan Directors que tion CS center pr osal E G Second in a By BLAff E ag le Writer The directors who run th ee largest meeting facilities in the an- College Station area agree there ' need for a new conference center, butt they question what they call the small size f a proposed 45,000 - square -foot facility lo be built at Northgate. The convention center i art of a 200 - plus room hotel proposal hick, along with other proposals, currently are under review by the city of College Station. Sheila Walker, director of the Brazos Center, thinks the size of the proposed convention center is too s "Forty -five thousand squ feet isn't going to get it," she said. " VVhat they are proposing is no bigger than us and the Hilton." The Brazos Center is the gest meet- ing facility in the Bryan -Co ege Station area at 39,000- square -feet he College Station Hilton and Convent Center's facility is 20,000-square-fEel, while the College Station Confererce Center is 12,324- square -feet. The new bed Arena at Texas A &M University, w ich currently is under construction, w' I feature one large meeting room of 6,00(-square-feet. "If we could Let someth' g that's 75,000- Please see MOTEL. Page A2 �q • iotel 3m Ian :rom Al quare -feet, that would open up a lot of revenue and a A of possibilities," said Stuart Arledge, convention ervice manager at the Hilton. "We need a hotel -con- ?rence center with about 300 -to -400 rooms." Walker, Arledge and Grace Calbert, supervisor for he College Station Conference Center, say they have urned away business because the facilities they nanage lack space or are booked during key times of he year. "We aren't booked up all of the time, but this past summer we hosted the Texas Lutheran District Convention," Arledge said. "They booked 300 rooms and stayed three days. "I met the president of the national organization and asked about them having their national event here," he said. "She laughed at me." Calbert said she continues to see an increase in business at the College Station Conference Center. "It has increased steadily," she said. "We have turned away business because we are booked or are too small. I think it will continue to increase with more people moving in here. We will also see more community groups, organizations and clubs, as well as seminars and conferences." , Saturdays are booked mostly for wedding recep- tions, while Tuesdays and Thursdays are the heavi- est days booked during the week, she said. Walker said she hopes the city carefully will con- sider the proposal before making a hasty decision. "I would think they ' [the city] would survey the market and find out who we are turning away," she said. "Several of the things the Chamber of Commerce sends me I can't accommodate because of either the date or nobody else has the size." Walker said she's also concerned about funding for the new convention center. The initial proposal calls for the city to pay for th land and the construction of the conference centerZunity e John Q. Hammons, Inc. would build the hotel. "I think before the spends a large sum of money, [the city] needs to find out what we need," she said. "I think the commissioners court and the city need to work together." In the Bryan- College Station area, the hotel occu- CONVENTION CENTER FACILITIES Square footage and capacity of enclosed meeting facilities in the Bryan - College Station area are as fol- lows: F461ity Square footage Capacity B Center 39 1,500 C llege Station Hilton 20,000 1,200 C.S. Conf. Center 12,324 200 -400 Brazos County Pavillion 36,000 1,800 Bryan Civic Auditorium N/A 1,500 Widay Inn', C.S. 2,700 150 Messina Hof Designer 5,000 475 Events Center Ramada Inn - Aggieland 6,840 500 Source: The Bryan - College Station Meeting Planner's Guide: pancy rate was 66.9 percent in 1996 and 68.6 percent in 1 5. Rent for the smallest room at the Hilton is $175 a day. The grand ballroom rents for $8,000 a day. The smallest room the College Station Conference CentE r rents out on a noncommercial rate is 475-to- 550 s uare -feet. The rate is $5 for two hours. The largest room, which is 2,240- square -feet, is $126 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on a commer- cial rate. The room also includes an outside deck. The razos Center books a variety of activities, inclu g wedding receptions, fund- raisers, dances, trade ' sows and more. Walker said rates vary. A three-day trade show costs approximately $1,500, while a trade show at the Humble Civic Center would run $3,600, she said. Ac ording to a 1996 Industry Profile Survey for the Inteniational Association of Assembly Managers, only .4 percent of convention centers /exhibit halls e their direct operating revenue to cover debt, operating expenses and make a profit, while 8.9 per- cent expect direct operating revenue to cover debt and operating expenses but not make a profit. Twenty percent expect direct operating revenue to coven operating expenses and make a profit; 15.6 per- cent xpect direct operating revenue to cover operat- ing a nses; and 51.1 percent expect operating rev- enue t be less than operating expenses, the survey four . DIC Gates such as this one at the Enclave Apartments in College Station may become more common in the coming years, as gated communi- City councils question wh By DOUGLAS SCZYGELSKI Eagle Staff Writer ated communities are becoming more common in the United States, and City Planner Jane Kee recently told the College Station City Council that e city needs a policy on whether to allo them T city officials, meanwhile, have no [live ee, )olicy and intend to handle each u5"f' for such communities individually. gated community, Kee said, is an area rounded by a wall or fence to which ess can be gained only by people who within it or by city emergency crews. ties grow in popularity. Bryan and College Station city odncils are currentiv dealing with the future of such communitio° in this area. ether gated n s igh Many developers and home ueers like them because they seem to promi e lower crime rates and less traffic. Kee she said one -third of ew homes in San Antonio are built in gat d communi- ties. But she said many observers fear resi- dents of gated communities will ignore the problems of the rest of society. With their police and streets taken care of, they won't want to pay taxes to benefit the rest of the city. In New Jersey, she said, residents of gated communities have won the right to tax rebates for some city servicos they don't use. After the meeting, Kee said the city had received numerous requests by builders over the last few years for permission to create gated communities, but had rejected them all. Now, she said, someone building a cul -de- sac near the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and University Drive is requesting permis- sion to build a fence around all the lots with a gate in the street. Councilman Bill Fox said he feared gated communities could create division between "haves and have - nots," and said such com- munities are unnecessary because "College Station doesn't have a significant crime Please see GATES, Page A2 borhoods should be allowed Wednesday March 19 199 The Bryan - College Station Eagle Page A5 News Hotel - " Eight months ago, no hotel companies mere letter of interest, not a pro- posal. Barron Hobbs, a Lane Hospitality spokesman and pres- ident of the local hotel and motel association, said Hammons Hotels had several months to put together a proposal, but the city allowed only 10 days for the other companies to write theirs. "We put our proposal together in a hurry," he said. "We really need more - time -to- talk tQ con- tractors. "This proposal is just the opening base of negotiation. We need to stop the process and go back and do a feasibility study." Hobbs said he envisioned a 225 -room full- service hotel with a restaurant, but had no figure for construction costs. Jim Allen, a partner in Accord Commercial, said his company has proposed a hotel on land it owns at the corner of Dartmouth Street and Holleman Drive, near the Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater. He envisions building a 225 - room hotel, restaurant and office building at a cost of $35 million. Allen said the city allowed too little time for careful proposals to be made, but expressed confi- dence the city's final decision will be fair. Jeffrey Mayer, senior vice president of Bristol Hotel Management, declined to dis- cuss his company's proposal. were looking at us. Now several are." LYNN WILHANEY College Station mayor The Leddy Company, in coop- eration with Culpepper, has pro- posed a hotel costing $15-million to I q IXIV mffihon, and wiH not nee to buy much land because Culpepper owns most of the site. The city has not released the actual proposals. They are scheduled to be pre- sented to the council April 3. "There is an exception in the Texas Open Records Act ... [to releasing the proposals], "_ - said College Station Acting City Attorney Roxanne Nemcik. She said that the companies that made proposals must still make presentations to the city council, and knowledge of other companies' proposals might help a company design its pre- sentation. Pannell, Kerr, Foster of Texas, a Houston hotel consulting firm, has been hired by the city to help analyze the proposals. Nemcik also defended the legality of the original plan to make a deal with Hammons. She said Section 380 of Texas' local government code gives the city the right to give land away to companies as an incentive for them to locate in the city. Legally, the city had no duty to consider other companies, she said. Councilman David Hickson said he was "very much in favor of the Hammons deal, and when we found that other people were inter- ested in making proposals, I was very much in favor of letting them submit proposals, too." But Councilman Brad Martin disagreed. "Other hotels in College Station weren't given incentives to locate here," he said. "I oppose giving incentives to businesses that compete with businesses already here." Martin said he also didn't like the Hammons plan because it would require condemning and demolishing two businesses and a bank, and would increase traf- fic congestion in Northgate. A plan is being considered that would involve building a hotel and con- ference center on what is now the "mud lot," at center of photo, which is located on Nagle Street in College Station across from St. Mary's Catholic Church. The Eagle 0 • mayor itands by otel Pl )ome companies critical if proposal deadline V DOUGLAS SCZYGELSKI 3I I`i 19.1 igle Staff Writer 1 College Station Mayor Lynn McIlhaney has 'fended the city against charges that it fol- wed a flawed process in negotiations for a orthgate hotel and conference center. Last week, the Brazos Valley Hotel and Motel ssociation said that the city had violated its vn bidding procedures by negotiating exclu- vely with John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc. A •eliminary agreement called for Hammons to xild a 200 -room hotel at Northgate, with the ty providing the land and building an adja- !nt $6 million, 45,000- square -foot conference inter. But McIlhaney said that any company could lve made a proposal to the city as Hammons A because the site Hammons chose, the "mud t" in Northgate, was openly designated in the ty's comprehensive plan as the site for a "It was not a city - initiated issue," she said. "Mr. Hammons came to the city. The City Council just said, 'Bring what he proposes to us and we'll consider it.' "Eight months ago, no hotel companies were looking at us. Now, several are. One of the pos- i ive things about this is that now we have lots of people looking at the city, and I always try to look on the positive side." The city this week released the names of five o er companies that submitted hotel propos- s after the council voted in February to delay y deal and accept other proposals. Some of the companies — Hammons, Lane ospitality (the owner of the College Station Hilton) and the Leddy Company in cooperation ith College Station businessman John C. ulpepper III — were already known. The new names on the list were Bristol Hotel Management of Dallas, and Accord S ommercial of Bryan in cooperation with the ePalma Hotel Corporation of Irving, Texas. The city listed Duddlesten Investments of Houston as a proposer, although it submitted a Please see HOTEL, Page A5 Date: 119191 Vol. 121 .o. 79, 3 sections Thursday, March 20, 1997 Computer firm to brin FANNIN Eagle Staff W Universal will e m ploy riter V V employ ' ' y Universal Computer Systems announced Wednesday it has signed an agreement to construct a 215,000- square- foot building-in -the College-Station Business Center, Carlan Cooper, vice president for hardware support, said the company will eventually hire 350 full-time and 450 part -time employees. In the first year, Universal Computer Systems will employ 200 full-time and 300 part- time workers, he said. Officials of Bryan, College Station and the county must approve the deal. When the paperwork is completed, groundbreaking could begin this summer on the 30 -acre about 500 in first year site in the southwest portion of the College Station Business Center. The company already has two local offices: a repair center at 700 University Drive, which is staffed with 150 part-time and 15 full-time employees, and a recruiting and software support center that recently opened at 3833 Texas Ave. Company officials looked at Norman, Okla., Auburn, ■ 9 800 jobs. Ala., and Bryan- College Station as potential sites, Cooper said, but Texas A &M University played a key role in the selection process. "About two years ago, we decided we were having good luck hiring A &M students and we said that environment probably would be a good environment to be in from a -- -support standpoint Cooper said. - - Universal Computer Systems first started a component repair shop in Brazos County and learned how to do busi- ness with a large university, Cooper said. "As we grew, we were ready to expand and began look- ing at some communities to put expansion facilities in," Please see COMPUTERS, Page A2 News Computers From Al he said. Universal Computer Systems, which is based in Houston, draws a portion of its business from car dealerships. Approximately five years ago, the company bought into Ford Dealer Computer Services and with it gained a num- ber of mid -sized dealerships. Universal Computer Systems supplies dealerships with hard- ware, software and support sys- tems dealing with all facets of the h ncinoco ,.,..1 „a: „,. _ _ _ ___ technicians who live in their respective territories will be man. aged by College Station personnel. All inventory and warehousing of computer hardware will be han- dled at the College Station office. "Most of our hardware support staff will move here,” Cooper said. "The software support will contin- ue in Houston, but will rapidly grow in College Station.” Another phase of the operation locally will include personal com- puter rental systems, which has existed for five years, Cooper said. "That is the fastest - growing part of the company," Cooper said. "We do setups for conventions and more." 11'1 J CS d elays By DOUGLAS SCZYGELSKI -agle Staff Writer Children's safety was on the agen- da Thursday as the College Station City Council decided to consuls; fur- ther with the school district before voting on whether to raise the speed limit by A &M Consolidated iEiigh School. In October, the council apptoved lowering the speed limit from 50 mph to 40 mph on FM 2818 by the high school on weekdays from 7:30 L 7 Council From A9 pay much attention to flashing signs." Councilman Dick Birdwell paid he trusted the judgment of school officials and city staff that 50 mph with flashing beacons wou14 be sufficient. He also said the ch nge would cost the city $8,000 i less than the flashing sign over the highway that the co ncil approved in October. The council voted 5 -1 to discuss the matter further with school officials before taking ac ion, with Birdwell voting no. In another matter, the co cil studied the sanitary sewer rob - lems in the Foxfire Subdivision, where private individuals have built sewer lines in part o the area. The current city ordi ante allows individuals who build sewer lines to recoup the co is of construction from resii lents when they hook up to the line. Some residents, however, prefer to use septic systems. By consensus, the council decided to have city staff tudy the costs of installing the re ain- ing sanitary sewer lines ii the area, estimate the impact fees each lot would be charged, and survey residents to find out whether they want the city to do the work at that price. Councilman David Hickson, however, cautioned agains hav- ing the city do the wor and charge everyone an impact ee. "If I just built a new septic sys- tem, this is the last thing I would want to hear," he said. Fox warned that septic systems can lead to "raw sewage running in streams and streets." Councilman Larry Mariott dis- agreed with the city staff proposal that a homeowner be forced to raming Councilman Bill Fox expressed Council votes to consult surprise that school district officials consented to the change. with school district first ° is not going to have the effect of protecting the people and traffic," he said. "I cannot support this." City Transportation Planner Ed Hard said school officials believed flashing beacons on the roadside near a school would be adequate. Fox replied, "1 don't think people a.m. to 8:15 a.m and from 3 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. On Thursday, city staff recom- mended raising the speed 1' it back to 50 mph at all times because there is a lower speed limit on Welsh Avenue from 7:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., and having two nearby spee zones at different times would Confuse motorists and be difficult to Onforce. hook up to a sewer line if a line is built within 250 feet of the home- owner's lot line. "That's a long distance. That's a lot to ask someone to pay, lie said. Birdwell agreed and said it should be 250 feet from the house, not the lot line. Birdwell also said the ordi- nance should allow private line - builders to collect interest fl om people who hook up to the line for the years between construction and hook -up. In other matters: ■ Mayor Lynn McIlhaney sug- gested forming a citizens' mittee to suggest ways to imp ve communication between the city government and residents. Fox said he doubted that ould help, but said he wished he Eagle would print the entire Ben- da of each meeting so p o�le would know all that was go' B to be discussed. "Not many people look a the agenda in the places where we post it," he said. City Manager Skip Noe sa' the agenda is posted on cable TV, and Hickson suggested entire City council meetings be showa on cable TV. Then, he said, resi- dents could express opinio to councilmembers by e -mail. Mayor Pro Tempore Hub Kennady suggested an ad cam- paign to explain city decision3 decision to the public. "I'm talking about a 30-second spot on TV about the bike plan, for example, saying, `This A part of our plan for the future "' he said. Birdwell said most residents are satisfied with city govern- ment. "Look how rarely an i�cum- bent councilman draws an I oppo- Please see COUNCIL, Page All nent," he said.. "If we had a big problem in this city, we'd all have opponents every time we ran." The council decided by consen- sus to direct the staff to study the issue. ■ Texas A &M University offi- cial Jerry Gaston told the council the Bush School of Government and Public Service will be dedi- cated Sept. 9 -10 and the presiden- tial library will be dedicated Nov. 5 -7, but the precise events for each day are not certain yet. Gaston said he expected Presiderlt Clinton to attend the library dedication, which will cause major traffic problems. ■ Fox reported that, at a recent meeting, Metropolitan Planning Director Michael Parks said work will begin within five years to widen Texas 21 so Bryan- College Station will be connected to Austin by a four -lane route. ■ Councilman Brad Martin was absent on vacation. Council From Al Brymer favors the first option. Traffic on Texas Avenue is one of his concerns. The current City Hall location is "bad for a cessi- bility," Brymer said, because it is so far north of the city's enter. Residents contribute to raffic congestion by driving lonng dis- tances to get to City Hall, h said. The city staff s proposed site for a new city hall, near the corner of c Krenek Tap Road and Texas Texas Avenue. Avenue, is much closer to the Cryan said people complain city's center. about having to drive to different Brymer also said most cities city offices when dealing with the College Station's size have their city. "We want a one -stop shop for offices close to each othe , but city residents," he said. College Station has its police sta- Cryan said aesthetics matter, tion, 'municipal court, parks too. A new city hall and other department and public wDrks nearby city buildings on Krenek office at the Krenek Tap Road site Tap Road would be in a "park -like — far ',from the current City all. setting," he said. The city's utility customer ser- Brymer agreed, saying, "This vice office soon will join t1bose could serve as a focal point for the facilities at the Krenek Tay Road community, a city center." site. The Community vel- There is space there, he said, to opment Office also is not ' i City build a civic center or recreation Hall, but a few blocks aw ay on center or hiking and biking trails. Brymer also wondered if the "highest and best use" for the cur- rent City Hall might be commer- cial. "This is a fairly valuable piece of real estate," he said, pointing to the commercial devel- opment aro d it and its proximi- ty to Texas � &M University. Brymer opposes building a parking gar' ge and two more floors on the present City Hall, questioning where city employ- ees would park while a parking garage was 3eing built. Adding two floors, lie said, would not address the present spread -out nature of c4 offices, expansion will be necessary some day any- way, and th current site is sur- rounded by houses and other buildings so expansion would be difficult. "We can ofilly go so high," he said. "We are xed in here. If we built two mo e floors and a park- ing garage, in 1 s than 30 years we would need o e space anyway, at the rate the c is growing." To illustra e the city's growth rate, Brymer pointed out that in 1969 the 9, square -foot City Hall served a population of 17,048, while the p pulation is 60,012 today. �J Officials eye By DOUGLAS SCZYGELSKI JZ9 Eagle Staff Writer College Station official are considering building a new City Hall and, altho�gh the city council hasn't approved the idea yet, the city staff thinks the rea- sons for going ahead are strong. A shortage of space is cited as the main reason for the idea. "Just look at the accounting office," Assistant City Manager Thomas Brymer said. "They're stacked in like cordwood here. We have to keep a lot of records in boxes because there's just not enough room for them all. We even rent some storage space." Two conference rooms have been converted to office space in recent ye irs, Brymer said, but still there is a crowding problem. "The Bryan Municipal Building is 45,000- square- feet," he said, to draw a contrast. "Our city hall is only 36,000- square- feet." City Budget Director Charles Cryan said parking also is in short supply at the current city hall. The boxes litter the space between cubicles le Station City Hall. Some staff members -cage of space warrants a new building. :o -180 spaces, he said, and estimates are l be needed in the coming years. two options under consideration. could buy land and build a new 45,000 - city hall near the corner of Texas 1 Krenek Tap Road for $7.1 million and rent city hall for an estimated $2.6 mil- ity could add two floors to the current city easing the office space there to 52,000- 1, and build a 300 -car parking garage. The cost would be about $4 million. Please see COUNCIL, Page A6 CS. doesn't have to release hotel proposa Aq says �.,..,.f.,ri„, 91) h� "The reason these proposals are The Texas Attorney General's office has advised the city of College Station that it need not release the details of proposals for a full -ser- vice hotel at Northgate. The city had requested an Attorney General's ruling on the matter after �he Bryan- College Station Eagle had sought access to the proposals under the Open Records Act. In a March 27 letter to Act ' g City Attorney Roxanne Nemcik, the Attorney General's office said the city may withhold the proposals "assuming that the bidding process is still com- petitive" and that public disclosure would give some bidders an advantage. The letter added that as to g as negotiations are in progress regarding interpretation of bid provisions and the bidder can (still furnish addi- tional information relating to its proposed con- tract, the bidding would still be regarded as competitive. "The reason these proposals are kept confi- dential is to preserve their c mpetitive advan- tage between each other and council's advan- tage of getting the best deal," emcik said. In February, the city considered a proposal from John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc. to build a 200 -plus hotel at Northgate, estimated to cost $20 million, if the city would build an adjacent Ef kept confidential is to preserve their competitive advantage." ROXANNE NEMCIK acting �i� attorney for College Station 45,000-square-foc t onference center at a project- ed cost of $6 mil n. After criticisi i from some business people, the city moved t accept other proposals and gave interested arties 10 days to respond. Proposals have een submitted from Lane Hospitality (the owner of the College Station Hilton); the Leldy Company in cooperation with College StEtion businessman John C. Culpepper III; istol Hotel Management of Dallas, and Ac olyd Commercial of Bryan in cooperation with the DePalma Hotel Corporation of ruing, Texas; and Duddleston Investments Inc "We have alw s maintained that the proposals for a hotel at N rthgate are public documents," said Joe Michael F eist, managing editor of The Eagle. "Since t e�city released details of the Please see HOTEL, Page A2 Hammcxis proposal, we believe it's illogical to keep the other bids confidential. "However, we'll respect the Attorney General's view that the bidding process for a hotel at Northgate is still open and com- petitive." College Station City Manager Skip Noe said, "At this point, it is our job to analyze the proposals as thoroughly and completely as possible." The proposals will be announced Thursday at 4 p.m. in a special session of the College Station City Council. � r � 4IzJ97 Eagle Wednesday, April 2, 1997 News But Hobbs said a feasibility study still needs "We'll probably have to redo a lot of the N t o be done on the size of any conference center. work we've done," Leddy said. Jerry Albrecht, the director of sales and But he said a formal request for proposals marketing for the Manor House Inn in College "is what should have been done to begin with" X file of people" and "will give the city the best deal." 1'0111 Al Station, said he has "a whole who inquired about holding conferences and Accord Commercial of Bryan submitted a for anywhere in College Station, not just in conventions in Bryan- College Station but proposal for a hotel /conference center on land Northgate. rejected the area because of a lack of meeting it owns near the Wolf Pen Creek Rarron Hohhs_ the general manager of the rooms that can hold 200 to 300 people. Amphitheater. Jim Allen, a partner in that and president of the Bryan- College Station Hotel/Motel Association, was pleased by the news. "It's good because they're going to give — e verybody a set criteria," he said. Hobbs' company, Lane Hospitality, is one of six entities that had submitted proposals to he city. He said the company will probably _s ubmit a new proposal. said. "If the wrong type of building is built, it won't be used." Albrecht said his company would also sub- mit a new proposal. H. Drake Leddy, the principal of the Leddy Company of San Antonio, which submitted a proposal in cooperation with John C. Culpepper III, owner of the "mud lot" at Northgate, was unhappy about the news. posal after the request for proposals is issued. Bristol Hotel Management of Dallas with- drew its proposal last week, said Shirley Zlotky, a secretary with the company. It is busy with other projects and probably will not submit a new proposal, she said. The Hammons company and Duddlesten Investments of Houston, which also submitted a proposal, did not return phone calls. CS may scrap bids i I 1 for Northgate hotel C ResolutJon would invito new proposals By DOUGLAS SCZY�ELSKI1 Eagle Staff Writer 1 1 The College Sta ion City Council will con- sider a resolution Thursday to reject all pro- posals for a full- hotel at Northgate. The resolution Rould also direct city staff to issue a detailed request for new proposals for the project. The council was originally scheduled to review proposals on Thursday from a num- ber of developers for a hotel. Those proposals were submitted after the city in February had considered a deal with John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc. U der that arrangement, Hammons would have built a 200 room hotel at Northgate if the city built an adjacent con- Kerr, Foster of Texas, a Houston firm, a retained to evaluate the proposals. "My preference is to go ahead [and reject the proposals]," said Mayor Lynn McIlhaney. She added that Pannel, Kerr, Foster indicated they needed more information to properly evaluate the proposals. The draft resolution to be considered Thurs lay says the city staff will develop cri- teria new proposals. Ass stant City Manager Thomas Brymer said the request for new proposals should be ready by "the end of this week or the begin- ning f next week" and will allow proposals Please see NORTHGATE, Page A2 The Eagle �i,S council' is right to rethink hotel plan Eagle Editorial Board t looks as if College Station City Council members are prepared to go back to the drawing board ' n a pro- posed city conference cente - private hotel project. At Thursday'E 4 p.m. meeting, the council is expected to reject all proposals for the venture, including one that seemed like a "done deal" only six weeks ago be re local hotel owners and manages com- lained bitterly about being xcluded (� om the process. We agree this is the e approach for council me bers to take and we commend them for their willingness to step back and re- evalu- ate the plan. The council then is expected to instruct city staff members to prepare a detailed request for new proposals for the venture, which is the right way to go about constructing the ombina- tion public - private undertak' g. The original plan called f r a 200 - room full- service hotel to be built by John Q. Hammons Hotels In cc. on the "Mud Lot" in College Station's Northgate area. Under terms of the proposal, the city would provide the land and would build an adjoining 9 45,000- square -foot conference center to be financed by a combination of hotel - motel taxes and other ci y funds. Discussions on the project _1 under way in private for two After local hoteliers obj proposal was put on hold other interested individuals to submit proposals for si tures, whether on the Mud -kt another College Station ,lthough six additional enter proposals, some comp they were only given 10 day op their plans — hardly eno they contended. M nwhile, some people questioned the Northgate location, saying there isn't enough room for expansion of the convention center if needed in the future. And, they said, the process is flawed because no study has been con- ducted on the need for a conference cen er and what size it should be. The 3E are valid points that should be exp o ed more fully. h ave no doubt that the city needs a c erence center, one that can serve as a focal point in the efforts to attract luc a ive convention business to the community. We want to be sure, thodEh, that what is built with tax dol- lars meets the needs of the community and has the flexibility to expand. The council would be wise to reject the present proposals and ask for new plans. Let's give everyone a chance to fully expand on their ideas so that we can be sure that the proposal that fine is accepted is the best one for the eople of College Station and, indeed, all of Brazos County. � 6 1 c Page A2 The Bryan-College Station Eagle Thursday, April 3, 907 Nf L a ws u i f velopment and other poses that the City Council public pur- may these statements. Neal was unavailable for comment. determine from time t time." Steele and Davis said they From Al Furthermore, Noe cit y's letter to the Neals, said, the dated would subpoena "a sizable num- ber" of high- ranking city offi- have contested the condemna- March 22, 1995, said the city cials, including city council tion if they had known the city wanted to acquire the for "municipal use." property members, to give depositions. They was going to sell t e land to At the Dec. 12, 1996, city coun- declined to name those offi- cials. another businessman. Davis and Steele said they will cil meeting, acting ciq attorney The Neals' filing doesn't men - argue that the United States and Roxanne Nemcik said getting a tion a dollar amount for dam - Texas Constitutions fDrbid a city new restaurant started as part of ages. "We to condemn a private person's an economic redevelopment plan is a public purpose, so the don't know what the dam - ages are at this Steele property just to sell i to another private person, unless the prop- city constitutional 13 could point," said. "Mr. Neal had a good, reli- erty is dilapidated or being used acquire land by condemnation and sell it for that p ose. able tenant. The property was making money for him." for illegal purposes. "It's as if the Noe said earlier th s week, "I The property was being rented Houston Chronicle decided they wanted to know this matter has Aen exten- by a restaurant. set up shop in Bryan, so they sively reviewed by our staff, and Noe said earlier this week, talked the Bryan C Council we don't see anyth' g inappro- "We offered to meet with Mr. into condemning T Eagle priate in what the done." city has Neal and, as far as I know, he building and selling it to them," Steele conceded t the never took us up on the offer." The sale the Davis said. College Station City Manager Statement of Condemnation "do says of property to Texadelphia has not been com- Skip Noe denied the allegations, the city can whatever likes," but said, "Mr. it Neal is not pleted. The company has until April 22 to find financing. saying the Neals were notified a lawyer. He either did not read that the property, aft or condem- the official pleading, r else did - nation, might be sold lby the city n't understand it." to another business. The official Statement in Steele and Davis s id Neal Condemnation from I April 21, orally was told by city officials nsu ra n ce 1995, Noe said, says the "public that the property would be used purpose" for the condemnation for parking or improvements, and city r street offiriak lFrom Al included "reconveyance or lease for economic development," and re de "other public purposes as a part De of urban revitalization and rede- ofi r� Ex -land own rs g file suit a Orinst College Station Couple claims city lied about uses for their Northgate prope�y � By DOUGLAS SCZYGELSKI Eagle Staff Writer 91 Once again, College Station's el a Texadelphia restaurant to Nc become a bone of contention. Elmo and Marvelyn Neal, the f of property at 317 -319 Patricia St has agreed to sell to Texadelphia, city. They claim city officials fah their land Was being condemn improvements or a parking lot. "They committed fraud," W. one of the Neals' attorneys, said cials. "They misrepresented the i result, he lost his property." A city has the right to conder public purpose such as street iml a parking lot, said Steele and thi attorney, AJW. Davis, so the I they had no grounds upon whic] the condemnation when they wer would use the land for those pur' "We still concede that," Davi: city uses that land to widen the parking, then Elmo Neal has no i But Steele and Davis said the to bring ate have er owners it the city suing the told them for street 3n Steele, t city offi- , and asa land for a cements or eals' other Is thought challenge Ad the city yid. "If the reet or for 2. 11 eals would UIT, Page A2 The Ea Date: Council rejects hotel proposals College Station to seek new project bids By DOUGLAS SCZYGELSKI Eagle Staff Writer The College Station City Council voted unanimously Thursday to reject all proposals received so far for a hotel /confer- ence center — including the first proposal from John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc. — Editorial /Al2 and ask for new proposals. City Manager Skip Noe said the request for proposals could be ready "as early as Monday," and proposals would be due May 16. Noe said that was "more time than we normally give" for writ- ing proposals. In February, the city staff pro- posed a deal in which the city would have, given Hammons Hotels 8.5 acres of land in Northgate and built a 45,000 square -foot conference center, in exchange for '',the company build- ing a 200 -plus room hotel on the site. After heari�g much public crit- icism of the eal, the city council voted to allow other groups to pro- pose plans. Five did so, but some complained they hadn't enough time to study the situation. The resolution adopted by the council Thursday said the rea- sons for starting over again were to gather more information from Please see COUNCIL. Page A5 e Council f � � � � the proposers and to give them more time so that the proposals could be evaluated better. The resolution said those groups who have made proposals may make proposals again. After the meeting, Mayor Lynn McIlhaney said the proposals would be made public at least several days" before the council met to vote on which one to accept. Richard Benning, a Northgate businessman, told the council that a hotel and conference cen- ter would help revitalize Northgate. He asked that criteria for judging the proposals give greater weight to proposals that Put the hotel and conference cen- ter in Northgate. Stephen Crawford, a regional manager for Guaranty Federal Bank, told the council he opposed any plan that would have the city condemn and demolish his com- pany's building on University Drive, as the Hammons Hotel plan proposed. "We don't think this is a public use," he said. Crawford said his bank might sue the city to prevent condemna- tion of its land, on the grounds that cities can condemn property only for "public use" and building a hotel/conference center is not a Public use, and on the grounds of violation of the Sherman Anti - Trust Act, which forbids unfair business competition. After the meeting, Mayor Pro Tempore Hub Kennady told Crawford his bank could have an office in front of or in the hotel. "I want this to be a win -win sit- uation for everybody," Kennady said. Crawford said his bank now has 8,000 square -feet of office space and needs only 2,500 square -feet, so a compromise might be possible. But Crawford also said he had consulted people at the Texas A &M University College of Architecture who told him the Hammons proposal did not set aside enough land to do the pro- ject properly. "You need to start talking to the people at A &M," he told Kennady. Crawford also said a major hotel and conference center in Northgate would exacerbate the area's parking problems, but Kennady said that could be solved. E C The Ea Date: Council should look" at every w� possibility Eagle Editorial Boar y stepping ba k from a decision on a hotel -corference center pro- ject Thursday afternoon, College Station City ouncil members opened up a word of opportunities for them, the citizens of College Station and, in fact, everyone in Brazos County. The original proposal for a private- ly built 200 -room otel and an adjoin- ing city- financed conference center in the Northgate area may end up being the best pIM in the long run, but until all options are investigated the council cannot be sure. It may be that a similar ple n at a different site would be more bi neficial. Or it could be that combin' forces with Bryan and Brazos County for a hotel -expo- sition center -go f course near the East Bypass m' ht make the most sense. That ven e was under seri- ous discussion antil the proposed College Station-only Northgate pro- ject moved it t the back burner about six weeks ago. We don't kn w what the best option might b — and we don't think anyone el really does, either. That's why opeiiing the process to investigate and iiscuss a wide vari- ety of proposals makes Sense. L 1 1- 1 N Now that the city will seek new proposals, the Brazos Valley Hotel - Motel Association ought to be involved in the discussions. Local hotel and motel operators have to realize that a new full- service hotel likely is going to be built, whether at Northgate or at some other location. If it is to include some sort of city or city- county participation, the pre- sent hoteliers should be involved on how best that can interact with their facilities. If we are going to have a new con- ference center, let's make sure it is large enough to handle our commu- nity's needs for the foreseeable future, with the ability to expand it with little difficulty and inconve- nience as the community grows. The idea of a conference center is exciting and offers the community a chance to attract much larger con- ventions. More conventions mean more business for local hotels and motels, restaurants, stores and gas stations. They mean more sales taxes and hotel -motel taxes will be paid. And the money that conven- tioneers and their families spend here stays here to be spent again and again. This is a golden opportunity for the community. Before tax dollars are committed, let's make sure we get the most possible for them. We are confident that College Station City Council members will invest the time and study that it will take to ensure that they are picking the best plan for the community. Surve From Al Tempore Hub Kennady said he opposed filling the pond. Board member Chris Kling called the pond an "eyesore," but said clean- ing it up might increase public support for the district. Brazos County Commissioner Tony Jones said, "People used to brin their kids to swim in that pond, and board member and City Councilman David Hickson add "You can't do that now. The e s only six inches of water." r the meeting, Public Wor Director Mark Smith said the i y wouldn't dredge the pond this ar because it silts up again so f s that dredging is a "waste of mo " until the basic erosion pro 1 m is solved. Sr - and Beachy said an engi- nee - g firm will deliver a report on olutions to the district's ero- sion and drainage problems later this year. The consensus of the boa d was to delay any decision unt' that report is delivered. "If we don't do anything," he saidb "we'll end up with a bigger problem, especially with drainage, than we have now." But Birdwell said the city's biggest drainage problems are not in the Wolf Pen Creek dis- trict. "In other places in the city, peo- ple have water in their houses," he said. "That has priority." He said he favored putting the city's money into the amphithe- ater, landscaping and trails, while letting the district's pond fill with silt and stabilizing the creek banks to prevent further erosion. " y answer to the silt problem will not be affordable," he said. Board member and Mayor Pro RESULTS FROM COLLEGE STATION PUBLIC MEETING What are your visions for the Wolf Pen Creek Corridor? 1. Implement the vision of the original plan. 1 237 points 2. City - developed corridor (the city should purchase 69 points land and develop the corridor itself.) 1 Fix waterways and bike trails in Wolf Pen Creek 65 points Corridor. 4. Scale down the master plan as it has been 47 points modified by existing development. 5. Expand the corridor to cross Texas Avenue and 24 points connect across the Texas 6 Bypass. What do you think the city should do in the future? 1. Acquire easements or rights -of -way from A &M 128 points campus to Texas 6 and put in erosion/drainag,o and enhancement features as specified in the mas I er', plan. Maintain zoning and codes stringently a area develops. Develop marketing/communication program for the area. 2. Develop drainage ways to minimize erosion and 41 points reduce sedimentation. 3. Educate public about Wolf Pen Creek. Make 38 points commitment to the plan. Build public /private partnerships and create separate organization', like "River Authority" to see project through. 4. Fix waterway and put in sidewalks. 36 points 5. Develop specific plan of creek area: where to 33 points provide parking, bike and walk ways, benche , and other features — so future commercial development will not limit access to the creeki (Point totals were arrived at by having attendees give 5 points to the idea they liked best, 4 points for second -best, etc., down to 1 point for fifth - pest.) Pud s city on Wolf Pen reek Surveys show residents want improvements By DOUGL S SCZYGELSK4 519 1 Councilm Dick Birdwell ques- Eagle Staff riter tioned the esults. "Did the group members realize Two pu lic meetings i� College that votes turned down what they Station have produced advice for want done?" he asked, referring to the city oi i what to do a 1990 referendum about WoIfPen Creek, " officials sa , but action the group where voters rejected a bond issue to dig anoth- will be delayed until engineers finish study - members re al ize er pond in the creek corridor, build a park - ing the creek's drainage and erosioi i problems. that Voters ing lot and make other improvements. Parks and Recreation 1 Director Stephen turned down Beachy said group members believed a Beachy told the Wolf campaign of public Pen Ci eek Tax what they want education would Increment Finance )� change peoples' atti- Board on Friday that done? udes. public me ting atten- dees, by an overwhelm- DICK BIRDWELL irdwell said the origi- al plan called for dig - ing Mar gin, wanted to CS Councilman "implement mg five more ponds the vision ilong the creek, in of the orig' al plan" for xudition to the one the creek. already there, and that would cost "The city didn't build the $2 million to-$3 million. library, and the street alig>kment in "You do the lakes without a the district has changed," he said, bond issue," he said, "and if any - "but peopIE still support the basic one thinks the voters will approve vision of t e original plan. That that, they don't talk to the people I was a surprise." I talk to." They wai ited to do this; Beachy Beachy said city staff hadn't yet said, by ac 4uiring easem ;nts and decided or official recommenda- rights from the Tea s A &M tion. He said he personally thought University campus to Texas 6, the drain utility district and tax putting in erosion, drainage and increment finance district would other feaftnes from the plan, main- raise $3 r A lion over the next 12 taining thE zoning and building years, an hat money should be codes strictly, and marketing the used for drainage projects, trails whole project to business people and other amenities. and the public. Board member and City I ase see SURVEY, Page A7 HE $IG EVENT r:. A M students work together o service projects in cities I A Ea Isperately Eagl Writer Staff Writer iana Aguilar's home needed a fresh coat of paint, but recent back surgery made the home - improvement project an impossibility. ela she saw a flier of Texas A &M University's "Big Eve t " and she applied to have workers fix up her house on o t Street in Bryan. On Saturday morning, about nine students arrived on her ront porch — which they soon covered with snow whil a paint. "Y s a single parent, I can't afford to hire someone to com ut and do this," she said as she tried to help the stud is add a layer of light blue paint to the back side of her iome. "I could not do this without them." T1. e1Big Event drew about 3,800 students to hundreds of projects across Bryan and College Station, project direc- tor I ir)oke Hybarger said. Event participants painted port ies, worked on the Bryan Main Street Project and even N olunteered at the South Knoll Elementary School carn iN al. "I think it ran very smoothly," Hybarger said. "The stu- dent3 were wonderful." One of the workers at Aguilar's house, Jackie Ramirez, said she participated in the Big Event to give something back to the community. Ramirez said she got more than a sense of accomplishment from a job well done. "S fed us a great lunch with chicken, and beans and Please see BIG, Page A2 y @ y Y 4 - 2 9 i 1 a I, a 9 M .w.... Eagle photos /Stew Milne r' , lri Chester (left- bottom, above pho o), a sophomore Texas A &M engineering major, and Kristina argaard, a sophomore busi- major, paint a house at 611 Mart n Luther King St. in Bryan on ' 4 3"dfurday afternoon as part of Big Event activities. Doug Maxwell, (right photo) a junior Texas A &M horticulture major, plants flowers at The Garden on Martin Luther King Street in Bryan on Satuiday. Maxwell was part of the floriculture - horticulture soci- ety who were participating in Big Event activities. S s i f 4 - 2 9 i 1 a I, a 9 M .w.... Eagle photos /Stew Milne r' , lri Chester (left- bottom, above pho o), a sophomore Texas A &M engineering major, and Kristina argaard, a sophomore busi- major, paint a house at 611 Mart n Luther King St. in Bryan on ' 4 3"dfurday afternoon as part of Big Event activities. Doug Maxwell, (right photo) a junior Texas A &M horticulture major, plants flowers at The Garden on Martin Luther King Street in Bryan on Satuiday. Maxwell was part of the floriculture - horticulture soci- ety who were participating in Big Event activities. S s i L rice," Ramirez said. The group, which included Carrin Gorney, Colleen Graul and Jaime Jaimez, began work- ing on the project at 10:30 a.m. and finished after 6 p.m. "We've been here all day," Graul said as she wiped her hand through her paint- streake hair. In another part of Bryan, Karen and Roland Cole had the trim on their house repainted b members of the MSC Hospitali organization. Karen Cole, who lives in the 600 block of Sandra Drive, said she was impressed with the stu- dents' work. "They all deserve a big hug and a kiss," she said. "I can't sa enough about them. If they com back next year, I'll have another project for them." Cole said the students saved tier hours of labor, and now she will be able to move onto other Parts of her home that need ren- ovations. Chip Loomis, a Big Event par- ticipant with Replant, said his first project was cleaning the home of an elderly College Station woman. Loomis said his group dusted the top shelves that no longer were within homeowner Ola Beeler's reach and scrubbed her bathtub. "It was so cool," he said. "We got so much satisfaction. I feel like the fact that I am a student, I had to give back to the commu- nity as part of Aggie spirit." 4 7 Your Vi Speak out against ,club ith so little publicity up o now, it is imperative that the ci izens of College Station and especially the south side area know that the final public hearing on the proposed night club at 305 Marion Pugh Drive will be April 10 at 7 p.m. in the College Station City Council chambers. This 10,000 - square -foot buildit sits between the historical residential and Unitarian Church areas and eehouse Apartments with the only access', by cross- ing the railroad tracks at Geor e' Bush Drive. This student -owned night club' has been rejected twice by the Planning and Zoning Commission. Legally it may be acceptable; but moral- ly there are 40,000 reasons not �to accept it: students at A &M University. This is a disaster waiting to happen. Your calls and /or letters opposing this should be addressed to the College Station Planning Office, P.O. Box 9960; College Station 77842 or call 764 -3570 b fore April 10, 1997. Please share your thoughts. (HELEN PUGH ,College Station Council to consider Munson plan By JENNY NELSON `"1 q l Eagle Staff Writer I I _ - I I I College Station city officials are expect- ing a crowd at Thursday's City Council meetings, where traffic could come to a halt on one corner and a new nightclub will be reconsidered in another part of town. The temporary stifling of traffic on Munson Street will be a topic at the 3 p.m. workshop meeting, while an appeal for a I Agenda includes nightclub permit conditional use permit for a 9000- square- foot nightclub on Marion Pugh Drive will be looked at during the 7 P.M. meeting. The City Council meets in chambers at the city hall, 1101 Texas Ave. "There's no win -win situation in this .situation," College Station City Manager Skip Noe said of the Munson Street pro- posal. The council will hold a public hearing and consider a plan to temporarily pre- vent traffic from entering Munson Avenue and Ashburn Avenue from Lincoln Avenue. Ed Hard, transportation planner for the city, said the plan has been in the works for about a year. "The objective is to get traffic off the street, since it is built as a residential street," he said. A travel survey from the city shows 85 percent to 90 percent of traffic on the street is through traffic, while the remainder is generated by those who live in the neighborhood. The cost is minimal for the temporary test, since it will take a small amount of Please see COUNCIL, Page Al2 I wo 0 • warehouse at 305 Marion Pugh abatement agreement and a Cou Drive into a nightclub. municipal reinvestment zone. The appeal stems from the If the agreement is passed by all Planning and Zoning entities in the Economic 'From Al Commission's Feb. 6 denial of a Development Office, the package permit request. Reasons given would also include tickets to equipment to keep traffic out, against the club are the noise and Texas A &M University football Hard said. It is expected to last at problems it could create for the games, country club member - least six weeks. neighborhood. ships and a Chamber of "The neighborhood would like The council will also consider a Commerce four -year member - to think if we shut it down that resolution that would authorize ship. street everybody would go to the the city manager and economic "It gets them involved in some bypass or Highway 6 — wrong," development office to negotiate a very key events in the communi- Noe said. - pac _with- - -_ Universal__W' Moo said. -_ An issue city officials expect to Computer Systems Inc., a com- "There's more to being in our attract a crowd at the evening . puter software company planning community that just building a meeting is a hearing and consid- to build on 30 acres of the city's building. eration of an appeal for a condi- business park. "You get more than [the invest - tional use permit to turn a vacant The package could include a tax ment] in the long term." I wo 0 • The Eag e Date: /lpii.lk "r I`1�I Metal producers 419� plan to bui d in CS CamFran Tool Co. to locatl in business center By BLAIR FANNIN Eagle Staff Writer Cam Fran Tool Co. Inc., makers of stamped metal products for the computer and automotive indus- tries, announced Tuesday it has signed a letter of intent to locate in The Business Center at College Station. About 70 jobs will be created in the first year, said Brian D. Dickstein, vice president of finance. The Illinois -based com- pany plans to employ 250 local peg within five years and in 4 million in the initial phf the project. Another $4 million will follow over the next four years. I] a 90,000 - square -foot facility be a part of the building d by Beach Mold & Tool, Inc. �w Albany, Ind. Beach Mold )l announced in October 1996 uld build a facility in College "The reasoning [to locate in College Station] was driven by Bea h Mold and Tool," Dickstein said. "Once we found out Beach Mold had established, it made it a relatively easy decision." Cam Fran, based in Elk Grove Village, Ill., has approximately $40 million in annual sales. The list of computer clients that Cam Fran serves includes Austin- Please see BUSINESS, Page A2 "We do have a good economy to work in right now." ROBERT WORLEY 8 -CS Economic Deve l op ment Center B s i ness it to all of the work done by the community leaders, volunteers FI'D Al and others who have done so much in working on all of this for based ell Computer; IBM Corp.;many years. Appl 3 Computer; Hewlett If, for instance, the College Pack d; Sun Microsystems; Bay Station City Council hadn't taken Neti& o ks and Canon. Cam Fran the unpopular move of spending prov d s those companies with money on the infrastructure of comliuter chassis and covers. the business park, we wouldn't In tie automotive industry, have Beach Mold & Tool or Cam Cam an Tool Inc. provides seat Fran. Hats off to the College belt e ated products that Station City Council." includi s TRW and Takata compa The recent additions of new nies. e company also provides computer businesses to the local radic parts for Panasonic. area is a sign of a strong econo- Can Fran also manufactures my, Worley said. stamped metal products for "We do have a good economy to telec munications and busi- work in right now," Worley said. , ness achines. "Barring some really drastic Carr. Fran Tool Inc. employs thing, it's going to go on for a cou- 00 employees at its Illinois pl of years at least. We're in kind about of a boom period right now. Even facil ,which is 200 it square f feet d is one of the largest when it settles down, if we are eet t ind ustrial parks in the United able to get one of these every cou- Stat s. ple of years, we will be happy. Th e company has been in busi- Right now, we are getting one a ness since 1966. month." "We are very excited about Worley compared Brazos com" to College Station," County's growth spurt to one Dick t in said. "Texas was our Austin experienced two decades focal point." ago. Bryan- College Station recently Some of the municipal watch - has become a hotbed for comput. ers plus people at Texas A &M er -re aced businesses. Cam Fran and real estate professionals that joins Beach Mold & Tool, have been in business for 20 Univ arsal Computer Systems and years, say what's going on in Com q Computer Corp. as Bryan- College Station is identical rece t additions to the area. to what happened in Austin in So Commercialization the 1970s," he said. and I novation Center Inc., a nonprofit corporation that assists with I the start -up of software com- panies, announced Monday it plans to locate in the Bryan- College Station area. "Its all truly coming together," said obert Worley, president and EO of the Bryan - College Stat' Economic Development Co ation. "I have to give cred- The Eag e NJ Date: �kj�, 10 i �q - 7 Council new criteria f o r ho tel b i d Citywide location c f project to be chosen through proposal By JENNY NELSON 4 1 i oj q 1 Eagle Staff Writer The City of College Station on Wednesday gave developers a little mor than a month to propose plans for a hotel-convention center that could open in 1999. �- In the city's request for proposals, prepared by PKF Consulting Service, anywhere in the city is possible as a location for the 45,000 square -foot conference center and a minimum 200 -room full- service hotel, as long as the land has a willing seller. "We left it open- ended," ity Manager Skip Noe said. When the project first became public in February, the "mud lot" in he Northgate sec- tion of the city was the chosei k site. The city was considering an agreemen with John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc. to bt ' d a 45,000 square - foot conference center on 8.5 acres, in exchange for the developer building a 00 -plus room hotel on the site. The proposal was criticized by other business owners, who claimed they had not been given a chance to bid on the project. The council then allowed other interested parties 10 days in which to submit proposals. On April 3, the council voted unanimously to scrap all proposals in the wake of complaints that not enough time was given to the potential developers to prepare research for their pro- posals. Noe said the 35 -page criteria packet was sent to national companies in the hotel business, local developers and to parties whose previous- ly had submitted proposals for the project. Under the new criteria, developers have until ay 16 to find a site — the "mud lot" or an alter - itive site within the city limits — and to sub - it a plan that will meet all of the city's quirements. Preparing the criteria and analyzing the ear - �r bids cost the city $11,000 in consultant fees, )e said. One local businessman, though, still wants e city to do a feasibility study before building ,ch a facility. "They are going about it in the wrong way," id Barron Hobbs, president of the Bryan - )llege Station Hotel /Motel Association. "I ink it should be put before the citizens." Noe said one requirement in the new propos- s will be proving the feasibility of the project HotOl From A1'. _ through required market demand determination, financial analysis and projected returns to the city. Each deviftper will be evaluat- ed on a 00 -point system for the Please see HOTEL, Page A7 hotel- conference proposal, according to the criteria. Noe said the city is willing to spend a maximum of $6 million on the conference required parking — center and funds he said would be recaptured through city taxes during the course of several years. A developer for the project could be chosen as early as June 26, Noe said. e CS council rejects bar proposal By JENNY NELSON 411 ) I q , Cl � argued that Traditions would alleviate the Eagle Staff Writer Ian to eont� n crowding at other city bars. propone p u e fight This is not a student versus citizen Hans Betten said he hasn't given up his said we love the idea, just find a different Pugh. The street on which the warehouse issue, but we are asked to do what we dream of creating an Aggie tradition of his place. We're looking at different places." sits is named for her late husband. who think is in the hect intarPet of tho +.. Ceuneil's "jection Thursd proposal for a bar and grill called Traditions. Betten and business partner, Tracy Moody, hoped to open their facility at 305 Marion Pugh Drive. "We're not done, Traditions has not died," Betten said. "Planning and Zoning between the railroad tracks on Wellborn Road and apartment buildings on Marion Pugh Drive. The proposal brought out many residents who argued that the site was dangerous, as well as bad for the neighborhood. One outspoken resident was Helen "I'm here tonight to keep my promise to these boys. I told them I was going to fight it," she said. Other residents argued that noise, trash and traffic would be too close to College Station's historical district, which is locat- ed across the street from Wellborn Road. But students supporting the location Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney agreed with Marriott, saying that doing what's best for the community is the council's charge. Besides Marriott and Mcllhaney, Bill Fox and David Hickson were the only council members present. Hub Kennady, Dick Birdwell and Brad Martin were not present. The Eagle D CS Council,,,, opts to close wo streets ernporary closures designed stop shortcuts through area VJENNY NELSON igle Staff Writer I 1 iii J 1 u • Drivers who use College Station's Munson ,venue as a shortcut soon will find themselves Joking for new routes. After listening to the opinions of about 35 res- ients about traffic on the street, the College tation City Council voted Thursday night to �mporarily close one end of the street to north - ound traffic. "This solution, although it is temporary, is )rtainly a step in the right direction," resident Tilliam Smith said. The closure is designed to stop traffic from itering Munson Avenue from Lincoln Avenue. i order to keep traffic from turning onto a par - lel street, neighboring Ashburn Avenue also ill have the temporary blockade. The closure, expected to last from 6 weeks to 3 .onths, will take effect as soon as soon as barri- ides can be put up, city spokeswoman Peggy alliham said after the meeting. Although the majority of residents expressed ,reement with the council's decision, nine said e closure would force the traffic to other resi- mtial streets. "We don't want it closed off for any time — !riod," said Patricia Marty, who lives on near - Dominik Drive. Ed Hard, city transportation planner, said affic surveys of Munson Avenue found 85 -to -90 !rcent of the vehicles to be "through" traffic, `file the remaining 10 -to -15 percent of the traf- is generated by the neighborhood. The study revealed that 40 percent of Munson 7enue traffic was from Bryan, and 14 percent me from Texas A &M University. Under the partial closure, Hard said traffic )uld be cut by about 3,500 vehicles per day. He id he hopes vehicles will use Texas 6 or Texas 7enue as alternate routes. Councilmembers cided to install traffic counters on streets sur- anding the closed routes to determine how the tffic is being rerouted. In other business, the council changed the mes of a portion of Kyle Avenue to George [sh Drive. The name change was requested by iera1 businesses on the street, which is an tension of George Bush Drive. E F New city hall un ` essary T he College Station Oiiy Oo ncil has proposed that taxpayers spend millions to build a new cit hall that will accommodate our burgeoning city bureaucracy. As I see it, the real question is whether our city needs a bigger city hall or a smaller city gov- ernment. Just as work expands to fill its allotted time, bureaucracies expand- to fill their allotted space. If we double the size of our city hall, it will soon be filled with double the number of city employees. So the costs of this expan- sion go far beyond just brick and mor- tar. Before our city buys a new building, our city council members sho Ad take a hard look at whether space in our current city hall is being used effi- ciently. Could utility collectio s be pri- vatized and moved out? Could invento- ry and records be stored in less space? Could those who usually wor outside their offices be issued laptop omput- ers and share a desk? What d es each city employee do? Could any ohs be streamlined? Undoubtedly, rr. ore pro- ductivity could be wrung froni our cur- rent building in a myriad of ways. Our city government doesn't need a new city hall: It needs a new attitude. Think Wal -Mart, not Washington. P* HENSLEY e Station ■ Bush visits presidential I b i rar .b 4 Former president George Bush and his wife, Barbara, admire the sign The sign will be installed at the intersection of Texas Highways 21 and promoting the `presidential corridor' Friday at Texas A &M University. 47 west of Bryan - College Station. The EaEle P7 Date: " �L i Z I i I -) () Ex- presiden helps unveil highway sig By JOHN KIRSCH Eagle Staff Writer Former President George B s toured the Bush presiden i 1 library at Texas A &M Univers it on Friday and helped unveil "preside tial corridor" s denoting Texas 21 and 290 a s link with the Johnson presid - tial library in Austin. Bush told a few jokes in brief remarks at the sign's unveiling at A &M's Riverside Campus. Alluding to his recent para- chute jump, the ex-president said, "I haven't been in a free ail like that since the election ¢f 1992." In good- natured comme i about his Texas -born Democrz tic predecessor in the White Hot se, Bush said Lyndon Johnson was "very pleasant to me when I was a freshman and sophomore m tu- ber of the United States Congress. In a way, I'm glad he's not here today `cause I wouldn't get a word in edgewise." Bush said he was honored t at the library and corridor will be Please see • 1 Bush From Al part of something that will live form a long, long time in the histo- ry of Texas." `11 love the concept of the cor- ridor that will facilitate the movement, particularly of young people, to come see and learn from the history that's written in both of these institu- tions" he said. The highway sign will be installed near the intersection of Texas Highways 21 and 47 west of Bryan- College Station. The Bush library is scheduled to open this fall. Bush's tour of the library, a luncheon speech at the Memorial Student Center and a talk with A &M students were closed to the media. In his talk at the sign unveil- ing, Bush appeared to have the media in mind when he said the questions he'd gotten from the "I love the concept of the corridor." GEORGE BUSH' former president Stu I nts were tough, "but they wee asked without that edge,- tha you sometimes get, without tha kind of adversarial, kind of put down of an edge." ocal business leaders were ent iusiastic about the former pre 3ident's visit. onnie Hale, chairman of the tra isportation committee of the Br ari- College Station Chamber of mmerce, said the "presi- dential corridor" designation woul I make it easier to achieve on f the chamber's goals: mak- ing exas 21 a four -lane highway bet w een Interstates 35 and 45. "This will give us added visi- bility," said Hale, retail banking manager at Norwest Bank in C 0 A story on Al in The Eagle on closure of the street will mean Friday about the rerouting of traf that traffic will not be able to turn fic from Munson Avenue con- so th onto Munson Avenue from tained an error. The temporary Lincoln Avenue. The Eagle CS center note: will answer code q ue I `By TOM BRYMER Assistant City Manager for R ecently the City of announced its oper Community Enhan at the Fire Administratic 1207 Texas Ave. The cent to provide a convenient' shop" facility for College dents where they can hal enforcement concerns, q1 complaints addressed. TI goal is to provide improv pliance first through edu untary efforts to meet ou center's focus on enforce: after first attempting edu voluntary compliance. A number of different c handled by the Communi all of wl propert} nuisanc Some of key enfc educatic include: Weeds a tions Ilege Station llege Station gofanew ment Center Building at is designed ; tation resi- their code �stions and center's i code com- ition and vol- codes. The ent is only ation and des will be i nent Center, ch focus on upkeep and abatement. he center's cement and i areas will BRYMER grass /va ant lots Junked/ abandoned vehicles Open storage Trash, litter, illegal dumping Overflowing trash recep acles Theft of recyclables Residential and commer ial parking requirements Illegal parking Fire Lane Access Your Community Enhancement Center takes a number of resources from four city department that the city had been using for various code enforcement activities, an puts them in one location. They function as a team which has been created by an C_ employee driven re- engineering effort. This team has been busy examining better ways to perform code enforce- ment, ways to improve our current codes and education programs, review- ing potential codes, as well as examin- ing how best to provide code enforce- ment that meets the needs of our citi- zens o, you ask, what does all this mean for me, the citizen? By centralizing these activities, the city can now cross utilize staff in a number of ways that were not possible when the emphasis was on specialization. In other words, we will have each of the center's staff members trained to enforce numerous code activities, which in turn greatly increases the resources we can commit to this issue. The bottom line for you, the citizen, is better compliance with and enforcement of these important codes relating to property upkeep and nuisance abatement. This new Community Enhancement Center is the direct result of feedback the city council has received over the last several months. This feedback identified code enforcement as a high priority for College Station citizens. Last year the Council retained the ser- vices of Dr. Charles Graham of Texas A &M University's College of Architecture to assess the city's codes and services as they relate to communi- ty appearance and enhancement. Dr. Graham performed this study with the assistance of a focus group comprised of a cross section of College Station res- idents. This study identified a strong need for improved code enforcement in our community. In addition, at the city's quarterly neighborhood forum as well as through feedback from citizen surveys, improved enforcement of codes has been clearly communicated to the city council and its staff as some- thing our citizens fell is important. Why is this issue a priority for College Station? The answer is quite simple. College Station citizens under- stand the importance of good communi- ty appearance through property main- tenance and nuisance abatement. They understand the relationship between neighborhood integrity and effective code compliance. To maintain and improve College Station's high quality of life, consistent enforcement of codes is an essential service that a city gov- ernment, particularly in a growing uni- versity community, must offer in a way that achieves this desired result. Not only is the Community Enhancement Center easy to find at its location at 1207 Texas Ave., it is easy to use. The center is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or can be contacted by phone. The phone num- ber is 764 -MEND which stands for "Make Every Neighborhood Desirable" or 764 -6363. We plan on further improvements in these services in the future and we will keep you informed as we make other improvements. Remember, this is your Community Enhancement Center. It is in response to what you have told the city is impor- tant to you. We encourage you to use it! The Eagle C Date: B=CS area an, cts increasing nu ber of computer f rms 3y BLAIR FANNIN I :agle Staff Writer It was March 6, 1982, when Vic A rhold, director if Gov. Bill Clements' Texas 2000 Commission, )oldly predicted that the Brazos Valley would )ecome Silicon Valley H. Today, Arnold's prediction is becoming more of a reality as four computer companies in the past two months announced plans to locate in the Bryan-College Station area — ge rating more than 1,000 new jobs and pumping n money into the area's economy. Bryan- College Station's recent owth in the computer industry is beginnin to rival the growth Austin experienced in the to 1960s and early 1970s. t ustin now is home to a number of computer businesses, including major companies such as Dell, M, and IBM. Since March 4, Bryan-College Station has become ho m to such compa CMmpaq Computer ' * s nies as i s Corp., Universal Computer Systems, Software of an Commercialization and Innovation ,Center Inc., and o ve rnight Cam Fran Tool Co. Inc. But officiaas say the recent C� explosion in computer - related businesses didn't come ROBERT overnight. "We wouldn't be having the WORLEY success than we are having today if the community leaders Bryan-College of 15 -to -20 even 30 — years Station ago had not cad the foresight to do some of the basic things," Economic said Robert Worley, president evelo ment p and CEO of the Bryan- College Station Economic Development Corporation ' is not an overnight suc- cess," he said. "It's like the overnight sensation actor who lands a good role, but vvent to school 15- to-20 years to do it." City officials and Dennis Goel g, who was serving as president of the C liege Station Industrial Foundation at the time of Arnold's speech, had a vision of some day attracting high - tech businesses and developing tie south side of College Station — including the i Pebble Creek Please see COMPUTER, Page A2 News Computer From Al subdivision, a golf course and a business cen- ter. Goehring and others took a lot of heat for their aggressive approach to developing that area. "I am so happy," he said. "When I drive by there, it makes me feel good that all the hard work and planning by the economic develop- ment team made that a successful entity. "For anything, you've got to have some long- term thinking -If-we wanted-to- try and get into B -CS sees four companies arrive in two months Eagle Staff Report Here's a look at the four computer - related businesses that have located in Bryan_ College Station in the past two months: mid -sized dealerships. The company sup- plies dealerships with hardware, software and support systems dealing with all facets of the business operations, including accounting and inventory. Compaq Computer Corp. Location: Galleria Village in Bryan. What it does: Compaq employs 30 -plus part -time workers, primarily Texas A &M University engineering students, in addition to a number of full -time managers. The development center conducts operating cer- Software Commercialization and Innovation Center Inc. Location: Looking to locate in either Bryan or College Station. What it does: Headed by a group of profes- sors at Texas A &M University, the new non - profit corporation will help with the start -up_ UIQL UUOU.VO. --..Y, y- I u . L -- .1, J couldn't physically buy all of that land. You've - - - work stations. the first software -only business incubator in got to be ahead of the solution," Goehring said. the state. Debra Globe, a public relations consultant for Compaq, said Texas A &M University was Universal Computer Systems Location: Will construct a 215,000 square- Cam Fran Tool Co. Inc. one of the big influences that lured the com- foot building in The Business Center in Location: Will locate in The Business puter manufacturer to Bryan. College Station. The company plans to Center in College Station. "Texas A &M has a really strong engineering employ 200 full-time and 300 part -time work - What it does: The company makes com- school, and Compaq was interested in that ers in the first year, and eventually will puter chassis and covers. It also manufac- engineering talent and- [students being] able to employ 800 people at the new location. tures seat -belt parts for the automotive work on current projects," she said, and "even- tually hiring them once they graduate." What it does: Universal Computer Systems draws a portion of its business from industry. The company plans to employ 250 people Leigh Ann McDaniel, research manager in car dealerships. Approximately five years within five years and invest $4 million in the the economic development division of the ago, the company bought into Ford Dealer initial phase of the project. Another $4 mil - Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, said Computer Services — gaining a number of lion will follow over the next four years. that, in 1984, economic officials teamed with a Stanford research group to do a target - s dy hazard," she said. "The city of Austin did housing and the cost of doing business are all of that helped guide Austin officials in the right have a plan. In 1984, it was quite a year where the major things they are looking at." direction for attracting computer businesses. we went through the whole planning process. McDaniel said Bryan- College Station is an "One of the main things we focused on was It was all kind of luck. It was just business attractive place for businesses to locate. bringing in other spinoff businesses," she people coming in and making sound business "I think the fact you have so many students, said. What we did with the semiconductor decisions. There hasn't been much targeted and the education factor, is why you are see - [businesses] was to make sure there were sup - growth, although we do grow." ing such growth," she said. "These computer pliers there. Like San Antonio has a Sony McDaniel said quality of life and the cost of people like a good community. Here, these research manufacturing plant, but they don't doing business are two of the key factors that computer people see our 10 golf courses and have a supplier." come into play when a business looks at the see that they can have a house on the lake. While McDaniel said a lot of study went into possibility of coming to Austin. Once you get the CEOs to live in a place, then attracting those business, a lot of luck also "W get about 300 businesses calling us [and] the rest of the business will come. played a big part. inquiring about wanting to move their busi- "Dell here has been such a boost. They have "le developing, that's kind of been hap- ness," she said. "The qi of life, education, given so much to the community." The Ea Date: fw 14 CS tries to re IN ove suit ov r lot to fe Oral court By JENNY ELSON mov t(he case to federal court because Eagle Staff titer he said it concerns "alleged unconstitu 6 \ V tional taking of property in violation of The laws At against the city of College the Ln,lited States Constitution." Station Over the lot where Texadelphia Bu t Steele, of the Davis & Davis law Sandwich and Sports restaurant is try- firm in Bryan, said he will file to have ing to locat has been removed to federal the 1 suit moved back to a state court court in Houston — at the city's request. in Biyan. He said the plaintiffs have 30 A Houston attorney representing the days to file a motion to remand the case city filed the motion Friday and The back to the 361st District Court. Bryan-College Station Eagle learned of Th plaintiffs filed the lawsuit against the action Tuesday from the plaintiffs' the ity because they say city officials attorney. false y'I told them their land was being "I'm kind of shocked and amazed that cond r#med for street improvements. they would try to take it to Houston, Th 'city purchased the property for Texas, to federal court," said Steven $102,! city officials say is near- Steele, a lawyer for the plaintiffs. ly doible its appraised value. The plaintiffs are Elmo and Marvelyn Th plaintiffs say the property was a Neal of B an, the former owners of the cash ow source for them because they lot on Pa icia Street. The city bought had I msed it to an eating establishment. the proper from the Neals, then began They also say the land was worth more a deal o sell the property to than the city paid them. Texadelphia as part of the Northgate Cily Attorney Harvey Cargill Jr. said revitalization. the c t hired an outside attorney for the The city's attorney for the case, case d e to the distance between College Daniel F. Shank, filed the motion to Statio and Houston. i Electricity i b future educt ons hav e i n r CS B y JHdN1F�1fLS81� __ 1�n a S on aiY custome Eag e a Writer pay or remission he "T at s called comparability." College Station city officials announced through a second reduction," Noe said. moving the electrons across other city Noe said residents will not see rate cuts Tuesday that electric customers could see The cuts have already begun on a and utility power lines, including the city until the appeals affecting the city are a lower electric bill sometime in the near municipal level as the $6.1 million the city of Bryan, which owns transmission lines finalized. future. paid in 1996 in losses and transmission of and generates electricity. "We're going to be very cautious so that The rate reductions stem from a rate electricity, or wheeling, will go down to Dan Wilkerson, director of Bryan's elec- we don't have to readjust," he said. plan the Public Utility Commission of $240,000 this year, he said. tric utility, said the city of Bryan has filed Neither city official had an idea of when Texas developed. Wholesale wheeling, the term used to four appeals in state court about the PU th e appeals would go through. "We're excited about - the new - ruling describe the use of power lines to trans- ruling, one of which is about On as - federal - lever on the same issue, and the new system," said City Manager port electricity, is at the heart of the rates College Station pays them. Wilkerson said both cities have sent Skip Noe. issue. Wilkerson said that when the PUC pleadings to the Federal Energy Noe said this reduction would follow College Station has a four -year contract ruled College Station could pay Bryan Regulatory Commission to see what rates last year's 10 percent cut. with Texas Utilities. Getting that power statewide rates the appeals were filed. apply to their situation, but said they "We're looking forward to working from the TU Electric generators involves "We want College Station to pay Bryan have not received an answer. The Ea North ate parking on agenda CS council to turfy joint session With Bryan By JENNY NELSON " �, 1 —1 Eagle Staff Writer Parking relief in the Alorthgate area is one topic College Station City Council members plan to discuss during their meetings Thursday. During a 3 p.m. workshop in the City Hall council chambers, 1101 Texas Ave., the council will discuss, parking recom- mendations for the Northgate revitaliza- tion plan. Another issue for discussion will be the need for a mental health facility in Brazos County. Law enforcement off'cials from Bryan and College Station e scheduled to describe how the coup 's lack of facili- ties burdens their d partments. The deputies and officers must sometimes transport inmates as as Austin for mental health care. City Manager Skip Noe said this dis- cussion is the first step for the council to see if it will be feasible for College Station to hold a joint council meeting with Bryan in July. At the 7 p.m. meetin , which also will be in council chamber , the council will consider a first for tl e city's parks — contracting out conces sions. If approved, Noe sE 'd it would only affect Adamson Lago n at Bee Creek Park. The proposed bid comes from Der Wienerschnitzel, which would provide all equipment and services not per- formed by part -time temporary workers for the city, Noe said. "We'll see how it works and if we want ® to expand it," he said. Wienerschnitzel c mpany officials estimate gross sales f $32,300, which Please see COUNCIL, Page A13 N Council From A9 would mean that a 17 percent payment to the city would be $5,491. Future options could include contracting the services at all parks or contracting out to non- profit groups. Another issue scheduled for consideration is the rezoning of 12.69 acres at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and University Drive from residential to a split between business commercial and administrative profession- al. In addition, the council will consider allowing the Grand Oaks subdivision near the Lincoln Avenue and University Drive intersection to become a gated community. If the council allows the gate, the street leading into the area would become a pri- vate drive maintained by resi- dents. Also on the agenda are a reso- lution to support the creation of a federal district divisional court in Bryan- College Station and an appointment to the Economic Development Council. CS want to just look open abI t igate to _ By JENNY NELSON i519 Councilman Hub Kennady Eagle Staff Writer "I'm just concerned about the College Station city o incil members didn't close the gate Thursday on a proposed gated of community but, instead, asked rio- for mode details. In d 5 -1 vote, with bu it er Larry (Marriott casting the lone nay, The council decided to lElay a decision that would allo e Grand Oaks subdivisior on Lincoln Avenue to becoi ae a gated community with a p i ate "I don't want to just look it as a short -term project, I want to care for it for 50 -to -100 year s," Councilman Hub Kennady said. "I'm just concerned about the future." Cou cil members expr sed concern that the maintenanca of the private drive might d rio- rate over the years. The developer, David S ar- mardo, was asked to come back to the council with projected fig- ures of homeowners' feess that would take care of the private area's maintenance. I think it's something IT. be glad to do," he said. Sca�mardo said no lots h e ( Please see COUNCIL, Pale A10 C4_701J Council been sold in the 23 -lot subdivision, but some sales are pending the council's deci- sion. The council's next meeting is May 22. In other business, the council rezoned property near the Grand Oaks community, at the intersection of Univers Driv and Lincoln Avenue. The residential -mix property was changed to a dministrative professional and business commercial. The pan was approved, with the condition that a buffer be provided between the residential and commercial land. This property was not new to the coun- cil, senior planner Sabine McCully said, �since it was the s ubje ct of a rezoning ' 1990. At that time, the request was denied pending a study that ultimately tried to enhance that entrance to the city through controlling aesthetics. Part of the newly rezoned area now is znnnrl for c„ch hnildines as hotels, restau- nience stores and service stations. In his first night as a council member, newly - elected Steve Esmond said, "I'm just surprised it took this long to get the rezon- ing. I think it's long overdue and I think we'll all be happy with what hap there." One of the city's parks also will see changes this summer. The council decided to contract out concessions at the amson Lagoon at Bee Creek Park. Der Wienerschnitzel will provide all equip- ment and services formerly performed by part -time temporary workers. The estimated gross sales by Wie ..-.., hnitze will he $32 with a 17 percent cut, or $5,491, going to the city. In their afternoon workshop meeting, council members heard from law enforce- ment officials about the burden of caring for indigent mental health patients. Brazos County Sheriff Chris Kirk, Bryan Station Police Chief Edgar r'eiaman tow of the hours it takes to transport patients as far as Houston and Austin for help. "It is a problem I think needs to be addressed," Feldman said. The council decided to take the first step, asking The enforcement officials — to set up a task force to determine the scope of the problem and to approach a local psy- chiatrist, , to serve-on-it.— The city affairs committee, which is com- prised of representatives from both the Bryan and College Station city councils and the county, looked at the issue last month and asked that each council discuss the i e at their next meeting. A joint meeting of both councils to is- cuss solutions to the lack of mental health facilities in the Brazos Valley is planned .July 22, but Kennady said he wants to hear the task force's findings before a joint 1V Ul yai nu.g •. c.� ����.+ �-^. - - - -- seeing parking alternatives, including paved lots and garages, for three Northgate streets, the council asked the planners, DeShazo, Tang & Associates, Inc., of Dallas, to look at two other alternatives. --One added option was to assess building a parking garage to fit city -owned land on Patricia Street. The planners did not factor in the r;tv'c nwnPrchin when figu ring th cost of the Patricia Street garage proposal. A second option was to visit with Northgate -area property owners to see if there is an interest in selling the property that would be required to build parking lots on Boyett Street or College Main St reet. J � The Ea Date: J G Don't stop Mu he decision by the City Council to cic Avenue to north -b backward. It doesn't to thinker or planner to and even more in the '. tional north -south ave Rock Prairie Road an( Come on, wake up c We hear every day ab future is for Bryan -C( businesses are coming How long do you thin be happy when 10, 20, of his work force is la the lack of these rout We can travel east , William Joel Bryan F Street, Briarcrest Dr' Road, University Dri Drive, Southwest Pai and Emerald Parkwa limited north and so, College -Main Street, the East Bypass. It d much of a mathemat these numbers do nc On top of this, the that has proper traff Drive, in which you problems during pe< Maybe city counc . take a teeth- shatteri Southwest Parkway Bypass to Texas Av very slowly on Eme where we need to ft if NASA took the our council, there v travel because Grec complained about t through the ozone l 0 ,on tra, Ac )liege Station Munson nd traffic is much of a the need, now ure, for addi- Les between ,riarcrest Drive. ncil members. t how bright the !ge Station. New n all the time. m employer will even 30 percent for work due to west on Texas 21, kway, East 29th Villa Maria George Bush Tway, Harvey Road �M 2818. We are h to South exas Avenue and , 1s not take even :�an to see that match up. nly east -west route ; 'fl o w is University fhd up with traffic hours. members would g drive on rom the East ue or meander old Parkway, to see s our attention. e approach as ,uld be no space Peace would have shuttle passing ver on each trip. JOE L. WALLACE Colleqe Station The Ea Date: Local residents visit the Capitol for B -CS Day By KELLY BROWN Lfl 1� Eagle Staff Writer AUSTIN — Two busloads of residents from Brazos County spent Tuesday at the state Capitol marketing Bryan- College Station just as the Legislature rolls into the critical portion of this session. Issues concerning transportation and education will be among those coming up for a vote in the next few weeks, and about 100 leaders in Brazos County warted to send a message: We're watching and we're interested in what you do. I "The Legislature needs to keep us in mind and now that this is a growing area with a lot of pos- ,bilities, " said Ronnie Morrison, president of the Bryan- College Station Chamber of Commerce. And he left statistics with each senator and rep- resentative in case they doubted it: The Wall Street Journal last year listed Bryan- College Station as the top metropolitan area expecting the greatest population increase and American Demographics ranked Brazos County third among the 10 hottest counties in terms of market potential. The Brazos County contingent made the daylong trip on Tuesday, which both the House and the Senate dubbed Bryan - College Station Day in Please see AUSTIN, Page A2 N Es L Austin From Al "It's vital to keel the doors of communication open and that's hat we're here for." BURL RICHARDSON Austin. This didn't mean that everyone in Austin had to Gig 'E m or bleed maroon to honor Aggi land. What it meant was that the resi- dents in Aggieland waited to rec- ognize those who represent them in Austin, including state Sen. Steve Ogden, R -Bryan, and state Reps. Bill Roman, R- College Station, and Dan Kubiak, D- Rockdale. All three asked he Brazos County delegation to tand so the other legislators co recognize the 100 or residents w o made the first such trip since e '70s. Just like the public and private school children who Nere among the other visitors at the Capitol, the group from Brazos County was on a field trip wl ere learning was a part of the pl . Many filed into hearing rooms where legisla- tive committees talked about issues ranging from e lottery to natural resources. Lee Blank, assistailt provost for continuous improvement at Texas A &M University, s id everyone should take the tim to see how the legislative SySten L works. "I think it's inter sting to see how those serving tj L e public like this find different vays to help their constituents," Blank said. "There's a lack of ap reciation for what they do. Their job requires that they be up on the issues, but they have a very mall window of time to work in. I takes talent." retired Texas A &M University employ Having the OPPOrtw1i to talk to the various people ho made the 95 -mile trip on chuter buses was an added benefit, according to Blank. It's been great to qet people from all these baoxgrounds together," Blank said of the com- bination of leaders from the busi- ness industry, Texas A &M University, the cities of Bryan and College Station, mployees from nonprofit organizations and concerned citizens. "We see each other a meetings, but this is an inforn al setting where we can get to ow each other and not worry a t the seri- ousness of a meeting,' lank said. The - three area egislators talked over issues with. ' the group during a lunch at a hotel down the street from the Capitol. Each spoke of the unenviable task of finding different ways of financ ing education and h ering out a tax bill that works o everyone. "We're heading to d the last two months and t action is about to get hot d heavy," Ogden said. "The outcome so far hasn't been as gr at as we'd hoped, but it's som ing we can live with as we god the home stretch." Each also remin the resi- dents of a lesson they likely learned throughout their school years: If you want something to be changed, call or write your legis- lator and let them know. Retired A &M employee. Burl Richardson said he and his wife, Linda, who works for ReMax Texas Heritage Realtors, made the trip because they wanted to keep up with what's going on in the Legislature and what might affect where they live. "It's vital to keep the doors of communication open and that's what we're here for," he said. Bryan residents Ned and Nancy Hartman wanted a first -hand look at their elected officials and what they do all day. I'm retired, and this is a good way to come to the Capitol with- out having to pay for a parking ticket," Hartman joked. "Actually, we're just glad this opportunity came along so we could see everything first- hand." Morrison said he'd like to see the trip made every two years when the Legislature is in ses- sion. "Today was a great success, very worthwhile," Morrison said. "We let those in Austin know what we're about and we learned a good deal, too." egion e r By KELLI LEVEY and DOUGLAS SC YGELSKI Eagle Staff Writers The Bryan City Council authorized Mayor Lonnie abler Tuesday night to hire a consultant to con - uct a feasibility study and marketing analysis for a regional tourist facility to include a conference center, hotel, golf course and expo park. Stabler said after an executiv session, the coon cil voted unanimously to approve spending up to $15,000 on the initial stage. "It is exciting ... I can't speak for the other enti- ties, but we hope this will be regional," he said. He said plans for the center e not site specific. "We have looked at several 1 cations as general possibilities," he said. "We hope the market analysis will point us in some direction or give us some ideas of the best way to go. This could be a joint v nture, which could affect the location." Stabler said Bryan city officials have been dis- cussing such plans with officials in Brazos County and College Station — for "eight or nine months" goo BRYAN Pace A9 O O Lz - _P '= O Cll O O U 0 o o� P4 C d ��g� Cn �w�Cn Cno 's o o�° U 7 C En Cn a o w 5 +oA 0 C cc W F+ O O O U CU U 0 ���'°`�� 3 > ~ gym CZ CZ 3 CZ w w cn C p U pC 's d � O y O U p� N ¢ U N Q+ ZW+ r $ � � �. U Z "O ° O O � U O O U � CZ U s"•1 Z c� 2 � r. U 0 1 CZ O cts O L U ��a fA0CZ P4 Cv - cil o 3� a00 C O C,1 ° tp O N w CZ I Y••1 cn P O+; �✓ z C1 p 9 m a) 0c�"tSdm O n 0 ¢ O F >, o a CD 10 CC i CZ ,� .- w GOD- so 18 a�w o o o `nom c r, v ¢ o wA. o ag �. ° tea; CZ �a on o W y o+' �� CCs o a) � a� o UU j °° CZ v `� �Z v C8 R c� M CD Cn Cn 41 CU E 4 � t- �,°'� +•�CZ M off•., aim CZ mxi C Z C v �'� o x�ao ��+Jo"Cn 0 g . O ,� C ,S". bA d • cd m U ' bA O i+ �" 'C G7 ^± n5 Cn U L•1 O S� O O .O . �I " y CZ CZ 3 O •� Cn o FA •� Ca 04 3 .� v� co +� +� S. H ot oi � space," she said. facility is s '�ing Bryan Mayor of Texas 47, its proximity to the air - McIlhaney said she recently Lonnie Sta iid will be ana- port and Reed Arena are just some received a letter from officials of a lyzed in tht Ability study, but reasons why such a center should state association saying they three general locations are being locate there. rq A i� – would have preferred to meet in discussed. Wherever such a regional facili- College Station, but the facilities "I don't want to lead anyone to ty is located, community leaders A Houston consultant is being available did not compare to those believe there's any one area," he said they hope it becomes a mag- considered for the estimated in other Texas cities. said. "We're trying to do some- net for festivals, fairs and concerts. $18,000 study, Coyle said. She said the College Station City thing regional where everyone can After county commissioners and Bryan's action comes on the Council does not have the issue of benefit." the College Station City Council heels of an announcement by the regional facility on Thursday's Developer Ramiro Galindo said sign the feasibility study contract, College Station for a hotel - confer - agenda as an action item, only as a he hopes a location studied is one Coyle said it will take about 30•to- ence center of its own. City offs- discussion item in executive ses- he has proposed on the west side 45 days for a completed study. He !� cials are waiting for May 16, the sion. of Brazos County, two miles from emphasized, however, the city's I project proposal deadline. "My preference would be to wait Easterwood Airport. desire not to rush into something "For College Station just to go do until a fter the 3 lect " -��' ] a n He said_th site' s l n ear_ _ -t_ or may mo be a eood deci- their own thing is ludicrous. It's M�i aney said about taking A &M's West Campus, the addition sion. not developing regionally," said action. Hobbs, who also is the general Since College Station's portion manager of the College Station of the regional feasibility study ■ ■ ■ Hilton and Conference Center. most likely would not be more "Their [Bryan's] vision is much than $15,000, a vote of the city more broad -based than College council is not required, City O ffi-cials S101t Station's. I think that's good. I Manager Skip Noe said. He also think they're not only thinking of said he doesn't expect to get autho- themselves, but of everyone in the rization at Thursday's meeting to Brazos Valley," he said. sign the contract. College Station Mayor Lynn Although the county has plans McIlhaney said the two proposed to participate in the study, County on hotel plans projects are not in competition Judge Al Jones said he isn't sure at because they are designed for dif what level. He said the county ferent markets, one for a flexible g1rwariv ha rinnn turn fn.aihili+i. T..... ........... , ._ _ t _ _ .. _. I_ .. _ _ .__ _ _ ' 1 _ _I A&M University events and the - - --- -- ' -- - - regional center targeted at groups [m the stu dy] will be minimal.' Bryan Councilwoman Kandy - - - -- - , - - - - - g JENNY N E L S 0 N Y coming into the area for meetings. Rose said the cost of the study most Eagle Staff Writer "If we're serious about tapping likely would be broken down into a into that economic development 90 percent share for each city and a Community and business leaders source, then we have got to be com- 20 percent share for the county. have differing views on whether pro - petitive — we've got to offer meet- The location for the regional 1posals for two hotel - conference centers would result in too many rooms in the inns of Bryan- College Station. Barron Hobbs, president of the Brazos Valley Hotel and Motel Association, says the area doesn't attract enough guests to occupy the more than 400 possible additional hotel rooms year - round. "It would devastate the hotel com- munity and market," he said. "During football games and parent's weekend, it's not a problem — but it's all of the rest of the year that we can't fill those dark holes." Others, however, say the latest announcement of a possible expansion in the hotel market could lure more conventions to the area. "Build it and they will come," said Jerry Aughinbaugh, chairman of the Bryan- College Station Chamber o1 Commerce. "We cannot bring the Final Four here now, but with Reed Arena, we will be able to host groups.. they will need a place to stay." The city of Bryan announced Tuesday plans to move ahead with feasibility study and market analysiE for a regional tourist facility that could include a conference center, hotel, golf course and expo park. The regional plan preferably would include the involvement of the city of College Station and Brazos County said Tom Coyle, development services director for the city of Bryan, but nei- ther of those entities have signed a con- tract to begin the feasibility study. Please see HOTEL, Page A7 Workshop focuses n CS cemetery By BLAIR FANNIN Eagle Staff Writer The possibility of College city cemetery running out of one issue discussed at Thursd shop meeting of the College Si Council. One of the options council considered is to encourage p' for development of a new cen side the city limits. The Cemetery Advisory has recommended the acqui development of a new munic CW operated Please see WORKSHOP, Page A15 Workshop From Al 1 operation of cemeteries within city limits, which may affect the local situation if approved by the Legislature. Council members discussed several options, such as purchasing neighboring land to'allow for expan- sion, including the former Fort Shiloh restaurant location, and also expansion by filling the pond area of the arboretum. Council members agreed they would like to wait see the outcome of the legislation in Austin and to allow time for more study before taking ►n on the matter. licies relating to the placement of basketball s and other play equipment in street right-of- 3 also was discussed. iuncilman Larry Mariott said he had been - oached by a resident whose mother lived in hwood Valley. The resident said his mother had ilems backing out of her driveway, and is fearful :cidentally injuring a child playing basketball in street near it. ►uncil members came to an agreement to handle Issue on a case -by -case basis. C *7 tery. - Z_) -esident of ly 1,500 spaces are left to be sold. Eileen Kramer, a 2 -yea tery in the College Station, said she ho .tion's city continue to run its cei n was future and seek expansion work- neighboring property. n City "I'm in favor of a city - irger than tery," said Kramer, a con mbers her. ",Bryan has one. It's .e sec- College Station's. The fee y out- able. Instead of having a ieed more tery, t think we can find mittee expansion. We really do n and spaces in College Station." ceme- The 18.5 -acre tract has 1 operated Please see WORKSHOP, Page A15 Workshop From Al 1 operation of cemeteries within city limits, which may affect the local situation if approved by the Legislature. Council members discussed several options, such as purchasing neighboring land to'allow for expan- sion, including the former Fort Shiloh restaurant location, and also expansion by filling the pond area of the arboretum. Council members agreed they would like to wait see the outcome of the legislation in Austin and to allow time for more study before taking ►n on the matter. licies relating to the placement of basketball s and other play equipment in street right-of- 3 also was discussed. iuncilman Larry Mariott said he had been - oached by a resident whose mother lived in hwood Valley. The resident said his mother had ilems backing out of her driveway, and is fearful :cidentally injuring a child playing basketball in street near it. ►uncil members came to an agreement to handle Issue on a case -by -case basis. C *7 by the city since 1948, and approximate - -esident of ly 1,500 spaces are left to be sold. to see the An average of 143 spaces have been tery in the sold over the last 10 years, and 228 for acquiring the past two years. It is expected that all existing spaces will be sold within the ned ceme- next six -to -10 years. ittee mem- Current law prevents the city from irger than creating a new cemetery within three ire accept- miles of the existing city limits. vate ceme- Legislation has been introduced me way of through House Bill 3099 to revise limita- ieed more tions related to the development and operated Please see WORKSHOP, Page A15 Workshop From Al 1 operation of cemeteries within city limits, which may affect the local situation if approved by the Legislature. Council members discussed several options, such as purchasing neighboring land to'allow for expan- sion, including the former Fort Shiloh restaurant location, and also expansion by filling the pond area of the arboretum. Council members agreed they would like to wait see the outcome of the legislation in Austin and to allow time for more study before taking ►n on the matter. licies relating to the placement of basketball s and other play equipment in street right-of- 3 also was discussed. iuncilman Larry Mariott said he had been - oached by a resident whose mother lived in hwood Valley. The resident said his mother had ilems backing out of her driveway, and is fearful :cidentally injuring a child playing basketball in street near it. ►uncil members came to an agreement to handle Issue on a case -by -case basis. C *7 Growth in BoCS praised Analyst: AgriculNi C1 key to local SUCCE By BLAIR FANNIN j 1 i Eagle Staff Writer I A Texas Depart t ent Commerce official said Thur night that Bryan- College Stab experiencing tremendous gr and is a perfect place to crea agribusiness corridor. "Right now you are gro you've got a good nucleus Sanderson Farms," said Bi Arnett, executive director c department. "An agribusines ridor is a perfect place for region." Arnett gave a presentatic economic development in Brazos Valley at the Brazos C before Bryan and College S' city officials and local bus men. The presentation also v ed a question- and -answer se She spoke of San Ant development of a corridor Interstate 35, which has s number of processed food nesses locate to that area. Business the cor- this i on the Inter ition .less- ,lud ;ion. nio's dong an a busi- Please see BUSINESS, Page A10 We're in hopes that the textile project will include the yarn, knit- ting and sewing phases so we will actually have a finished product and keep it here in the Brazos Valley." Bryan City Manager Mike Conduff agreed. "We need to think in terms of clusters," he said. "To get Sanderson Farms here was a great start. We now need to take advan- tage of that." The textile project has the poten- tial to create approximately 150 jobs, economic experts said, and would benefit cotton farmers in the Brazos Valley. The Bryan - College Station Economic Development Corporation has been working on the project for about• a year and a half, officials said. Toilrism was another important issue Arnett stressed, and onQ she said is important to those at the Texas Department of Commerce. She sald the state created a Web page on the Internet in 1995, receithig more 300,000 "hits" a month. Now, Arnett said, that num has jumped to more than l million a month. "B y n- College Station is the 18th st visited site on the page, ' she i . Ani et also said "we are in the age lectronic commerce," and encouraged small business owners to be o e computer literate. "If you don't own a computer anjulruobably o own your own business, yo won't be here two ye from now," she said. r�� Arnett said ;Byan-uoliege Station can do the s e attracting numerous agricultubusinesses with Sanderson Farms as the cen- terpiece. The Bryan -Colle e Station Economic velopment Corporation already has that in S mind, chairman Richard Smith board is said, adding that the pro- gressing in its attempt to lure a textile mill to the are,. "We are excited out that of Smith said. "They h indicated that there is enough on in this i ay area to supply them percent. is rth an the cor- this i on the Inter ition .less- ,lud ;ion. nio's dong an a busi- Please see BUSINESS, Page A10 We're in hopes that the textile project will include the yarn, knit- ting and sewing phases so we will actually have a finished product and keep it here in the Brazos Valley." Bryan City Manager Mike Conduff agreed. "We need to think in terms of clusters," he said. "To get Sanderson Farms here was a great start. We now need to take advan- tage of that." The textile project has the poten- tial to create approximately 150 jobs, economic experts said, and would benefit cotton farmers in the Brazos Valley. The Bryan - College Station Economic Development Corporation has been working on the project for about• a year and a half, officials said. Toilrism was another important issue Arnett stressed, and onQ she said is important to those at the Texas Department of Commerce. She sald the state created a Web page on the Internet in 1995, receithig more 300,000 "hits" a month. Now, Arnett said, that num has jumped to more than l million a month. "B y n- College Station is the 18th st visited site on the page, ' she i . Ani et also said "we are in the age lectronic commerce," and encouraged small business owners to be o e computer literate. "If you don't own a computer anjulruobably o own your own business, yo won't be here two ye from now," she said. r�� The Ea Date: N J El Paso Ene Oy drops lawsui against B -C u E Eagle Staff Report J� I El Paso Energy, for Tenneco Power Gene Co., has dropped its L against the cities of and College Station Enserch Development of Dallas. The lawsuit, filed it 1996, alleged the two citi Enserch Development ti interfere with Tenneco Generation Co.'s 1993 cc with Texas A &M Uni regarding a co -gene plant. El Paso Energy tool Tenneco in December h "There wasn't any re, pursue it any further of settlement," said B Weber, El Paso Energy lic relations director. In December, A &A Tenneco agreed on a $2; lion settlement after year dispute over PhasE co- generation power pl campus. Phase I of the project ed in a facility that pi hot and chilled water University's expandini Campus. I rly Mon suit yan and orp. .june and s to i to the and mil - two- of a t on the 'est eae EL Your View L'J Bryan folks still welcome rthur Sullivan's letter in the April 30 Eagle was intriguing. He,has formed an opinion that all Coll �e Station residents agree with every ecision made by thecity council and are ag ainst out - siders. Most of us welcome visito -s from other cities and are glad they frequen t our busi nesses: The citizens of Coll go Station did not have any choice about the widening of Texas Avenue nor did they ocreate the 70 mph speed limit. I'm sure o oe the con- struction is completed you ill find dri- ving along Texas Avenue in our city much more pleasurable. As for the closing of Munson Avenue, I and my coworkers are very much against it. I live in College Station and work as a city public safety official. I am concerned that the closing of southbound traffic on Munson may endanger lives and property of citizens by making polica and fire responders choose alternata routes. I do not find any of the citizens of the neigh- borhood inhospitable, just frustrated. Hopefully with the clos' of the Blinn campus on Harvey Road, traffic will decrease in the area. If you remember, some of Bryan's citizens r fused to accept Blinn's new campus for th it exact reason. Is that neighborhood inho pitable? Yes, Bryan probably can get what it does not have. Look along the ever treach- erous and crowded Briarc est Drive just west of the East Bypass. Y u'll find sever- al "chain" stores and rest urants, with more to come. Annoying as it may be, I still spend some of my moriey there. Mr- Sullivan, you are welcoME to visit our city. And by the way, after you've spent= your dollars here, you car., still go north on Munson. JOHN CAMPBELL College Station Am � �0.gXX �762JQQ U 0 C C Your Vi Respect the neighborhood ' magine walking out on a pi Sunday morning and findii gouging your lawn. Imagin glass from broken beer bottl( tires of our child's bike for tl this month. Imagine having music and screeching tires c nights. Would you want this Munson Avenue is a class unintended consequences. It reconfigured as a convenien oughfare by unconnected de city council and planning aY mission. This narrow neigh designed for 1,000 cars a da) 7,000 to 8,000 cars. No one e: much traffic. Eighty -five to the traffic on Munson is juE through — one car every 12 Would you want this? Speeding, tailgating, ruin and reckless passing chara this traffic. Residents on M five minutes to exit their d and Sunday mornings mea broken beer bottles, beer c, food wrappers tossed by tb through. Would you want' Yet people like you live I who care about their child bors, their homes and thei Some children aren't allov walk across Munson to scl boyhood parks. Older peol cross to visit friends. Wou this? Newer neighborhoods t one entrance, protected fr fic as new developments Older neighborhoods in o College Hills, Southside, l Creek Parkway and other support to maintain neig' ty in the face of increasir. sure. It takes two extra n time to return our night safer, cleaner place. Wen borhood, we would do th. I for us. a eful g e treks aving ': ;',pierce the e' third time the .xample of 3,s became aajor thor dons of the zoning coin - rhood street ow carries acted this percent of stop signs ize much of on can wait s. Saturday veeping up and fast traveling people theirtnJigh to bike be, A or neigh- dare not you want pically have through traf + u round them. 1T community — mary, Carter ' 7 need your I - thood integri- traffic pres- inutes of your orhood to a it your neigh- s.' Please, do this UDITH L. WARREN College Station 0Z �J 0 Your Go back to counting cars fter several months of counting traf- fic, scratching heads and spending several thousand dollars, the College Station staff and city council decided to block the southbound entrances to Munson and Ashburn avenues off Lincoln Avenue. This action only redirects the traffic through other residential streets in the area and creates a hard hip for the resi- dents who use these en ances regularly during the day. It does, owever, keep the city staff employed. Now there are other streets in the College Hills neighborhood where they can count traffic. I'm sure when Mayor 1V$cllhaney first joined the city council a d the city made the decision to open Munson Avenue to Lincoln Avenue, againsl the wishes of the neighborhood, the city's intention was for Munson to be a major north-south corri- dor. Munson has served that purpose, but it only takes one trip do Munson to realize the street is in n Ud of major repair. Why doesn't the city do a needed major repair on Munson, one of the most poorly maintained stree s in the city, con- sidering its high volume of traffic? Perhaps a more logical solution would be to condemn the property along Munson, construct a four road with a fancy brick paver median, and zone the area commercial. The c uncil could secretly select an out -of town investor to develop a strip center ong each side. Or it could decide to sell t land, pay for the street, purchase more new vehicles, increase the bonus to tl e city manager and buy a dredging sysi em to maintain Pig Pen Creek. This m es as much sense as choosing the Mud Lo as the site for a hotel/convention center. Traffic is going to coy tinue to flow north and south through the College Hills area. If the city would place higher priority on properly maintaining unson Avenue as well as neighboring str ets, the traffic would flow more smoot y and safely. SHERMAN CLICK College Station ❑s Respect those on Munson is been several days since Ntinson and Ashburn avenues in College Station were officially closed at Lincoln Avenue to southbound traffic. As a driver I know the inconvenience, but as a longtime resident of Munson Avenue and College Hills, I'd 1 e to address some safety and quali y ' of life issues. Since Munson became a thoroughfare, not one piece of property along Munson .between Lincoln Avenue and Dominick Drive has not been trenched b hooli- gans. Cans, beer bottles, bags f fast food leftovers and waste, syringes znd con- struction site garbage have regularly appeared on our lawns and dr.veways. Traffic noise hasn't allowed us to con- verse with a neighbor at the ctirb. Backing into Munson from our drive- ways has been an experience in patience and/or danger. Thoughtless thousands have used us as a shortcut, as n expedi- ent means to be used and abused while going somewhere else. This has threat- ened to make us value ourselves less because we were being trashed physical- ly and mentally thousands of imes a day. For a week it's been better. But it hurts to see scores of cars per day accel- erating up the Munson grade from Lincoln in bold violation of th many and clear street closure signs. Those scores of drivers respect neither us, nor the law, nor, in fact, themselves. For one day it will be expedient for someone to trash the quality and safety of their lives and they'll have no grounds o com- plaint. After all, they didn't care about trashing that of someone else. How often the idea of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you is wisdom and a guide in life. Please, ple se, respect us and yourselves. STEP EN MILLER allege Station r L� • El Residents 0 t disc ISS South de Neighborhood's uture topic of Saturda forum By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer James Steen has been a re ident of College Station's south side for 32 ye s, and he's riot looking to leave anytime soo But what he hopes to do is keep his nei rhood a nice place to call home. The recent retiree fror I Texas A &M University is helping city icials identify ways to improve the nei ft or just south of the campus. "We don't want anything done more than any other community," he id. "We just want the city to keep the s is done and to patrol the community." City officials have invite( teen and resi dents from 1,000 other honte, in the neigh- borhood to share ideas Sa y afternoon. The south side /Southga e neighborhood meeting will begin at no at the Lincoln Center, 1000 Eleanor St. Tom Brymer, assistant dity manager for College Station, said after introductions to city officials, the residents be able to choose two of four breakout sessions to attend. The sessions will cover: ■ Organizing your neighborhood, commu- nication of issues and presenting informa- tion. ■ Appearance, preservation and revitaliza- tion. ■ Infrastructure, land i se, code enforce - ment, and health and safe Brymer said a meeting A 40 residents in March identified some of t ie, issues that will be discussed Saturday. Hi said one of the major issues is rental pro ies where city codes, especially those dea ifig with parking and trash collection, are n t followed. "Typically, those in re 1W housing feel unconnected to the neighl o hood," he said. "It's almost like two popul bons in the area, the long - timers and the p timers." Brymer said city official want to help all of the residents communicate bout the upkeep of the neighborhood. 5 S-g`] 0 O s us pect S ol�de ' ��mlden �f C Y i ash By LILY AG,UILAR Eagle Staff V riter College identified an arrest that occu Lt. Sc( phoned p burglary that 12 ca Trail ani Drive hai Police and wer "We of car nation police said they have i suspect and expect,to make n a rash of 12 car burglaries •ed Thursday morning. t McCollum said a witness lice around 5 a.m. to', report a n progress. Police discovered in the 1800 block of Treehouse the 2800 block of Longmire been burglarized. lased several suspects on foot able to catch one person, said. together enough information urglaries expect to make an arrest soon," he Thursday evening. )lice said many of the vehicles were red though broken side windows and sliding windows. Most of the cars parked in apartment complex and .1pldx lots, police said. cCollum said witnesses told police they saw more than one person try - to break in to the vehicles. ems reported missing from vehicles ized from black leather boots and a ode Gear backpack to white fuzzy and compact discs, police said. All as except for a yellow flashlight val- at $3 were recovered, police said. [ don't know what the motive was," "ollum said. C C --4 4 groups submit hotel bids CS council to choose proposal within month By KELLI LEVEY Eagle Staff Writer Four _ grroups - submitted proposals Friday for a full- service hotel and con- ference center in College Station. Council members could select a final plan within a month. Earlier negotiations had centered on a parking lot in Northgate known as e - mud lot," this round of proposals did not Iimt the development to any specific area of town. Elrey Ash, College Station's direc- tor of economic and commercial development, named the companies that submitted proposals: ■ Lane Hospitality, which owns the College Station Hilton. ■ The Wolf Pen Creek Team, which includes Jim Allen of Accord Commercial Inc. in Bryan; Davis McGill, a private investment broker in Bryan; DePalma Hotel Group of Irving, Texas; and Da1Mac Please see HOTEL, Page A7 Hotel From Al Investment Group­–of - Dallas. - The- proposal - calls for putting the complex on land the group owns near the Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater. ■ John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc., with whom the city has been negotiating for months for a hotel on the mud lot. ■ The I,,eddy_ Company, a hotel developer in partnership with College Station business- man John Culpepper III, who owns the mud lot. "That was about the number of proposals we had expected, judging from our conversations with the ;various people," Ash said, adding that two proposals came in around noon Friday and two came in near the 4:30 p.m. rlaadline_ Assistant City Manager To Br3m►er said he had not seen the proposals Friday night. The documents will be taken Monday to PKF Consulting Service in Houston, he said, then membom of the agency will meet with city staff m6nibers. "We'll make presentations to the council during the rust meeting in June, then we ten- tatively have planned — if the council wants it — to hear presentations from the applicants," he said. Friday's'` proposals came about three months Z ` r officials city ocials thought they were nearing a deal on a new hotel in Northgate. In Februamy, the city staff proposed a deal in which the would have given Hammons 8.5 acres of lahid as site for a 200- plus -room hotel, News estimated to cost $20 million. As part of the deal, the city would agree to build an adjacent 45,000- square -foot conference center at a pro- jected cost of $6 million. After criticism from some business people, the city moved to accept other proposals and gave interested parties 10 days to respond. Five did, but some complained they hadn't had enough time to study the situation. In early April, the council voted unani- mously to reject all proposals and seek new ones. The 35 -page criteria packet was sent to national companies and local developers, City Manager Skip Noe said. No one could be reached Friday night from the Leddy, Lane or Hammons groups. Allen's group submitted an earlier proposal under the name of his company, Accord Commercial Inc. This time, he said, the name better describes where they want to build a hotel. "We don't feel like the mud lot is a viable we're proposing a different site for it," he said. Allen described the DePalma Group as the 19th - largest hotel management corporation in the world and said it owns and manages numerous hotels and is involved in the Alamodome project. "They're huge — probably not in the same league as John Q. Hammons, but they're close," he said. The Leddy Company's previous proposal was for a full- service hotel of the DoubleTree chain with about 200 rooms, luxury suites on the top floor and a restaurant. The proposal would spare the city the cost of acquiring Culpepper's land through condemnation pro- ceedings, Culpepper's lawyer said in March. W South side addresses area nied' ' CS residents, c3ity staff meet on infras ructure By LILY AGUILAR Eagle Staff Writer Residents of College Station's south side came together for a community fori un Saturday to' dis- cuss problems and explore olutions for their neighborhood. About 50 people gathered at the Lincoln Center on Eleanor Street for the forum. The meeting was arranged by city officials, including Tom Brymer, assistant city manager , and south side residents. The meeting was divided into breakout ses- sions where people could analyze specific issues, such as neighborhood organization, appearance and preservations, infrastru ture and land use and health and safety. Peter Tarlow, a facilitator for the appearance and preservation group, said neighborhood asso- ciations are a key in gettin information from the city to the public. Please see SOUTH SIDE, Paie A2 E P_ aq LQ_ South side' From Al Tarlow said many people don't know what the city ordinances are or how to find out about them. His group suggested using neighborhood associations as liaisons to the city. Dennis Maloney, a group facil- itator, said the city needs to send out a statement explaining viola- tions and their fines to citizens: "Put it in dollars and cents," he said. "You destroy the integrity of my neighborhood — boom — you get a fine." Maloney said his group also talked about property taxes. He said the city's current tax policy punishes people who improve their homes. Whenever " Put Put it in that add to a property's dollars value are made, taxes and cents. are increased, he said. You "My wife and I bought a destroy house and the improved it, he said. "And the cit integrity thanked us by raising our Of my p r o p e r t y taxes." neighbor - Maloney said one incen- hood — tive the city could provide boom — homeowners would be tax you get a ing property at its original fine. appraised value. That way, people DENNIS could improve their home MALONEY without being hit for more tax dollars, he home owner said. Katherine Edwards and her group discussed neighbor- hood organization a-pd communi- ty issues. Edwards said college students were a serious concern because they are constantly relo- cating, and, therefore, difficult to incorporate into a neighborhood. She said forming welcoming committee to invite newcomers ' might help people, eluding stu- dents, to feel like th y are a part of the community. Maloney said pro erty owners and their renters reed to know the rules so that they can com- ply, as well. He said they need to be as, involved in neighborhood associations as other homeown- ers. "The way to have strength is io have a small group committed fo the neighborhood," he said. Maloney said most of the south side area is zoned as single -fami- ly, medium density housing. That means that no more than four unrelated people are alloWed to live in a single dwelling, he said. "Everyone we taAed to wants this area to remain that way Maloney said. "Don't let the apartment compl xes overrun our neighborhoods LJ B -�S leaders meet;`, Summit participants o ✓ By JENNY NELSON 5 EagleStaff_1Niter The relationship problem between the various races of people is some- thing that has no simple remedy, but participants in Sunday's race rela- tions summit said they are hopeful that a solution is in their grasp. Diversifying all aspects of life, be it school, church or the workplace, was a recurring theme heard throughout "The Elements of Change: Community Race Relations Summit." "Race relations is a simple issue, however, there are no simple solu- tions," said Bryan Mayor Lonnie 4tahler. "Racism is iust the simple ■ ions ptimistic about solutio their color." About 80 invited community lead - -rs; — including city, school, — `Pe A &M University and business lead ers, gathered at the College Statio Hilton and Conference Center t share ideas to problems all havl known about for years. "All we have to do is to open up to each other ... not who's of what race, but who's of what character," said Jerry __Gaston,_ vice president for administration at Texas A &Nf University. The event was moderated by J. Frank Hernandez, station manager of KHRN -FM, one of the event's main Starting with individual rela- tionships was one way that many present said is the first step to solving the overall race problem. Bryan City Manager Mike Conduff praised people who have made a difference — such as Project Unity's leader Jeannie Heller who provides community services in North Bryan. "This is a community of quiet heroes doing a great work," he said. "Folks make a difference by the power of one." Heller, who also was present, challenged leaders at the summit to volunteer at Project Unity's Friday and Saturday gym night for children. She said by businesses getting involved with the children, it will expose them career opportu- "The neat thing about this is that tangible invitations were made to people. I got a feeling that these things are going to happen." Other ideas to better race rela- tions mentioned by audience members were: ■ high school classes on race relations; ■ bring average income up to $25,000; ■ lower the school drop out rate; ■ offer scholarships for extracurricular activities that require students to buy uni- forms; ■ look at law enforcement and possible harassment by officers; ■ invite someone of another race to church or to eat to better get to know them. Race "We are having From Al difficulty as indiviu- uals communicating sponsors. "Placing the blame has been and li t o one done and it will continue to be done," he said. "Let's take respon- anothe sibility for our community." Participants tossed out ideas that included inviting members of another race to dinner or to LYNN MCILHANEY church and offering race relation classes in the schools. Hernandez mayor of College $tat10J challenged —the- leaders _to—take those ideas to their own offices and homes and begin the imple- mentation there. nities they might not see other - Hernandez said Bryan- College Station could be the start of some- wise. Pluria Marshall Jr., general thing on a state or even national manager of KHRN -FM, was the level — "you just provided the first to accept the challenge. He light they can follow," he told the committed his radio personali- crowd. Gov. George W. Bush and ties_ to one night each quarter at President Bill Clinton both the weekend event. Marshall, who gave Heller the responded with letters after hear- volunteers she asked for, said ing of the summit plans. one problem in the Brazos Valley "True racial harmony will be is that people don't ask for what achieved not just through laws ms they want. and government progra - ' in the heai ts of individual. Organizers ,z they hope other summits w`Ii 1 stated Bush in his letter. low, but the next step in their Clinton's letter commended plans is a simulcast of part of the summit participants for Sunday's summit on KBTX -TV working together to end racism. and KHRN -FM. The program is "It is of great importance for scheduled to air 5 to 6 p.m. June the future of our nation that we 1 ' expand that common ground, Hernandez said they plan focusing more on what unites us publish a solutions guide from s. than on what divides us. And in comments gathered at the sum - pursuing this path must mu that can be used in the com engage in a public dialogue that mu is respectful, tolerant and open," Ronnie Jackson, youth ser- nn Clinton stated. vices coordinator for Bryan, said College Station Mayor Lynn the summit was the beginning of McIlhaney, one of six panelists solving the race problems, "but who were part of the summit, we hope it is really the beginning said the division problem isn't of the end of racial division in just racial, it's a human problem. our community." "We are having difficulty as I think it was a good first individuals communicating and step," Jackson said. "I don't " listening to one another,," she think you're going to solve hun- said. "We have people the of years of racial division community who do want to lis- in on e afternoon. n on ten and come to grips with the problem." Q on race relat Tuesday, May 20, 1997 The Reg k rs recommend CS police de S ea artment for accreditation e p p By JENNY NELSON experiences with the department. departments don't want to go through the selves as a professional agency." Eagle Staff Writer Bryan Police Chief Lee Freeman said process of being accredited while some The department will find out if they are "there is a high spirit of cooperation lack publie support. reacered.ited. in lateJuly Ten speakers lavished praise on the instead of competition" ba ween his OrIt provtdes awn tunity to If residents wer e—Aaabl e to attend College Station Police Department during department and College Station's. measure itself against other agencies in the Monday's session, the team will accept its reaccreditation public hearing Monday. The public hearing was just part of a five- nation who have gone through this comments by telephone 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday A team of assessors from the day assessment of the department that has process," Clark said. at 229 -2967. Commission on Accreditation for Law been accredited since 1991. Sgt. Dan Severn, the accreditation man- Written comments also will be accepted Enforcement Agencies Inc., listened to res- Tom Clark, the assessment team captain, ager for the College Station Police at Commission on Accreditation for Law idents and law enforcement officers from said only 1.5 percent of agencies in the Department, said the process gives the Enforcement Inc., 10306 Eaton Place, Suite nearby departments tell of their positive United States are accredited. He said some department a "blueprint for designing our- 320, Fairfax, Va. 22030 -2201. H otel Pan .. rem in unreesolte College Station r iayor: No study until sh. picked By BLAIR FANNIN Eagle Staff Writer Mayor Lynn McIlhaney on Tuesday defended the city's efforts to bring a hotel convention cen- ter to College Station before a keptical Brazos Valley Hotel/Motel Association. When the dust settled about an hour later, everyone still had their own views about the pro- ject that has been the center of controversy since it became a College Station City ;sgeneral uncil agenda item in February. "The meeting didn't resolve ing as far as I'm concerned," said Matt Robe man- ager of the Comfort Inn in College Station. "I wanted someone to tell me they di this feasibili- ty study and we needed this project because it will generate this much money and br in so many people. "If I go to my company saybig I need more rooms without ha.ing a study d e, they're not going to do it unless I provide some proof." After the meeting, McIlhane said, "Really, until we've chosen I a proposal, if we even choose one, and when we've chosen a proper site, then a site specific feasibility study will e done." She also told the audience when a site is chosen, in consultation with PKF Consulting Service, there will be "data available" to u port the deci- sion. When the projlect first became public in February, the "mud lot" in the Noithgate section of the city was the I chosen site. city was con- sidering at the time an agreeme t with John Q. 0 1 � Please se OTEL, Page A2 t L Hotel From Al (' I Hammons Hotels Inc. to uild a 45,000- square -foot confere ce cen- ter on 8.5 acres in excha ige for the developer building a 00 -plus room hotel on the site. The proposal drew criticism from business owners who claimed they had not been given a chance to bid on the project. The council allowed other interested parties 10 days to submit propos- als. On April 3, the council voted unanimously to scrap all propos- als in the wake of complaints that not enough time was given to the potential developers to prepare research for their proposals. Developers were given 30 days to submit new proposals, which can include the "mud lot" or an alter- native site within the city limits. The proposals are due by Friday afternoon. The council members are scheduled to consider the propos- als during a June 12 meeting. During Tuesday's talk to a record turnout of association members, McIlhaney gave a brief overview of the hotel-convention project. "Our goal is to tr the least amount private sector." Some members of the tion said they felt the c pursued Hammons and I incentives weren't fair. McIlhaney defended accusations, saying "the sector came to us" and never initiated the project Barron Hobbs, presider association 'and general r. of the College Station Hil Conference i Center, saic members feel that the city play no role in such a ment. "I understand that," Mc responded. "Our goal is nc ate any hardships for ... [t ciation]. Our goal is to make it where we have t amount of participation N private sector." Developer Ramiro Gala gested that the city alloy to decide the issue. He al: cated a joint effort among nd make it where we have participation with the COLLEGE STATION HOTEL! PROPOSAL ■ In February, the hotel- convention center project became an agenda item. The "mud lot" in the Northgate section of the city was the chosen site. The city was considering an agreement with John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc. to build a 45,000- square -foot con- ference center on 8.5 acres in exchange for the develop- er to build a 200 -plus room hotel on the site. After much criticism from business owners v io claimed they had not given a chance to bid on the t �- ject, the council then allowed other interested partie 0 days to submit proposals. ■ April 3 — The council voted unanimously to sc ip all proposals in the wake of complaints that not enough time was given to the potential developers to prepare research i or their proposals. ■ Apri 9 — The council approves a new criteria for acceptinF proposals, setting a May 16 deadline to find a: site — in luding the "mud lot" or alternative sites within the city limits —and to submit a plan that will meet all of the cit 's requirements. • May 16 — All proposals are due by 4:30 p.m. • June�12 — The city council is scheduled to consid- er the ordposals. It LYNN WILHANEY mayor of College Station ocia- Station, Bryan and Brazos had County for a regional hotel -con- t the ference center. Galindo has pro- posed a site on West Villa Maria hose Road in Bryan, where he owns ivate property. city McIlhaney defended the need for a hotel- convention center in of the College Station, citing the upcom- ager ing July 1998 meeting of the ii i and Association of Mayors Council some Members and Commissioners. mould McIlhaney said Bryan- College : elop- Station was one vote shy of land- ing the convention here for two aney years in a row, but the addition of o cre- meeting space at the new Reed asso- Arena and George Bush y and Presidential Library helped least bring it to the local area. The the meeting will attract approximate- ! ly 900 delegates for four days. b sug- "Based on the amount of ques- voters tions and clarification of ques- advo- tions, I hope I did [clear the air]," ;ollege McIlhaney said. COLLEGE STATION HOTEL! PROPOSAL ■ In February, the hotel- convention center project became an agenda item. The "mud lot" in the Northgate section of the city was the chosen site. The city was considering an agreement with John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc. to build a 45,000- square -foot con- ference center on 8.5 acres in exchange for the develop- er to build a 200 -plus room hotel on the site. After much criticism from business owners v io claimed they had not given a chance to bid on the t �- ject, the council then allowed other interested partie 0 days to submit proposals. ■ April 3 — The council voted unanimously to sc ip all proposals in the wake of complaints that not enough time was given to the potential developers to prepare research i or their proposals. ■ Apri 9 — The council approves a new criteria for acceptinF proposals, setting a May 16 deadline to find a: site — in luding the "mud lot" or alternative sites within the city limits —and to submit a plan that will meet all of the cit 's requirements. • May 16 — All proposals are due by 4:30 p.m. • June�12 — The city council is scheduled to consid- er the ordposals. It • � ! J liJ Date: Your Vi6v I Stop arguing semantics Del ' t is confusing to see our e ejcted city offs cials such as Mayor Lynn Mellhaney, Mayor Lonnie Stabler and Council- woman Kandy Rose so hesi ant to imple- ment programs that might solve juvenile crime and violence. Rose says she is concern d about the organization's fundamentalist views and their place in the public schools. She says her "deeper concern is that the process will not protect the integrity,of the chil- dren." Rose is correct that we must assure each child's right to his or or own reli- gious beliefs, whatever the may be. But this program is not promoting the teach- ings of any one person or religion. This curriculum is not teaching the morality of religious belie pf Confucius, Gautama Buddha, Lao Tz , Jesus Christ or Mohammed. The "Character First" cur - riculum of the Institute in Basic Life Prin- ciples is emphasizing and Leaching chil- dren universal rules of obedience, atten- tiveness, orderliness, diligence, responsi- bility and others — qualities that are non- religious and are key to producing proac- tive, productive citizens in our communi- ty and its children. For several years I have volunteered weekly, working with Save Our Streets, a local, organization that works to save kites from gangs and gang influence. About a year ago we implemented he use of Insti- tute in Basic Life Principles' curriculum in teaching character qualities to ages 5 -20. We have seen improvement in violence, theft, disobedience, cruelty and lying. Seeing this curriculum ork, I encour- age Mayor McIlhaney, Mayor Stabler, Councilwoman Rose and gone else to come and see the program for themselves. When will our elected cit 7 officials stop arguing semantics, hesitating and playing politics long enough to take action on issues that Bryan- College Station resi- dents are concerned about? , JAY MICHAEL ARNOLD Bryan CS c ncil y JENNY NE S tgle Staff Writ Bike routes and parking improvements e two issues the College Station City )until plans to face Thursday. The council is scheduled to meet for a 3 m. workshop and 7 p.m. meeting iursday at City Hall, 1101 Texas Ave. Co `aeration of proposed North gate is scheduled for the workshop, pike loop around part of the city. Amwinillion project is being funded a $1,078,000 grant administered by the -xas Department of Transportation and 69,000 from city funds, said Ed Hard, the y's transportation planner. In other business, the Northgate to consider bike loop, parkin g are; City to unveil revised employee compensation scale entire school day at a s cosof$10300.. Rev talization Board will present parking moc ifications to the Patricia Street Proi nenade, which the council approved earl er this year. Another parking alterna- tive will be presented by John DeShazo, a con ultant the city hired to study the feasi- bili y of Northgate parking facilities. Ir other business, the council plans to dismiss a pay system proposal for city eml loyees for fiscal year 1998 that City Mai ager Skip Noe said will be unveiled at the meeting. During the 7 p.m. meeting, a hearing will be held on the city's proposed com- prehensive plan. and city flan includes policies the city fol- hen developing future ordinances delines, Noe said. )ur blueprint for the next 10 to 20 he said. s of the plan are available in the retary's office. ouncil is also scheduled to consider ig an ordinance reducing the speed n FM 2818 in front of A &M dated High School In its place, the will consider placing warning td flashers to notify drivers of pos- destrians. )ption recommended by city staff The council also is scheduled to cons contract with Turner, Collie and B) Inc. of Houston for a study on the silt lem at Wolf Pen Creek Lake. Noe s approved, the consultant will look at tial ways to control silt build -up. The study will cost $18,000, plus po tests. The council is also scheduled to coi allowing the Grand Oaks subdivisit Lincoln Avenue to be developed as a community with a private drive maint by residents. The issue has been befoi council before, but the council mei asked the developer, David Scarmac provide more information. ricular issues or academic programs in our public schools. We have boards of trustees, administrators and t0ohers to make such decisions. I haven't detected any support for the Institute ink Basic Life Principles curriculum among local educators. Arnold's claim that the Institiute in Basic Life Principles program does not aim to promote the Christian religion ligion is belied by the information on th� nsti- tute's Internet home page (http� // www.IBLP.org/seminars/admsp7.ht), which lists a series of seminarsl for "Senior Pastors and Christian ]Aaders." The title of one seminar is "Ho to bring the light of Christ back into your public schools." Clearly, separation of church and state is not one of t basic principles that the Institute in Basic Life Principles strives to promote. OLIVER e Station C7 t o Nor ate gar"e By JENNY NELSON Comprehensi ve plan Eagle Staff Writer College Station City Council me hers comes under fire Thursday approved plans to move ead with a $5- million, 702 -space parking garage By JENNY NELSON in the Northgate area. Eagle Staff Writer "The council directed the city saff to start the process to look at the feasib ity of Bill Stewart, along with everal other a parking garage on College Main," ayor College Station residents, told city coun- Lynn McIlhaney said. cil members Thursday that he is disap- Construction of the three -level E arage; pointed with the city's proposed compre- contingent on the city acquiring 1 nd on hensive plan. College Main, was part of a three based "My major concern is is lack of a 'ng plan. focused vision," Stewart said. "The the parking package, whic won pieces of the plan do not al. fit to a com- *&" , jval with a tie breaking vote by mon puzzle, and at times t e plan seems McIlhaney, the Patricia Street Promenade to mask commonalities ft t may be out and a $50,000 temporary parking lot behind there among the citizen of College Cafe Eccell also were approved. Station." Before any parking garage is bu' t, City A public hearing held ' i the College Manager Skip Noe said there will be more Station council chambers attracted a study and opportunities for the ublic's roomful of residents wantin to express input at council meetings.. their views about the pl city officials Noe said the land on College Main has a call their blueprint for the next 10 -to-20 few businesses, but the site mos y is a years. vacant lot. Obtaining the land d con- The proposed comprehensive plan, structing the parking garage could cost taxpayers $1 milli he said. But if fmanc- Please see IlILAN, Page A2 CD memo cc O Please see NORTHGATE, ,page A2 V_ a 0 which will cost $360,040, details how the city plans to deal with land usage, drainage, traffic, flood - plains and other issues in the future. The council began work on the plan in 1995 with three community meetings, city planner Jane Kee said. More meetings followed in 1996, she said, with two public workshops earlier this year. One issue council members removed from the plan is the extension of Appomattox Street between the Raintree and Windwood subdivisions. The onnn decided to deal with the possi�i� e streeL emension as a seua• rate issue at a later date. Other complaints about the plan ranged from unresolved drainage problems at Wolf Pen Creek to neighborhood protection from development. "Basically, what everyone wants to do is maintain the integrity of their neighborhoods," Councilman Swiki Anderson said during his first council meeting. In other business, the council approved a $1.3- million bike loop that would connect 3 -to-4 miles of bike paths and lanes around the city. The 10 -foot wide concrete loop will be financed with 80 per- cent of Texas Department of Transportation funds and 20 per- cent of city funds. City officials said they hope to have the final plans to the state for approval in January. The council also approved a gated community requested by developer David Scamardo for the. Grand Oaks subdivision on Lincoln Avenue. , - Scamardo said he hopes to have the 23 -lot area built -out in 18 months. The residents will pay a $5 -to -$6 fee each month to main- tain the closed -off cul-de -sac. c zs cv .. o F a� � o a� W ' O — d) 1W �0 3 o c �o M c� 3 c s. �� ° ' °o a;y�UO �.�p. o o U � o N v� v 3x �a �x� o andA 0� v �+ C z, o c ° a o v'� ° v� o o Ei •., �. °� ¢ °3 Qom` °��b. ~o °�q"v�'! °�.a;'UO`�o�.��� a`�oo�°'��� a) Cd � a� °p .�� o�oc�oZoo�o an4�va�a��o ..onaZ � o Z f3 c cC y�wp �.- Ua A O UZ'•S� >+, OA >� CS, gives green light t 400*1. 1 BmCS economy expected to grow By BLAIR FANNIN Economist: Future depends on new industries Bush Library. Hazleton said the future of the local Eagle Staff Writer 7 economy depends on the kind of job local "Commodity -based Commerce. economic leaders do in bringing in new A local economist predicted Thursday economics is not doing , Red Cashion, chairman emeritus of industry. that Bryan- College Station's economy will well, folks," Hazleton Anco Insurance, served as master of cere- "We have been doing a good job of that. continue to grow in the construction and told the audience. monies. Hazleton said. "The knowledge -based ser- services sector and that knowledge -based "Everyone is into com- Featured speakers were Joe Sanderson, vice industries are the future. What do the future. Jared Hazleton, director of business and economic analysis for the College of Business at Texas A &M University, was one of five featured speakers at the 1997 Economic Outlook Conference held at the Brazos Center. More than 300 local business leaders attend- ed the program, which was hosted by the SANDERSON Brazos Valley Small Business Development Center and the Bryan - College Station Chamber of Farms; Richard S. Smith, chairman of the Bryan - College Station Economic Development Corporation; Ronald Ward, vice president and general manager of the Enterprise and Solutions Division, Compaq Computer Corporation; and David Alsobrook, director of the George Somebody sits in front of a computer. Thee use knowledge. We all know what hap- pened in the '80s with the oil boom. We are in a service knowledge -based economy." However, Hazleton said improvement- Please see ECONOMY, Pade All 0 U. warri Qnifl comnao. which has a develop- conomy From Al need to be made in education to experience continued growth in the technology field. "It is important that we develop strong edu- cational backgrounds," Hazleton said. "There are poor segments in our community, and we need to improve our schools where we can make it possible for Africans and Hispanics to excel in education." Hazleton said improvements are being made in education locally, citing increases in Texas Assessment of Academic Skills test scores. "We have the capacity to keep it a good place to live," Hazleton said. Hazleton said locally, construction and the corvine sectors will continue to grow. poultry company chose t lo -in - _ College Station, citing a strong infrastruc- ture, a large population that surrounds the area, a good water supply, a labor supply and interest by contract growers. Sanderson Farms began production locally in March, processing 240,000 birds a week. By Labor Day, the plant predicts it will be pro- ducing approximately 625,000 birds a week. Sanderson said 1996 was a challenging and difficult year. "We experienced high prices in feed, but prices should return back to normal levels with good crops projected this year," he said. Alsobrook gave a presentation on the George Bush Presidential Library, which will open this fall. "Texans have a great deal to be proud about," Alsobrook said. "We are the first state to have two presidential libraries. This is something to be very enthusiastic about." is' busy providing computer equipment for the new library. The development center currently employs over 30 part -time workers, primarily Texas A &M University engineering students. Ward said Compaq hopes to expand its development capabilities and develop new engineering talent from Texas A &M. He said Compaq's future goal is to become a $40 billion company by the year 2000. Smith gave an overview of the Bryan- College Station Economic Development Corporation. Smith said the local area has seen 10,122 new jobs created over the past five years. "We have a great quality of life and a good education system," Smith said. "The only thing we are not sure is when our kids go to college and graduate, will they have a good job here waiting on them ?" y • • Your Vie Don't link Appom ttox I n the proposed Comprehens me Land Use Plan for College Station Appomat- tox Street in Windwood would be joined to Appomattox Street in Rain $e. This is of serious concern, because the 1 ,Windwood neighborhood is only two blocks wide and will be negatively affected by the resultant increase of traffic. The members of the Windw od Home- owners Association, a voluntary associa- tion of the Windwood neighborhoods, have asked the city council not to extend Appomattox. The safety of o neighbor- hood is our ultimate goal. Da ger to school children going to and f r9m school buses and to and from Wind obd Park is of particular concern. Half the neighbor- hood is across Appomattox fro m the park. The East Bypass should sei ve those peo- ple trying to hurry north and south on the east side of town. Neighborhoods should not be split in half by traffic I r6in outside of the neighborhood. Traffic cutting through the neighborhood to commercial areas would cause worse tr is jams at Appomattox and Texas 30. TY. is is already a problem at peak traffic times, Such traf- fic would increase the noise problem that already.; exists from the heavy Bypass and Texas 30 traffic. We know the city is willin tb work with neighborhoods. City staff an neighbor- hood members are looking ' to, putting a gate at Bent Tree Drive, and they are test- ing the closure of Munson & Ashburn avenues, both good attempts t solving traffic problems. Our hope is to prevent the necessity for similar me sures. Our neighborhood is small duet two high- ways and to the drainage to Carter Creek. It is not reasonable to jeopar Rze a neigh - borhood with heavy traffic A hen it is avoidable. We say again, do iot extend Appomattox SI-IERRY ELLISON College Station The EaEle �- CS Vc�ne I eyes plan on tourim Group to share finding of study with CS couni By BLAIR FANNIN Eagle Staff Writer Members of a panel Wednesday ni reviewed the final draft of a se-, month study on tourism in Bryan , College Station that focuses on attl tions, transportation and infrastructi and marketing. The panel plans to present the f ings before the College Station Council on June 12. The study, initiated by the cour looks at tourism strategies that coulc used jointly by the cities of Bryan College Station, Brazos County Texas A &M University. The study focuses on three mi points: Attractions; transportation infrastructure; and marketing. E, point contains three objectives, ; includes a list of strategies for e objective. The three objectives under attracti include: Promote the development' < "joint entertainment zone "; prorr, Northgate and downtown Bryan "entertainment zones" in Coll Station and Bryan, respectively; , enhance and develop attractions nc of Bryan and south of College Station Transportation and infrastruct objectives include improving sign for better and safer public movem establishing visitor and infdrmat welcome centers; and improving trr portation access to and within Br} College Station and the Brazos Valle; Marketing objectives include coo nating tourism marketing plans; es lishing a tourism marketing educatic program; and initiating greater pro tion of all attractions and events in Brazos Valley. Members talked at length about I the study should be presented to 1 government officials. Ron Blatchley, owner /operator of local McDonald's restaurants, sugge; the study be presented in an open rr ing setting before voters and elected cials after it is reviewed by the coun Judging from past experience, need to put this before the people actually vote and are the actual mol and shakers," said Blatchley, who former Bryan mayor. "I think this w( help it move forward if it is preset before our elected officials and it w be something that is just pushed asi Date: CD � t O i O _ a ` - . a !/) . C be C a as E CA we Qf a w �V O - � +,+ ao 0 o Q o Mo 'oA 'o c�4�ai5~R *4 o c &' v � O � 0 W m ° O co bD s, °� tw o 4q 74 n v . � Q is i..i 4 Y C S Z O a y- O qp'C r. 48 g � W OC�j U o� °�'-o En O �+ P� M CTS 0 > ° $+ > L Cts� O Cpl C O � d 0 CO y UUUy CA ks a�i s `d io o � (. E- � s.+ vs m c� � 4 - >° U �[ O cC � cTS U � x 'o v a�i o o U �� Q3 U w°q� U`�oyyF"xai U �+ +•' Q) 0 = Q, U CZ o'�s Qf a w �V COD N � d vi 0 0 -71 > °O � � +,+ ao 0 o a� Mo 'oA 'o c�4�ai5~R *4 o c &' v � O 0w 0 0 aA . °vU s� a� � `� o� °� cn Q) o � 0 CTS ai ° O co bD s, °� tw o 4q 74 n v . � Q is i..i 4 Y C S Z O a 4 1 C y 0 ' O > d V qp'C r. 48 g `6�CZ OC�j o �ana> a� S:" 0 Q° t E� � O'CO ° In En O �+ P� M CTS 0 > ° $+ > L Cts� O Cpl C O � d 0 CO CA ks a�i s `d io o � (. E- � s.+ vs m c� � 4 Qf a The Ea0e Date: DER CONSTRUCTION Eagle photo/Dave McDermand The new College Station fire station on Holleman Drive will remain for several weeks empty while waiting for repairs. Foundation problems delay CI'S fire station opening By MEGHAN BLAIR "Now it looks as if the. dal a will be by a March 1994 bond election, and Eagle Staff Writer three or four weeks from Co�iege Station City M w." ger Skip Giordano said the repairs will not cost taxpayers any additional money. he doors of the new College Noe said operating out of a station Precinct One fire station emergency Station fire station will rE main before the repairs were cc npleted personnel on Texas Avenue will move closed for at least a month while would be difficult. to the new station. Administrators and a company repairs some structural Afew weeks after the f u dation fire prevention departments will flaws. was laid, cracks formed in e front remain in the current building. City Engineer Kent Laza said he drive of the station at 304 East "There will be some vacant space in hopes to deliver final repair plans to Holleman Drive, Giordano aid. And* the old building. There was mention of company hired to do them, C.F. rain water seeps under the ay doors moving some other department aver L ie ,rdan, by the end of the week. because the grade of the y a fement there, but the city really hasn't decided Company officials estimate the moves water toward the s ation what to do with it yet," Giordano said. repairs will take about three w eks, instead of away from it, h aid. The city also is conducting a nation - Laza said. "I really don't want to t fingers al search for a new fire chief. "Originally we planned to move in here because everyone is VDrking Giordano was selected to fill the posi- around March, but rain delays pushed very hard together to fix problem," tion on an interim basis after the for - it back to April," said David Giordano, Giordano said. mer chief, William Kennedy, left in interim fire chief for College Station. The $935,000 fire station as funded December. CS power Eagle staff report Twenty percent of College St power for almost an hour Tues after a snake crawled into a tr, at Post Oak Mall. The outage at approximately had city utility agents scramb: the problem and respond to c C dents. ob Pohl, electric division The Ea Date: )utage dart for College Station, said th been rerouted temporari in lost breaker can be repaired on night "The top of the breaker i brmer the transformer was take said. "A replacement break 0 p.m. $10,000." to fix College Station police de from cials also fielded numeroi residents. mager "We were swamped with IN ens parts of city system has came in and it took us by surprise," said until the College Station police officer Jared 'ednesday. Julian. "It was right at shift change, so it burned and was kind of hectic. out," Pohl "People should really call the utility costs about company, not us." A similar incident in Bryan shortly a rtment offi- after midnight on May 27 resulted in a 20- calls from minute outage. The cause: a snake came in contact with a lightning arrester and alls when I knocked out four distribution feeders. City officials won't act on the deal until said. Steele said. Mayor Lynn Mcilhaney is on the litigation process d A� y ■ 1"Ib co n C y <D 'I n ' Oro O .-y A, — 0 CD CD A7 f~r N n 'r CD c `n S > p�j (�D s3.,� r' �. O „ co c�D CD ID Cr t]+ a 4 L1 � aJ . �G_77 O ro ¢� M O J CD Lawsuit delays opening of Northgate restaurai By JENNY NELSON Former property owners upset over city purchase scheduled to be served with writtei cation of the suit this week. After I Eagle staff Writer � o �*� roro z�i3"r� y W ° a � C. (D ° '� O 8 q � x En officials are served, Calliham sai• The opening of a Texadelphia Sandwich litigation on the property is resolved, said The former property owners, Elmo and will have 20 days to respond. and Sports restaurant in College Station's Peggy Calliham, spokeswoman for the Marvelyn Neal of Bryan, say city officials The Neals have not specified the Northgate area has been delayed due to a city. falsely told them their land was being con- of the lawsuit, but Steele said the pending law suit, although the restaurant "Texadelphia met their end of the deal," demned for street improvements and a say the building was of much mor chain has the funding. Calliham_ said parking lot. than the $102.500 they were awarde The city's April 22 imposed deadline for Willie Madd, owner of Texadelphia, did "They were told one thing and some- Steele said the Neals had no debt the Houston -based restaurant owner to not return phone calls Monday. thing else occurred and they don't think property and it was a "cash flow" 1) find financing to buy the $230,000 city The litigation holding up the deal stems this is the way city government ought to leased out to a restaurant. owned property came and went with no from the city's pirretwse of part of the operate," said Steven Steele, the Neals' Calliham said no dates have beer action by the College Station City Council. property at 317 -319 Patricia St., Calliham attorney. city council action, and that it will City officials won't act on the deal until said. Steele said. Mayor Lynn Mcilhaney is on the litigation process d A� y ■ 1"Ib co n C y <D 'I n ' Oro O .-y A, — 0 CD CD A7 f~r N n 'r CD c `n S > p�j (�D s3.,� r' �. O „ co c�D CD ID Cr t]+ a 4 L1 � aJ . �G_77 O ro ¢� M O J CD + 7s cn 1 1 CD O + ro 0 dU A> O � o �*� roro z�i3"r� y W ° a � C. (D ° '� O 8 q � x En N °� � � � � (n (D CL co � � rn �z �s n -1 q Q 0 CA CD CL y UQ *MOW p U Na� vi o `� � ^� .� .fl � � t•' c � � � 4 Cq N N RS 'C V7 Cd +' C� Cn •� f-j O g o ° 3•+ S.i ° ac s, o o o �U �, IS Cz Cz W 8 0 � — C a) p 0 00 0 L By JENNY NELSON and DEA Eagle Staff Writers at torum Hopefuls for s hoot board, CS council to kle topics College Station city cow didates got a chance to air — less t two weeks bef The buzzwords of the "accountability" and "res their credits and abili answered questions by th and audience members tY buttons" for citizens. For instance, the city's ference center and the loc was a question asked of opposed city council race Chris Conner and St, Place 1, while Swiki An run nin g for Place 3. Dav for the Place 5eal A TOTZKE ;il and school board can- , Ieir views Tuesday night •e the May 3 election. night were "service," ansibility." After touting es, the six candidates League of Women Voters t have become some "hot ole in building a hotel -con- ition of the possible facility the candidates in the two ve Esmond are vying for lerson and Bob Joiner are d Hickson is running unop" Please Page Ag �72 ��� � � 023 �.� �i;� �9 cn 0 2 1 4 Cz Cz CD J." ��� t P4 C 3 aA' - 3+ D °'i � �� 3 m� � ° o ° o o Cs Ch 0 o ° •.. y o O •o n� mo 45 ID, 3 3 aw 0 o i 3 Cn o CnoU°.,'° ° v� Cn 4 = N o o gyp o �a�io� c� r,., o a> yc� r. Cz +'�°onu'.? na ° °sue .� a � o� > ° �6 c� -S a bOA .~� p O w OV cl I M tC L W "C � cz� O U >~ O O s. y ... O O LLM o .� 01 Candidates air views The Ea N Date: - ,: Burger BOY By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer Fifteen minutes before his line Thursday, restaurant o` Sopasakis said he "partially relocation offer from the Co Council. pasakis' Northgate ger Boy on Patricia Str relocated to make room R Patricia Street Promenade. is scheduled to start on Mon Details of the settlement, CS ne settlemen a n emergency executive se sion of the cil granted an extension to Sopasakis, council on Wednesday, are of being dis- who asked to stay until the end of the closed, but Sopasakis said the settlement school semester. offered is $17,500 less thaa he needs to Now the city wants to start constr - relocate his restaurant. Mayor Lynn Mcilhaney said the coun- cil directed the city staff to bring the updated details back to e council at their Thursday meeting. She said "their [the So sakis'] attor- ney has been talking to our attorney ... we're trying to work thro g it." Mcllhaney said the restaurant was sup posed to be vacated in Apr fl, but the coun- tion on the parking lot portion oft e Patricia Street project, which is sched- uled for completion by the fall semester. Sopasakis wants a settlement large enough to pay for relocation expenses. Sopasakis said he didn't want to dis- close the details of the conditions he sub- mitted to the city, but he said he expects a response from the city on Friday or Monday. �It The Eagle Date: c cr a� Gi a c o ID M c w o m m o M o .o y w, w o �� a y D D a c ro' m ID w Dc �q o [ m .. t� o m^ o m �ooM A o' m �. m w c"D'o pi ow` w8 E o's o csm y Eo a 0 a � - � 0 v �Qo DFno W fD 0 It a rn N C A. o CD s nG �< m p a o OrQ K w (D .3 0 w m I- lo N P ?- mw a o 0 i a 0 y n 0 to �O a Q ZZ ZZ C_ M M M 3 a s G7 c M a O CD C O CD i3 a- CD cQ CD c� p O O CO C CD CD 4K O C M O' n _ O� X C 77 vi CD C N CD Motel From Al review, the team found no major problems with any of the propos- als fora full- service hotel. Ng said she and John Keeling from PKF Will answer any questions coun- Oil members have Thursday. Thursday's review will be the first of three steps the council has scheduled. The next step will be June 19, when the developers will Dave 15 minutes to present their proposals and 15 minutes to answer questions from council members. i "I think we have four proposals that are very competitive and give the city council a positive place to be in," said Tom Brymer, assistant city manager. "[The Council members] have four solid development teams to select from if that's what they choose to do." At next week's meeting the ouncil could make a decision to accept or reject any or all of the proposals, Brymer said. The pro- posed schedule shows the council }Waking a decision June 26. Of the four proposals, three aim to build on a site in the Northgate mud lot area, which was the orig- Inal proposed site when John Q. ammons was the only con - tender. The other proposed loca- tion is the Wolf Pen Creek area off exas 6. The project began when the council was presented with a pro- posed preliminary agreement with John Q. Hammon Hotels Inc. for a $20 million hotel and a $6 million conference center. The Northate mud lot was the speci- fied location. During this presentation, the plan was criticized by other com- panies who wanted a chance at the project, so the council reopened the project for new pro - po The Hammon proposal remains the same from the origi- nally submitted plan, except for a revised site plan. Two other developers are proposing to build on the Northgate site: Lane Hospitality and The Leddy Company. Lane, which owns the College Station Hilton, is proposing a $16.8 million hotel with a $6 mil- lion city investment for the con- ference center. Barron Hobbs, general manag- er of the College Station Hilton, said if the Lane proposal is cho- sen a feasibility study would need to be conducted before any construction takes place. "They need to go through .. [the proposals] and the next process is to prove to the voters that there's a need because they are going to be putting up public Hotel Proposal List The following companies have submitted proposals: ■ Lane Hospitality of Northbrook, 11.: a 200 -room, six - story full - service hotel at Northgate. ■ The Wolf Pen Creek Team of College Station: a 200 -room four - story Sheraton Hotel in the Wolf Pen Creek area. ■ The Leddy Corporation of San Antonio: 200 -room six -story DoubleTree Inn in Northgate. ■ John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc., who has been negotiating with the city for several months about putting a hotel of at least 200 rooms on the mud lot. funds for the convention center," Hobbs said of the council. The Leddy Group, a hotel developer in partnership with College Station businessman John Culpepper III that also owns the mud lot, is proposing a $20.4 million DoubleTree Inn with the city paying $6 million for the conference center. The Leddy Group's proposal also states that a feasibility study would need to be conduct- ed. The Wolf Pen Creek Team pro- posal, the sole plan that includes its own feasibility study, calls for spending $14.5 million on the hotel combined with an $8 mil- lion office building. "We don't think anyone can make the numbers work with a $20 million hotel so we backed out to a $14 million hotel with the $8 million office building," said Jim Allen, a member of the Wolf Pen Creek Team. He said the income from the office building will help balance out the hotel funds. Allen said the benefit of locat- ing at their proposed site instead of Northgate is the additional parking area the Wolf Pen Creek area can provide, the access to Texas 6 and the investment the city has already made in the Wolf Pen Creek area. Allen said another advantage of the location is that the confer- ence center could be built on city -owned property there. If the city council accepts the proposals, funds in the 1996 -97 budget are earmarked for the city's portion of the conference center. The city has allocated $6 million to build the convention center and parking lot and up to $1 million to acquire land for it, said City Manager Skip Noe. The city would pay for the pro- ject by issuing, certificates of obligation, which Noe said would be repaid by proceeds from the hotel /motel occupancy tax, additional hotel occupancy tax revenues generated by the project, and city and school dis- trict taxes. FF5 ID O w �r y � E'D " m O `C w D o O o EM N Cj N Zr g A o m� o CD M CD w y O ID G 0 o "o m o w � ID m o Q CD . 0 -t e c cr a� Gi a c o ID M c w o m m o M o .o y w, w o �� a y D D a c ro' m ID w Dc �q o [ m .. t� o m^ o m �ooM A o' m �. m w c"D'o pi ow` w8 E o's o csm y Eo a 0 a � - � 0 v �Qo DFno W fD 0 It a rn N C A. o CD s nG �< m p a o OrQ K w (D .3 0 w m I- lo N P ?- mw a o 0 i a 0 y n 0 to �O a Q ZZ ZZ C_ M M M 3 a s G7 c M a O CD C O CD i3 a- CD cQ CD c� p O O CO C CD CD 4K O C M O' n _ O� X C 77 vi CD C N CD Motel From Al review, the team found no major problems with any of the propos- als fora full- service hotel. Ng said she and John Keeling from PKF Will answer any questions coun- Oil members have Thursday. Thursday's review will be the first of three steps the council has scheduled. The next step will be June 19, when the developers will Dave 15 minutes to present their proposals and 15 minutes to answer questions from council members. i "I think we have four proposals that are very competitive and give the city council a positive place to be in," said Tom Brymer, assistant city manager. "[The Council members] have four solid development teams to select from if that's what they choose to do." At next week's meeting the ouncil could make a decision to accept or reject any or all of the proposals, Brymer said. The pro- posed schedule shows the council }Waking a decision June 26. Of the four proposals, three aim to build on a site in the Northgate mud lot area, which was the orig- Inal proposed site when John Q. ammons was the only con - tender. The other proposed loca- tion is the Wolf Pen Creek area off exas 6. The project began when the council was presented with a pro- posed preliminary agreement with John Q. Hammon Hotels Inc. for a $20 million hotel and a $6 million conference center. The Northate mud lot was the speci- fied location. During this presentation, the plan was criticized by other com- panies who wanted a chance at the project, so the council reopened the project for new pro - po The Hammon proposal remains the same from the origi- nally submitted plan, except for a revised site plan. Two other developers are proposing to build on the Northgate site: Lane Hospitality and The Leddy Company. Lane, which owns the College Station Hilton, is proposing a $16.8 million hotel with a $6 mil- lion city investment for the con- ference center. Barron Hobbs, general manag- er of the College Station Hilton, said if the Lane proposal is cho- sen a feasibility study would need to be conducted before any construction takes place. "They need to go through .. [the proposals] and the next process is to prove to the voters that there's a need because they are going to be putting up public Hotel Proposal List The following companies have submitted proposals: ■ Lane Hospitality of Northbrook, 11.: a 200 -room, six - story full - service hotel at Northgate. ■ The Wolf Pen Creek Team of College Station: a 200 -room four - story Sheraton Hotel in the Wolf Pen Creek area. ■ The Leddy Corporation of San Antonio: 200 -room six -story DoubleTree Inn in Northgate. ■ John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc., who has been negotiating with the city for several months about putting a hotel of at least 200 rooms on the mud lot. funds for the convention center," Hobbs said of the council. The Leddy Group, a hotel developer in partnership with College Station businessman John Culpepper III that also owns the mud lot, is proposing a $20.4 million DoubleTree Inn with the city paying $6 million for the conference center. The Leddy Group's proposal also states that a feasibility study would need to be conduct- ed. The Wolf Pen Creek Team pro- posal, the sole plan that includes its own feasibility study, calls for spending $14.5 million on the hotel combined with an $8 mil- lion office building. "We don't think anyone can make the numbers work with a $20 million hotel so we backed out to a $14 million hotel with the $8 million office building," said Jim Allen, a member of the Wolf Pen Creek Team. He said the income from the office building will help balance out the hotel funds. Allen said the benefit of locat- ing at their proposed site instead of Northgate is the additional parking area the Wolf Pen Creek area can provide, the access to Texas 6 and the investment the city has already made in the Wolf Pen Creek area. Allen said another advantage of the location is that the confer- ence center could be built on city -owned property there. If the city council accepts the proposals, funds in the 1996 -97 budget are earmarked for the city's portion of the conference center. The city has allocated $6 million to build the convention center and parking lot and up to $1 million to acquire land for it, said City Manager Skip Noe. The city would pay for the pro- ject by issuing, certificates of obligation, which Noe said would be repaid by proceeds from the hotel /motel occupancy tax, additional hotel occupancy tax revenues generated by the project, and city and school dis- trict taxes. The Ea2fe Hotel plans studied Questions follow review of proposals By JENNY NELSON Eagle Statt Writer As consultants and council members went over the details of proposals for a College Station hotel- conference center Thursday, questions filled the disrawWns . densed six-page hand - 0 onsultants of Houston pr the four proposals, but said they still are working to answer many issues that develop- ers did not include in their plans. "Next week, [the developers] should be prepared to answer these questions," consultant John Keeling said. Next Thursday, filling in the blanks found in the proposals will be part of a 30- minute allot- ment each developer will have to present their ideas to the College Station City Council. The four hotels are: Lane Hospitality of Northbrook, Ill.; The Wolf Pen Creek Team of College Station; The Leddy Corporation of San Antonio; and John Q. Hammon Hotels Inc. of Springfield, Mo. The Wolf Pen Creek Team, which offered its namesake site off Texas 6 as a location, pro- posed the only site other than the "mud lot" at Northgate. The proposals offer a 200 -room facility to be built adjacent to a $6 million city -owned conference center. Two proposals indicated a time Please see HOTEL, Page A2 c Hote Date: F From From Al = line: the Leddy proposal said 1999 . could be the first full year of operation and the Wolf Pen Creek proposal said the year 2000. know specifically what it would The council could vote on the issue as soon July 10. In other b iness, the council heard plan for proposed changes to th city's pay plan. Karen Pav inski, director of!, human reso ces, told the coun - cil a new pl — including a gain-sharing Ian — is needed tb, reward perfo ance. She said 11 a plan, developed'. with employ input, would give. a 3.5 pert nt overall pay increase, but council members asked the stal 7 to study the issue further, lookiu at a possible 3 percent over raise with a half- percent raise given as a perfor- mance bonus The count issue later t 1998 budget i The count approved bid lights — one of Post Oak 1 and the oth( and the Lon( Ten new si approved. T place the ol( the Luther parks in tl area. The $1 will come h Nand, whicl Noe said p projects. i will vote on the ris year when the decided. on another issue, for two new traffic it the west entrance [all at Harvey Road r at Texas Avenue vet Pavilion. C 0 U n C I I vet lights also were e council voted to fashioned lights in p rom Al Jones and Brison B city's Southside Construction on the N( ,000 purchase price project began this week )m the Hotel/Motel dozers and workers prep City Manager Skip demolish the structures ovides for historic Burger Boy for a parking Sopasakis, though, budged, saying the city ov more money than an counter relocation offer of without rights — a sta defended Thursday night. Councilman Dick B made a motion to offer So what he eventually ended ting. The motion was secor Councilman Larry Mariot But council newcomer, 'Esmond and Swiki Ar banded together and mad( stitute motion to give Sop( 30- minute negotiating Birdwell agreed, making more than the 30 -miut, i ment would be tolerated. Lynn Mcllhaney joined th while Hickson and Mariot ed. Councilman Hub K was not present. The mots approved on a 4.2 vote. At 8:12 p.m., with a time( Ing backwards in front of ( audience, Sopasakis began the council his reason fo money. He said relocating Council ends �� tery b rger Boy relocation deal citizens of the city to say, "Hey, you can't hold us hostage, "' Hickson said after the meeting. The negotiations ended a two- year battle that began when the city purchased the building Sopasakis was renting as part of the Northgate revitalization plan. At the time, city officials said Sopasakis agreed to the plan he ended up getting. Later, 6opasakis requested a $93,000 deal. JENNY NELSON le Staff Writer In a 30- minute showdown nursday night, the College ation City Council ended an igoing controversy over a relo- ttion package with a Northgate rstaurant owner. The city agreed to give George )pasakis, owner of the Burger oy, a deal totaling about $10,000 r relocate his eatery, Council - ran David Hickson said. "We have a responsibility to the Please see COUNCIL, Page A2 approved Then, with the hands on the clock showing 11 minutes remaining, a $46,100 package with no further rights was sug- gesthd. Esmond moved that the offer be executed and pending papers being drawn up and signed. Anderson agreed. But the other four council members didn't. A 4- 2 vote killed the offer. With a look of disbelief, Sopasakis sighed heavily as a 4-2 vote to stick with the original approximately $10,000 offer was taken. The final amount includes half of the rent Sopasakis has paid for the past two years, as well as his $1,100 deposit. When the votes were complet- ed, five minutes remained on the clock, but Sopasakis had nothing more to say. The mayor said she doesn't know what else the city could have done to help Sopasakis. "No one knows what all we've done. I feel that, in a two-year period, we have tried to work , *ith him and, as far back as last September, the city hired a real estate agent to help him find a new location," Mcllhaney said. "There may be a question between what he thinks is fair and what the city thinks is fair, but for him to stand up there and say that the city did not try to help him is not factual," she said. Hickson said he isn't sure when Burger Boy will have to be vacat- ed, but the council is working to meet a late August date for com- pletion of the parking lot. require a new vent hood at $6,000, as well as other items necessary to turn the new location into a "respectable restaurant." But council members wanted to know specifically what it would gate take to wrap up the deal. bull- "Let's get to the bottom line — d to what would it take so we can rund reach some financial resolution ?" Anderson asked. An't During this time, Mariot him appeared to have had enough, rifer mumbling under his breath but ),500 loud enough for the audience to he hear, "This is bull—." Birdwell emphasized to well Sopasakis that, if a settlement akis was reached, he would have to get- waive his rights to sue or to col- d by lect any further money under a federal appeal he has filed against teve the city for unfair relocation .son assistance. sub - Leaning into the microphone pis a on the wooden podium, Sopasakis , iod. said he believes he does have fed- no eral rights and does not want to llot- let them go. iyor Council members again asked ree, him for the exact amount It would ject- take to settle while waiving his Cady rights. After a long pause, he was responded, "In the $45,000 range." Sopasakis still had 15 minutes unt- re maining , and asked the council rpen for time to collect his thoughts. ling The request was granted, but the iore clock didn't stop as council mem- )uld bers took a 4- minute stretch. approved Then, with the hands on the clock showing 11 minutes remaining, a $46,100 package with no further rights was sug- gesthd. Esmond moved that the offer be executed and pending papers being drawn up and signed. Anderson agreed. But the other four council members didn't. A 4- 2 vote killed the offer. With a look of disbelief, Sopasakis sighed heavily as a 4-2 vote to stick with the original approximately $10,000 offer was taken. The final amount includes half of the rent Sopasakis has paid for the past two years, as well as his $1,100 deposit. When the votes were complet- ed, five minutes remained on the clock, but Sopasakis had nothing more to say. The mayor said she doesn't know what else the city could have done to help Sopasakis. "No one knows what all we've done. I feel that, in a two-year period, we have tried to work , *ith him and, as far back as last September, the city hired a real estate agent to help him find a new location," Mcllhaney said. "There may be a question between what he thinks is fair and what the city thinks is fair, but for him to stand up there and say that the city did not try to help him is not factual," she said. Hickson said he isn't sure when Burger Boy will have to be vacat- ed, but the council is working to meet a late August date for com- pletion of the parking lot. The Ea New No Date: N weanesaay anernoon. i ne office is next to the otter. CS council set to discuss settlement for restaurant By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer The city of College Station and a local busin owner await the other's next move in Northg like players in a professional chess match. The stakes? A hamburger restaurant owned George and Tara Sopasakis, who have let c deadlines pass without moving from their Bur Boy bicycle - delivery eatery. "We feel like we have certain rights and the i us stepping on us, so we decided to make a star George Sopasakis said. The city is moving ahead with a parking lot I ject that eventually will be in the restaum space. In the city's latest move Wednesday, office next door to Burger Boy was strippe I of its insides. The College t ion Cilty Council could disclose the details of.a ttlement with the couple s soon as Thursday, hen council members are sched- uled to discuss' possible options in a closed ses- sion. City officilils can't discuss the detaih of the offer, since the Issue will be discussed in xec- utive session. Sopasakis said that, last week, the city A bred $36,900 to compensate for the forced ma re and relocation, which is part of the city's No ate Revitalization plan that includes the icia Street Promenade. Please see BURGER, Page A2 Burge From At -I The Sopasakises already have had one deadline extended to the end of the spring semester, but say they aren't moving until they know for sure how the city will compensate them. Their new location — a former garage — will take some redoing, more than the offered amount by the city, George Sopasakis said. Mayor Lynn McIlhaney said some adjustments already have been made to the building, and additions would be minimal. But Sopasakis said the bids for the new restaurant came in about $10,000 more than the city's offer. Sopasakis said he told the city last week that he would accept the offer, but not the conditions the city, tacked on to it. One con- dition pertains to two other busi- nesses run by the Sopasakises — the Chicken Basket and Advanced Tutoring Service. Advanced Tutoring Service was located next door to the Patricia Street Burger Boy and was shut down with no compen- sation because of the city's, park- ing plans, Sopasakis said. The other eatery, also on Patricia Street, was shut down by the pro- ject without compensation, he said. The Sopasakises said they have filed an appeal with the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department, saying the city did not meet federal relocation guide- lines iii the cases of Chicken Basket and Advanced Tutoring Service. Barbara Palmer, the couple's consulting attorney, said the city's agreement to only give the money if the HUD appeal process is dropped "sort of indicates to me that they know there could be a potential problem." Sopasakis said he and his wife are awaiting an answer from HUD to see if the city owes them more money to pay for reason- able and necessary expenses. The council also is scheduled to discuss the hotel- conferenbe cen- ter proposals in the 3 p.m. work- shop session. The council members will look at the proposals this week, while hearing the presentations from the developers next Thursday. City Manager Skip Noe said Wednesday, however, that a pro- posal probably will not be chosen until July 10 because a full coun- cil will not be present until then. In other business, the council is scheduled to discuss pay options for city employees, including market adjustments and attempts to recognize individual perfor- mances, Noe said. He said details of the plan won't be available until the afternoon workshop. Another topic on the agenda concerns two new traffic lights. The bids for the lights are sched- uled for consideration during the 7 P.M. meeting. The new lights are planned for the west entrance of Post Oak Mall at Harvey Road, while the other is planned for Texas Avenue and the Lonestar Pavilion. Street lights also are on the agenda. The council will vote on placing 10 old- fashioned lights in Luther Jones and Brison parks in city's Southside area. If accepted, the $10,000 purchase will come from the Hotel/Motel Fund, which Noe said provides for his- toric projects. The council is scheduled to meet at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the city hall, 1101 Texas Ave. The Eagle Date: " ❑A CS eyes court for teeo By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer Being judged by your peers wo take on a new meaning for many liege Station teens if their classmates ided their fate in court . Trial by a teen jury is sor iething College Station Municipal Judg Tripp Walter says he is studying. "There are communities out there that have proven this is a good program appears to be a win -win thing," ha said. Walter, who was hired by the city in January, said the teen court wo take some of the juvenile load off, but it work only would pertain to the puns ent phase of a trial. To qualify for the teen court, a person Please see TEEN, Page A2 teen "It really works — I promise y ou." Al must be 10 to 18 years old or enrolled in a secondary school and be charged with a Class C misdemeanor, Walter said. After appearing before a municipal judge or a jus- tice of the peace, the teenager would have the option of being tried in teen court. Walters said there are two advantages to the pro- gram: giving the next generation a glimpse into the criminal justice system and giving teens a chance to volunteer within the system. College Station City Attorney Harvey Cargill said he has seen the program work. "The kids [on the teen court] a lot of the time are tougher on the kids than the judge would be," he said. "It really works — I promise you." HARVEY CARGILL College Station city a ttorney One of teen court programs the city is using as a model study is in Midland, Texas, where Walter d they have seen several success stories. In Mi d, most Class C misdemeanors cases — such as a or in possession, simple assault, disor- derly con uct or theft under $50 — are seen in the teen court. Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney said the idea to bring the court to College Station came during a January meeting where local teenagers said they wanted the program. City officials are seeking funds and personnel for a teen count, and Walter said he isn't sure how soon the program, if approved, could start. • T Date. k-,1Ly approves relocation offer for Burger Boy BY ROBERT SMITH THE BATTALION I'I u• 1 ;,,p Slat ion City Council en ded ongoing ne- gtti:,Iit,„ti will, Iturger Boy owner I'hu,:tiday by ;q,r,•,•ing George Sopasakis to give Sopasa $ IU,INN) In trio, ;,Ic his business. ds approximately 111 volt nullified a $30,500 offer Ihal Wnnl,l Ilav,• required him to made to Sopasakis se his to sue rele the city -IIId and other claims. rights 'stays The 4-2 vote ended a two -year str localum agreement that started wh purchasoxl the building Sopasakis w Conslr'uclion on Patricia Street b workers prepared to clear the area i to make space for a parking lot. But business in operation, saying the ci money than the earlier offer of $30 or fuuorc claims, t.ouncfl members Steve Esmond motioned to give Sopasakis an opel ing, which was approved by a 4 -2 vo At it: 12, time started counting dow he began defend ing his stance that he ey. Sopasakis said relocating his busir new $(i,(xx) vent hood and other inver new locWion into a restaurant. Birdwell Iben told Sopasakis the ci patient in its negotiations. ""Ibv„ W-I'S ago, the citybought a bt renting oil., month -to -month basis Birdwell s-lid. "We've tried to assist yo Sopasakis said the offer was not E "Thirty - thousand, five hundred d money 10 successfully relocate my said. '•It'+ nut right the way you are fi Sopasakis uttered similar staten during Ihr meeting. But council members, showing th by a Iwo-year battle, wanted to I Sopasakis wanted. Please see Nottn ggle to reach a re- n College Station ; renting. ;an last week and ound Burger Boy opasakis kept his y owed him more i00 and no rights id Swiki Anderson 30- minute meet- for Sopasakis, and ss would require a Dry to renovate the ( has been fair and [ding that you were councilman Dick for two years." ,ffrcient. Mars is not enough siness," Sopasakis acing me out." !nts several times frustration caused row exactly what GATE on Page 6. axle g oo�s�� [ 5c W CIJ Z o ov a� o d H a� ov Z cu m a V y °ogZ� d 3 Ei Obw7 an U c� aE 0 ., o a Z ca ts a Eb q =' C No c x � a = 0 v `o�b�•o C y q� ,n nUi o a "�-0 �. > oq�� p A q = N d o tUO� p 'StcE tU >; U q y 3 p t� C d O o 0 odd aU 04 - ; 0 ; • ._ -� td U ttl ,fir GAP V U N ��..q �� ~_.z q c �.5 3 a 0 a c v _ w U O� E rn m C O 'J E G H to .4 > 0 e N y O • p E'C p 'C is ta3G y taAQ i� '� W � 0 V s •O VJ � c a N d y c 3 0 a o > In e o ov a� o d H a� ov E� �°O 6 G , -0 a V y 4 N .a ate+ r- N F. h p N d .d td w >, 'm o r" 0�3 w g �oGC c� aE 0 ., o a ❑ � + -a ca ts a Eb q =' C No c x � a = 0 v e o°o > m� o To E v E 0 a "�-0 �. > oq�� w C"cd o = 'dm o 3 y U d� N 7 SH . U ou 0 .. 3� v 3 a -.8 O U qh Q C " 'co -� td U ttl ,fir GAP V U N _W c c'�i °) a o 0 „ E 0 q c �.5 3 The Ea0e Date:,-N-- v)(: FCS restaurant delays relocation By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer George Sopasakis announced Monday that the federal government has granted his College Station eatery a reprieve. Some last- minute decisions made Monday in Sopasakis' battle with the city — a tempo- rary restraining order against the city from a federal court in Houston and a ruling from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development — will allow the Burger Boy on Patricia Street to continue its bicycle fooddelivery service, he said. u Hering for Northgate eaten Slated for June 26 "We are not planning to shut down," he room o the Patricia Street Promenade said. "We The plan to keep selling burgers." co battle between Sopasakis, who con - The ion. r Boy is the only business still tend he was entitled to federal relocation mope on on the north side of the block. restraining order keeps funds, and the city, who said he wasn't, has The since the city became his the b a porary zers at bay until June 26 when a been Wndl eating up 21 months ago. 'nary injunction hearing will be ted in Houston, said Sopasakis' So hand is said an eviction notice was condu elivered to him Friday afternoon attorn y Barbara Palmer. sayin he had until 5 P.M. Monday to The decision was an answer to an for relocation benefits that vacate the city-owned building to make appeal Burger From Al information HUD gave the ci two years ago. McMianey said representative; from the Fort Worth HUD offi walked through Northgate befo any of the projects were impl mented and told city officials th use of federal funds on id College Main project woul affect other projects in Northgate Revitalization Pl The new ruling groups a jests in the area under on saying federal monies c used to relocate Sopasakis. Sopasakis said he is happ the decision and the restr order and that tis forces t to "fess up to what they ae doing." meiahaney said the city d nothing wrong and that th y were following what they thOug It were the HUD guidelines. "It is regrettable that th is reversal of position by HUD h Ls caused difficulties for the city of College Station and the mf r- chailts in the Northgate she said in a statement Mon y. "The city has tried for y months to work through this issue in keeping with HUD d ance. This new ruling will lik cause continued delay, impac all parties involved." Sopasakis filed in December 1996. The judi in stated that the city owes the restal rant owner more than the $10,000 packag that the City Council approved Thursday. The amount the city could end up payin hasn't been disclosed, but Sopasakis said would take about $45,000 to renovate his ne location into a "respectable restaurant." Mayor Lynn Mcilhaney said the counc will discuss the issue Thursday to conside their options, which could include a appeal of the decision since it conflicts wit Please see BURGER. Page The EaEle CS to ami hotel designs Date: J Teams to get char ce to present proposals By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer Developers hoping to be cl to construct the proposed G Station hotel- conference c will get a chance to exhibit plans to the City Counc Thursday. The council is schedul meet at 5:30 p.m. at the C Station Conference Center George Bush Drive. The four development that submitted proposals fi joint project with the cit, have 15 minutes each for sentation and 15 minut answer questions from the cil. "We now have four solid opment teams," Assistan Manager Tom Brymer Wednesday. "It's just a qu now of which developmen would be best suited for tl ject and which location th, fer." The developers are: Hospitality of Northbroo the Wolf Pen Creek Te College Station; the Corporation of San Anton John Q. Hammons Hotels Springfield, MO. Each of the proposals c 200 -room facility to be bui cent to a $6 million city conference center. All but the Wolf Pen Team are proposing to b property in the city's Nc area where the "mud lc on I to lege 1300 ams the will pre - to City said ?stion team e pro - y pre- Lane Ill.; im of Leddy o; and [nc. of fers a t adja- Creek ild on now 14o 0� O U o� U U� F� Id a) 0 4S ° �oc Id a o7�; �a 0 d0 d 's 1 CL y pp .0 L' 0 3w a, F" o ao 0 E CG z o� U o��� Q 0 a .2 N 38 0 5 A 0 Cn z d° °' ° 0 1 �9_C% * - - 4� °' o d°;� �a a, •., r, 30a, c f0� ¢ o 0 Z"s co tw ow w U o w d x'00 '"R00 iF b a c Ea ° v C 0 yt4 a,:5� co oai� ° oa, c y �U v°� 0 m 8 �.�� � y ov o o o. o °° > A 0 vvi y x CQ o 1+' T ' y •� -5 5 U o •o ,y am w ° ai p b O C� Aoa , ° 0 Please see COUNCIL, age A2 The Eagle Date: Firms pitch hotel /center pi ..._.____._ ,...� ,,,. .,.,,,.nenio M CS cnimcil f Hotel ans 3 developers out ine JIV By JENNY NELSON , Eagle Staff Writer The College Station City Council and a roomful of people heard sales pitches Thursday from three of the developers seek- ing to build a hotel-conference center complex. The developer who started it all, however, did not attend the meeting. City Manager Skip Noe said John T. Hammons of Springfield, Mo., sent a message that a busi- ness confli t kept him from attending. Ni said the developer said he will nd a written letter answering y questions. "I don't think it necessarily means an ing," Noe said. "Mr. Hammon is, opening a hotel every six weeks —he's still inter- ested in the project." The other developers are Lane Hospitality of Northbrook, Ill.; The Wolf Pen Creek Team of College Sta - on; and The Leddy Corporation of San Antomo. The Wolf Pen Creek Team, the only developer proposing a site outside the Northgate, area, got the first shot. The proposed hotel would he construct dd by the DePalma Hotel Corporation under the Sheraton name. Tian White, senior vice presi- dent of the DalMac Irivestments Corporation, touted the plan's inclusion of plenty of parking, Please see HOTEL, Page A5 Petitioners call for vote on site By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer The local hotel -motel associa- tion president said he ,knows he's walking a fine line by back- ing a referendum petition on a proposed College Station hotel - conference center site, but said he hasn't crossed the line. Barron Hobbs, president of the Brazos Valley Hotel -Motel Association and general manag- er of the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center, said the peti- tion is not representative of his company, but of the association. "I think the City Council is going through the process cor- rectly, I really do," he said. "The hotel association just wants to put this before the voters." Hobbs said the petition ques- tions Northgate as a proposed Please see PETITION, Page A5 Petition mm Al . location for the joint hotel-confer. ence center, the cost of which includes $6 million from the city. He said the association has paid members of the College Republicans to distribute the petition, which needs more than 400 supporters. He said he did not want to disclose the amount until the petition is given to the city. , City Council on Thursday awft4. Hobbs' employer, :Ihe.'A ane, - ,but Mayor Lynn Kqnw= 3iut Corporation, has proposed a" -an end to the linesi�o naiig hotel - conference center - at dhe :after she and ,o A aX Eck location, but Hobbs said the Birdwell said the questioning issue have nothing to do with was not appro mate during the each ther. presentation. Councilman Hub keMiad0 " -'u :. "TW is an liorttl S D�.us agrees ` to question, of to badger," "I think that it's clear they're Birdwell said. "The referendum trying to protect their-po�ition in has nothing to o $i ddliai WeW this market," he said. doing, Hub." Kennady questioned the Lane in other busness, the council development team on the issue took no action On the Pttii &111oy during its presentation to the restaurant iss F Company HOTEL PROPOSALS Hotel �' Location l o ' "° ''' ¢Y Cost Leddy Company DoubleTree Inn Northgate site $15,417,598 Pen Creek Team Sheraton Wolf Pen Creek $14,564,000 John Q. Hammons Hotels University Plaza Hotel Northgate site $20,000,000 Lane Hospitality Hotel a Conference Center Northgate site $16,829,000 From Al access to Texas 6 and the land that the city already owns. Joe DePalma, president of the DePalma Hotel Corporation, said the company had looked at the plan prior to the hotel-conference center discussions. He said that, after Northgate became a desired location, they studied it and decided to stick with the Wolf Pen Creek location. The city's portion of the confer- ence center's cost would be $6 million under the plan, DePalma said. "We think our deal has the least amount of exposure for the city," he said. The Leddy Group, as did other presenters, suggested that a fea- sibility study be conducted after' the council chooses a developer. Drake Leddy told council mem- bers that the facility would have a "tremendous impact in the money flowing from the rest of the state." He suggested that the confer- ence center could become a statewide meeting place. Leddy said the Northgate site is not perfect for the project, but will have "tremendous frontage" on University Drive, the bound- ary street for Texas A &M University., He said many of the customers will be generated by functions at the university... Leddy said one possible barrier to the project, the Guaranty Federal Bank building, will be willing to relocate. If his proposal is chosen, Leddy said a deal is proposed to build a downized bank closer to University Drive in exchange for the "remaining land. The Lane development team said its main advantage over the other developers is experience in the Bryan- College Station mar- ket with the Hilton : Hotel and Conference Center, "which it owns. Bill DeForrest, senior vice president of development, said more study needs to be done to determine how much parking is needed for the team's :Northgate project. The team showed no visuals, saying their current location at University Drive and 29th Street is their visual. DeForrest said his company is concerned with occu- pancy rates and average room rates being high enough to sus - tain another first -class hotel. The council will consider the proposals Thursday. - CA O y U) I COD 0 > A-4 - 26 0 A -o� N V d C c CO o�yNCA�y�. 3 x No Q U 2 d CL) O . • ` C . Y pO C �CO O � 11 2 _O 3 y 'Y U pm CL) Ca, O U a A C6 f+ .�•+ .'r1 O '� yyO U ,> tl i No Q U 2 'td s U L" LL C3 CL) O . • ` C . Y pO C �CO O O O U a A C6 f+ Cn - ' W U ,> tl i L. >_ — O i- nSY'.a'5 CL >' ., > -= y b 3�0�1. Cd 0 U d.y Y C .T' Y O q:; O d. O Y W Y •� ° W 3 V R E a U E-F O CIO tC CL w A A 00 � Y E FD .4 Sr y d Cz 3 �� ° 9° b`d� °m . 0 . 0 . O CM O 0 mo m w o oY ° a a� q wm�p, >O ■� U N+� z U3d .+F ••U�c� W CD L N �_ b�• C dr CD f�'r G7 O 01 O e`I .y . •. O as F. 0 p • "" O F. _ d a/ ■ N .O OUd U0 •d J a� ^h O Cn i. � ++ c � O CD Z OO U.0 d d y p . ' 2� U . � U �� ~�� o� O bD d E- 00 ° m w O C Y •�. -1-1' C C South From Al d Timber Street on the east. said one of the main issues o the neighborhood is limiting number of students who live in h rental house. She said some of . rental properties, owned by t-of- -town landlords, are Lu empt. She said she and her hus- Ix are trying to buy properties to their home so they can con - 1 the enforcement of city codes. Each of the issues identified by and other residents has been igied to one of the four com- ttees that will begin forming tI is week. Brymer said attending the ear- II )r meeting is not a requirement for joining one of the committees. The action plans developed by the residents will be evaluated and implemented by city staff, he said. The Ea N Dater CS g ar ers HUD a:ard H Consolidated lannin y earns city recognition Fro lion Isl Al in your field, it's "We good," she said. typically By LILY AGUILAR •• tors Eagle Staff Writer man development Programs based on refe als from Adorning the walls oft College Station A co ement from the housing agency stated that 238 sties received the award, which was named Community Development Binding ding are certifi- for ther, a former executive director of the U.S cites and plaques for excelle ice in community Conf r nce of Mayors from 1961 -1987 who died f4 planning and affairs. Ap . In the coming weeks Jo Cai development administrator, Toll, a community have the oppor- Br at is o garnered an award in the category of econom- rtunity for its work in Downtown Bryan. tunity to add two more certifi ntes of excellence. Carr ll said it is positive for the community as a whole The city of College Station received national that oth cities received the HUD awards. John J. Gunther Blue Ribbori Practices Awards staffs work closely together," she said. "Any from the U.S. Department of I Development. lousing and Urban reco ' ion that either gets is good because we share College Station was recognized in two cate- so n c information back and forth." Secretary Andrew Cuomo announced the gories — consolidated planning and decent 's awar Sunday at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in housing. Carroll said the ci work to rebuild San cisco. Caron said College Station's commu. substandard housing and re abilitate deterio- nity elopment office will have a chance to share its rating dwellings prompted the award. progr s with other communities at a Best Practices She said the effects of the cc mmunity develop - CO nf ce in Houston July 8 -10. ment projects don't just look j ood on paper. 7be grams also will be posted at the HUD Web The Eastgate area and nE ighborhoods sur- site, v hud.gov. rounding the Lincoln Cen er have greatly improved because of the revilalization efforts. "When you can go into a neighborhood and tear down a house that had a property value of $10,000 and replace it with one appraised at $40,000, the impact on the neighborhood is pret- ty significant," Carroll said. She said the award from H JD shows that the city can take grant money froi a the federal hous- ing agency and make adequa use of it. "Any time you are recogn' by other profes- Ple se see HUD, Page A2 �ql accepts HUD funding decision College Station released a statement Tuesday that it will not appeal a federal decision concerning the relocation of Burger Boy — prompting the restaurant's owners to call off a federal injunction hear- ing against the city. Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney said a represen- tative from HUD visited the Northgate area two years ago and assured the city that the parking lot project would not be considered part of the federal project also planned for the Northgate area. But after George and Tara Sopasakis appealed the city's decision to not give them federal relocation Hinds, HUD ruled CS council to discuss voice syste them," said Burger Boy owner ueorge Sopasakis. "We won." The Department of Housing and Urban Development ruled last week that the eatery's owners are entitled to federal relo- cation funds. vo ZZ 5+ ,° o 5 :� CD ct, CD ° K�o`�� m tu a -�o cro oc co �m a fD ,rr °55 m P� 1 y� `� o � ��o S���oti �. 'S o-�j ^ °� 0 `G .�+ .�i r °-„ O QQ R ,`S- P7 •0.0.11 - �' G G fD 'G Ei p (�* "� '7 W were told before," said City Manager SBip Noe. "We don't agree with that, but we'll follow their rules." City officials said HUD officials told them another story before they began the park- ing lot project that will eventually sit on the government Accessing College Station's City Hall 24 hours a day is something council members are scheduled to address Thursday at their regular council meeting. The council plans to consider the pur- chase of a $53,860 automated voice system that will allow citizens to request docu- ments and to access general information about the city government. "It's an effort to try and extend City Hall both in time — 24 hours a day, seven days a week — also to your home and business; City Manager Skip Noe said. Noe said if the council approves the auto- mated voice deal, he isn't sure when the system would be installed. The council meets in City Hall chambers, 1101 Texas Ave. The workshop meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m. while the regular meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. State Sen. Steve Ogden, R -Bryan, is scheduled to present the city with a finalist certificate from the 1997 Governor's Awards for Environmental Excellence on behalf of Gov. George W. Bush. The city is receiving the award for its Comprehensive EnvironmeDial Program. In other business, a public hearing will be held, followed by consideration by the City Council to allow the police department to apply for a $34,070 federal grant. The city's part of the deal would be a $3,786 contribution. Noe said if the grant is approved, the department will use it to buy equipment. Also on the agenda is the consideration of a petition from the Brazos Valley Hotel/Motel Association regarding the location of the proposed hotel - conference center at Northgate. City Secretary Connie Hooks said the petition isn't valid because it doesn't include a space for the voter registration numbers or for the dates the it was signed. Barron Hobbs, president of the associa- tion, said Thursday that a new petition, meeting the guidelines, has been started. The petition calls for a citizen vote before the hotel- conference center is built. Proposals for the hotel- conference center are scheduled to be considered July 10. The Ea�je Date: . j(p I —j! CS council does the right thing C7 E Eagle Editorial Board C ollege Stat on city officials ly are do' ag what they s have done all along in resc a dispute with a Northgate r rant owner. er months of ac pious and ve public discu members of t ie City Council agreed to pa Burger Boy George Sop sakis a reasc amount to help him reloca restaurant. The city plans to tear d OVI Burger Boy to make room for ing lot that will be a cornersto: Northgate re 'talization projel city purchasel the restaurant ing but Sopa3akis refused to until the city agreed on Tiles pay him federal relocation tance funds. a city had offe restaurateur $10,000, an a Sopasakis sa d was far too although he i kever told the cif amount he ti ought would be In the pas t few weeks, t came across as a playgroun intent on . up on the lit Whether tha perception wa immaterial a public incre tired of city politics. After the ity made what was its fina offer to Sopas� filed suit in federal court to l city from fc rcing him out filed an al peal with the Department of Housing an( Develop me seeking federa tion assistance that was ben neled throul J the city. Last wee , HUD said Sop; entitled to he federal help than accept the ruling imm city offic' complained t what they were told verb years ago. V Iho cares what t told then? They should h thank you to HUD, paid and gone ahead with the ps project. That is w hat they final week late. The controversy a public relations nightmar Council members, who wil work hard to repair the image in e minds of man; They can do that by pay attention to the people they ed to represent. his the ar k- of a The i ' d- ove yto sis- the 1 unt hat city b ully guy. 58j 58jr is s ingly said he p the also ' deral rban loca- chan- Ls r is 1 n't er wo ere aid lot did, a been or City have to uncil's itizens. more elect- The Eagle Date: 1 CS d 24wh our C m ity Ha access new driveway for Taco Bell or Council questions cost of utomatea system o °ac mmo date an extension of Kyle Street a Harvey Road where a new traffi( signal also is scheduled to b( placed. The city's part of the project is on the public right-of-way, whit the restaurant will fund the por tion on its property. Councilmen David Hickson an( Dick Birdwell were not present a the meeting. By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer Concerns about cost and viabil- ity for a 24 -hour electronic City Hall led the College Station City Council on Thursday to hold off on a proposed $53,860 deal. Council members got a first- hand lesson in a phone system that would allow access to general information often requested by residents. "The question is, would the tax- payers rather III ve money back in tem ussion was a p e nta tec logy project that will be revisited with the 1998 budget later this year, their pocket o machine," an automated said Councilman tion o a four -year plan fo the city. Thep a enta- said: voice 'Hub Kennady, who said the city tion, ii cluding plans t epro- f the "God gives us three things to teach us patience: children, tele- may be jumping ket missing ahead in the mar - a better deal gram tl a city's compute r year 2010, left iswered phones and computers. It sounds and down the road. . questions that the counc 1 wants like we're going to get lots of The council is scheduled to the issue. i studied further. Councilman Swiki Anderson, patience." In other business, the council meet July to to Included in t1e automated sys- summing up his feelings on the approved spending $7,000 on a Ancierson will seek local jobs Councilman sa Ne ii ' avoid conflict issue By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer College Station city Councilman Swiki Anderson, saying he is la ing his cards on the table before the Land is dealt, told his fellow council rr ambers Thursday that his company w' I make proposals for projects in the are . In a letter to the council ai d local members of the media, Anderso , presi- dent of a local engineering consulting firm, said his company plans to "solicit and compete for work from othe people and firms that have announced reloca- tion to the Bryan- College Station area." Those projects, he said, incl de the proposed hotel - conference center in the city. If people are going to shoot at me, come on, I'm giving them a good target," Anderson said. He said he put out the lett to let everyone know he is on the up- d -up if his company should propose to consult on any projects in the city. City Attorney Harvey CarE ill said Anderson is aware that some projects may pose a conflict of interest, md that Please see MDIRgj Page A2 Anderson From Al the matter is "complicated issue." Anderson said he will consult with the city attorney to avoid vio- lating the city charter's rules on the matter. In Section 131 of the charter, it states that "no member of the City Council or any officer or employ- ee of the city shall have a finan- cial interest, direct or indirect ... or be financially interested direct- ly or indirectly in the sale to the c ty of any land, materials, sup - p Jes or services except on behalf the city as an officer or employ- ea..." The city charter also states: y willful violation of this sec- t n shall constitute malfeasance office and any officer or e aployee guilty thereof shall ereby forfeit his office or posi- t ) n. Any violation of this section with the knowledge expressed or implied of the person or corpora- tion contracting with the city shall render the contract voidable by the City Council or city manag- er." Councilman Larry Mariott, a local home builder, said doing projects involving the city, such as work on the proposed city - owned conference center, is some- thing he feels City Council mem- bers legally can't be involved in. "When we signed on to the City Council, then we can't work for the city in any form or fashion," he said. Anderson said the whole issue may be "moot" because, he said, many project developers seem tb choose out -of -town consultants. The Eagle Date: �i Wolf Pen alligator capture A &M biologist hea gator- nabbing gro By MEGHAN BLAIR Eagle Staff Wri er Wolf Pen reek's resident aft set to be moved to a new home & morning. The five-foot American alli a' caught by a group of concern and an A&U biologist Friday i iE The for was netted an v to the gro d after three ij unsucce attempts to snarf it Ashley H ges, 18, called ho r after the igator was caug it Brazos Rive around 10 p.m. "Mom, w caught it? Tim [ tied it until a got it — and we h tures," she 'd. The grou of about 15 peop , ing Texas A LM biologist Tim trapped the alligator and pla large fish s orage ice chest. the anigatox will be taken to I k or Navasota River downstr f ampitheate . "They he ded him with nett end of the amphitheater an him with a spotlight," J' said. "After that Tim tackled shirt and sh orts and subdued is Scott wa asked by city o t help cap the reptile beca s expertise aid previous eXPEri catching alligators in L a. studying the behavioral pat vi presence of diseases in alligat r ' thesis at Texas A &M Univers [ ... ator is turday Dr was itizens It. restled hts of nother in the 1 wres- Ive pic- includ- 7 Scott, itina itt said Brazos om the to one blinded Hodges 7 in his n." vials to of his 3nce in He was Its and i for his The Ea Date: Special td The Eagle Jimmy Hodges (left) holds a five -foot American alli- University biologist (in the water), wrestled it by gator that was captured in Wolf Pen Creek neai the hand and subdued it. The alligator was set free in amphitheater after Timothy Scott, a Texas A&M an undisclosed location Saturday. Wolf Pen Creek allig By MEGHAN BLAIR Eagle Staff Writer An alligator that was captured in Wolf Pen C near the amphitheater was set free in an ut closed location Saturday by Texas Parks Wildlife Department officials. . The American alligator, which measured feet from nose to tail, was captured after Tim Scott, a Texas A &M University biologist, wre it by hand and subdued it. "I've wrestled some as long as ] 1 feet," Scott Saturday. "It's always aAttt4 Beaty, but I 'e working with animals and there was an •a Gator From Al mouth shut and placed it in a deep sea fishing chest. 'hey then handed it over to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials, who transported it to a local waterway for release. ator was fine. The only injuM Ihad was a bad disposition," the Texas Parks and Wildlife De t, said Saturday. "I can't say where I released him, though, because I don't think he needs any more attention than he's already gotten." Other people helped Scott capture the alligator late Friday night. They herded him [the alligator] with ­ ++i— +. — nnrt of the amnhitheater for set free 'n the wi came wi incentive this time i f knowing we war doing something right." ughters to see the capture "After most ea He said he grabbed the alligator by a back of k the neck and the . of its tail, race only s . minor scratches. Sc8 guessed the Bator about A five years old, and d they grow abo t foot a y�• re He could have gotten up to the ave of 11 or , 12 feet, but the record think was about 8 bet," he d said. "We got to it just in time because a start to reproduce at six [feet] " !d After catching the igator, the grou ped its Please see GA110", Page A8 "The alligator was fine. The only ii]( bac disposition. I can't say where I because I don't think he needs any he' already gotten." N m o a E�'n�o N o fD OS ��MO w do mIID I'D 2D w �� i9 � NO OrtN MM rp O m�, boy mMo w ID ID ..Et5 S�a K o,c.w a ^ cx 5' m M �s m r•. mo v ^ a25�c�' mp'O» acwwy. ��- A w fD O m o C/J S t y , .3 O ID O Z ID n pip Q1 I�D� - $ ° n o m �����-?'• ° M 01 r m y SD O r m O N - o p . m y wa w w >r CD ooE.�. a 4"omk :4f mm ::tea. o ies he had was a leased him, though, )re attention than ALAN LEE and ded him with a spotlight," said came wi J' Hodges, a friend who bro ght his Ashle two ughters to see the capture "After most ea that, • tackled him and subdue him." night in "J• y called and said his family was After going on a walk and invited my w e and I 10 p.m., to go 'th them," Scott said. "I to d them saying: we c uldn't because I had to ch the it until i anion nr_ and thev asked what t' a and Her si and Wildlife Department us -lodges, 18, said "it was the ing thing to do on a Friday ligator was caught around aid she called her mother, , we caught it! Tim wrestl it — and we have pictures.' .1-year-old Caitlin, was a it- Theta Date: Carver Carver prog gets mixed B -CS council, staff roles scrutinized By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer Do you know who guides the policies in your city hall? If You live in Bryan or College Station, it's a man who lives four states away. John Carver, whose approach to policy making has gained international attention, has held the attention of local city hall officials for the past few years. Although the Bryan City Council • L more cl sely folloWs Carver s approach than College Station's. both groups have intertwined some of his ideas into city plan- ning. "It ha helped the council stay focused on what is our role.' College Station Mayor Lynn McIlha ey said. "But I'm real re l uc t a pt to say we have Carver Governance because we only use parts of it." lease see CARVER, Page A8 N rver's ideas, for boards and cils, takes the approach that overseeing bod y ets policy e the city staff carries that :y through. an has been eval ie idea behind Caiver Policy arnance is to give a council a time for stra gi planning less time work' ig on day -to- items such as for of the s fine trucks. annual C etreat over, who resid s in Atlanta, says his policy model elimi- S trivia, boredo d incom iensible report om meet - and equips o rds to be ier renresentati e , not part Bryan adopted th in 1995, td College Statio gan using e plan two years er. The city of Bry use of the an has been eval ia ed for sev- ial months by a w m of three ty -hired consulta at 1, who pre- ,kited their radings to the " S �uncil during annual C etreat nci l atirday. under - "This council nderstands its sands its )b is different -om the staffs j i s d i f- >b. Most cities .on't under r nt tand the dif- eience and f m the hey overlap," aid Catherine f ff' tdso, a consul- from j " ario, 1 M aaaaaa{�����iiiiiit nada. I k this is a eery efficient CATHERINE ;pup•" RASO Through the ;arver plan, ;ouncil mem- consultant )ers decide in which direc- tion they want the city to go by , 5etting goals ra1led end state . The staff, under the direct o of the city manager, interp these ideas acid carries out plans, with council approval. These end state is are broad challenges, whic o are used as guidelines each e a council makes a decision. "This just clart le i our roles. It d$esn't mean the ouncil loses a thority — the cil has over- all authority - is the only way it works," M lhaney said of how the College Station council operates under the plan. !Bryan City Manager Mike Conduff, who has traveled inter nationally to speak to groups about Bryan's achievements under the policy, said the city is considered a "pioneer" in the plan. Bryan 's consultants, all of whom are graduates of the Carver Policy Governance Academy in Atlanta, said they use Bryan's success with the design as an example when speaking to groups around the world. Raso said about 12 cities in the United States have adopted the u be ompa nles have taken to plan, e Locally, the cities are not alone in using the plan. Just two weeks ago, the board of the Brazos Food Bank adopted the Carver style. 'There are critics of Carver's ideas. College Station City Cbuncilman Steve Esmond said the policy is not needed in his city bbcause. the College Station city charter serves as a "very good guideline." "Let's get rid of it," he said. "It leaves oversight of city govern- ment to the city manger." Esmond, who was elected to the council in May, expressed his views at the College Station retreat last month. The council decided to further evaluate the policy and revisit it next year 6-,u shou do business with Eagle Editorial Board C ollege Station Councilman Swiki Anderson no doubt is an excellent engineer. He has been in business a long time and has pro- vided valuable advice to local school districts and cities on a variety of building projects over the years. Anderson, who was elected to the council in May, now says he intends to solicit for work on a number of construction projects that may be planned in College Station in the future. Some of those projects — such as a proposed private hotel -Fity conference center — will involve taxpayer money, and that's where the problem arises. By law, W j may not benefit from ects. 131 of the College Station er says that "no member of the City Council ... shall have a financial interest, direct or indirect ... in the sale to the city of any land, materials, supplies or services." Even if the city employs an outside contractor to supervise construction_ of a joint public - private hotel- confer- ence center, Anderson would be ben- efiting from the sale of his services to the city, at least on the conference center portion of the project and probably on both. There are other problem areas, too. Say the council agrees to grant tax concessions to a business in an effort to lure it to College Station. If Anderson was awarded a contract to help build a new home for the busi- ness, it could be construed that he is financially benefiting from actions taken by the council. There is good reason for the char- ter prohibition. We don't want our council members or city staffers ,making decisions based on how much they might gain financially. We want those decisions based on the best interests of the city and its citizens. We're confident that Anderson would make the right choices for the city, but there always would be a doubt if he solicits work 'ects that involve city dollars. payer dollars or city cones not involved in a construc- t project, then by all means Anderson should feel free to seek the work. When he ran for the council, though, Anderson gave up the right to profit from projects backed with -;: A. ate i- c . fnrm nr annther. CS emergency manag staff as sist in J arrell recovery efforts By ANISSA MORTON Eagle Staff Writer Members of College Station's emer- gency management staff recently trav- eled to Jarrell, Texas, to help with recovery and clean-up efforts in the wake of a deadly tornado that struck the ti ' wn. Steve Beachy, College Station's Parks Recreation director and Emergency anagement Coordinator; his wife, Mary Alice Beachy; Bridgette George, assistant emergency management coon Club Scene dina o and three members of Explorer Post N). 1033 made the trip. In a dition to picking up trash and debr s left in the aftermath of the torna- do, t ac volunteer group observed recov- ery Procedures for transportation, cleanup, water provision and other issues to try and learn from the commu- nity's recent experience in disaster involved in ongoing education projects related to disaster mitigation, prepared- ness, response and recovery. More information about these projects is available on the city's Web page at http: / /www.cstx.gov /pard /mise /emer mgmt /index.htm. The staff works closely with the city of Bryan, Brazos County, the American Red Cross and the Texas Department of Public Safety to ensure that Bryan and College Station are as prepared as possi- ble to deal with disasters before they emergency management staff is occur. The Taglc �Wl G Date: --r Who is the.real villain? WBoy 8n all he information regard e problems surrounding B er is released, George Sopasakis will be seen as, the man he really is. Iet us review, the f ts;rviiln ,:, •,.:ri;:, u,i r, ■ The !building the Burger, Boy is cur- rently located in was bought by the c ty from the Boyett famrly without coer o gr „cggdenmation. $opasaki �jyp ope a mg on afmonth4o -�onth lease at the and the city extended his lease until e could relocate. ■ SopasakA has. had almost two ye tr to -- relocate but has chosen to do nothing. I e did this with the kfiowledge that the ' were plans to renovate the Northgate. area. Sopasakis has s�ppeent the last two years glo- rlifyin'g;ltit d4&g staff §, WhjIVthe other businesses located'in that building have moved on. , a I would -like to see his tact receipts for the past two years. Why do his empl yees have to "dwthelr' bikes 'with such re c 1dess abandon�across University Avenue d the Texas A &M campus? - ■ It seems to me Sopasakis wants to get opt of the burger business; because if he was• really iriterested iii -continuing he would have found a new loaation'by ow. I was comforted in reading the rl (Eagle, June 22) comparing Sopa 1 to `Yl= Narm. 11MV6S o`Iiasaltls is play ..1 14, 041 v ctilr� o; as mVc4 moppy, as, he can get, and when the facts, come ou he :wit ie seen as the' man who cried w ]f. MIKE ALOG Bryar lip-nnadv. A &M dmls6uss land deal " JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer College Station's mayor pro -tem has asked Texas A&M University to provide land for parking near a proposed Northgate hotel complex — even though the city coun- cil has not yet voted to go forward with such a plan. Mayor Pro-Tem Hub Kennady wrote A&M on June 18 to seek surface parking land "if the Northgate site is selected." One week later, Jerry Gaston, A &M's vice president of administration, respond- ed to Kennady's request by writing to City L mayor say nc George "Skip" Noe. G n said resident Ray Bowen "has autho- 1e to respond to this pecific d A &M would provide 1.6 a res of a ract for 20 to 50 years at a cost of $1 the city. A&M asked in return that close several streets in the area and *me of A&M's undeveloped proper - `the best use of the property for Viuvaa ity purposes." In interview Tuesday, Kennady said, "The co are a number of us who have e university about more cooper - id A &M was merely responding t, not taking a position on the ial hotel project. Kennady specifically men- e hotel and convention center ,nt proposals in his letter, Mayor lhaney said his letter does not the council's position. until did not initiate that — we Hotel "The council is still ing to look at each indi- vidual proposal — hether the project will be FrOm All a benefit to the com nunity with the least is taken. Gaston said in hi letter and in amount of p a rt i c i p a i - _ tie -cY an interview that a university as a whole "has ni position" on LYNN MCILHANEY the proposed ho center. He said the 1- conference 'versity has College Station mayor had general discus 'ons with city officials since 199 surrounding the Nc that about issues rthgate area. he addressed which contends that parking is is negotiating negotiating to enhance that pro- Gaston said his letter to No rather than is the "CEO too scarce t Northgate. Noe said the idea of a Po sal „ Allen and Davis McGill, Kennady because of the city." Kennady, McIlhaney so sent copies lot on th A &M land -was cussed be re the city open s- h Noe e er team member, met with Noe McIlhaney Tuesday, alarmed and Bowen were the letter. request f r proposals to si es and at Gaston's letter to Noe. of Noe said the off r will have to other thar Northgate. he t he meetin a said h afte a conference ceter snot built on develop- decision t open the proce he idea has een to have an o me C lager, the the mud lot, but er's proposal can at no a amended to lease playing fi ld, one that is n mayor, along with the city attor- terms of ifferent sites and p ay- with us," he reflect the possi before the count le land votes on the er Jim � ;aid a member of th ney, were forthright olf said. hotel site July 10. The city has pr posed building , Pen Cree Team, the only eel- McIlhaney said she can under - site othe stand why reading the letters a $6 million conf nce center in ro oilers p sing a pro ess "has beenv She ery vie hotel, and vice h before the re are four pro - until. Three of set 3. copy of Gaston's a er. proposal In a le er to McIlhaney r est- frustrating." in going to may or tomplex a c ty Allenes d,, " s look f ea individual proposal o h Northgate. The f comp ex at Wolf Pen r, alte obvious that s be a e be efit o the community with the hotel -office Creek. The Northgate site has drawn behalf ofud being a 1 but the city, �McIlhaneyy saidation Y criticism by the olf Pen group, en not only prior did not ask for that to be done," she said. "That's his personal opinion and its not council's decision. "My concern is any council member talk- ing about any aspects of the proposals with anyone other than the consultants we hired. It has been discouraged because we hired professional consultants to help us write the [request for proposals], evaluate the RFP ... that's the process the council is using." Noe said the university's letter will ha to be studied by city staff before any action Please see HOTEL, Page At Council ('d work to help Sopasakis Eagle Editorial Board ast week, we were critical of the College Station City Council for its handling of George Sopasakis and the relocation of his Burger Boy restaurant. We were harsh, perhaps too harsh, in our judgment. We still think the outcome of the negotiations between the city and Sopasakis was correct, but now we are inclined to believe that the city staff and council negotiated in good faith all along and, in fact, went above and beyond what is expected of our city leaders. For 22 months, the city worked behind the scenes to accommodate Sopasakis, whose restaurant stood in the way of the much needed and desired Northgate renewal project. Unfortunately, city leaders never let the public know just how generous they were being in allowing Sopasakis a in in tilt huildin >; III( rih• pur to ht. ram'd to uurke rikau fin a eeded parking lot. Nor did they Im known that thev worked hard to find miother. neat•by. acceptable location for the restaurateur. All we heard was Sopasakis' side of the story. In that version, the city came across as difficult and uncooper- ative. Sopasakis was the "little guy" whose rights were being trampled on by an all- powerful city. As we should have learned by now, every story has two sides, and in this case, they are very different. Had the public known both sides, it clearly would have been more understanding of the city's position. Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney and others on the council took great umbrage at the editorial of last week. The mayor said they had not presented the city's side of the issue on advice of counsel, because the matter was in negotia- tions and, later, under threat of law- suit. Surely, though, some indication of the city's thorough efforts could have been made public without going into the intimate details of the negoti- ations. Citizens have a right and a need to know that their elected repre- sentatives are treating their fellow cit- izens fairly and decently. Now that the negotiations have been concluded successfully, council mem- bers are more willing to discuss the issue. Had they done so in a more fashion, we would not have strident in our criticism. A ct, we would have correctly p sed the city staff and council members for their hard work and good -faith efforts at making George Sopasakis' move to a new, larger and probably better location as smooth as possible. For that, we thank them. The Eagle Date: Community policing gn Eagle photolMeghan Blair Mayor Lynn Mclihaney cuts the ribbon at tile opening of a new police effort to reach the community in Windsor Point Apartments in College Station. officer Tracy Sheets (left) and Paul Price (right) will be stationed at the complex. Residents of the complex look on. Your View Seeking the whole story n The Eagle's editorial on the Burger Boy, you blast the College Station City Council for being a playground bully. You painted all of the council with the same brush, ignoring the fact that every vote on the Burger Boy in the last year was a split vote. When I ran for council, I promised to spend city money with the same care that I spend my own. With a verbal ruling from the federal government that the Northgate parking lot did not qualify as a HUD pro- ject, the city had no reason to give George Sopasakis a single dime. His lease was up and he was asked to vacate. That is the sit- uation that renters face frequently. I sup- ported giving him $10,000 only because, before I was elected, the city promised him a refund of half his rent. You ask who cares that the federal gov- ernment changed its mind. Well I care, and I hope a lot of people care. I am used to taking people at their word. Whether you know it or not, many business trans- actions take place based on a verbal con- tract. You complain that the city took a week to accept the federal government direc- tive. Sopasakis appealed to HUD in January and it took HUD officials until June to rule. Taking a week to review the city's options in a complicated matter is not unreasonable. The truth is that our city attorney responded to the federal court in three days. The council's public relations with the voters will be improved when you start reporting the whole story. DICK BIRDWELL College Station City Council The Eagle Date: Hotel O N we'll turn it i := Another pE L chants coun Y r petition, said Zing his son, J one of the pn It will not O is submitted, c� sive measure Hobbs said S the regional t E The plan, as o: E among Bryan a "The asso i` regional facil — the county of U) d d x o o Bryan M � a N ;~ � � °D the feasibility liq O o g ID 0 5 conference ce: 1 01 `� Q d m 3 is Stabler sail +=r �o ° 0 both the reg: Q C 'E d o c� a hotel- confere: 0 i -g7� 3 "In mymi S . 7? c pressure on „ c a y 4S should move o > McIIhaney c o i A to the region; U: 0A o o type of plan t U) 9 a O 'D z &� > She s aid the y U-0 - 0 ° d ent markets" - 8 0 0 business and O O in and the C +' cv S > o ° interested In w N a cour , exposi Z (5 > ° a • plans l (� ro x Q m aoi y 4 o ° study on the co W a s $o10 o o r� market done: Z.= o��o�,���mof San Pedro, � 4� 'l The study e ow Q z Z , d > visitors in C:J U z 7 N p A d O -13 � V b w °r' projected 1,43 m w x °'5 2 growth rate, a by 2015, the si — Stabler said and Some the 'both Bryan a I ered in the o Before that S already will he a Council on p r( CD ' Whenever W you're beginn business a s a A brings sales to the base from begin to build be some up-fix A ,� • back is. going 1 The four dE als are: the W Lane hIospitE n drive, started t V he Brazos Valley ssociation, is spec fl cally against locat- on the Northgate n ud lot site, across is A &M Universi pus. ust fine," said o i Hobbs, president Valley Hotel -M a Association. "As ave all the name; hat are required, 1," .ition backed by a Northgate mer- eracts the hotel tel association's John Culpepper who is represent - 1hn Culpepper III, ' the Leddy Group, be submitted un Culpepper said. he members of tl iginally discussed, College Station an iation still feel; ty is what Colleg ght to be focusing r Lonnie Stabler sE study for the pre ter is expected in he isn't sure if 1 onal facility and ice center. A I think it wot the project in di orward with it no aid College Static 1 plan, but that i tan the hotel-cont two plans would b - the College Static oral plan v proposed a i center and the reeiom 1995 by the Han „alit. itimated that the: 10 will be 1,568,0( ;,000 visitors in If i additional 1,6201 zdy states. sites on the east a t would fall with 1d College Statioi sibility study. study is complet ve been taken by th posals for the hots 7ou are looking al ng to look at tow i economic develc :es into our commi which we have tt toward a new indl at investment. But be tremendous," velopers who hav )if Pen Creek Teal lity of Northbro "` Hotels Inc of ViYlgiield Mo. C4 Wolf Pen ek ;r. The Wolf Pen Creektheam is p lion Sheraton fttll-se $6 hotel, office building and a a $6- millioi adjacent to the Wolf Pen Creek i Jim Allen, vice president of � Inc., which is part of the team, sai mg at building a 120 -room hotel the site before the city made a re "Thg citizer 3 of this city neec there is no wa r that our group o for a $20-mil ion hotel here t enough revert es here," he said. Allen and I avis McGill, anol team, said t, at this point, t their only competitor in the Culpepper said he• considers Wo petitor Leddy ia& Allen said o ite of advantages tt Pen plan is ch n will be the aln at the site. H said the team wi requiring the city to write the tea million conference center at the t the other'petition Is strictly a defen- sociation stand by now under study. uld be a joint effort razos County. trongly that the ation, Bryan and he said. ie agrees, and said ed regional hotel - to three weeks. area can support College Station Lit a little more :ig whether we later," he said. ill is committed s for a different :e center. igned for "differ - lter would be for - ences and meet - act those groups i such as a golf nal vehicle area. came out of a area's tourism Price Company nber of overnight compared with a At the estimated ms will be needed west side of town, the city limits of ire being consid- however, a vote >llege Station City iference center. dor projects, and i and convention g tool because it V and it broadens aw, anytime you there's going to m again, the pay - alhaney said. ibmitted propos- College Station; M.; the Leddy hn Q. Hammons using a $14.5 -mil- 8,000 square -foot inference center )hitheater area. )rd Commercial, e group was look - 1 office center on st for proposals. understand that iy group can pay use there's not member of the consider Leddy iposal process. n the only com- e city if the Wolf r city-owned land uild the project, check for the $6- of the project. HOTEL-CONFERENCE IC ENTER TIMELINE ■ In February, the hotel -c nvention center project becomes a College Station City Council agenda item. The "mud lot" in the Northgate section is the chosen site. The city considers an agreement with John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc. to build a 45,000 square -foot con- ference center on a 8.5 acres in exchange for the devel- oper building a 200 -plus room hotel on the site. After criticism from business owners, who claimed they had not been given a chance to bid on the project, the council allows other interested parties 10 days to submit proposals. ■ April 3 — The council votes unanimously to scrap all proposals in the wake of complaints that not enough time was given to the potential developers to prepare research for -their proposal§: ■ April 9 — The'councii approves new criteria for accepting proposals, setting a May 16 deadline to find a site — including the "mud lot" or alternative sites within the city limits — and to submit a plan that will meet all of the city's requirements. 'y ■ May 16 — Four proposals are submitted to the city for review. PKF Consultants from Houston begins reviewing the proposals. '■ June 12 — PKF Consulting representatives present the proposals to the council. + ! tom: ■ June 19 — Developers pr2stO highlights of their proposals to the council. ■ July 10 — The council is scheduled to vote on the proposal., A total of $75,000 has been spent by the team preparing the proposal, Allen said, including $9,000 on a feasibility study. The Leddy Company The Leddy Company is proposing a DoubleTree Inn at Texas A &M University to be located at the Northgate site and adjacent to a conference center. One of Leddy's partners is local businessman John Culpepper III, who owns the Northgate mud lot site. Leddy proposes a $15- million hotel with an $11- million conference center, of which the city would pay $6 million. One problem at the Northgate site is relocating Guaranty Federal Bank on University Drive to make room for the proposed project. Drake Leddy said the move is not a problem, and his team had a verbal agreement worked out with the bank to move it into a smaller building closer to University Drive that would better meet the bank's needs. "We're real excited. We think we have an excel- lent proposal," he said. Leddy said the proposal has the "strongest" relation- ship with the owners of the property, John Culpepper III, something he considers a big advantage. Leddy said he estimates the company spent between $50,000 and $75,000 on the College Station project proposal. Lane Hospitality The Lane proposal didn't name a specific hotel but, instead, used its local hotel, The Hilton Hotel and Conference Center, as an example of its work. Locally, Barron Hobbs, general manager of the College Station Hilton, is part of the team proposing to build a $16.8- million hotel on the Northgate site. Hobbs said the Lane proposal was prepared in- house at a total cost of about $5,000. In their proposal, Lane said the city would be responsible for building and operating the confer- ence center. The company touts its experience in the local area as its main advantage over the other developers. Hobbs said if their proposal is chosen, a feasibility study needs to be done to see exactly on what scope the project should be built. Bill DeForrest, senior vice president of develop- ment, told the council in June his team is concerned that a study needs to include possible parking options for the limited Northgate site. John Q. Hammons John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc, the only contender for the project originally, is proposing a $20- million hotel next to a $6- million conference center at the Northgate site. Hammons began the process in February by proposing an agreement to the city for the Northgate site. The plan was criticized by other companies that wanted a chance at the project, so the council opened the project to new proposals. Hammons did not appear with the three other pro- posers in a June presentation to the City Council, but city officials said they don't see his absence as a lack of interest in the project. In his proposal, Hammons said the Northgate site would require two to three more acres to accommo- iiate parking. If the space was not available, the con- struction of a parking garage would have to be added to the cost of the project. U C From Al The a H H tel- Motel a d ing the hotel e - 5 from the Tex W o It's going; N of the w we I o soon as we n drive, started t V he Brazos Valley ssociation, is spec fl cally against locat- on the Northgate n ud lot site, across is A &M Universi pus. ust fine," said o i Hobbs, president Valley Hotel -M a Association. "As ave all the name; hat are required, 1," .ition backed by a Northgate mer- eracts the hotel tel association's John Culpepper who is represent - 1hn Culpepper III, ' the Leddy Group, be submitted un Culpepper said. he members of tl iginally discussed, College Station an iation still feel; ty is what Colleg ght to be focusing r Lonnie Stabler sE study for the pre ter is expected in he isn't sure if 1 onal facility and ice center. A I think it wot the project in di orward with it no aid College Static 1 plan, but that i tan the hotel-cont two plans would b - the College Static oral plan v proposed a i center and the reeiom 1995 by the Han „alit. itimated that the: 10 will be 1,568,0( ;,000 visitors in If i additional 1,6201 zdy states. sites on the east a t would fall with 1d College Statioi sibility study. study is complet ve been taken by th posals for the hots 7ou are looking al ng to look at tow i economic develc :es into our commi which we have tt toward a new indl at investment. But be tremendous," velopers who hav )if Pen Creek Teal lity of Northbro "` Hotels Inc of ViYlgiield Mo. C4 Wolf Pen ek ;r. The Wolf Pen Creektheam is p lion Sheraton fttll-se $6 hotel, office building and a a $6- millioi adjacent to the Wolf Pen Creek i Jim Allen, vice president of � Inc., which is part of the team, sai mg at building a 120 -room hotel the site before the city made a re "Thg citizer 3 of this city neec there is no wa r that our group o for a $20-mil ion hotel here t enough revert es here," he said. Allen and I avis McGill, anol team, said t, at this point, t their only competitor in the Culpepper said he• considers Wo petitor Leddy ia& Allen said o ite of advantages tt Pen plan is ch n will be the aln at the site. H said the team wi requiring the city to write the tea million conference center at the t the other'petition Is strictly a defen- sociation stand by now under study. uld be a joint effort razos County. trongly that the ation, Bryan and he said. ie agrees, and said ed regional hotel - to three weeks. area can support College Station Lit a little more :ig whether we later," he said. ill is committed s for a different :e center. igned for "differ - lter would be for - ences and meet - act those groups i such as a golf nal vehicle area. came out of a area's tourism Price Company nber of overnight compared with a At the estimated ms will be needed west side of town, the city limits of ire being consid- however, a vote >llege Station City iference center. dor projects, and i and convention g tool because it V and it broadens aw, anytime you there's going to m again, the pay - alhaney said. ibmitted propos- College Station; M.; the Leddy hn Q. Hammons using a $14.5 -mil- 8,000 square -foot inference center )hitheater area. )rd Commercial, e group was look - 1 office center on st for proposals. understand that iy group can pay use there's not member of the consider Leddy iposal process. n the only com- e city if the Wolf r city-owned land uild the project, check for the $6- of the project. HOTEL-CONFERENCE IC ENTER TIMELINE ■ In February, the hotel -c nvention center project becomes a College Station City Council agenda item. The "mud lot" in the Northgate section is the chosen site. The city considers an agreement with John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc. to build a 45,000 square -foot con- ference center on a 8.5 acres in exchange for the devel- oper building a 200 -plus room hotel on the site. After criticism from business owners, who claimed they had not been given a chance to bid on the project, the council allows other interested parties 10 days to submit proposals. ■ April 3 — The council votes unanimously to scrap all proposals in the wake of complaints that not enough time was given to the potential developers to prepare research for -their proposal§: ■ April 9 — The'councii approves new criteria for accepting proposals, setting a May 16 deadline to find a site — including the "mud lot" or alternative sites within the city limits — and to submit a plan that will meet all of the city's requirements. 'y ■ May 16 — Four proposals are submitted to the city for review. PKF Consultants from Houston begins reviewing the proposals. '■ June 12 — PKF Consulting representatives present the proposals to the council. + ! tom: ■ June 19 — Developers pr2stO highlights of their proposals to the council. ■ July 10 — The council is scheduled to vote on the proposal., A total of $75,000 has been spent by the team preparing the proposal, Allen said, including $9,000 on a feasibility study. The Leddy Company The Leddy Company is proposing a DoubleTree Inn at Texas A &M University to be located at the Northgate site and adjacent to a conference center. One of Leddy's partners is local businessman John Culpepper III, who owns the Northgate mud lot site. Leddy proposes a $15- million hotel with an $11- million conference center, of which the city would pay $6 million. One problem at the Northgate site is relocating Guaranty Federal Bank on University Drive to make room for the proposed project. Drake Leddy said the move is not a problem, and his team had a verbal agreement worked out with the bank to move it into a smaller building closer to University Drive that would better meet the bank's needs. "We're real excited. We think we have an excel- lent proposal," he said. Leddy said the proposal has the "strongest" relation- ship with the owners of the property, John Culpepper III, something he considers a big advantage. Leddy said he estimates the company spent between $50,000 and $75,000 on the College Station project proposal. Lane Hospitality The Lane proposal didn't name a specific hotel but, instead, used its local hotel, The Hilton Hotel and Conference Center, as an example of its work. Locally, Barron Hobbs, general manager of the College Station Hilton, is part of the team proposing to build a $16.8- million hotel on the Northgate site. Hobbs said the Lane proposal was prepared in- house at a total cost of about $5,000. In their proposal, Lane said the city would be responsible for building and operating the confer- ence center. The company touts its experience in the local area as its main advantage over the other developers. Hobbs said if their proposal is chosen, a feasibility study needs to be done to see exactly on what scope the project should be built. Bill DeForrest, senior vice president of develop- ment, told the council in June his team is concerned that a study needs to include possible parking options for the limited Northgate site. John Q. Hammons John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc, the only contender for the project originally, is proposing a $20- million hotel next to a $6- million conference center at the Northgate site. Hammons began the process in February by proposing an agreement to the city for the Northgate site. The plan was criticized by other companies that wanted a chance at the project, so the council opened the project to new proposals. Hammons did not appear with the three other pro- posers in a June presentation to the City Council, but city officials said they don't see his absence as a lack of interest in the project. In his proposal, Hammons said the Northgate site would require two to three more acres to accommo- iiate parking. If the space was not available, the con- struction of a parking garage would have to be added to the cost of the project. be submitted un Culpepper said. he members of tl iginally discussed, College Station an iation still feel; ty is what Colleg ght to be focusing r Lonnie Stabler sE study for the pre ter is expected in he isn't sure if 1 onal facility and ice center. A I think it wot the project in di orward with it no aid College Static 1 plan, but that i tan the hotel-cont two plans would b - the College Static oral plan v proposed a i center and the reeiom 1995 by the Han „alit. itimated that the: 10 will be 1,568,0( ;,000 visitors in If i additional 1,6201 zdy states. sites on the east a t would fall with 1d College Statioi sibility study. study is complet ve been taken by th posals for the hots 7ou are looking al ng to look at tow i economic develc :es into our commi which we have tt toward a new indl at investment. But be tremendous," velopers who hav )if Pen Creek Teal lity of Northbro "` Hotels Inc of ViYlgiield Mo. C4 Wolf Pen ek ;r. The Wolf Pen Creektheam is p lion Sheraton fttll-se $6 hotel, office building and a a $6- millioi adjacent to the Wolf Pen Creek i Jim Allen, vice president of � Inc., which is part of the team, sai mg at building a 120 -room hotel the site before the city made a re "Thg citizer 3 of this city neec there is no wa r that our group o for a $20-mil ion hotel here t enough revert es here," he said. Allen and I avis McGill, anol team, said t, at this point, t their only competitor in the Culpepper said he• considers Wo petitor Leddy ia& Allen said o ite of advantages tt Pen plan is ch n will be the aln at the site. H said the team wi requiring the city to write the tea million conference center at the t the other'petition Is strictly a defen- sociation stand by now under study. uld be a joint effort razos County. trongly that the ation, Bryan and he said. ie agrees, and said ed regional hotel - to three weeks. area can support College Station Lit a little more :ig whether we later," he said. ill is committed s for a different :e center. igned for "differ - lter would be for - ences and meet - act those groups i such as a golf nal vehicle area. came out of a area's tourism Price Company nber of overnight compared with a At the estimated ms will be needed west side of town, the city limits of ire being consid- however, a vote >llege Station City iference center. dor projects, and i and convention g tool because it V and it broadens aw, anytime you there's going to m again, the pay - alhaney said. ibmitted propos- College Station; M.; the Leddy hn Q. Hammons using a $14.5 -mil- 8,000 square -foot inference center )hitheater area. )rd Commercial, e group was look - 1 office center on st for proposals. understand that iy group can pay use there's not member of the consider Leddy iposal process. n the only com- e city if the Wolf r city-owned land uild the project, check for the $6- of the project. HOTEL-CONFERENCE IC ENTER TIMELINE ■ In February, the hotel -c nvention center project becomes a College Station City Council agenda item. The "mud lot" in the Northgate section is the chosen site. The city considers an agreement with John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc. to build a 45,000 square -foot con- ference center on a 8.5 acres in exchange for the devel- oper building a 200 -plus room hotel on the site. After criticism from business owners, who claimed they had not been given a chance to bid on the project, the council allows other interested parties 10 days to submit proposals. ■ April 3 — The council votes unanimously to scrap all proposals in the wake of complaints that not enough time was given to the potential developers to prepare research for -their proposal§: ■ April 9 — The'councii approves new criteria for accepting proposals, setting a May 16 deadline to find a site — including the "mud lot" or alternative sites within the city limits — and to submit a plan that will meet all of the city's requirements. 'y ■ May 16 — Four proposals are submitted to the city for review. PKF Consultants from Houston begins reviewing the proposals. '■ June 12 — PKF Consulting representatives present the proposals to the council. + ! tom: ■ June 19 — Developers pr2stO highlights of their proposals to the council. ■ July 10 — The council is scheduled to vote on the proposal., A total of $75,000 has been spent by the team preparing the proposal, Allen said, including $9,000 on a feasibility study. The Leddy Company The Leddy Company is proposing a DoubleTree Inn at Texas A &M University to be located at the Northgate site and adjacent to a conference center. One of Leddy's partners is local businessman John Culpepper III, who owns the Northgate mud lot site. Leddy proposes a $15- million hotel with an $11- million conference center, of which the city would pay $6 million. One problem at the Northgate site is relocating Guaranty Federal Bank on University Drive to make room for the proposed project. Drake Leddy said the move is not a problem, and his team had a verbal agreement worked out with the bank to move it into a smaller building closer to University Drive that would better meet the bank's needs. "We're real excited. We think we have an excel- lent proposal," he said. Leddy said the proposal has the "strongest" relation- ship with the owners of the property, John Culpepper III, something he considers a big advantage. Leddy said he estimates the company spent between $50,000 and $75,000 on the College Station project proposal. Lane Hospitality The Lane proposal didn't name a specific hotel but, instead, used its local hotel, The Hilton Hotel and Conference Center, as an example of its work. Locally, Barron Hobbs, general manager of the College Station Hilton, is part of the team proposing to build a $16.8- million hotel on the Northgate site. Hobbs said the Lane proposal was prepared in- house at a total cost of about $5,000. In their proposal, Lane said the city would be responsible for building and operating the confer- ence center. The company touts its experience in the local area as its main advantage over the other developers. Hobbs said if their proposal is chosen, a feasibility study needs to be done to see exactly on what scope the project should be built. Bill DeForrest, senior vice president of develop- ment, told the council in June his team is concerned that a study needs to include possible parking options for the limited Northgate site. John Q. Hammons John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc, the only contender for the project originally, is proposing a $20- million hotel next to a $6- million conference center at the Northgate site. Hammons began the process in February by proposing an agreement to the city for the Northgate site. The plan was criticized by other companies that wanted a chance at the project, so the council opened the project to new proposals. Hammons did not appear with the three other pro- posers in a June presentation to the City Council, but city officials said they don't see his absence as a lack of interest in the project. In his proposal, Hammons said the Northgate site would require two to three more acres to accommo- iiate parking. If the space was not available, the con- struction of a parking garage would have to be added to the cost of the project. the other'petition Is strictly a defen- sociation stand by now under study. uld be a joint effort razos County. trongly that the ation, Bryan and he said. ie agrees, and said ed regional hotel - to three weeks. area can support College Station Lit a little more :ig whether we later," he said. ill is committed s for a different :e center. igned for "differ - lter would be for - ences and meet - act those groups i such as a golf nal vehicle area. came out of a area's tourism Price Company nber of overnight compared with a At the estimated ms will be needed west side of town, the city limits of ire being consid- however, a vote >llege Station City iference center. dor projects, and i and convention g tool because it V and it broadens aw, anytime you there's going to m again, the pay - alhaney said. ibmitted propos- College Station; M.; the Leddy hn Q. Hammons using a $14.5 -mil- 8,000 square -foot inference center )hitheater area. )rd Commercial, e group was look - 1 office center on st for proposals. understand that iy group can pay use there's not member of the consider Leddy iposal process. n the only com- e city if the Wolf r city-owned land uild the project, check for the $6- of the project. HOTEL-CONFERENCE IC ENTER TIMELINE ■ In February, the hotel -c nvention center project becomes a College Station City Council agenda item. The "mud lot" in the Northgate section is the chosen site. The city considers an agreement with John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc. to build a 45,000 square -foot con- ference center on a 8.5 acres in exchange for the devel- oper building a 200 -plus room hotel on the site. After criticism from business owners, who claimed they had not been given a chance to bid on the project, the council allows other interested parties 10 days to submit proposals. ■ April 3 — The council votes unanimously to scrap all proposals in the wake of complaints that not enough time was given to the potential developers to prepare research for -their proposal§: ■ April 9 — The'councii approves new criteria for accepting proposals, setting a May 16 deadline to find a site — including the "mud lot" or alternative sites within the city limits — and to submit a plan that will meet all of the city's requirements. 'y ■ May 16 — Four proposals are submitted to the city for review. PKF Consultants from Houston begins reviewing the proposals. '■ June 12 — PKF Consulting representatives present the proposals to the council. + ! tom: ■ June 19 — Developers pr2stO highlights of their proposals to the council. ■ July 10 — The council is scheduled to vote on the proposal., A total of $75,000 has been spent by the team preparing the proposal, Allen said, including $9,000 on a feasibility study. The Leddy Company The Leddy Company is proposing a DoubleTree Inn at Texas A &M University to be located at the Northgate site and adjacent to a conference center. One of Leddy's partners is local businessman John Culpepper III, who owns the Northgate mud lot site. Leddy proposes a $15- million hotel with an $11- million conference center, of which the city would pay $6 million. One problem at the Northgate site is relocating Guaranty Federal Bank on University Drive to make room for the proposed project. Drake Leddy said the move is not a problem, and his team had a verbal agreement worked out with the bank to move it into a smaller building closer to University Drive that would better meet the bank's needs. "We're real excited. We think we have an excel- lent proposal," he said. Leddy said the proposal has the "strongest" relation- ship with the owners of the property, John Culpepper III, something he considers a big advantage. Leddy said he estimates the company spent between $50,000 and $75,000 on the College Station project proposal. Lane Hospitality The Lane proposal didn't name a specific hotel but, instead, used its local hotel, The Hilton Hotel and Conference Center, as an example of its work. Locally, Barron Hobbs, general manager of the College Station Hilton, is part of the team proposing to build a $16.8- million hotel on the Northgate site. Hobbs said the Lane proposal was prepared in- house at a total cost of about $5,000. In their proposal, Lane said the city would be responsible for building and operating the confer- ence center. The company touts its experience in the local area as its main advantage over the other developers. Hobbs said if their proposal is chosen, a feasibility study needs to be done to see exactly on what scope the project should be built. Bill DeForrest, senior vice president of develop- ment, told the council in June his team is concerned that a study needs to include possible parking options for the limited Northgate site. John Q. Hammons John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc, the only contender for the project originally, is proposing a $20- million hotel next to a $6- million conference center at the Northgate site. Hammons began the process in February by proposing an agreement to the city for the Northgate site. The plan was criticized by other companies that wanted a chance at the project, so the council opened the project to new proposals. Hammons did not appear with the three other pro- posers in a June presentation to the City Council, but city officials said they don't see his absence as a lack of interest in the project. In his proposal, Hammons said the Northgate site would require two to three more acres to accommo- iiate parking. If the space was not available, the con- struction of a parking garage would have to be added to the cost of the project. The Ea Date: EP M CS reside discolor College Sta rienced tap-w various time and Thursday amount of w through the 1 "The usage lion gallons t intendent La The increa moving th caused natu lines to be cials said tl danger. Carter sai for a day is' that the peal lion gallons Crews a Wednesday to flush the lines, he sat Officials water for t should clea problems w lems persi! 764-3638. nts getting ad water ion residents expe- ter discoloration at Wednesday night due to an increased tter being pumped aes, officials said. N, up about 3 mil• a t day; ' city super - rmnce Carter said. ,ed volume of water ough the pipes al sediment in the tirred up, but offi- is poses no health 'the average usage million gallons and capacity is 15.2 mil- day. irked from early mtil late Thursday . se diment out of the said running the vo to three minute! r up any remainint ith the water. if prob t, residents can cal IQ CS approves pact on repairs for fire station Eagle Staff Report College Station officials have reached an agreement on the con- , tractor and others involved in repairing the new fire station at 304 Holleman Drive, the city announced Thursday. The fire station has had problems with drainage and excessive crack- ing in the front and rear drives that occurred before the city accepted the building, officials said. The problems, in addition to weather delays, have caused the move -in date to be pushed back to approximately August. The city approved C.F. Jordan as the contractor, Architects of Dallas as the architects, and design engineers to repair the sta- tion at no extra cost. Work is scheduled to take 30 to 40 days, with the station opening and hosting an open house for the public after it has been accepted by the city. The eagle Date: CS Council should wait for a thorough study of hotel plans Eagle Editorial Board o ti Thursday, College Station City Council members are sched- uled to select one of four proposals for a combined private hotel -city conference center. It's an important decision, one that shouldn't be made in haste. It would be best if council mem- bers postponed a decision and, instead, o ered a thorough study — not just of the proposals before the coun it but of the whole issue of additional hotel meeting space in the ditire Bryan and College Station community. The council simply doesn't have enoul h information to make such a decision at this time. There are oo many questions left unanswered by the four proposals, inc uding how the project might affect a possible hotel- exposition ce iter being considered as a partnership between the cities of Colleg Station and Bryan and s County. weeks ago, council members h presentations by three four groups proposing to build the hotel- conference center. resentatives of all three said they coul I have done a better job wit their ro osals had tonnis Baggett Robert C. Borden Publisher and Editor Opinions Editor Joe Michael Feist Kalil Levey Managing Editor City Editor P P the3 had more time. And the5 indicated that the first thin that needed to be done one a project is accepted is to p epare a study of the size andl configuration of the study should have been done long before i but it certainly should be completed befoi committed. Questions that must be answered inclut ■ What is the need for hotel space in Br cil decides to go ahead with one of the fo 250 -room hotel, will there still be a need has been discussed in the joint cities -coui ■ Is there a need for a city-owned coi glance, the answer would seem to be yes. I Presidential Library and Museum opens vide adequate meeting space for its need community at large? ■ If the city is to build a conference cen uration should it take? Plans presented so million the city says it has available for t what is needed. It would seem better to de is needed before committing city xpandability of such a center as tl to be a requirement. think such a study is al before any further ions are made. The scussions went this far, any taxpayer money is ,os County? If the coup- - proposals for a 200- to r the second hotel that plan? erence center? At first .t once the George Bush November, will it pro- as well as those of the what size and config- r seem geared to the $6 project rather than to e what size conference sources to the project. city grows also would ■ Does tl ie community at large need both a conference center and an exposit o center? If so, could they be combined into one? With the world' remost agriculture -based land grant university here, it is a sh we don't have a first -class expo center to host live- stock and et ier shows that require a lot of room. If a combination conference po center could be built, wouldn't it make sense to share the t among all the residents of the two cities and the county? ■ Wher should the hotel - conference center project be built? Three of the proposals are for the mud lot site, the former location of the old cle Drive -In Theater. The fourth is for a site near the Wolf Pen eek Amphitheater at the intersection of Holleman Drive and Dartmouth Street. There are no doubt many other pos- sible locat.o is, particularly if the joint cities - county project is built. The dy should consider whether the hotel- conference cen- ter project n s to be located adjacent to Texas A&M University or elsewh ■ What d be the effect on traffic, wherever the hotel- confer- ence cente located? The redevelopment of Northgate is an excit- ing and poi ive step, but can University Drive accommodate hun- dreds of a 'tional cars if the hotel- conference center is built at ■ How i project — public ass ie.r.t? A 1995 tt is an excel center pro, tions. An i any projec Earlier t developer ence center process to There's 1 Thursday ence center place or do hotel or he hotels and ting empty If a hotel better as C months, th council not detailed pre become intc Most imp all the opt . informed cc The Collel on the hotel and then m and throuet d a city- private project — or a cities - county- private pact local hotels and motels that were built without ce? Should the city be involved at all in a hotel pro - ism study by Harrison Price Co. of San Pedro, Calif., it starting point for discussions on a hotel- conference , but it by no means answers these important ques- ted study with an expanded scope is needed before considered. year, the council was under pressure from a private move ahead rapidly with a Northgate hotel- confer- o The council wisely held off and opened up the er companies interested in working with the city. to be gained by moving forward with the project on t and an awful lot to lose. We don't want a confer - at is too big or too small, that is located in the wrong 't have ample parking. We want to be sure that any built in conjunction with College Station or College - Brazos County compete fairly with existing private tels and that they don't become white elephants, sit - ch of the time. erence center project is a great idea, it only will get ege Station and Bryan continue to prosper. In six ame companies making the proposals before the will more than likely be back with better, more sals. The extra time would allow other companies to ted in the project and make their own proposals. ant, the extra time would allow a thorough study of s so that the council can reach the best, most lusion possible. Station City Council would be wise to move slowly nference center project, thoroughly study the issue the best decision for everyone in College Station t Brazos County. The Eagle ` charge taxpayers its time, The Bryan - College Station Eagle's penchant for cheerleading the economic development crowd is well estab- lished. It came as a pleasant sur- prise therefore that your Sunday editorial called for prudent planning and judgment before the city of College Station embarks on an expenditure of tax funds in support of a facility to serve the city's com- mercial interests. But the sentence in your editorial that caught this taxpayer's eye was, "If a combination conference -expo center could be built, wouldn't it make sense to share the cost among all the residents of the two cities and the county?" The answer is manifestly no. Whatever happened to private enterprise and the free market? If such a center makes economic sense, a private developer will see that it gets done without the use of taxpayers' funds. No taxpayer had churches and Texas A &M Univer- sity. Should the City Council ap- prove a Northgate site, we firmly believe that it will be in the best interests of the vast majority of College Station's citizens. There will be no new taxes levied on citizens to pay for the project. The city's contri- r toward expenses will come ly from already existing otel tax fund created specifi- ca'Mo fund projects such as this one. The City Council has committed itself to the "Northgate Revital- ization Plan." We urge everyone to Please contact the members of the City Council and urge them to keep the vision of a revitalized Northgate intact. Northgate's future is now. Please let your voice be heard. Northgate needs the hotel and con. ference center. . DON and CHERYL ANZ owner v co O i O x Date: Hotel is in the plans 0 n Thursday, the College Station City Council will decide the location of a new hotel and con- ference center. Both facilities will be good for College Station. They will attract tourists, create jobs, increase the tax base and serve as nttw P1400 for the citizcw of this town to dine with family members, entertain guests and hold meetings. For years the idea of building a hotel in the Northgate area has been discussed in highly positive terms by city planners, merchants, to subsidize the construction of the College Station Hilton. If the College Station Council ' should, in its "wisdom," decide to use taxpayer funds to subsidize this comm rcial development (from which the ordinary College Station taxpayer will not benefit), well, I'm glad to live on the other side of the line, insulated from this unwise gift of public funds. MELVYN L. MEER Bryan T College he Bryan Station Eagle's Sunday editorial on the need for a thorough study of new hotel plans by the College Station City Council is a fine example of profes- sional journalism serving the local community. It brings out a number of very valid questions that must be answered, and offers a "road map" for a prudent approach to arriving at the best decision for this area regarding both of the proposed pro- jects, i.e., the College Station and College Station- Bryan - Brazos County projects. The taxpayers of this community, and equally importantly those who have made substantial private in- vestments in building and operating existing hotels here, deserve and must be assured of fairness and responsibility in the decision mak- ing process on these two projects. It is important that you continue Your vigilance over this issue and report from time to time on what's Involved on both of the proposed projects, and what drives them. Incidentally, We have not heard a great deal about the College Station. Bryan- Brazos County project. A detailed report on that project also would be very desirable. Keep up the good work. DEMETRIOS L. BASDEKAS Bryan What could be fairer? he Bryan - College Station Eagle's Sunday editorial about the pro- posed hotel - conference center calls for a comment: A Northgate hotel - conference center is in keep- ing with the goals of the College Station "Comprehensive Plan" and the "Northgate Revitalization Plan." It will improve the environment of Northgate and offer convenient ser. vices to people visiting Texas A &M University, A hotel - conference or expo center relatively far from the campus will do neither. The Eagle asks for another study and I was wondering: If a feasibility study recommends that a conference -expo center be built south of College Station to take advantage of population growth, would Bryan and Brazos County be willing to contribute money toward the project? Or the reverse, would College Station contribute tax money for a center in Bryan? The answer to both questions is proba. bly no. The Eagle needs to remem- ber that College Station's $6 million in hotel -motel tax revenue was pri. ma ilY generated from people visit- ing Texas A &M University, its employees and its students. What could be fairer than using that money to improve Northgate and make it easier for people to visit the, A &M campus? DUKE MILLER College Station Cate Eccell College Station - . Q, 80 .d a ° CZ M> C. 0W o Q 2 0 d `�'b ° - w 4 14 c c O oCD' a °+. �a o �W = � 0 v� �3� a 0 y b v as x .°3 an08o-,g a a1 O y 0 u ' U oR, U ^ U Cn 0 .o q o E� 7 a o ° : ac� wc B. yE� O',o N .ate .E 5, C.0 .4 E U o 24588 od s.�yE y � � t OUdA o 8 W .` ,y XS (t zii _S > �'d.S C CB -3 O O z�n o$os. o o 3 4y 8 > y W d g d m O O" � C G vv�� �w qq ao. �� c4�a8i �,�Nc>M�.E a3E o 1_. ° 7 'a ROE L. d a. c r 1 0 a > �i ° � p .ir p a � o c _aa d�� ° 8 0_ a o 5 ZG 1,44 0 fnw N�p y vio 0 0 S WQ 10 �S•. 0 U-U -, �'.'Y..o mY[a.� m 0 y w° o y mum -w ' ° C O m o S `s raw ;,!s H «a : as d od �omvs i�Dao mw e�gdp d Z0��� isOdo°� ob 0 ` >ab >m d a 0.0 °�wa d do o sa > o dBs�YE 8w0X.0- " w m o m o � d y ° A i s ° 10 d m a> al t'q :. a>um� a C i o mmoyx'oom O �r,bd a�i a a U &0 w m x° Council to address street renov tions Survey: Roads iesidentst ggest concern By JENNY NELSON Center, 100 George Bush Drive. Eagle Staff Writer Council embers are scheduled released by the city Wednesday, to vote o provements to three aes The streets of College Station thoroug in College Station: are driving some residents crazy, Texas Avenue, Southwest and city officials are looking to do Parkway and Munson Avenue. L something about it. In th random survey, per - In a recent citizen survey, formed by Texas A &M University released by the city Wednesday, Public Policy and Research residents said the greatest need in department during the last two their city is road improvements. weeks in Iv�ay, 570 residents were "We know we have some work polled o their satisfaction with to do on our roads," said Charles their ci 's�services. Cryan, interim director of finance "The s thing we got out of it for the city. is that we looked better to our cit- The first step in improving izens than had hoped," Cryan some of the city's main roads will said. come Thursday at the 3 p.m. and 7 Rickie Fletcher, who orches- p.m. City Council meetings at the see STREETS, Page A2 College Station Conference Oleise Streets From Al trated the study, said the first question respondents were asked was to a their biggest gripe about the city. Fletcher said he i tasn't surprised at the answer: streets. "By far, by far, th..t was the biggest need overall," he said. "When you' v in College Station, it's almost impossible to not ge subjected to the [traffic] lights and construction." The Texas Avenue widening project, scheduled for completion next sw rimer, is a project the council could award an addi ional $18,845 on Thursday. The additional ftuLds are needed to improve soil under the roadway, said Ed Hard, transportation planner for the city. Another street th. t needs attention is Southwest Parkway, which is a candidate for a $1.9 million makeover. besides an electrical underground con- version, a 3160 -day repavement is under considera- tion. The third street scheduled for discussion Thursday is Munson Avenue, which has been tem- porarily closed since May. Residents in the area complained o high - volume traffic cutting through their residential street. The comp rots fueled the City Council's decision to close off ne end of the street to two-way traffic. Hard said T iursday's update on traffic counts in the area is an a iswer to a council request. Hard saic the street will remain partially closed into the fall the college students come back to town, in or ler to get an accurate number of cars using the rc ads. Besides s eet problems, Cryan said overall 92 per- cent of ci ' said they were satisfied with city ser- vices, sornet iifig city officials were pleased to know. In other b isiness, the council is scheduled to vote on the pro for a hotel- conference center. The council will ffscuss; the plan at the 3 p.m. workshop, then vote at the 7 p.m. meeting. L o until P c In a 43 vote Thursday, College Station City Council members chose Wolf Pen Creek as their pre- ferred site for the city's proposed hotelconference center. Now it's up to the voters, who will get their say in the matter in November. Before the preferred site was selected, the council in a 5-2 deci- sion said their constituents deserved a vote in the city's Hotel spending ot$G million on the con- ference center. The city's portion is part of th estimated $29 million cost of the Nolf Pen Creek devel- opment. If we ce 1't sell this project to the voters, then we shouldn't do it," Counc ]man Dick Birdwell said after leaking the motion to call for a referendum. Councilmen Hub Kennady, Swiki Anderson and Steve The council members got little help in their final decision from their hired consultants, PKF Consulting of Houston, who told the council they had no prefer- ence between the top two con- tenders. The other two proposers, Lane and John Q. Hammons, were not evaluated due to a lack of information, said consultant John Keeling. Keeling blamed their indeci- sion on the city's earlier actions with the original bidder, Hammons. The actions came when Hammon approached the city in February, asking to build a $20 million hotel on the "mud lot" site adjacent to a conference center. The city proposed to provide property and $6 million to build the conference center. Before a vote was ever taken on the agreement, and after pressure from other hotel developers, the City Council decided to allow other developers to submit pro- posals for the project "In every case up until this one, we have come up with a clear win- ner," Keeling said. "That is not the case we have now." He said that because the devel- opers already knew the amount the city was willing to contribute, there was no need to include in the proposal what incentives from the city were needed, making most of the proposed information equal. Leddy calls for a $15.4 million hotel, while Wolf Pen calls for a $14.5 million hotel with an $6 mll- Ilon office building, which team members said will help offset any costs. No contracts have been signed with the Wolf Pen Creek Development Team; now negotla- tions begin if the first—choice pro- posal doesn't work out, Leddy could still have a chance at the joint project — a fact Drake Leddy, president of The Leddy Company, is keeping in mind. "I'm disappointed, but St's not over. The fact of the matter is rm still waiting to see how they're going to build 75,000 square feet of conference center and equip- ment for $6 million," Leddy said. The fat lady hasn't sung." olf Pin Creek h on proposed co Esmond agreed, but the other side, of the camp included Mayor Lynn Mcnhaney and Councilmen David Hickson and Carry Mariott. "I've thought a lot about this," Mcnhaney said. "We've dealt with this issue for a long time and I can't support a referendum." Neither the Wolf Pen group nor the second - ranked Leddy Company, who proposed building the hotel at Northgate, disagreed With a public vote. Joe DePalma, president of the DePalma Hotel Corporation, and also a member of the Wolf Pen Creek Development Team, said a referendum is fine with him. "This referendum is not going to be a problem" he said. "[Wolf Pen] is not going to be a tax bur- den on anyone." if the council had not chosen the referendum route, they may have been forc ed into it. Barron Hobbs, president of the Brazos Valley Hotel /Motel Association and a member of the rejected development team Lane Hospitality Inc., had in hand at Thursday's meeting a 500- signa- lure petition calling for a referen- dum. "I think they did the right thing on the referendum," Hobbs said after the meeting. 1 Urnk it took a lot of guts to do OWL" Please see 110TEL. Page A2 This artist's rendition shows the proposed Wolf Pen once center Is to the right of the hotel. The College Creek hotel (for right) and business office (left), adja- Station City Council selected the site In a vote cent to the Wolf Pen Creek Amplfhester. The confer- ursday night. The Issue now goes to voters. , "I've stru led with what's best f or 99 Om' at the whole picture," Hobbs said. The decision was made to rank the teams to allow the city and the munit I think it opens up new revenue for preferred developer four months ... if we o with the Wolf Pen to begin their negotiation before the referendum. our communi r1' 9 McBhaney, Birdwell, Hickson and Anderson all voted in favor of s ite." ranking the Wolf Pen group the LYNN WILHANEY highest while Kennady, Mariod College Station mayor Esmond voted against it I and Wolf pen was the onl proposak calling for a hotel-conference cer� ter on a site other than Northgatp, But Leddy said he may go on ning to see .what happen." "I am still committed to the with a hotel on the site with or Leddy wasn't the only develop- revitalization of Northgate „' without the city. His partners er who said future hotel plans MclIhaney said when declaring tP include John Culpepper III, who might be in the voorks. the standing-room-only crowd her own part of the "mud lot” Hobbs said "there could be a position to go with Wolf Pen. ' "You never can tell," Leddy possibility in the near future" This has been a very dlfflcull said of future development. "We that Lane Hospitality Inc. might decision to make," she said. "I've know St's a good site for a hotel, look at other developments in struggled with what's best for the we know it's a better site with a Bryan- College Station. community ... I think it opens up conference center. We are going "They like this market, but new revenue for our community to move forward and we are plan - they're going to sit down and look if we go with the Wolf Pen site." ; X L Council 01(s illion for Par' wa CS also approv s $19,000 for Texas Ave. widening plan The College Station City Cc to approve $1.9 million in ca Southwest Parkway, but the wasn't the only street that got The council also approved a the Texas Avenue widening update on Munson Avenue, a Partially closed since May. Munson Avenue, a residenti a shortcut through the city, t residents because about 7,300 c street each day. Ed Hard, trans the city, said the number of 2,900 since the intersection w one -way. Please mcil voted Thursday tracts to smooth out Jumpy thoroughfare .ttention. additional $19,000 to roject and heard an street that has been street often used as ame a sore spot to s zoomed down the irtation planner for -s has dwindled to i Lincoln has been COUNCIL, Page All From A9 °I think [the traffic volume] is a little it lower than we expect- ed," B ' ard said. "But ... fthe study ] oing to go on until at least October, perhaps Nove .' Hard sE 'd most of the data col- lected s not include student traffic, ar d that additional traf- fic cou it 3 are needed so city offic' will know which streets Ill Le diverted traffic is using alternate route. "I a that we could have the da ck to you at the sec- ond mE et ng in October," Hard said. ?lard s tid one problem with the clo is vehicles illegally turning i ito the blocked inter- section He s A I that in a one -day count, were seen turning illegal onto the street. But not everyone is getting away with the vio a 'on. Hard said about 73 city i ns, which cost $85, have be an issued on the street. Some residents said Thursd iy that they aren't happy N rit the partial closure. "We don't like it because we have to go out of our way," said residen Carroll Wagner. The council could look at a new plan at the Oct 23 meeting, Hard said. The Texas Avenue widening Project, scheduled for comple- tion next summer, will have $19,000 added to the city's por- tion of the state project. Hard said the additional funds are needed to improve soil under the roadway. Southwest Parkway's make- over includes an electrical underground conversion and a 360 -day repavement project. In other business, the council approved a $19,000 system to upgrade the city's information channel. Peggy Calliham, the city's public relations manager who oversees the channel, said the new system will be used to gen- erate better - quality pictures and even video. She said the channel, which now airs on cable Channel 3, will move to cable Channel 19 in September. The change will have the College Station school district information on the same chan- nel. The school district is sched- uled to reimburse the city for half of the fee, said City Manager Skip Noe. The same system is scheduled to be used in Bryan on Channel 20. Texas A &M University infor- mation will be on Channel 18. r Cities eye tourism center By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer CS considers information blitz on hotel plan Can the Bryan- College Station area support two hotel-conference By JENNY NELSON The council chose the $29- million Wolf Pen Creek centers. E St Development Team hotel and conference center Eagle Writer That's a question in the minds proposal as their top pick of four proposals but, in a of many residents following Before College Station voters go to the polls in separate vote, decided to put it up for a referendum. Thursday's decision by the November, they will be bombarded with informa- The city's portion of the bill is listed as $6 million. College Station City Council to go tion — if city officials have their way. McIlhaney said the council hasn't discussed how ahead with aThotel- conference A referendum, approved 43 by the City Council on they'll get information to the public, but the citizen voters approve the project in November. Still hanging in the balance is a regional tourism center with Brazos County and the cities of Bryan and College Station as part- ners. Just how well two similar complexes could work in the county isn't expected to be known until late August when a feasibili- ty study is expected to be complet- say in the proposed hotel and conference center. "I think the important thing is to get the facts to the voters," Mayor Lynn McIlhaney said. "The cit- izens in our community, when they get the facts, make the right decision." Councilman Swiki Anderson agrees that the city needs to inform the residents. "As I see it, the city has an obligation to educate Please see VOTERS, Page A8 E mpact Consulting Inc. to conduct a feasi- bility study for the project. The proposal includes a hotel- confer- ence center, golf course and expo center, Stabler said, with a price tag of $13 million to $18 million. The Bryan mayor said he isn't sure what effect the College Station facility could have on the regional plan. "Just on the surface, it seems to sure on doing the regional facility because it changes the market some," he said. John Keeling, senior vice presi- dent of PKF Consulting, said f Friday the feasibility study for the regional plan should be complete , t l..t in mid - August. "We're in the middle of the Please see IMPACT, Page AS C ed, said Hugh Walker, Bryan's how much, we won't know until Talk of the regional facility assistant to the City manager. we get the study. I think it would became public in April when the "I'm sure it will have some neg- be a little naive to say it would Bryan City Council authorized ative impact to it," he said. "As to have no impact." Mayor Lonnie Stabler to hire PKF mpac From Al study," he said. "We're still col- lecting information. This is a six- to eight -week process [and] we just started two weeks ago." The College Station facility began as a university- oriented facility at Northgate near the Texas A &M University campus. Stabler said placing the College Station facility away from the university makes him wonder if the audience for the hotel-confer- ence center has changed. McIlhaney said the target group has not changed. Voters From Al the citizen, providing informa- tion and making the issues clear," he said. "This is not mind -bog- gling. I could do it on one sheet of paper." The Wolf Pen Creek Develop- ment Team is headed by Joe DePalma, president of the DePalma Hotel Corporation in Irving, who said he'll be back in College Station next week to begin pre - referendum work. "The important thing is to get information out," he said. DePalma, who said he has been m the hotel business for 33 years, said he sees no problem in con- vincing voters that the Wolf Pen Creek Development is the right plan for College Station. For now, the city and the Wolf Pen Creek team are in negotia- tions to work out the details of the public - private partnership. If things do not work out with the Wolf Pen Creek team, the council members have ranked The Leddy Company as their second choice. The Leddy plan calls for a hotel and conference center on the Northgate site. The two other pro- posals, by Lane Hospitality Inc. and John Q. Hammons, were not included in the ranking because they turned in incomplete requests for proposals. A; The Eagle Date: B has oot6 ntial to be id tourist destination during those times along with a stronger awareness campaign to identify what our community has to offer. All College Station city staff members are going through training to learn to communicate more effectively with domestic and international visitors. The curriculum was developed and is being taught by Peter Tarlow, a sociologist and adjunct staff member of the Texas Engineering Extension Service's law enforcement and security division who has his own consulting business. This tourism training program is now being used nationally to train others based on Tarlow's work with our city staff. The opening of the Bush Presidential Library and Museum, the location of Messina Hof Winery, the new athletic facilities and the activities of Texas A&M University and their involvement with the Big 12 Conference, and many other local attractions will all have an impact on our community and available facili ties. As Bryan, College Station, Brazos County and Texas A &M University all begin to address these issues and formu- late solutions and goals, I look forward to strong working relationships between th citizens and the private sector to help make our community an ideal tourist des- tination as well as the best place to live. By LYNN McILHANEY s society. It alsi bides a direct l Special to the Eagle pro- and ;s and gener- n out- tore; in a ed traffic; greater capacity needs fo rA rvices and facilities; and new public -p 'v itlepartnerships. By lj carefully at all these issues, the co ity has the opportunity to providsitive impact without jeopar- dizing uality of life. How is the community addressina this issue? 11meu, over a past two years; the chamber tourist of co r e, the convention and visitors It pro- bureau, hotel/motel association, and cultur the g v rnmental entities have iances, ad several issues. In 1995 there s, an was a t ism marketing analysis done s, and by Harrson Price Company. A tourism ,. unity 11 heol was held in the spring of 1996 in the spring of 1997. College Station p together a task force, which its an d recently p nted its report for a strate- - Gently, gic mar ing plan for tourism. a citi- Also, t is year the Holiday on the se and Brazos w s promoted to showcase our Gomm i during the Christmas season of the and a its marketing position was gnomic filled he convention and visitors ew tax bureau o promote our outstanding ath- ness of letic fac Ii ies for additional state, region - creased al and r atonal tournaments. We are also devel- develop an inventory of times when include local fa ' ties are not being fully utilized •astruc. in or ' promote our area for meeting ■ Lynn Mcllhaney is mayor of College Station $ + o b •t •,°� lr.. � o � o w 'c � f G � x�r` •. t U o o lzu ��, fS+ W . C cC y O O O. O o a7 N il El vUi 00 W CC , , y eC a�3 e� CQ > b o a c M p � o¢ c E M rr > cC v' 2 N y p ell A t ` Z4 No o i~ o a°�i ° `� 00 vim, Q 'L = o -. How is the community addressina this issue? 11meu, over a past two years; the chamber tourist of co r e, the convention and visitors It pro- bureau, hotel/motel association, and cultur the g v rnmental entities have iances, ad several issues. In 1995 there s, an was a t ism marketing analysis done s, and by Harrson Price Company. A tourism ,. unity 11 heol was held in the spring of 1996 in the spring of 1997. College Station p together a task force, which its an d recently p nted its report for a strate- - Gently, gic mar ing plan for tourism. a citi- Also, t is year the Holiday on the se and Brazos w s promoted to showcase our Gomm i during the Christmas season of the and a its marketing position was gnomic filled he convention and visitors ew tax bureau o promote our outstanding ath- ness of letic fac Ii ies for additional state, region - creased al and r atonal tournaments. We are also devel- develop an inventory of times when include local fa ' ties are not being fully utilized •astruc. in or ' promote our area for meeting ■ Lynn Mcllhaney is mayor of College Station $ + o b •t •,°� lr.. � o � o w 'c � f G � x�r` •. t U o o lzu ��, fS+ W . C cC y O O O. O o a7 N il El vUi 00 W CC , , y eC a�3 e� CQ > b o a c M p � o¢ c E M rr > cC v' 2 N y p ell A t ` Z4 No o i~ o a°�i ° `� 00 vim, Q 'L = o -. ■ Lynn Mcllhaney is mayor of College Station $ + o b •t •,°� lr.. � o � o w 'c � f G � x�r` •. t U o o lzu ��, fS+ W . C cC y O O O. O o a7 N il El vUi 00 W CC , , y eC a�3 e� CQ > b o a c M p � o¢ c E M rr > cC v' 2 N y p ell A t ` Z4 No o i~ o a°�i ° `� 00 vim, Q 'L = o -. The Eagle Date: Hotel plans need more study bef ore Nov. 4 vote Eagle Editorial Board Station City Council members are to be C ollege commended for agreeing to let voters decide whether to build a city-financed conference center in conjunction with a private full- service hotel and for letting the voters kno the preferred location for the project. If voters a prove the con- ference center on Nov. 4 and negot' itions with the designated The Eagle developer can be com- pleted, the Opinions expressed above are those of the hotel- confer- Editorial Board. Members of the board are: ence center Donnis eaggett Robert C. Borden would be Publisher and Editor Opinions Editor built at the Joe Michael Feist Kalil Levey southwest Managing Editor City Editor intersection of Holleman Drive and Dartmouth Street, acrosE from the Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater. A lot of study still must be compil ated before vot- ers go to the polls, though. There are too many questions left unanswered. The cit of Bryan has asked PKF Consulting of Houston which also did a study of four proposals for the liege Station hotel - conference center project — t study the fea- sibility of a hotel- exposition cen er -golf course funded, in part, by the two citi s and Brazos County. That study should be expanded in the wake of the College Station City's Council's d ision to move ahead if voters approve the proje t at Wolf Pen Creek. Among the questions to be asked are: • Do we need and can we afford I oth projects? • Could both be viable, or would :hey be compet- ing for the same limited number of avelers? What would be the cost to the taxpayers f all three enti- ties? ■ Does the location of the pr posed College Station venture just off the East Byl ass at Wolf Pen Creek change the dynamics or possible location of the possible cities -county project? ■ Would the College Station cot ference center - hotel, if built, change the size of tie cities - county expo center - hotel -golf course endea or? ■ How will the opening of extens a meeting and expo space at the George Bush Pres dential Library and the Reed Arena at Texas A &M University impact the expo center project? . ce the highly regarded PKF did the study for th liege Station -only project, it shouldn't be too d' > lt to expand the scope of the study requested by e Bryan City Council. h re are questions about the College Station hoi a - conference center project that must be an ered before the election, too. Last week, city sta T members said there will be necessary street im r vements at either the Wolf Pen Creek or the No to site. With the selection of the Wolf Pen Cr site, what street improvements will be need- ed d will they have to be completed by the time the onference center -hotel opens in late 1999 or y 2000? What is the cost of those improvements an it be shared with the developers of the pri- va 1 financed hotel? Similar questions should be asNe4 about the Northgate site, should negotia- tio with the Wolf Pen Creek Development team ter re voters go to the polls, the city and the Wolf need to determine how big the conference should be. The council went about the s backwards, announcing it had $6 million it spend for the center, to be repaid with rev - enerated by the hotel and center. Companies g proposals on the project then used that it to decide how big the center should be, than figuring out what size conference cen- city needs and then determining the cost. of the city's investigation is a realistic esti- f how much it will cost College Station to e the conference center each year. Many sim- nters lose money, although ultimately the often make up for the loss through increased otel and sales taxes. Voters need to decide er they are willing to approve a similar ement in College Station and, to do that, ill have to know the anticipated cost and rev- if operating the center. that the decision has been made to go to the on Nov. 4, council members should appoint d -based citizen group to "sell" the idea of the nce center to the voters. A similar plan well for the city in its capital improve - bond election two years ago. needed studies should have been completed now, but we are confident they still can be ted well before the Nov. 4 vote. A citizenry the information it needs can be trusted to e right decision, whatever that is. The Eagle ��. f_ Imo. I : , Date: Wolf Pen CrEhek first choice for hotel site BY R6BERT SMrrH The College Station City Council voted Wolf Fen Creek the top site fora iotel and conference centei in College Station Thursday night. Citizens will vote in November to decide if a hotel and conference center will be built. The vote was 3 -3 when Mayor Lynn McIlhaney mi de the deciding vote to rank Wolf Pen Creek the number one x °` choice and the Leddy gr up's Northgate "mud lot" to a- tion the second choice. If the city cannot reach agteementwithWolfPen Crt ek, it will negotiate with Led y for the Northgate location. The city's consultinj group, PKF, decided Thursday afternoon at a worksh p meeting that Leddy's No h- gate proposal and the Wolf Pen Creek proposal ire equally attractive. ® 1'xoTOCw+rx: Rony Angkriwan John Culpepper Jr., fa her of "mud lot" landowner J hn College Station City Council voted Wolf Pen Creek the top Culpepper I11, said hew s upset with the consultants' e- site for a hot .-I and conference center. cision to choose both sites, the proximity of Texas A because they did not cons' M to the different locations. er "We felt ' e Northgate offered much better expanded "We are disappointed that their (the city's) consult is use," he said " could be used in conjunction with Reed did not consider Texas A W University," he said. Arena and th rge Bush Library. Due to proximity, they Culpepper said he believes the Northgate site would could work each other." give more opportunities to the city. Please see HOTEL on Page 6. HOTEL 2 for a Novembe referendum. Mcllhaney sai I she has confidence in the citys voters. Continued from Pace 1 "I believe the one thing that makes me proud of this city is that if the voi ers are given all of the information, Mcllhaneysaidtheco "s decision will benefit the city. they will inform themselves and make the right deci- "I think it is very positi e, "McIlhaneysaid. "Wewere sion, "Mcllhane 'd. very fortunate we had tM D winning proposals, profes- She said the c' begin negotiations with the Wolf sional managements anc quality hotels." Pen Creek group and that a decision will most likely be McIlhaney said her de ision was based on choosing made within the ext two months. A new feasibility development over redev4 opment. study will be con ducted that is specific to the Wolf Pen Barren Hobbs, gener manager of the Hilton and Creek site. The s u y includes size measurements, lo- president of the BrazosVE ley Hotel /Motel Association, cation and a traf. ic study. said the council made th right decision to let the vot- The voters w t i hen know if they will be voting on ers decide if the city shot d have a new hotel and con- the Wolf Pen Cr( k hotel and conference center. If the ference center. city does not rea h an agreement with Wolf Pen Creek, "I think the city did th right thing," Hobbs said. the city will beg' iWorking with Leddy for a Northgate Hobbs said he thinks he city should not have cho- hotel and confer n ce center. sen a specific location bu should have allowed the vot- The Wolf Per Creek proposal includes a full -ser- ers to decide. vice hotel, an o rice building and a conference cen- Hobbs said the two pr posals are both good. ter. The propos cation is at Dartmouth Street and "They selected two qu dity developers," Hobbs said. Holleman Drive "It's a win -win situation f r the city.-" The city says i 1 commit no more than $6 million Before voting on the h I tel location, the city voted 5- to the project. t The Ea t Date: Madisonville 01(s curlow for teenaqers Officials in Collec Bryan start study By BLAIR FANNIN and LILY AGUILAI Eagle Staff Writers e Station, ng issue The Madisonville City Coun night a citywide teen curfew — prompted mixed reactions in se cities. Madisonville Mayor Kirby W( voted 41 in favor of the curfew, v is meant to control teenage crime Hearne and Hempstead officiah ed similar measures, while authi College Station are studying then Madisonville's curfew will affe( and is in effect from 11 p.m. to 6 Thursday and midnight to 6 z Saturday. The proposal also pro the age of 16 from being in a publi 2 p.m. Mondays through Frida hours. Woehst said teens with legitim out during curfew hours, such a are out with their parents, will n( rule. If a kid works at McDonald's L ing, he will be exempt," Woehst The council voted on the curfi council members initially vote( issue failed to receive a vote a set one made a motion for a vote. The issue was initially brou attention by Madisonville Police "We're in a corner and I don't by this one," said Woehst. "The designed to bring the parents in ents are going to be made respor Councilman Don Lasiter, wh( teen curfew in the past, said stance after a six-month trial Pe: ordinance. "In six months, if it does not I 40 T_ 1 passed Mot an issue that oral Brazos V; ehst said memo hich supporters in Madisonville. already have adt rities in Bryan; teens 17 and and m. Sunday throw n. on Friday ai hits anyone and place from 9 a.m. , — during sch( :e reasons for be4 those who work be penalized by I til two in the mo twice in the pt gainst it, and .d time because t to the counc hink we can idly nain thing is this Ultimately, the p� ible." has voted against to reconsidered 1 od was added to t n out, we'll do av see CURFEW, Page �� d y . i+ .a d o • 7 0 > , U y " 3 O U iti o° H o .n by3 NI Sao r 4 w d „rJ q y • U W N ° •C '~ N v c. N o d 3 y C7 d a� N� d U d � 0 v ' �� ab U ++• Ci q,od3�o a o C7 •�N 0 • b$�oo�m� >+��3a ` n . w c �' d E � ° i 1 w m o U.Z' o yk d o �p �'� � 3 °• « �i, � °' °D � obi > LC Y 39 0> CD i�oi a o;.•o AIN p .d > d U a°+ OD 'G CO d3 v3 0 � . �o�i oo d o )~ �4vl-� 3 d a ai 8x� 3 F Ma 3� oc�oo ^ �3 A � 3 dc U O U d• yy O y C) y L 3 N O . 0 3o�3a8 i�N�a �0 v 383 The Ea Date: &NOPOno �Iqqkq 10� PUBLIC MEE BEE CREEK DR You are invited to attend a publ discuss the City of College Stati Master Plan and proposed draii improvements along Bee Creek Texas Avenue at the Arboretum will be held at: City of College Station Conj 1300 G. Bush Drive, I Thursday, July 1 7:00 pm If you have any questions or ne information, please contact En! (409) 764 -3570. Any request for sign interpretative services for the AMU hearing impaired must be made 48 hours before the meeting. To make - arrangements call - - } 4 (409) 764 -3547 or (TDD) x �� 1- 800 - 735 -298 l N meeting to Drainage upstream of , The meeting �e Center 101 additional Bering at L.." AM Aff*VW �. cam. S"AW �11 erch dispute propose hotel sit Some Northgate business owners saythe efforts in the area may be threatened after th 'on City Council voted to have a hotel an 'Ind built At Wolf Pen Creek rather than N Some Northgate merchants believe a 1 d conference center would be more the community than one at Wolf Pen Cree Don Ganter, owner of the Dixie Chicken, made a mistake by voting for the Wolf Pen f Ganter said the city should have conside ity to Texas A &M in their decision on the ho "It's real stupid," Ganter said. "My obsen it is incompetent not to understand that the pie come to the Brazos Valley is Texas A &M The city voted 4 -3 on Thursday to begin t for a Wolf Pen Creek hotel, office building ence center. Citizens will vote in November the hotel will be built. Ganter said a Northgate hotel would be t nient to visitors ofA&M and would help revita "This one (hotel) would be right acros from the school and there would be no i tion problems," Ganter said. "It would e nate an old part of town." Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney said Wolf Pen C: more development opportunities than Nor "The Northgate vicinity is already develo Wolf Pen Creek will allow more developmer nesses," Mcllhaney said. "It was a matter of c velopment over redevelopment." the city c site. is that n peo- and confer - to decide if tore conve- ize the area the street ransporta- [so rejuve- eek offered hgate. >ed and the t with busi- Please see HOTEL n Page 6. "I think they ll chi td then it will be foi Skip Noe, city mE tte revitalization v the hotel decisia "Certainly, we vd lans for Northgate Mcllhaney said ammitted to revit espite the decisior Noe said a Norte, still a possibility. "The market for i said. ,e Station is Northgate, parking gage mace was nev- er based on whether or not there is a hotel," Noe said. Don Anz, owner of Cafe Eccel and Rosalie's, said the Northgate location was a "natural" choice for a hotel. "In Northgate, people could walk to the University from across the street," Anz said. Aaron Brown, owner of Copasetic Cafe, said the hotel would "liven up" Northgate. "It would have definitely helped the area," Brown said. Jim Allen of the Wolf Pen Creek Group said he is confident the hotel will be built, and that the Wolf Pen Creek Hotel will not cost taxpayers any addi- tional money. "If we do our job, I think it (an agree- ment) will be completed within the next couple of months." Allen said Wolf Pen Creek is an ade- quate location for a regional hotel and conference center. "It is a good, clean site, " Allen said. "We have studied the area and no improve- ments are needed to the area or roads." Mcllhaney said the Wolf Pen Creek location allows expansion and pro- motes economic development. "With this location," Mcllhaney said, "we will be able to expand and add property space." • The Eagle Date: Landfill sites eyed by BmCS Replacement so ght for Rock Prairie ump By KELLY BROWN Universi Eagle ,' 'taff Writer I panning and construe- A c mmitt charged with d i ing the fate o Brazos County's garbage is Prepay ing to stop fng trash and sel future landfi a site wi ±iin the next six n oz ths. On the list f a handful of Ix ss bilities, offic' said, is an unnamed to 1,000 - acre tract in Millican, south Df College Station. Though the actual landfill like 1 will be no m re than 300 acres, officials search- ing larg a pi of property up to becau a they also hope ee times t build a recy ng ce er, compost site and waste ener "stop facili if it is econo mi 11i dumping" is what y feasible. Angelo, exeive director of the Br Vall ey Solid Waste Management Age- , calls the concept. Rum circulated in the spring Please see LAND ILA., Page A2 Landfill Eram Al Angelo — whose 7- year -old agency is co -owned by the cities of Bryan and College Station — declined Wednesday to name the other potential properties under consideration. Officials with the two cities also declined to list the locations a committee is researching, but emphasized that no site will be made official for several years, after it goes through local and state hearing processes. Initial estimates for the cost of the next landfill are $8.5 million to $9 million, with a total price of $200 million to $230 million by the end of its 50 -year life. The possibility of Millican as a viable site came up during a Brazos County Commissioners Court meeting Tuesday in which a justice of the Puce for the south- ern portion of the county raised the issue. Angelo said a n aw landfill will be needed within the next five to seven years. The current 119-acre landfill site on Rock Pr ' le Road, which opened in 1981, av rages about 540 tons of waste eact day. It receives garbage primarill from the cities of Bryan and Co lege Station, as well as areas it rural Brazos County and son a surro riding communities. "Rock Prairie It is been c pen for 16 years and s riould take us through anothet seven at the most, but for the Uture si , we'd prefer to have it last at least 50 years," Angelo d. He said the ne site w' be con- sidered a "medi size" regional landfill compa ed to others around the state. The search for a new landfill site began several years ago. A 14 member committee headed by Wes ey Peel, Texas A &M Universi y's vice chancellor for facilities I panning and construe- tion, w selected in 1994 and has met peri dically since then, giv- ing mpu to officials charged with finding 1 cation. Amon: e criteria the commit- tee mei it ars ranked as very importa. kt were site safety, com- munity a ceptance, the site's impact 3r traffic, current and future use and the landfill's effect on ter quality. More if the 35 factors consid- ered in u e size, different kinds of buffet nes and financial con- cerns, s ic i as current property ownerst lr and how much to spend aw dring it. At a I ul lic hearing in January 1995, me St citizens said they want- ed to k p hazardous waste out of the site at d increase the amount Of recy Rum circulated in the spring of 1995 t the site might be built in the a community, but a group of residents went before the committee and said they didn't want it anywhere near them. No law can stop an entity, pub- lic or private, from buying prop- erty for a landfill as long as it meets federal guidelines. Other former landfill sites include a site on Pleasant Hill Road in Bryan, one on Luther Jones Street off Texas 6 in College Station and a limited -use location owned by the county on FM 2154 in Millican. Angelo wouldn't say whether the old landfill in Millican was being considered for the location. "After we pick several sites we think will work best through the citizens advisory committee, we then will go to each city council for approval of one location," Angelo said. "Then we must go through the permitting process at the state level, which takes sever- al years. There will be ample time for everyone to comment on this issue." Group aims � to improve t Committee hoPes center fnr Vrn HthS III be built JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Wnter Their organizatioi Fortune 500 company, ding new business, bu suits on their board 01 the only leaders here. Members of the Col Board may conduct ti their goal is to give ] have fun. with the support school district leader ing big plans. "College Station to a chance to say what Mariott said. "The ai been great, but now The idea for the 9 less than a year agc mail out teen sure al chart resem es a heir budget that of a bud- don't look for any t�� directors — teenag rs age Station Teen At visorY air business serioiL ly, but )cal youngsters a place to of the City council k s, the teenagers aie ns have finally be given He wan t." teen officer Mitzi ults and City Council have is up to the teens." began een Advisory ored a when the city spo ay that was sent to the Please see TEED, Page A2 19 Teen From Al teenagers in grades 7 -12. The questions on the survey asked teens what they would like to see in the city. Steve Beachy, director of parks and recreation for the city, said the response to the survey was overwhelming. "The thing that really sur- prised us is that we had over 2,00o responses," he said, "and about 1,000 of those responses said they would like to be a part of a committee." Beachy said, however, that only four people included their phone numbers to be called upon for a teen board. Ben Fox was one of those. The high school senior now plays an active role in the board, which has grown to 52 members — including committees that over- see everything from public rela- tions to the budget. Fox said building a teen center where students could hang out and have activities is one of the main goals of the group. On a budget of $15,000 a year, the teen board is working on ways to raise additional Rinds for such a center. It isn't known how much it will cost or where such a teen center will be located. Locations have floated from an older fire department building to open retail space, but a fitting location has not been chosen, Beachy said. David Hudspeth, the adult liai- son from A &M Consolidated High School, said the teens are in search of companies that would like to donate equipment or money for the center. He said the designs and other details of the center will be cho- sen with the help of the teens. For now, the teens meet in the city's utility building once a week to plan events, the latest of which is the second "Splash Bash" on July 26 at Bee Creek Park. "It's always been the adults try- ing to decide what the teens should do," Hudspeth said. "Now, we're trying to let the peers decide what they want to do. Hopefully, that will bring the teens to say 'this is ours. "' The Ea Date: e B -CS gangs increa ing in si ze and activities, offi ials say By MEGHAN BUII said. "The findings also suggest tion," Tripl in many other in Texas, as Eagle Staff Writer that youth g gs states, are ' c easing in size, activities and seri- Youth gangs in Texas are becOMillg more ar- ousness." Police o c' s in Bryan and College Station, ied in age and ace and are movi g into ore which were ' cluded in the survey, said gan gs in rural areas such Brazos County, news the area f llowing the same trend. has found. Ruth Triplett, associate cr' justice Pro- "It's gett' worse. You can see the effect in irectly," said Lt. Lar ry Johnson of fessor at Sam H ton State Unive ity, conduct- street crimes the College Department. ed the gang survey using detailed information of it has to do with the cities from 38 law a orcement agencies around the king the' hildren away from the violence, state. A majority o the agencies surve ed perceived only to br their little gangster with them. youth gangs to be a serious problem in comPari- in their juri$dic - Please see GANGS, Page A2 son to other crime problems Gangs residents. Currently, Stoddard said 913 people are being tracked in Brazos o He said a number of gangs e n Al can vary b use some cities lump all o7 of the same gang transport the problem from together , in reality, the sec - ace to anothe ," he sa' Laliforriia bons operate as separate entities. is as seco d onl to Stoddar so said the study in th' numbi r of was ce saying that police according t the Off ce of are seeing re of what they call uvenile Jus ice and "hybrid" gs. The gangs com- elinquency Prev ntion, i rhich bine diffe ages and races and rformed a simi aur sury y in cn be ha ,turf or profit•orient- 995 on a national l vel. ed like Mark Stoddard, a member of The Bryp Gang Unit was orga- e Bryan Police Departrr ent's nized in March 1994 when, ang Intelligence Unit, sai I the Stoddard said, the city saw umber of gangs in Bryan a tual- enough of a problem to devote a y had decreased though ftom 27 separate unit to it 0 20 since the siu vey was per- "We do 't give the increase or ormed, but that was because decrease ii drive-by shootings a ome gangs consoli ated. lot of we' " he said. "The prob- College Station p 3lice est mate lem is still there, even though we bout three gangs exclusi re in don't havc a huge problem with at city, but say Brazos unty those." ias more than 20 g Triplett' tudy also said most Stoddard said a gang is defined police de ents have respond - the Texas penal ode as ving ed to the g problem with task ee or more me bers, b t he k0.1 forces, n i hborhood watches, id not say whicl i gang w s the gang aw eness programs and argest in Bryan• resident o Ficer programs. "Mentioning names is a mis- The stu I y said the most com- e," he said. a gang see mon res n e — reported by 76 heir name in the per an the percent of respondents — was Aber gang feels th y have to top curfew or . ances. The cities of :hat to get on the f nt page." Bryan a=11 ollege Station our. The Bryan Police Department rently are nsidering these mea- ses a computer -aided system to sures afte a recent enactment ack the number of gang- active of a teen ew in Madisonville. The Eagle CS, Esmoni face off over billing Councilman asks payme for'96 rehabilitation proje By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer College Station City Manager Skip N oe ug- gested Monday that arbitration might be the solution to a heated dispute between the city and Councilman Steve Esmond. Esmond, president of Esmond Enginee ing Inc. in College Station, said the city owes his any $6,900 for work done on the Unive ity Drive project completed last fall. 01thein s real simple: We have a written con ct and they owe us the money," Esm nd said. "I have a written contract signed by the mayor and I finished the work." The money in question stems from wor on the $736,000 rehabilitation project. ity Engineer Kent Laza said it's not the qualit of the work he questions, but the billing. "We felt like we were billed for somethinE we shouldn't have been billed for," he said. "It's a rehab project and those are difficult to do. I was pleased with it." In a letter sent Monday, Noe asked if Esmond would agree to a ruling by an outside arbitrator. He also suggested that the cost of the arbitration, Please see ENGINEER, Pape 22 Date: Engin er From Al about $7 , be spl't between the city and smond. Esmon said he would consult the coup it befo agreeing to ,.I'M I this," he Esmor work on cent top - would In Febri an evalua firm's wo: The evalu the consti several is according The ev ranging ft service to city did n( Esmond ation with ment disp ment. In the re "the under Was a stu the city ai very busy smoothly umbrance upon the citizens. greatly improved the roadway and grade with a pavement Lion that will last for a very g time.... The project budget too low and the expectation high." smond said his company igned sidewalks not in the ;final plans — with the city's roval — to use up extra funds, when the extra work was com- ed the cost ran over by about smond said he was going to the city a "goodwill credit" the amount, but when the city i't pay the $1,500 from the orig- 1 bill, Esmond revoked the Ddwill credit" offer. aza said the unpaid balance is redesign work Esmond is rging to the city after the con - :tor broke a water line not in plans. City engineering ofli- s, in their evaluation, said, . existing waterline ... near the ass was not identified and was id during construction to be ontlict, Therefore, the city suf- d additional costs that were necessary." )rrespondence between pond and city officials over the act has been plentiful. a June 25 letter to Noe, and said the city engineering has been "unimaginably dif- t about this project and the handling of this credit. Their behavior has been thoroughly unprofessional and immature. They have been mean- spirited and two -faced to my staff and to me, and in the process have attempted to injure the reputation of Esmond Engineering." On Monday, Esmond said, "I'm ready to defend every single word in that letter. Don't think it wasn't carefully written." In response to Esmond's criti- cism of his staff, Noe said, "there's no question that we can improve our work, not just engi- neering, but in other areas of work." Noe said he and his staff are currently working on ways to improve the processes they use on projects. Esmond was elected to the council in May, and because of his new position with the city, Noe said bringing in a third party to settle the dispute is in the city's best interest. College Station Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney said she hopes Esmond can separate his elected job and his career. "I don't believe Mr. Esmond was elected to be a city engineer," she said. "I think our policy speaks very clear that we are pol- icy makers, not administrators." Noe said the arbitration process could take 30 to 6o days. ry co dent I'll win dd. said his engineering le street was "100 per - mg work" and that he -ee to a third -party ary, the ity completed ion of a engineering k on U iversity Oaks. tion sai that "during action the projects, ues we not handled o e tions.' luation listed issues im a la4 k of customer paymen for items the : approv . , espondi d to the evalu- a half h -thick docu- ting th4 city's assess - ponse, Esmond stated, Funding of the project ibling block for both d us.... This street is and thR work went and with minimal The Ea�le C'.1arning IC to take care of our own Eagle Editorial Board T here was a time when both College Station and Bryan had hospitals dedicated to the treatment of peo- ple with mental disorders. Changes in the way private insurance pays for such treatment and in the way govern- ment looks at such illnesses saw the closure of the hospitals. Only Desert Hills remains in College Station and it deals only in the problems of adoles- cents. Does that mean that Bryan and College Station no longer have a need for such facilities? Unfortunately, no. The need is as great as ever and no doubt will grow with the area. Now, if an adult is ordered by a judge to be evaluated for mental disorders, AF s County deputies have to take son to Austin, The Woodlands .astine. Those trips prove expen- S in terms of personnel costs and mileage. And they can be traumatic to those suffering from mental disorders. Sheriff Chris Kirk estimates his department has spent thousands of dollars transporting people to outside mental hospitals this year alone. Bryan Police Chief Lee Freeman and College Station Police Chief Edgar Feldman say their departments have spent thousands more dollars picking up and handling people with apparent mental disorders. Sometimes the peo- ple are nonviolent, but there have been several situations in recent months in which law enforcement officers risked their lives to deal professionally with people who brandished weapons. Personnel of the Mental Health - Mental Retardation Authority of the Brazos Valley do wonderful work help- ing people deal with their mental prob- lems. MHMR has a 12 -bed facility for people who voluntarily commit them- selves. But no place exists locally for those who need to be hospitalized against their wishes. Last week, psychiatrists, psycholo- gists, other mental health workers and family members of people with mental disorders met with Bryan and College Station city council members and Brazos County commissioners to talk about the need for local mental health aawfor adults. It was a most informa- eting and opened a lot of eyes. elected officials asked people ere interested in the topic to research the issue further to see what other communities are doing. The meeting was an important step in ensuring that our friends and neigh- bors who suffer from mental disorders can get the help and treatment they The Ea��e ,utside help might settle city dispute Eagle Editorial Board ollege Station City Manager Skip Noe said it best when he suggested that an impartial arbi- trator be hired to settle a dispute between the city and City Coun- cilman Steve Esmond. The estimated $700 cost would be well worth it, par- ticularly if it were shared by the city and the councilman. Esmond, an engineer, said the city owes his company $6,900 for engi- neering work done last year on a $736,00o rehabilitation project on University Oaks Drive. The city says Esmond's firm billed it for things it shouldn't have. The dispute is complicated by smond's election to the City uncil in May. As a private citizen, W r could accept work from the city the University Oaks Drive pro- ject. Now, as a council member, he cannot benefit financially — either personally or professionally — from city - funded projects. The problem for city staff mem- bers is the difficulty in knowing whether they are dealing with Esmond th engineer or Esmond the council member. In a letter almost two months after he was elected tc office, Esmond complained ito N(x about th difficulties he has had try ing to solve the billing question witl city employees. He said they hav been "thoroughly unprofessiona an d immature ... mean- spirited any two-faced ...... Those are harsh word an d will make it even harder for th city and Esmond to come to an agre( ment without dispassionate outsid help. It is obvious that both sides of th dispute believe they are right. W don't know if Esmond's claim i legitimate or if city staff member are correct. Without some outsk impartial assistance, we may nevi know. That assistance might be $700 arbitrator, or it could be a di trict court judge in a lawsuit that terribly expensive and traumatic f both sides. Esmond said he wants to const ith his fellow council membe before deciding whether to acce binding arbitration. But this show n't be a council concern, no matt who is involved. The council's job to set policy, not arbitrate dill ences between city staff and priv` contractors, no matter whom tl contractor might be. Date: CS cou cil d to co n er ■ and g By JENNY NELSON Eade Staff Water College Station City Co Ir cil is scheduled e take a look Thursday at a n ber of issues I mitted y its newest men bers, Councilmen t ve Esm d and Swiki And from sign ordinances on. to bicycle terns rang s to the awarding of r-ontr a to local firms V r out o f coun firms are oi i t fte regular meet r g agend at the request ' f Esmond and derson, e co ho were elected cil is scheduled t ay eet in the board m of I ie College Stati n school district inistr tdon building, 1812 vVelsh Ave. The v rkshop ession is .sched for 3 P.M. with regulm During meeting at 7 p.m. the evening meet the council is heduled to consider appo' t' Ig a new mayor o tem. Councilman Hub nady currently r lds the position. Also on the agenda is the consideration of a d done ion for a city park in the Chimney Hill a bdivisi in. The owners, rge Edward and ilton E. madeley, have pr posed donating five a ares of It Wolf Pe d. i Creek is on the a a da for both meet- ings. The council is schedu14 d to consider a con- t.-act for $ study of the silt I roblem in the area. The council In other budgeted $18,001 business, the co for the study. it is considering a pproving a $66,000 bid for orthgate parking lot designed to alleviate e c ss parking while donstruction at Northgate c n"ues. The Ea�je Date: ouncil [A �J Cs over to al eviai floor By JENNY NELS( Eagle Statt Writer The College worked Thursd city's flooding F Designing a c in the Bee Cre study into the Pen Creek toPr council's regul; "Tonight wa more proactive structure," Cit! Drainage wa June as the nt city. After a year the council apI improvement choice was on from $19.2 mill Noe said ear two of which addressed at out the year. The $18,00( approved in a Collie and Bi research into pond area. woe N Station City Ly to pull the plug annel to prevent k area and begi iltation problem d discussions du r meeting. the fast step in y plan our drain< Manager Skip N ranked by the o nber one issue f of study by the ci roved a $2 million t Bee Creek. The c of eight options ion to $1.7 million. h of the city's nine vere at Bee Creek, arious meetings ( Wolf Pen Creel 4-2 vote, will allow Wen Inc. to proce I solution to the sE From A in 1995. That was a t mporary fix ... this is a look at venting it fm in occurring." as to the opposition to thE s udY came from Councilor In Swiki Anderson and St Esmond, both local engine . Another draina a issue — funding a system t uge water levels in creeks wit the city — was tabled until a ft tare meet- A joint agree t with the Texas city of Bryan, and ibly &M University, t a system provided by the U S. Geological Survey would hav st the city $23,450 the first y f operation" or the pro- Renewal of fund' iness. ject would come a the coun- 6il each year. In other busine , ' was decid- gd m a unanimous v to that Hub cB Kennady will re the city's in the mayor pro tem. Anderson and E mond, the oiling council's newest tubers, had ring a requested that th ouncil con - `Wolf sider appointing a new mayor tg the pro tem lt not re ppointed er the May ing to election. mfi a- Councilman i Birdwell said. moved that the u of consider - ncil in ing a new may r pro tem be ng the deferred until when the next council elect will be held. Y s The council ddressed the hannel city's recent decis o to move for - uncil's ward with a t 1- conference anging center plan wit l i Creek Developm a Wolf Pen n Team. basins It was decided t the city's $6- will s, million part of deal will be trough- studied for feasi ity by a com- pany at the city s discretion. study, The staff was to negoti- ftwner, ate with firms to such a study. , ,d with ff the cost of th tudy exceeds id -filled $15,000, the co it then will have to approve contract. ion is something tiliat hap- p KUF Consult' as the origi- ,,' Noe s aid. "It was d redged nai consultants f r the project. pens Please see Page A8 The Houston tinues to han company con- a negotiations with the W Pen Creek Development as to the specifics of the that will go before voters in a November ref erendum. The council o d not to hire pKF Consultin f r the feasibili- ty study, since ' ' working on a similar Project In another cyan• r, the council, on a 3 3 vote, j ted a proposal to build a temporary parki-tg lot in a orthi area. Mayor Lynn c ey was out of town on city iness. The parking t Planned on the north side of C e Eccell, was meant to han parking prob- lems during revitalization construction projects in the Northgate ar . The Eatlle Date: I Program a lows out hs t `shadow' jobs eek intervals, the studen ve are mentioning how appreciative they are By MICHELLE LYONS In one- been fin wing Mentors in career ey that this type of activity is available for Eagle Staff Writer think th y may ant to pursue an ere t 'Si- Broome said she job their children•" Since Monday, Sarah Broome h been able to c Dose fr positions at hadowed at three iesses this working f phones l doing A en little a tinting College ation, a exas including A &M Uni a AY College Station City H A &M's office or TV. of agricultural communications, mainly work and ordering travel brochure . Travel the In n a y te° m n e p o KB because she was curious what And she's only 12 years old. each field Broome is one of about 75 College Station been a ailable, and coordinator Judy was all about. school district students who have n par- McLeod id it h been a tremend suc- the CollegeanSta on eighth' ticipating this summer in Career cess. and grader said. Connections, a program that all ws stu- "The aluatio s so far from par Please set SHADOW, Page Al2 dents in grades 7 -12 to "shadow' profes- student; have n overwhelmingly �, sionals working in a variety of fiel five," s said. ' e parents, in program. cannot expect to find good employees if Shadow Jean Wolff, owner of Travel Age we don't help create good employees. International, said she first heard a "This is my home, this is my communi- the program at a Bryan- College Sato ty — you want to give something back." Chamber of Com' erce meeting dril Carla Robinson, College Station's assis- FrOm A9 knew right away s ie wanted to part 'c - tant city attorney, also served as a men - Next year, Broome said she plans on pate. tor this week. to be job shadowing at A &M's vetet inary would do i e I felt bligated to do ,, w interesting, , b t you also want it be school. There were more than 80 community said. "As it busin s manager or a b - realistic. participants who offered about 260 ppor- ness owner, I think one of our big e t Robinson's student, Consol ninth -grad- tunities for students to, choose from in the challenges is finding good employees. VY a er Amberly Kensinger, had the opportu- nity to obseive how a motorcycle police "And you nee know, they may g(00 officer uses his radar gun to monitor up to be a city tt rney," she said. speeding, as well as how fired artment A spinoff pro am also was offerediW5 officials en rce fire lane a handi summer ro s'C n iections ... Wiik7W ca pped par g violations. She also " get the oppatanity to sit in on a manic Branch" was i ne -week program 0 pal trial gave groups of or four students *t Robinson m she agreed to be a me - opportunity to s Ladow businesses EkXk1 for because she knows many student as The Bryan llege Station Eagle probably are interested in law but hav Texas Depart nt of Soil and Q0 Sciences and t * no idea what a municipal lawy r actuall Attorney's ffs Brazos County DiAK4 does. A r BmCS ■ t o take nig own National observance urges residents to take back control of neighborhoods By MEGHAN BLAIR their surroundings by staying outdoors to prevention and get involved again. There will be drawings for two children's €aa+e Staff WF;ieF Local law enforcement officials are encouraging the community to turn on their lights, lock their doors and join their neighbors in staying outdoors with them on the night of Aug. 5 for the 14th annual National Night Out. National Night Out, a night when the from 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 4 at Post Oak Mall. "This is an opportunity for the communi- ty to take back control," said Darrell Luedke, an organizer for National Night Out in College Station. "If people are watch- ing out for you, you're less likely to be a tar- get of crime." Luedke said this was a night officials involved — including the police and fire departments of Bryan and College Station, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas A &M University Police Department and the Brazos County Sheriffs Department — will provide residents with literature on crime prevention, demonstra- tions, entertainment and prizes for chil- gifts to be given away. National Night Out officially will be declared by Bryan Mayor Lonnie Stabler, College; Station Mayor Lynn Mcilhaney, A &M President Ray Bowen and County Judge Alvin W. Jones on July 31 in a cere- mony at the Brazos Valley Development Council. in numbers and become more aware neighbors, invite police, learn about crime mall. Please see NIGHT OUT, Page A13 Night Out From A9 The ceremony will take place after a scheduled luncheon for panel members participating in the "Criminal Justice Problems and Community Solutions" dis- cussion during a meeting at 1706 East 29th Street in Bryan. Luedke said National Night Out is an opportunity for . neighbor- hood residents to have officers come and speak with groups inter- ested in forming neighborhood watches or in crime prevention methods, addition to talking to neighbors. Jerry Moore, the organizer for Bryan's National Night Out, said the event could help foster new neighborhood watch groups, which require 75 percent of the neighborhood to get involved. "Crime prevention begins first in the heart, then in the home, then in the neighborhood and community," he said. "All they have to do is call us and tell us they are having a block party and how many peoWe they think will be there and we ll send an officer out," Luedke said. "This is the best way to get people active again." He said local radio station staffers also will be going to local block parties and giving away prizes for neighborhoods that call the stations and sign up. The sta- tions and police will be comparing notes, he said, so that police could try to visit those gatherings as well. Luedke urges anyone who is having a party that is interested in officer support to call or up by July 29, while Moore is asking for all applications by Aug. 2. To get information about a law enforcement official attending a National Night Out gathering, call 764 -3611 in College Station or stop by the police department at 2611 S. Texas Ave. In Bryan, call 822-0075 or stop by the police department at 300 S. Texas Ave. Bryan police will have door hangars and signs available for citizens to put out around neigh- borhoods to remind people about the event, and College Station police have posters available for groups to place around neighbor- hoods. *WPM _ CV � V =End C The Ea lc Date: v -CS team touts rea attractions St tewide group plans '98 convention By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer W CO — Some of tha most pronli- nent faces in Bryan and College Station touted their cities' best uali- ties unda at the annual mee ' g of Mclahaney t Id the crowd of about 350 people as a dined on quiche, cheese balls, fruit d other assorted foods. The b c marked the end of the yearly m t' . As a requirement for holding the next meeting, the host cities mu. plan the closing brunch, the Y Association of Mayors, McE&ane id. Cou cilmembers and Co iss- As theb dieme, the Bryan- College Station group chose "The Best Kept lone Di rs. ring a champagne brunch 3 pon. Secret in Te. Las" to describe the area. sore by the formally ssed 1 roup During th b ch, the "secrets" were of r. unicipal, busine s and Texas revealed. Some of the secrets were A&D University leaders, city on cials people, wl it i others were places and fron wha across the state were s iown to expect at next year's ee- goods• Two "s et" faces in the crowd day meeting, which will be h ld in were quit a crowd pleasers: A &M Bry - College Station. head foott al. coach R.C. Slocum and "Red" s is just a taste of what you will former NF referee M.L. see in our community in July 1998," Please see SECRET, Page A2 Col ege Station Mayor Lynn S cret C io Munici Munic d Visitor Bureau. eaders also viewed a video featuring a A &M campus, the George Bush 'dential Library and From 1 Museum, 1 hotels and other attrac- tions. Late , quartet of A&M's Singing Cashi Cadets sar g o the crowd, including a Sloc bragged about a growing 11111- version o The Texas A &M Fight verss , while Cashion emons ated Song." his f ainous "first down' yell for the Next y meeting, at the College guests Station Hi to and Conference Center, Another set of faces in the crowd were i expect, t I draw between 600 to 900 Paul and Merrill Bonarri owners of people. Messina Hof Wine Cellars in Bryan. Alec H , the hotel's director of Paul Bonarrigo got a la ugh froini the sales an 11 keting, said bringing in crowd when, while descri 3ing the ual- that man3 i eople to the community ities o the winery, he said, "We only should bet ii a word-of-mouth "adver- make two kinds of wine maroon and tisement" h t Bryan- College Station is white. a good pla4 e o have conventions. In a otter, a soon -to-be -time resi- "We're j is really going to be rolling dent of College Sta 'on, former out the ... to show them that Presid 3nt George Bush, welcomed to you can g . Bryan- College Station the 1 delegation to h' presidential what you get in Houston," he said. librar5, where the 1998 nine recep Mary Jo ce, marketing and pub - tion is scheduled to be held. lic relatio manager for Wings -n -More, "It es good and dedicated people at which o restaurants in College all levels of government service to make Station, sAid hospitality is one of the demos - acy work," Bush vyrote. keys to th an- College Station area. Add ng to the list of perks that the "I think t, for so long, people have Bryan College Station group hopes to thought o ryan- College Station as offer r. Bush Dick Forester, ext year is a possible speech by during the July meeti4rce aid director of the an- Texas A university but as much as we love the he community has a lot Coll Station Chamber of Co more to hospitals — tangible and intangible " she said. The EaVJe l � u Date: l; Relocating services would like to address the reservations concerning duplication of health ser- vices expressed by Judge Al Jones and Mayor Lynn McIlhaney. The consolidat- ed health care facility project is not about duplication of services. It is about relocation of services. It would compli- ment, not compete with the Health De- partment. These services already exist in the community but are scattered around and therefore not easily accessed by those in need of medical care. The clinics that would be located at the consolidated facility provide comprehen- sive medical care the same way as it is given at a private physician's office. With the exception of the Prenatal Clin- ic, which provides prenatal care to low - income women, each of the other three clinics hoping to move to a consolidated facility target a specific segment of under served, low - income citizens of Brazos County. If there is an overlap it is be- cause there are simply more ift need of a service than the Brazos County Health Department can handle. With an estimated 44,551 low- income residents in Brazos County, the clinics see only a portion of those in need of medical care. The problem is not duplica- tion of services: the problem is finding enough providers of medical care for those who are not being served at all. The location of the consolidated facili- ty at the transfer terminal of the Brazos Transit buses will make medical care accessible to the target population no matter where they live in Brazos County. The one -time investment in this pro - 'ject will allow dollars that would have been otherwise spent to pay for separate clinic sites to be redirected into provid- ing direct health services. Texas A &M University's entry into a community project as a direct service provider for education and research pro- jects at the consolidated clinic will result in new funding coming into the commu- nity. GARDNER OSBORN Bryan The Ea Date: 3 channels to be added to TCA cable Events from school districts, A &M, cities to be broadcast By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer Local city council members and edu- cators soon could be stars on television sets across the Brazos Valley. Beginning Friday, three new govern- ment channels will be added to the local line -up and paving the way for some televised meetings. The cities and school districts of Bryan and College Station, along with Texas A &M University, will begin broadcasting their events on TCA cable •hannels 18, 19 and 20, instead of the old script -only style on TCA cable channels °-- 3 and 15. "In the beginning, the biggest change you're going to notice is aesthetics — it's going to look much better," Joe Brown, public information officer for the city of Bryan, said Thursday. Creating the new format for the chan- nels cost the cities and school dish-lcts $9,223 each. A&M's information will be run through KAMU -TV, with no new cost, station manager John McCarroll said. The old equipment was just that — old," Brown said. Each city and its school district plan to alternate the time used on their shared channel. The Bryan channel, 20, is moving ahead faster than the College Station channel, 19, due to a lag in equipment arrivals. Peggy Calliham, public relations and marketing director for the city 01 College Station, said the delay in instal- lation time will mean the College Station channel will carry the old for mat until next week. "It's going to have a much higher viewer appeal," Calliham said of the new channel. "It will be easier to viem because it's going to look more like rea television." The script -only format will bi rep laced with pic tures, graphics and, it Please see CABLE, Page 0 -1 Cable Be( direr trict, some cases, v "We expect council meeti last week of repla . it ° He said li' meetings co September If College S1 members h< they want to ings. Callih: cover the cc been putu sions, but voted on un officials tricts have plans to vi D. of t] begin ping our nel. Aug. and the tgust e'll begin bee own 'd. tele ' ing of the mei ha-, L be ssible by on lion Ci Council e yet t decide if Ldeo their meet - i said i request to of vid taPing has for budget discus - e budget won't be late September. lid the school dis- lot announced any Lotaue school board N Nugent, public relations for the Bryan school di Lid school supply lists, tenus, job postings and I latory items will be some t thgs gracing their han were always limited it didn't have a very large y ... but we're going to pages [of information] go norrow," Nugent said. Lily, it allows us to put out imely information with a Lore pizzazz " r Bostrom, public relations it for the College Station district, said the system ly for itself in four Yom the district won't have to AMU -TV staff to generate tt anymore. ;stroll said the statio n be losing money with th new set -up. f =e said the fees charged only paid for equipment upkeep and it basically was a ser vice the station provided to the community. He said the A &M channel, 18, will be shared with Blinn College and will broadcast job openings and telecourses half of the time, while and reruns from the PBS channel. "Basically, it's a double wham- my for our programming, and we're not losing anything," he said. The city channels will be con- trolled through the city halls, with a gradual growth in pro- gramming, officials said. "We have a lot of big plans for our cable chdlinel in the future, ' Brown said. "Thus far, it's been a e very under - utilized channel." council to'old peciai meeting The College Station City ouncil is scheduled to hold a ablic hearing during a special feting Friday. The meeting will be held at oon in the College Station City [all training room, 1101. Texas The hearing will be on an ncentive package given to Jniversal Computer Systems hc., including the creation of - einvestment zone No. 4. The ie of the zone is required by state law when tax abatements are given to a busi- After the public hearing, the council is scheduled to consider approval of an ordinance that would create the reinvestment zone. Compiled from staff reports The Ea Date: t to CS OKs ince e ives or compute Birdwell expressed co about the growing amount firm JENNY NELSON mercial d v Besides a lopment. ,000 cash incen- Ile Staff Writer tive fro a three entities, Despite a split vote, College College a ion dedicated 30 10 -year tax abate- ation City Council members acres an ment p to the company at [)k another step rward iday its June eeting welcoming newcomer Univer a Computer Systems iiversal Computer Syst s to pl to e a $20- million cap' n WTI. Adhering to stale law, City tal inves 800 nt and bring to the o s, 350 full -time and ouncil held a Public hearing area are pa t me, said Robert id then voted t create rein Worley, r ident of the Bryan- ,stment zone to house th which is con College eiv- tation Economic Liter company, ig numerous incentive, from DeveloPn Lel t Corp. y, which makes ie city, Brazos untY d the The c compute ystems for the auto ity of Bryan. All of these a just s industry eps in ground robably will break and late October, he ae process to out developmLnt agreement a eco- aid, wit 12 -to 18 -month con - ,omic he council app ved in June," structio ase• aid Elrey Ash, ollege S1 ation's PI a See COUNCIL, Page A2 lirector of econ mic an I com- op- value of $,5,800; season tickets to Birdwell expressed co about the growing amount c rn . followed. "When we do that, this publib Council abatements the city offers m- has the'right to know you're fa parries when they come too lowing a policy. We have a policy but said he supports tax te, , and we're not, following it," During ments overall. s special meet - "I'm going to point out Birdwell said. o Ash said the 1991 policy is out- _Friday ing, the council voted to create things that really upset me dated and that the city's struc- ee lure has been rearranged since the required- zo a for the tax- these deals — we're getting abated property- d began work ,_ liberal and more liber ' d those guidelines were set. Mayor Lynn Mcnhaney asked on. a_ es between the city to agreement more liberal... when we _ and the Bryan - ing away land, and wliat v- y the city staff to put the policy on College Stati n Economic gets me.ls when we Mart a workshop agenda to be did- Development Co vey the 30 acres ration to con- away money," he said. // where the busi- He said the ine6ntives cussed in the next six weeks. h ve Brazos County and Bryan each ness plans to build. grown from a ttvv#to threE 5 mr plan to give $75,000 to the inceri- "The city can' but we can do give land away, tax - abatement p6back to 111 through the year paybacks AAnd that co t 11 tive package. Other amenities in the package F=," Ash said 'Basically, we're him. / are: country club membership granting money the EDC." Worley s 'the land tr Ld Off dues for four years, a value of Three cosine members — will be pait>i"back in jobs, i cl ool $11,200; tickets to Texas A &M Swiki Anderso , Steve Esmond taxes an ntually, city es. University football and basket - and Dick Bird ll — voiced con - Bird ed that a •ity ball games for four seasons, s Bern about gi away the land, adhe a economic d op- value of $,5,800; season tickets to valued at $900, +'. Birdwell a men created in ed erom voting of the Eco 1, the Texas . A &M Memorial c Student Center Opera and on the creation of the reinvest- ment Corporation's cy. Performing Arts Society for four ment zone, w e Anderson and He said that, although m of years, a value of $2,400; member Esmond voted n in a 4-2 vote. In the dealing must be done d ship in the chamber of commerce the real estate ent vote, the the scenes, residents nE to for four years, a value of $2,415; same three voted no in a 4-3 vote. know that some policy is ing and a job training subsidy. The Ea Date: A closer look D ue to high public interest in the proposed hotel/conference center, an update on the project seems appropriate at this time to answer some of the questions that have been raised. A little history The need for this type of project was identified as a result of citizen feedback including Texas A&M University, which creates the largest demand for hotel rooms in this area- Others involved in promoting Bryan/College Station tourism through conferences, conventions and sporting events, echoed that thought - Tourists spend a considerable amount of money in the local economy, not only by staying at our hotels and motels, but by eat- ing in restaurants, shopping and TOM all the other things tourists like to BffM do. -ion theme we heard - w could not effectively Columnist co. the current tourist marftmue to an insufficient number of full-service hotel rooms and meeting spaces, especially for large events. An independent consulting study done in 1995 reports that the community will need an addi- tional 330 hotel rooms once the George Bush - Presidential Library Center opens. This information led us to look at the components Of our local tourist economy infrastructure. College Station officials concluded that the best way to deal with this unmet tourist demand was to address full- service hotel rooms and meeting facilities through a public - private partnership. This conclusion was based upon an Inventory of the area's existing meeting facilities to avoid unnecessary duplication of facilities. v=. - - CS hotel /con S then, and over the last two years, the Coll Station City Council identified this poten- tial jest as a high priority in its strategic plan- was to pa e�w city cente the 1 Aft hotel ward recei of pn Nord the W ner o invol Colle, Sin revfe Court Pen ( authc Pen ( in No the a aut the same time, the city of College Station ontacted by a recognized hotelier who wanted trier with the city. The essence of that origi. rsiness deal would have been that the develop - uld build a 200 -room full- service hotel and the rould pay for construction of the conference r next to the hotel He proposed to build it in orthgate area near the A&M campus. T several months of discussions between this er and the city, other developers carne for - expressing interest in this project The city 'ed four proposals to build the same basic type jest, with three of these proposed for the gate site. The other proposal was for a site in olf Pen Creek corridor at the southwest con 'Holleman and Dartmouth, which partially 'es property already owned by the city of .e Station. )e that time, the proposals have been ued by city staff, consultants and the City :il. On July 10, the council selected the Wolf reek Team as its fast choice. The council also :-ized staff to begin negotiations with the Wolf reek Team and voted to call a special election [ember for College Station citizens to vote on nference center issue. Wolf Pen proposal includes a i14million M full- service hotel with a minimum of 200 and an 80,000 square -foot, four -story office rig estimated to cost $8 million, which would responsibility of the developer. The city fund the' conference center next to the hoteL s get to decide i t `•• November referendum will be for i? ens, of Callege Station to vote,on_!,Ihether N nce center proposal they wa4t t ie city to spend $6 million ht funds on the ODT*e loe center that would be located next to the hole It is inipc rtant to note that the project would be self-fund . Funding for the conference center would corne from revenues from the hotel/motel tax and pproperty taxes directly generated by the hotel aril office building, not from property taxes paid by the general taxpayer. It also 'important to note that the coierenee center w uld be a public facility which would gen- erate ad 'tional room nights for all other existing hotels motels. At this'time, we are co the details of the conf te erence cenr size an is impacts with fea- sibility dies that take o account the Wolf Pen size loca on, the She n hotel and traffic vol- umes. studies help finalize the Projected usage of a confe ce center, the estimated size and co do the facility; the conference center's ros 'e operating revenues; and any traffic or'roa improvements that thla develop- ment might The im of a Bryan facility j The c' College Station's analysis, along with the w ing conducted by the city of Bryan, sho wer many of the questions being asked. Ho it is Important to keep several things in mind. in a timing perspective, we are further along in our process. Bryan still must complete fea- sibility work and, iffound feasible, they must Pre- pare, solicit and analyze proposals, select a pre- ferred developer and then negotiate with them. The only thing the city of College Station has left to do is direct negotiations with the developer to finalize the conference center size and traffic analysis and await the results of the November referendum. As for the issue of competition between the two projects; Bryan's Project . is sm exposition, golf- resort destination -type facility, which is different from College Station's proposed meeting-oriented facility. While they may compete to some extent, they also will attract a different market and hope- fully, retain some of the existing demand that leaks out of the community. College Station's project is estimated to open in late 1999 and would begin to meet the unmet demand generated by the addition of the George Bush Presidential Library Center and the estimated continued growth in our community's tourism industry. In fact, assuming both projects were to occur, some could argue that both projects would complement each other. The city of College Stati has had conversations with Bryan about our role' ri the exposition, golf - resort project and we remain open to consideration of participating in that prof ject. Bryan/College Station needs to improve its tourism industry. The addition of both of these P' jects would go a long way toward meeting that objective. Why should you care? As a taxpayer and citizen of College Station, yo4 should have a voice In deciding whether the city qf College Station uses up to $6 million in funds gener- ated specifically by this project to leverage $22 mil- lion in private investment in our community. Thi investment will, in turn, give us additional facili ties which our tourist economy needs to attract those thousands of tourist dollars that are leaking outside of our community or are not coming in a(. all Between now and the November election, the ci6 will do its best to provide our citizens with informa lion about this project so they can make an informed decision Stay tuned. d Is Tom Brymer is the assistant city mane for ft city of Wisp Station. (MW The Lade CS to eye budget, tax rat's By JENNY NELSON is scheduled to consider ratifying Eagle Staff Writer a contract with Coopers & Budget talks, including a slight reduction in the tax rate, are scheduled Tuesday by the College Station City Council. currently planned for the Wolf The regular council meeting is being moved to Tuesday to accommodate council members who will be out of town on city council business Thursday. last month, will cost $36,225. The afternoon workshop meeting, where the city staff will present the council with the pro- posed $121- million budget for 199'-98, is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. in the train' ig room of City Hall, 1101 Texas Ave. of $15,000 to $18,000 was dis- The regular meeting, where a 1 ublic hearing on the budget is scheduled, will be rield at 7 P.M. at the Utility Service Center Trai ing Room, 1601 Graham Road. Charles Cryan, director of management and budget for the city, said it's a good budget that will balance. "I think it's in good shape d will be well received," he said. Included in the budget is a thi ee percent coun- cil-directed employee raise, Cry said. As for the tax rate, Cryan saic it is expected to go down from 44.27 cents to 43.8 cents per $100 valuation, which equals a $10 reduction in taxes for a $100,000 home. Cryan said the budget probably will be final- ized and approved in September In other business, the council is scheduled to Please see CPUNCIL, Page A16 P"e A16 The Date: E WN Eagle Sunday, August 10, 1997 Council vote on the Comprehensive I that has been in the works fo years. The plan, which is the blue for the City, last was rev' 1980. It sets guidelines for fid use of land, parks, thorn water and wastewater and design plans. "My hope is that the co ready, at this point, to adopt it," In another matter, the council Mayor Lynn McIlhaney said. is scheduled to consider ratifying Public hearings have drawn a contract with Coopers & much criticism to the $360,040 Lybrand to provide a feasibility plan, ranging from such as com- analysis of the conference center, plaints as a lack of focus, unre- currently planned for the Wolf m solved drainage problems and Pen Creek area. vo tragic concerns. The study, which was approved The council also is scheduled to to be negotiated by the council nt consider the rankings of design last month, will cost $36,225. in teams for the $5- million College Mcllhaney said the amount of re Main Parking Garage. the contract may be greater than 's In May, the council approved the council wants to approve, m plans to move ahead with the 702- since at the last meeting a range space, three -level parking of $15,000 to $18,000 was dis- is garage. cussed. L *1 ; The Ea le 0 Date: "QULL 10 1'qT Your View • CS girls need softbal certainly enjoyed the widespread erage o E our lorA I Little League tea by The Bryan-CP llege Station Eag and local TV. Coll ge Station and B17 r Little Le gue girh were involved in exciting layoffs, d the College S National team wo i the state champi- onship. Yet on group m as missing from excitement — the College Station gir Why we they not represented? Because�ollege Station Little Leagu refuses t) charter softball. Some argue tha College Station C t League s ftball eliminates the need Little League. Anyone familiar with League lgnows th t: (a) the quality oJ play is �t}fer'or; ) the number of t falls dramatically as the girls age; ai t (c) playii* time, I Publicity and post - son poss bilities t re inferior. Others argue th Lt there ' a shortage of fiel College 1 tation, id Little League ball wou d take fi lds from others. Th seems Like an argunent for gender di crimina 'on. Thei t there are rumors c active C4 illege Sta tion opposition to Little Le igue, wit threats of lost fi mainten ce if L ttle League spons softball. trust th is false. One c' officia. told me that our I j are diffe ent fro Bryan kids, not as interested in sports. Yet College Sta ' boys cor ipete suc cessfully with Bry Little Le ague. Why are College Sta ' girls n ot given the opportunity? Quite few College Station girls " with the ' feet" d play in Bryan. Others pt out of league play aitoge Many h ve 'expressed interest in pl 3 College tation Little League softb We sh uld do hat is best for the Little ague off rs the advantage inter -le a play with the large n uri Of team m Bry I. This would give Collegetion is the same oppo ties as College Station boys and B rya girls. It's the right thing to do. DENNIS W. in L-41 1E 10 AUG 15 '97 17:10 (409)779-6085 The Bryan-Co f .y O . ty -W 'At . ., .. .• : • iiird- in - 4 OF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :OMPMV* VV . . ....... Station P.5 IL] c ommissions stud ,College Station c Y Coopers & Lybrand to analyze feasibility of proposed conference center By JENNY NELSON decision to build on the Wolf Pen Creek site. Associated Press She east the single negative vote on the issue. Included in the vote was a deadline extension to Is a new College Station conference center feasi- Sept. 19 for the study. Councilmen David Hickson and Dick Birdwell ble? The College Station City Council voted Tuesday were unable to attend the'meeting. to hire consultants Coopers & Lybrand to find out. In other business, the council adopted the city's The Wolf Pen Creek site has already been chosen Comprehensive Plan despite -disapproval by some for the hotel and conference center, but just in case of the council members. negotiations fall through for that location, the Councilman Steve Esmond said he would like to Northgate site will be included in the feasibility see a final copy, not a draft of the plan that will be study. the city's blueprint for the next few years. , "From a practical viewpoint, if negotiations were "We say privately what we can't say publicly, to fall through with the number one choice of the which is we're disappointed in the plan and I think council, we'd have a study to show if the second site we should admit it," he said. "If we're spending is feasible," Councilman Hub Kennady said. $360,000 on what we're getting, I think we need to Mayor Lynn McHhaney said she was leery of spending time and money on studying the see it." City staff members said a final copy of the plan Northgate site when the council already has made a was not printed out to save costs to the city. � IF] N ews The Ea0e Date: 131 ►qq CS council con$mid By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer With a budget surplus of $2.4 in Ion, College Station residents soon could find refund checks in their mailboxes. The College Station City Council beard a report on the 1998 budget and its over- flow for the first time Tuesday night "This is unusual," said City Manager Skip Noe said of the extra funding. "It came about in two ways — we got ore money than we projected on the revpnue side and we didn't use as much oo the Rebate • From Al Ed Uvacek was one of sc residents who asked the cc to provide $10,000 to help th ter remain open. He told he mother, who died two year participated in activities ; center in her last years. "It was the highlight c week," he said. "I really dou v6ould've survived that long not been for the support center." Councilman Swiki An( made a motion that the cit if the center qualifies f eral grants. If the center c qualify, the staff is to find in the general fund. The council apt Anderson's idea in a 41 vot Councilman Hub Kennad, ing the lone vote against it. Kennady said funding fo types of programs must ft certain process. cen- t his ago, the her t she ad it F the !rson staff fed - esn't coney •oved with cast- these low a expenditure side." The council is scheduled to budget next month. Noe said $1.31 million of the from a settlement with the G' ' agreement. He said there ways the council can spend tl it can save it for future proje One option is to give $1 mi the citizens in the form of a r would average about $56 per "We have an excellent fir tion," Noe said. The proposed budget c "It may not be a politically Pop- the ular way to go ... but i cannot SUP- the port this approach," he said. 71 But Helen Lee said she is glad Plac tax rebates increases in services for the upcoming ote on the year, but Noe said the extra funds are a one -time deal. rods came One group who would like to see some franchise of those extra funds come their way is the -e several senior citizens who go to the Senior money, or Citizens Center at 1402 Bristol St. in i. Bryan. on back to The county has supported the center in ate, which the past, but Martha Unger, director of !rson. the center, said funding has dropped and icial posi- the center is asking the cities for help. no Please see REBATE, Page A9 of th council supported ra feeling tt her her keeps her l- yearold said having a Councilmen David Hickson and [ere she can have "cama- Dick Birdwell were not present. • AUG 15 '97 17 10 Pa (409)779 - 6085 e Al the 8 tya!� - C3:1zge Sta Ewie lbw %0y, Augus( 14. 199? Your Vie: Stop carpaFa #e w, i are -�n Hotel cbnteren� plans t n Sunday Aug. 3'the ci College Station fired it , first: sal concern• ir;g the hotel -cdnfe once ntPr situ- ation. We will be suhjei'ted to arti cles until the voting.tiaie,in N ember. The City Council has voted t this corn• plex be )orated iii the Wolf Pei C reek area. It also voted to let the ta.%paye s vote on the project. If you recall, the c =cil also let the taxpayers vote on ce improvc• merits to Wolf Pen Creek. Whe s was soundly voted down, the coup in its arrogance went-ahead with tho project anyway. This could well be a repeat. This city has no reason to provide industrial welfare in,this case. it stud- ies, Mr. Brymer paints a rosy of a project at no cost -to the iaepa . If the market exists, a private' entity enter the field. Of course,: if.a:priyat reaniza- tion can find someone grilling " give tax abatement. land and other `' ," it will be accepted. When the governt unt at any level begins to subsidize priva a business. it smacks of socialism. The tyl a of action contemplated puts the city in ersliip with a business competizig with estab- lished businesses in the city. .again on FYiday. Aug. 1, the until voted to participate in another c rporate welfare project. If any such acd i can be justified, this one ranks head ' shoul- ders above the one at Wolf P eek. there is no comparable enterp in this area. There are already lodgin that risked their capital ai no-help m the city to enter the market.hei We have the city subsidizing c=petitton of a motels and hotel3. Mr. Birdwell, :sir. derson and Mr. Esmond seem to he. th. my voic• es speaking reason on *the corn ter pro- )Oct. Particularly offensive - in-my anion is giving country Club membersh for four years (SI1.200), tickets to AWYAT tball and basketball games for four ns ($5.W tickets to OP.A�S.for fo years '12,400) and mm ebership, in the chamber of commerce fos four:�!e,r�(St.gl.§). This is out srid bribery lieing:dfffered: to the dlief i5x=j tiv.64 ; .Of. the; c,ompv , company. It ihe'tiiisiness e. ecttt#ve &;gf. � company are ltillue .raced by'ttiis :type.ef'b , do -we want Persons of'this= 11k.iiL commu- nity? ' L. ACK ROSE — — - -- Gaffe Sriri-h . TOTAL P.03 The Ea Date: e ' City H all tin e a o Taman ran for City Council with an tion cent rs without cit z an support. ing them and escape the responsibil- igovernment. agenda for change in o city ome o our departm are inor- ity of their own negligence. While The city h d been di ately large, inexperi iced and most cities make good use of their performing many function best left po iticize , as demonst a ed by local architectural and engineering to the private sector while eglect- in dequa ely designed d main- firms, our city staff spends 89 per - ing its pursuit of excellenc in to ned dr inage, excess v litiga- cent of its professional service dol- police, fire, utilities and i rastruc- ti n, mis anagement apical lars with out -of -town firms. This ture services. i prove ent projects, estionable allows staff to remain unaccount- This was a gradual policy shift, co sulta t selection pr c ices and able and sends precious tax dollars which resulted in abuses i code enforce nt. Council and jobs out of our community. the passage of a n ads to reclaim its po . - making When I finally appealed nonpay- Carver -based gov- roe with administrate a oversight. ment of this invoice to City ernance ordinance y 180-day-old invoice is only a Manager Skip Noe in late June, he in 1994. This well- r symptom of the problem. Last waited a month, and without dis- intentioned ordi' , D cembe , I sent the ci our final cussing the matter with me, hand nance eliminated b' fort a rehabilitate of delivered his response to me and the basic checks University Oaks Drive. It was under The Eagle by courier at the same and balances of budget, within contrac , he work time. our city charter ar proved and accepted a d While I am a council member, I do and needs to be STE E approved. One of the conflicts came not intend to mediate, arbitrate, liti- repealed. ES OND when wE had shown the approxi- gate or play politics over this issue. Our citizens can mate loc ition of an exit g water I have already turned down an offer have better ser- line on oar drawings, I u the city of free legal services should I sue vices with lower budgets N ihen the could nether ford their water line the city. I will continue to serve the elected council performs is proper maps to onfirm it nor i& ould they people by remaining true to my function and taxpayers ar e th effort to physically locate campaign promises regardless of informed of benefit -to -cost ratios on it as we requested. WE were this personal cost. I am working to operational and capital ex ndi- a ate tI.is could prese at problems. promote a city staff that puts citi- tures. Daring construction, t ie line had to zens first, takes responsibility for City staff spends too mu time be rerouted and then t le city com- their own mistakes and treats oth- and resources on econom' develop- pained they had to pa dditional ers as they want to be treated. ment. I am concerned we a wast- far it. I do not think thay have found ing tax dollars and creati g budget t ose water line maps to this day. ■ Steve Esmond is a College Station City drains for business parks, parking City staff frequently pays politics Council member and president of Esmond garages, amphitheaters arid conven with loc il firths to just if not utiliz- Engineering Inc. Negativity d esn't b long on council By GEORGE K. N 0 E s The citizens of College Station are well served by a hi y professional and competent staff. In a selfless appreciate Councilor Esmond's des re to advocate w y they dedicate themselves to providing essential for the positions and p atform on whi h he n for se ces — 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. council. Free expression and debate the licy a high quality of the staff and the services they pro - issues is an essential pa of the democr tic process. vii are well known to the citizens of our community as Since policy making is the council's p iew, I ill not sh in the overwhelming satisfaction rate in our lat- engage in a public defens of any of the licy items es ustomer survey. It is also recognized by the rest of that he has discussed in ffis opinion. Neither will I fur- th tate as exemplified by the numerous awards and ther engage in a public dE fense of any of my own re itions the city has received. actions related to his outstanding billing dispute. That city manager, I would be remiss if I did not bring is a matter of public record, and I stand y our effort to ou t his point. I am proud to be a member of the College ensure that our actions a e fair, imparti3d and ethically St ton city staff, and I thank them for all they do for beyond reproach. o r citizens. I will, however, expres my concern at Mr. E mond's broad, general and negative characterization of the city George K. "Skip" Noe is city manager of College Station. T e Ea le Date 011 (11n± 131 W • 0 "Ar'ea needs to continue attracting businesses d like to comment on the issues raised in a recent letter (8/14/97) tc the Eagle by Jack Rose. I agree with r', Rose that we should be careful about what we give up to bring business/indus into our area. officials appear anxious to fill space at the new business park in hopes that it will attract similar ventures. As a community, we need to focus more on making businesses want us. bur com- munity already possesses man desirable qualities related to education (high qual- ity schools and al well respecte I universi ty), economic (low employmen , ow cost of living)„ and recreational (go )d athletic facilities) opportunities. Howe efr, we fall short on environmental qualit .I Many people just do not feel that Bryan- College Station offers an app Ong physi- cal environment. Mr. Rose's ireption of Wolf Pen' Creek was ironic as htit area provides an opportunity tom e College Station more appealing to both presidents and new business. The Wolf Pen Creek situationhas been misunderstood For many yearE as is evi- denced in Mr. Rose's letter. TI Le' current facilities' were not built with f inds after voters turned them down. Th s� facilities had already been paid for by 1 gal and state matching funds which d d'; not require a public vote. Bad timing and a lack of co nmunication led citizens to vote down add' ional public development in, the Wolf Pen Jstrict. The lack of this development has sii ce con- tributed to flooding and silting problems and cost us opportunities to ha trails and public space conducive t Family recreation and (business deve o ment. Additional public space ale Wolf Pen Creek, if properly planned, wx Id con- tribute toward making our ai e more appealing to those high tech ompanies we seem to want so badly. Investing in our environm t could help save us from selling our souli on down the road. (,OTT SHAFER ,College Station The Ea�pe • � ]I Investment pays off I d like to comment on the i in a letter by Jack Rose (Ea I agree with Rose that we s careful about what we give u business and industry into OIL Officials appear anxious to f new business park in hopes t attract similar ventures. As we need to focus more on ma nesses want us. Our commu possesses many desirable qu to educational (high- quality well- respected university), e i unemployment, low cost of li recreational (good athletic f opportunities. However, we environmental quality. Many people just do not fe and College Station offer an physical environment. Rose' Wolf Pen Creek was ironic provides an opportunity to Station more appealing to b 1 and new business. The Wolf uation has been misunderstoi years as is evidenced in Rose facilities were not built with voters turned them down. T had already been paid for b state matching funds which require a public vote. Bad timing and a lack of led citizens to vote down ad - development in the Wolf Pe lack of this development has tributed to flooding and silt" and cost us opportunities to and public space conducive recreation and business de E Additional public space alo Creek, if properly planned, tribute toward making our appealing to those high tec seem to want so badly. Inve environment could help save ing our souls down the road - ies raised Aug. 14). ald be o bring area. ,pace at the t it will busi- already es related ols and a Imic (low 0, and short on Bryan Mention of iat area :e College residents 1 Creek sit - for many letter. The nds after e facilities cal and l not tional public district. The Since con - .g problems gave trails family Wolf Pen uld con - �a more l ompanies we ng in our Its from sell- The Ea Date: Wtc14(k)t D e Standing on his r6cord • ity Manager Skip Noe's r a ponse to my guest column on Sun 1, y, "Nega- tivity Doesn't Belong on uncil," gave the impression that I ti -city staff. The comments I made t 1 t elicited his resplonse were specificall d con - structively directed to a sm oup at the management level only, known to him. Examine my record. Our c would have been better served if th 10,000 bonus the city manager rece v d last Christmas had been distribu e i among city staff at $16.31 per emplo , and I gladly voted the entire staff ar overdue 3 percent pay raise last month. We have the best police and fire departments in the country. Overall, I am very proud of our city employees. I am the only council meinbpr to have ever worked as a city emplo Oe. I have always ; supported and enco ged our 'city staff with specific reference r jobs well done. 1 frequently complime city staff in council meetings, privately d personal- ly. I have a correspondence ile full of copies'of e -mail and letters f!commenda- tion I have sent them. For several years, one of my letters of commendation hung on the bulletin board in one of our city departments because the workers felt under - appreciated by the ci 's manage- ment staff. Skip Noe obviously woulq ike the unin- formed to think I am anti -c staff. On this issue, I stand on my retiord. STEVE ESMOND College Station Your View • E Don't bully city workers 0 my days before Councilman Steve Esmond's Sunday column, he was publicly claiming he would hence- forth "take the high road" in his unbecom- ing feud with the city of College Station over a billing dispute related to his pri- vate engineering practice. Esmond's comments and actions in this regard are uncalled for and a misuse of the public trust and taxpayer', resources. I would like to state clearly, since the city staff cannot by fact of their professional- ism, that advances in professionalism and the structure of city services over the past decade in College Station truly benefit all citizens. I am one taxpayer glad we have a profes- sional city staff, particularly in engineer- ing, who will stand up and defend the tax- payer's dollar and insist on performance for payment — even when that com- plainant is a member of council willing to use that position and public forum to attack the city staff while knowing full well they will not be able to publicly respond. I have worked as an engineer for the city. I know from personal experience that this city staff works hard and well to advance the interests of all citizens. They have brought new ideas and a new spirit of professionalism to city government that is clearly reflected in city services. Es- mond is flat out wrong in the unprofes- sional way he has handled the whole is- sue. Congratulations to the city engineers and other staff who won't turn over tax- payer dollars under public threat by a member of council with a billing dispute. I suggest Esmond follow one of these options: arbitrate with the city as suggest- ed by the city manager, stop whining, or resign and stop using the city council to advance his own personal interests. Es- mond follows the typical pattern of the self-righteous bully by targeting folks who cannot respond. MIKE CRONAN College Station ' businesses would be created. indicated approximately 627 ould be created from spinoffs full year of operation. Local those 627 jobs would come to illion, research indicates. million would come in retail y and local property tax rev - Ilion the first year. Bryan school district would $12 million over 10 years as a in sigh EDC approves pl n for textile plant in Bryan By BLAIR FANNIN 1j,11? Eagle Staff Writer A t", LIV ,. A textile mill that would create 340 jobs and include a capital investment of $71.2 million moved a step a closer Thursday after board approval from the Bryan-College Station Economic Development Corp. The project, called "a three -run home run for Brazos County" by Bryan City Manager Mike Conduff, calls for a 365,000 squar . -foot facility to be built c n 88 acres in ■ Editorial /A14 the Bryan Business Park. The propos 1 is pending approval by Brazos County Co ninissioners, the Bryan City Council and the College Station City Council. If the plant is approved, gr undbreaking would be in December. The au omated mill, called Brazos Textiles, would m nufacture T- shirts, towels, 'bath robes and other cotton - based items, producing 10 tons of cotton per day and 23 million pounds of y n, in its first year. It's really a home run for Brazos business," said Robert Worley, president and CEO of the Bryan- College Station Economi Development Corp. "The impact [to the local econ my] would be tremendous. The value -added concept of tak- ing cotton to a finished product to a T -shirt is incredible." The project also would be a big hit for local agribusiness and Brazos Valle cotton farm- ers. Cotton produced locally w uld be used to manufacture the products, offic 'als said. "This way, we use local resources and can take those local rots would move to this area, in Bryan and 30 percent in students would be added to ould come to College Station ve courted Turkish investor, years, Worley said, and eco- Murphy has been "the shep- Turkey, including hazelnuts, dried off the recruiting process in g to Turkey to begin negoti- a setback in January, when ly prevented him from mak- resources and turn them into a finished product." RICHARD S. SMITH chairman of the board of the EDC ing a trip to the Bryan- College Station area. When Fat visited Brazos County for a week in July, he was a special guest at the monthly Economic Development Corp. board meeting. "[Texas Agriculture Commissioner] Rick Perry has said this for years, that so many of our products leave raw and come back as finished materials," said Richard S. Smith, chairman of the board of the Economic Development Corp. "This way, we use local resources and can take those local resources and turn them into a finished product," he said. "We can keep the value -added product here in the Brazos Valley." The proposal's final obstacle is approval by the county commissioners and the Bryan and College Station city councils. "It's a huge project that has some challenges," Conduff said. "If everyone can get their arms around those challenges, it will be a good three -run homer." Please sie MILL, Page A8 CS council divisions flare N Q By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer College Station City Council members are butting heads over the direction of the city as two new councilmen try to trans- form political philosophy into public poli- cy. Issues being hotly debated include the city's handling of a Northgate parking garage, its professional contracts and its economic development program. Freshman council members Swiki Anderson and Steve Esmond want a more traditional approach to city government — including more council oversight of duties now performed by city staff. Veteran, freshmen members at odds over city government, development °,\I� view." Anderson said, "is we're elected to represent the people of College Station, and there's a stewardship role that goes along with that." Council veteran David Hickson, on the other hand, said the city has been progres- sive and should remain that way. "I chose to live here because it's a great community," he said. "I would hate to see that destroyed by two people who want to micromanage right down to the pencils we use. "If we want to micromanage our city, paralysis by analysis is exactly what hap- pens. I'm disgusted with people who are micromanagers, who don't know how to run a city. They want to study everything to death." The two new members have called for a council vote on whether to put a referan- dum before voters giving taxpayers a say in building a Northgate parking garage at a cost of $5 million to $6.8 million. "If we're going to be concerned enough to put a referendum out on a conference cen- ter for $6 million, this is about the same order of magnitude," Anderson said. "I think we're spending a great deal foolish- ly „ Others say the garage referendum isn't necessary because the project will be paid for through revenue bonds rather than tax dollars. "Revenue bonds, which are based on bonds paying for themselves, have histori- Please see COUNCIL, Page AS Council cally been a decision the council makes itself," Mayor Lynn McIlhaney said. Hickson said the council has made the nec- essary decisions to make the Northgate McILHANEY HICKSON ESMOND ANDERSON MARRIOT garage a reality. What Mr. Esmond is trying to do is create Thursday's meeting, McIlhaney said. jobs in the community. terrible turmoil on the council and in the city "If it's a good idea; it will wait," Anderson A number of letters from Anderson and itself," Hickson said. "People elect us to make said. Esmon4 addnssirig these and other decisions for the city. If they don't like the Mayor Pro -Tem Hubbard Kennady said he have been sent to council members and city decisions we make, that's easily changed by didn't want to address the issue until it is dis- staff since the May election. not reel cussed at the council meeting. "I get tired of getting letters from him McIlhaney said once decisions such as the Another issue the new council members (Esmond] every day," ounc am arry construction of a parking garage are settled, have asked the council to authorize is giving Mariott said. the council needs to move forward. city staff permission to solicit closed bids to Anderson said his letters are the "best "The problem is that things are getting purchase individual lots in the College ways for me to communicate." approved and the minority are wanting to Station Business Park — while ensuring a In their letters to the council, the two new bring it back and, therefore, we're not getting definite date for construction. councilmen — both local engineers — also any closure on things," she said. "There appears to be growing opposition have addressed the issue of using more local "The council needs to stand behind that in the community for the way the city is contractors when they have the same qualifi- rather that trying to undermine that decision." Esmond's argument for revisiting the parking garage issue was stated in a memo to the council earlier this week. He wrote that, since the city does not own the land where the garage will go, property will be con- demned. He also complained that the first phase of the project was ignored. "[The consultant] recommended the city build a surface lot before constructing an ele- vated garage," he wrote. McIlhaney said that, although the initial proposal did make the surface lot recommen- dation, new parameters in a second study changed the scope of the plan. The garage issue is scheduled to be dis- cussed by council members during Esmond wrote in his memo. McIlhaney said three businesses are nego- tiating for lots in the business park. Although tax abatements are being offered to some of those businesses, she said, no school taxes are abated. She said the tax base creat- ed by the companies would help hold down school taxes. Anderson said he agrees with Esmond that the economic development department, which oversees the business park, isn't up to par. "I would like to see this [department] elim- inated, or at least cuts in this activity," Anderson wrote in a memo to the council this week. McDhaney says the city's role in economic development is important in ensuring future 0 "All Mr. Esmond cares about is his own personal agenda while, in my opinion, it is not in the best interest of the citizens of this community," Hickson said. Anderson said he feels like he's "a subject of reverse discrimination by some of the peo- ple" who make engineering choices in local government. Despite their differences in opinion, both Mcnhaney and Anderson said disagreement isn't necessarily bad. "There are differences of opinion between me and other council members and, frankly, I think that's healthy," Anderson said. "We all view the world from a different vantage point. We respectfully disagree on some things." J F I M 9 Wd- P L3 • • Date: View C� Consid r boost to total econor before ecry!ni tax incentives Eagle Editorial Board ryan- College Static in another major hard work of the and an incentive pacl+ Brazos County locatio: For five years, Ec, have been encouragin to locate a textile mill if the two cities and tt package. The mill inii ton yarn a day — ar grown right here in huge economic boost tion, the mill will prc at the start. The plat community, with a p, within four years an 10 years. The comps investment program. In exchange, the ci provide tax abatemel Park and $1.5 million ty good investment fc Economic develop come under a great ( tive comment recent would prefer that Co more. That's unreal: Without growth, we and county services, Those opposed to i Universal Computer expand to the Busing company was highl! munities. Norman, ( lion in cash if it IN Station and Brazo offered only $500,00 years, 30 acres of la been vacant since t1 partial abatement school taxes are Economic Develop, with taxpayer dolla A &M football and OPAS and merr Commerce, an ad That's not much Universal Compute Station and Bryan decision easier for , has a good ch ce to ew employer, thanks economic Dever pment ge put together to mal even more attra ctive. a Turkish inve or, lzs ,re. Now, it loo as if I county approve the inq Lily would spin 10 tons much of that cotton s Brazos Valley, prov. :)r our area f ers. I ace 12 million - shirts would bring 3 jobs roll of some $8 uilliO11 $13.5 million arnually y plans a $71 million s and county v >, land in the I i cash. That sou the people of B >nt incentive d of public scr particularly h !ge Station and ic. Cities that 1 end up payir icentives point 1 Systems Inc. to ss Center at Col recruited by a lkla., offered the )uld locate ther County, on I in cash to be :id in the businc e park was crea 'rom city and lever abated. cent Corp. — I s — is providin be the orp. our vials Fat, will, itive . cot- 11 be ng a addi- year the year ithin ipital ed to is like a pret- zos Cc unty. ckages have ny an nega- n peol le who ryan g row no n't gr w die. more or city Jerks j iven to 1p it d tide to e station. The ember of com- mpan $8 mil- Bryan-College other hand, rid ov r three park at has I and 10 -year tickets asketball games as wen iership in the Char, dtional value of some >mpared to Norman's c ° officials obviously like The incentives simply i 1AM - on, the funded o Texas as MSC fiber of $20,000. [fer, but College lade the do t do the taxpayers of rsrazus wuuLy re. lll ? Universal Computer will provide 350 full - >bs an d 450 part-time jobs when it is up and kg. Many of those jobs will go to people already in the area, allowing them to better pay their erhaps buy a house or move to a larger one and the things that a good job permits. Some of the rill go to people moving into the area, people rill begin paying local taxes, shopping at local and supporting local activities. The annual 1 for the company will be almost $15 million, :cat's a lot of incentive for the community to Universal Computers here. s company will spend $20 million on buildings, Cory and other capital expenditures. Local busi- i and local residents may work on some of the ng projects, further benefiting the community. I the tax abatements cost the community noth- 'hey are dollars off local taxes that wouldn't be at all if the company didn't locate here. Rather lose money because of the abatements, taxpay- rin money by having Universal Computer here. he past seven years, the Economic Development has recruited 24 businesses to Brazos County, iesses that are employing some 3,800 people and fig them more than $75 million a year. The capi- vestment in the community by those businesses Ids $200 million. t all of the companies recruited needed incen- to come here, but even those that did have been only $3.4 million by the cities and county. In ion, they have received 436 acres of land. That's ip in the bucket compared to what the companies to the community. have much to attract new businesses to the nunity. Unfortunately, so do many other cities. ritives sweeten the deal, making College Station Bryan an even better place to locate. They may ie deciding factor for company officials trying to fie where to move. e incentives being offered to the Turkish textile pany may seem like a lot to some people, but they a small price to pay for the jobs and salaries the pany will bring to Brazos County. le deal with Izzet Fat should be judged on its mer- Don't let the loud voices of some naysayers )sed to any incentives sour the deal. City and ity officials have to decide if the potential bene - are worth the incentives, as they certainly apw e. If so, let's welcome the textile company ith a arms. ccuuns Saturday, August 23, 1997 `J 50 cents s� . e I Stu dv,, H X^ e V e oter fe a By JENNY NELSON \ center V iso rooms and a holes sh ,the . 'Z am cautious and we are not making �' -r° , at>y commitments," he said: "The next step ' .. ^\ Eagle Staff Writer' (I P .1 a nutshell, the report says Yes, we is to see the cash -flow of the Project and it relate to money in, money out" Location: Westside of Bryan near Turkey Creek Easterwood Airport The first hurdle in bringing a regional Bryan-College to the Bryan College can su rt a regional facility, ' said how will Bryan Mayor Lonnie Stable#. "I'm just dis- City officials are considering three sites in Brazos County for'the proposed project, BPPom� and Average daily room rate: 100 hotel-expo center Station area has been cleared. The es- it's taken the direction it has — its the size and magnitude we had e off Average green fees: $50.75 I' tions now: How much will it cost and who not on tthle west side town 6s the best oPt*OrL for." The 400 to 600 acre site is near Turkey Event center: 120,000 square feet are the players? Bryan city leaders released the .results The city's; financial involvement in the The Project yet to 1�e decided. Stabler said a Creek and Easterwood Airport, Stabler Meeting'space: 10,500,square -feet of a feasibility study Friday that said there for a 150 -room hotel, an 18 -hole financial feasibility study is expected in Please See. HOTEL, Page A2 is a market golf course and a 120,000- square -foot event six to eight weeks. Station City Council's decision to hotel-conference `r_�/ move ahead with a Hntp.L center o f its own at Wolf Pen Creek• i in time College FI M Al ular golf course and hotel," discussions with Stabler said Friday. "I think rT l rte– V said. He said property owners in the area are we've reached a point in our continuing, but he did not want to c ouncil wher pr not (� release any names. going to wait Ramiro Galindo. who owns land We're going with a more aggres- in the a is the first of what city sive approach." officials said they hope w many developers wanting to com- ty is not finalized, and at any the process it could be re- pete for the regional project. stage of Thp Roan -College evaluated. t� Galinda told Station Eagle Friday that he has a PKF 5 first phase of study cost the city L� G� written agreement with Marriott the feasibility Hotels to submit a plan when the $24,000, said Tom Coyle, director of � city requests proposals. development services. The fman- feasibility study is expected to Q Red Cashion, whose family cial owns 418 acres on the west side, cost about $6,000, he said. sa w ould be involved in theproject if $2 to $251W0 an ld be sl sultants it is found to be feasitne. "I think there's a great deal of throughout the project. "We're looking at this as a desti- importance in developing the west side," Cashion said. nation facility, which means a facility will come to despite The plan began as a project people between the cities of Bryan and anything else around it," Stabler feel very comfortable College Station and Brazos said. "We + County, but College Station .ray Uhis des bring into the community." Mayor Lynn McIlhaney said people Friday she isn't sure of her city's The third possible player, role in the project. She said she Brazos County, is still on the par - has not seen the feasibility study, ticipation list, County Judge Al which PKF Consulting in Jones said Friday. "The county has a great desire Houston produced. Stabler said he has not talked and we are committed to putting with College Station city officials together an expo center of this about the issue since the College type," he said. • • L� • The Ea Datc: 2L i Y Consider every impact he Eagle editorial on the merits of tax and other incentives to attract new and desirable businesses to this area certainly inakes a number of a. valid points. I hope it is read by both proponents and opponents of growth. There seem to be some implicit assumptions, howe er, regarding the total costs involved; in attracting a new business here. To lave a valid cost /benefit picture, one must consider' all costs, particularly those associated with the environmental impact of the business operation. That's why "clean" industries l and businesses, such as Universal Computers, are aggressively being recruited. Our eco- nomic development people deserve a lot of praise for landing this one. However, industries that are known to inherently involve chemical processes and attendant wastes and use large quantitie of water, for instance, must be given closer scrutiny a in assessing their cost/benefit ratios. Our local goverm ent should contin- ue to do what they to be doing in this respect, only with increased vigilance. Furthermore, with the expected influx of more people, and the associat- ed development of housing and facili- ties to accommodate them, they should pay attention to the county's infra - s ucture. Specifically, in addition to improving the county's road and bridge network and public health mea- s es, the county's Commissioners Cpurt must budget the effective and s trong law enforcement presence t hroughout the county, where a lot of t hese newcomers will be settling in. Wh ether they work for a computer company or a textile operation, these infrastructure improvements would Provide unrivaled incentives for them to come and stick around. MMUORMIUM • • Datc: f\ View Hotel- resort study opens man great possibilities ers from throughout a Eagle Editorial Bard on a possible hotel-golf A report course project to be ced perhaps in part by the cfty of Bryan offers me intriguing I Ossi- bilities to a -act tourists anc the money they s nd in the comr ilun ty open u The repor prepared by PKF Consulting i i Houston indicates that such a pr Diect could be ec om- ically viable, 3ven with a joint city- private hotel-conference project under consi ieration by College Station voter is in The repo wisely takes into account the proposed 200-unit College Static hotel — to be built adjacent to the Wolf Pen reek Amphitheatei if voters app e — and recommEnds the Bryan p oject be scaled ba to 150 rooms X ather than the 300 orighially propose d• Should the College Station r roject,,: fall through and if Bryan cit I offi= cials decide to proceed wit the hotel -golf course project, the the Bryan hotel could be inc in size, the PKF report said. Bryan officials are to be praised for ordering the study as the fn step in the proposed Project. Without a pr Dper study, any ' cus- sions the cit r might have wo Ad be based on mare speculation. Now, with the stidy, talks can p oceed based on critical facts gleane I from the report. L + I C I -� that it a should be designed to course p attract g ers from throughout a Zoo -mile r dius, which includes Houston, ustm, San Antonio and Dallas-F Worth. There ffir eady are a number of golf "resorts" within that large area, so Bryan o i ials must carefully con- sider w e er another one can be QlWrp_� . iThe PKF report indicates that it a n be. The ri ext step is to complete a financia atialysis and then seek pro posals frxii private businesses inter- ested in j forces with the city of Bry such a project. It is crit- ical tha a discussions be held in public, der the light of public - Of coi irse, included in the discus- sions w d be selection of a poten- tial sit The PKF report indicates the be choice would be on the rolling eirain of West Bryan, in the Villa Malia Road -Texas 47 area. A beau ' golf course could be built there, t the site has even more attribu . The project would help open u West Bryan to further high- Its 1 on would be close to tourist s, places such as the Georg Presidential Library tei and um, Washington-on-the Braz�s nham, Downtown Bryan, Inde ence and on and on. S pouse s and families of golfers would 1 plenty to do while stay- l ing at Leff hotel. largely unstudied in the PKF report ' a possible exposition center that county is interested in I build' ig, Such a center might add to the h It 1 -golf course project, but it isn't ' 'cal to the project's success. It wot Id be an added boost to the pro - Ject, t ThE owever. hotel-golf course project still is in the very early stages. Many quest oils still have to be answered. But t ie of Bryan has taken the all-' rtant first step with the stud5 repared by PKF. With that s t u d 3 portant questions now can be erect. • 0 The Ea Date: OI Z519 - 1 e Your View Tax incentives are unwise his is a small voice of Su pport for the Tcolumn by Steve EsmOII (Eagle, Aug. 17). His position was that the i f nc Council had gradually expanded tions beyond those that a co , Mcil should perform. I feel the same way. Since moving to College Station! 10 years ago, Ilhave noticed that there seems to be l a bias in city government toward extending the scope and responsibility of oral govern- ment. This is not a healthy end. Local government should conceni rate on excel- lence in those mundane biA extremely important functions of pro riding law enforcement, fire protectio utility p rovi sions and infrastructure sucb as maintain ing roads and bridges. It should minimize its role in those areas that are best han- dled by the private sector. For example, it has no business playing a pivotal role in the latest'hoteVconven• tion center controversy. It should not be a land owner or an apartment landlord. It slot new (and mos tly an untried) businesses to the area. If it wishes to make the economic env' ronment more receptive o'bus businesses it should reduce taxes on _ consumers. The latest land subsid to the computer software company, for ei ample, is ridicu- lous. Someone said that f we liked the subsidies that were give t or so would certainly ago Weus company that failed love thi one. I don't know whether the computer com- pany will be successful r, not, but in Prin ciple the city should not use taxpayers' resources in such a wa . Economic devel- opment Will take care o itself if the city will perform efficiently the basic functionE mentioned above and ntinuously strive to reduce taxes rather I han increase them Our city government i9 just a little too eager to expand its role and spend our money. ■1 c The Ea Date: 81ZI 1 q/ 'The public's best interest am concerned tatements made in Stegve Esmond's commentary (Eagle,, Augu$t 17) and in later press coverage; of the College Station City Council's discussions may create some public misunderstand- ing. Esmond has alled for more utiliza- tion of local engiiieering firms by the city. I work as a professional engineer for a public agency that contracts some of its work with privat engineering firms. According to state law, a selecting entry can give no prefe ence to an engineeri g firm based on ge graphic location. In response to request, coincidenta4y sparked by a loc firm asking the city Of College Station for preference, the attoi- ney general drafted Letter Opinion N0' 93 m 73, dated Septe er 3, 1993. This opini4 referred specifically to Section 3A of the Professional Ser ices Procurement Act! Section 3A requires a municipality init�al- ly to select an engineer based on "demon- strated competence and qualifications" alone. It does not permit selection bas on any other criteria. The public deserves to have its taxes spent on the most qualified engineers and architects in developing projects which directly affect their safety and quality life. The proper u e and enforcement of the Professional ervices Procurement Act prevents polil 'cs and bias from inter- fering with this p ocess. When any prof�s- sional firm, local or not, is the most quali- fied, based on spe ific qualification sta dards for a partic ar project, it should be selected. This is . the public's best inte�- est. ROBERT A. APPLE TON College Sta {ion e Private enterprise works W hen driving by Texas A &M University on Texas Avenue these past months, past the barrels and large equipment, often idle, it has been interesting to watch the progress on the Texas Avenue improvement project — fnanced by our tax dollars — and to com- pare that progress with the shopping area — financed by private enterprise. The contrast supports the principle that, when possible, the private enterprise sys- tem should he allowed to work if efficien- cy is valued — a principle well understood by at least two of our city councilmen — Steve Esmond and Swiki Anderson. We appreciate their efforts to limit city involvement in activities that could be more efficiently handled by the private sector. DAN and RUTH BARBEE College Station c The Ea�4 Date: Burger oy B di could e md thm By JENNY NELSON X12- Eagle Staff Writer The dispute between Burger the city of College Station cc Thursday night if a deal bets two is approved by City Count bers. The Northgate bicycle - eatery is relocating to make I city improvements, but movie€ es — coming out of the city's Urban and Development fund, been up in the air for several v City Manager Skip Noe sai sions between the city staff restaurant owners, George Sopasakis, are ongoing. TI Dispute From Al parking lot that is p Northgate Revitalizatic Jo Carroll, communi ment administrator fc said the HUD guideli Sept. 29 deadline Sopasakis' to vacate th Patricia Street locatioi Tara Sopasakis sai( required to make thei tion on Church Stre has not begun. il l toy and ild end yen the d mem- .elivery )om for expens- 3ousing — have -11 U q 9 - _7 pure week amo nt of the relocat] coul be h mered out 1 in time for council vote the can 'm at liberty tc use we're stil " Noe said. " s matter to a ;e Station Ci discuss the s Thursday ; er, 1601 Grab gins at 3 p.m scheduled ft ng where Bu torn down •icia Street discus- sits is nd the for �th d Tara exact •t of the effort. develop - the city, �s give a for the r current the work new loca- suitable Please see DI `My focus is on ke doors open and serviciv torners right now," she Sopasakis said the work on the new prol bE en to ned in to cit W io are determining is due to the restauran' The HUD benefits ar( under the Uniform Ar t- which the Sopas find for er appealml o iginal relocation which did not include t nce. Mayor Lynn McIlha e rlier discussions th h s trie to assist the expenses , he liscuss the vorking on pefully, we ase." Council is lenient and the Utility i Road. The rith the reg- 7 p.m. er Boy now make room )menade, a 'UTE Page AB ing my owners since the start of the 23- my cus- month -old ordeal. She said real id. estate location assistance and yids for allowing the owners to stay in ty have the city -owned building through officials the spring semester is just part of w much the assistance given to the own - wners. undated ers. McIlhaney said both parties location "have been working in good s' quali- faith" during the discussions to he city's determine what money the tlement, Sopasakis' are due I do know that both sides are JD assis- talking and working to get some, y said in resolution to this and that's what the city we're working towards at this !staurant time," she said. t Burger Boy settlement still on the burner By JENNY NELSON in the discussions about the relocation of the Next door to Burger Boy sits The Varsity Eagle Staff Writer 81 Northgate restaurant were unable to get t th t 4-1, h dul d t' Shop, which has closed. But one of the two 1 V Mo ff OR The city of College Station and a local restaurant owner did not reach a settlement on relocation expenses Wednesday, as officials originally hoped. A meeting had been scheduled for Burger Boy owner George Sopasakis and city officials to hammer out the cost of moving the restau- rant off city -owned property, assistant city manager Tom Brymer said. oge era a sc e e nne. "They indicated that George [Sopasakis] needed time to visit with his attorney and go over some figures," Brymer said. The parties tentatively are scheduled to meet Thursday morning, he said. The building that houses Burger Boy is being torn down to make room for a parking lot in the Northgate area. The move is being funded by the city's Department of Housing owners of the former hair salon, Ahce Bomnskie, said they may add their names to the Sopasakis lawsuit requesting HUD funds. "When we bought it, we never dreamed we'd lose the building," she said. "We shut it down in August 1996 because business declined when rumors started flying about it being torn down." Bomnskie said the $60,000 investment she He said, however, that the parties involved and Urban Development funds. _ Please see BURGER BOY, Page A2 Burner B requested aren't available because the shop closed before the request was made, which is a stipulation The College Station City Council is scheduled to discuss the Burger Boy settlement and other issues Thursday during a meeting at the Utility Service Center, 1601 Graham Road. The workshop begins at 3 p.m., with the regular council meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. A public hearing on the city's $121 million budget also is scheduled for the evening meeting. Also on the agenda is the discussion of the chase of a phone system that would allow residents. to access City Hall 24 hours a day. In other business, the council is scheduled to con- sider awarding a $1.2 million contract for the con- struction of the Wayne Smith Baseball Complex, with three Little League fields planned to be built at Wellborn Road and Holleman Drive. 1 J PONE* vV 0— N C': 01c74�3 r /bUBL' j I C C LEGE STATION C _ TY MA dAG? R P! � BOX 4 96t� OK 14% C LLEGE STATION TX 7704E By DONNIS BAGGETT (6\V Eagle Staff Writer A divided College Station City Council gave final approval Thursday to an incen- tive package that will bring a $30 million software development firm to the city. In votes of 4-3 and 6-1 the council gave. ■ Conference center M IS to green light to a deal with Universal Com- puter Systems. The company is projected to generate 1,560 jobs and a $14.7- million annual payroll within 10 years. The city provided 30 acres of land in the Business Center at College Station, $350,000 in cash over three years and a partial city Bryan, Brazos County and the Bryan- College Station Economic Development Corporation. No school taxes will be abated. Richard S. Smith, chairman of the devel- f irm incentives Council sets Burger Boy terms By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer Although College Station City Council members voted Thursday to spend $35,000 to settle with the owners of the Burger Boy eatery, owner George Sopasakis said it will take at least $10,000 more to relo- cate his Northgate restaurant. "They can do whatever they want," he said in a telephone interview after the vote. "They're going to have to pay for what is needed." The bicycle- delivery eatery is relocat- ing to a building a few blocks away from its present site to make room for a city parking lot. The relocation funds given to the eatery will come out of the city's Department of Housing and Urban Development funds. Sopasakis was not present at the meet- ing where council members decided to authorize the staff to pay up to $35,000 for relocation. City staff said the total amount Please see BURGER BOY, Page A6 vate business. Council member Swiki Anderson sent a memo to council members Wednesday call- ing the business park a "sinkhole expendi- ture." "Let us eliminate risk to the city and the body politic by getting the city out of the development business that can best be served by private enterprise and by return- ing the city to providing citizens with basic essential services," Anderson wrote. The council voted 4-3 to allow the compa- ny to put up a cash bond that would replace the city's first lien against the property. Voting against that measure were council members Anderson. Steve Esmond and Dick Birdwell. opment corporation, called the agreement'a comes to our community to utilize talent at Anderson opposed. "red - letter day" for the community. Texas AM" Smith said. Universal Computer Systems also had "UCS will probably be just the beginning Opponents repeatedly have questioned received recruitment offers from Houston, of this type of high -tech company that the wisdom of using tax funds to attract pri- Norman, Okla., and Auburn, Ala. Burger Boy From Al won't be know until Sopasakis relocates to his new site. "We really want to get this behind us. This is a good first step and, hopefully" we can put this behind ust'' Mayor ;Pro Tem klub Councilrrian Dick Birdwell agreed the dispute, which as been an issue for several .... mon s, naeds be settled. iMe are no closer today to v- ing tenant move to a ew building that Teas been ava a e for four months," he said. The vote for the settlement was 5-2. with Councilmen S wiki Anderson and Steve Esmond vot- ing against. Sopasakis said Thursday that construction now will begin on the leased building, but he doesn't know how long the move will take. "We're going to go ahead and 9= renovating," he said. Sopasakis said the lawsuit he filed against the city in June still stands. The lawsuit asks for plain- tiffs damage §,'their costs, expens- es and attorney fees, among other Ali- 4 The Ea0e Date: Reaction mixed on CS fun d�ng Combined health aciliry sought to serve county By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer J People working toward a C nsolidated Health Care Facility for low -i come resi- 4 ents of Brazos County said Friday they 1111 0 d � ould be in business if the Col ege Station City Council had approved th requested funding. On Thursday night, the council approved $100,000 for the project rather than the $250,000 sought by health-care providers and others. With the new building, ■ Editorial /A11 medical se vices now available hroughout the county would be available under one roof, said Craig Blakely, a board member of the Brazos Prenatal Clinic. "College Station [council mer ibers have] historically turned their bacK on these kinds of requests," Blakely s id. "But I don't want to paint a picture of being ungrateful ... I certainly understand the city [council] needs to look at i& hat they're doing with their dollars." Earlier this year, the Bryan City Council approved $1.2 million for the Texas Avenue facility. College Station Mayor Lynn McIlhaney said the $150,000 held back from the health center is needed to make t e College Station Lincoln Center a one top health and human services shop for-ow-income residents. The concern I think was shared by the council ... [was that] we had $149,000 to leave to the council's objective for the Lincoln Center," she said. Other contributors to the county facility are the Episcopal Diocese in H uston and 36191 H e al X10111 Al Foundation in ty effort." In discussions, College Station Councilman Dick Birdwell said the city should be careful about getting involved in health ser- vices. He said such services his - torically have utilized federal and the Meadow Dallas, Blakel r said. The stipula- state funds. tion of these funds is that other Councilman Steve Esmond sug- monies be ded ated to make up gested that $100,000 of the city's the difference 3lakely said con- excess funding for fiscal 1998 be tributors will lave to be found by added to the $100,000 the council the end of Sepe mber. approved, but no other council Brazos Cou it y Commissioners member backed his proposal. are expected to vote on a $100,000 The $100,000 from College contribution, 3lakely said. Station will come out of the city's Bryan Ci y Councilwoman Block Grant Public Facilities Kandy Rose, who has been a part funds. of the coaliti movement since The Block Grant funds can be the beginnin , said the attitude used for parks, street, water, portrayed by the College Station sewgr and drainage improve - City Council disappointed her. ments in low- income areas, com- "While I wa grateful for the munity, senior and health centers motion that gave $100,000 for the and other projects approved by program, I'm disappointed by an the U.S. Department of Housing attitude that e're not going to and Urban Development. support this facility because it's Blakely said that, when all of not in College Station," she said. the money is received, it will take "I guess I'm just disappointed about 10 to 12 months to make the by a... non-coDlwrative communi- additions to the center. Please see HEATH, Page A2 FER11[wo- & Datc: 8 13 019 • City delay s decision o sur lul $2.' million p By A MY NELSON (aX ment p esentation. Eagle tatf Writer McIl aney said that decision would -6me after an already Col ege Station City Council approved market analysis of meml ers Friday delayed a eci- city salaties determines if the Sion at will determine where wages are competitive. the c' 's $2.3 million in excess The .1- million proposed funds will be spent. "W need to go through the police l department budget includes two additional police budgE t and see it overall and officers and a patrol car for hear f rom all of the departments those officers. first,' Mayor Lynn McIlh ney The proposed fire department said. budget o $4.3 million includes ThE council delayed the eci- additiorial communications sion until a later me ting maintenance, tools for a ladder where all seven council em- truck arid three new masks and bers are present, McIlh ney air pat s. said. Councilmen S viki Othe departments will be Anderson and Steve Esmond review d', by the council to deter - were absent. mine ere the additional funds Prc posed budget detaih for are neE dod, officials said. the city's police and fire de art- One option still on the table is ment were presented to the return ng $1 million of the council Friday. excess 54nds to the residents of "I'd like to look at was to Collegtation. If the council me re se salaries," Mayor Pro votes n xt month to give it back, Tem Hub Kennady told the it coin dd up to about $56 per coun it during the police depart- house jd c . • The Ea lc Datc: 30 �� 1 swallow A bit pill. t r The roject is expected to cost about $2.4 million, a one -time investment in our community that would allow the none fit organizations a chance to perform their missions even better. Bryan has committed $1.2 million to the p d'ect from its future Community Deve o ment Block Grant federal funds. Episcopal Church foundation hasp edged $500,000 and another foun- datio xs expected to contribute almost that Lkh. The ollege Station City Council was asked t provide a one -time donation of $250, less than 21 percent of what Bryai I s giving. That's certainly a fair share f r the city, but council members just c dn't see it that way. Aft i much discussion about health care p I ovided by the government — which ad nothing to do with the requ s — the council reluctantly agreed to give the project only $100,000. The vote was 4 -3, with council members Hub Eennady, Steve Esmond, Swiki Anders on and Larry Mariott support- ing the donation and council members Lynn McIlhaney * Dick Birdwell and David I Hickson opposed. A second motic n by Esmond to take another $100, from the city's budget surplus �'. died ftw lack of a second. Some council members said they woul ave supported the project had it been oposed for College Station. How short sighted they are. On issues such as th s there should be no boundary lines. people from both cities will use the facility and its central location will bene t everyone. Oth s feared that the consolidated health care project would take away from t e city's own Lincoln Center exparkon that at this point is little more than a dream. And even if plans for Lin. Center were ready to go, it is a t y different project than what the th -care providers are propos- ing. Of course, the city councils of College Station I and Bryan were elected to serve the citizens of their own cities, but that does 'tl mean that cooperation isn't called fpr. The citizens of one city think nothing about going to the other one to shop ff..d eat, to go to the doctor or den- tist, w attend cultural or sporting even . The citizens can see beyond the city limit sim Too bad the College Station council can't. �I • c. Eagle Editorial Board fine a city as it is, College Station s A iny suffers from m of the same problems that o her communities deal with every day. Ask anyone who works with the Prenatal Clinic or trie Health for All clinic or even the Cheer Fund, The Eagle's own holiday food drive for the hungry. They'll tell you that 20 percent to 30 percent of their clients come from College Station. Thai isn't an aspersion on College Station, s iiiply a fact of life. That's why it is E o disappointing to see College Station ity Council mem- bers give only lukewarm support to a planned Consolid ted Health Care hacility that would better serve the needs of the workin poor of Bryan and j College Station. The consolidated facili- ty would pull toget ier several organi- zations already doing a tremendous job meeting the health i ieeds of people who make too much to c ualify for Medicaid but not enough to 3fford private med- ical care. Those organizations already exist, but are spread throughout the commu- nity and can be diff icult for those with- out transportation to reach. As planned, the consolidated facility would be located on Texas Avenue about midway between Downtown Bryan and College Station. It would be adjacent to the Brazos Transit central terminal where all bus and trolley routes start and In other wors, it would be conve7 nient for people needing to use the none profit health -care providers. The loca- tion would allow people who now cant not take advantage of the services a l 0 chance to get the health care they need. 171INFETP • E Date: C41 II 19 Your Vi Speaking for ever am writing to clarify an issuE a recent letter in reference to property for parking purpose council's goal was to secure a c effort with Texas' A &M Univers more parking in the Northgate Our efforts in this area have fully considered and discussed public and the council on many land have resulted in several sti Council issues which we are seE Accomplish. Mayor Pro -Tem Hub Kennad3 council liaison to the NorthgatE tion Board and therefore a tE fn the Northgate project, as wel ing on the Wolf Pon Creek Boar Northgate project', is a council s issue, which is reviewed by the council on an annual basis. Hut and received from the council a February this year to meet with Gaston to discuss more parking Northgate area and the possibil' ating a coordinating board with While discussions at that timE fruitful, Hub's call to Jerry Gast was a follow -up to determine if , position had changed. Both Northgate and Wolf Pen priorities with the council. Any tive efforts for more parking in Northgate area would be a "win the city and A &M To clarify another misconcept cil members are free to meet wit lic on any issue coming before ti and before votes are taken. Ever should have an opportunity to n elected officials and we are alwa able to anyone who wants to mei This council strives to work a, and will continue to seek to acct the strategic issues of the counci whole. LYNN N mayor, Cc 911 one regarding he A &M .The ioperative ty for irea. een care - efore the occasions, itegic cing to is the Revital- im leader as serv- The ,ategic entire had asked , proval in Jerry n the y of cre- . &M. Were not in in June . &M's re high ;oopera- le vin" for on: coun- t the pub - e' council , one �et with s avail - with us. a team nplish as a ALHANEY, lege Station The E��glc • • Date: Eve gone, benefits f ro new buO ineSS Eagle Editori I Board r i l l 0 n this bor Day, the w, Colleg Station and Bra much or which to be I An already healthy job m soon to get even brighter. & Farms is up and runni College Station City COU'. week gave final approval t( age of incentives that w Universal Computer Syst 800 new jc bs to the commu Economic Development COI ishing neE otiations to bring mill here 1 hat will provide I and will make use of Braz cotton. That's a lot of jobs for a I pie with a wide variety of s and train ng. The news d much better than this. The impact on our communit far, far greater than any ' granted ly the two cities county to bring these bus Brazos County. While a College Sta Council ' to be praised fi ing the ei onomic developr age giver to Universal Col is distre sing that the v, unanimo is. One motion v allowed a company — cash on I and in the milliol lions of ollars — to put bond to r aplace the city's f the prop arty the city is company in the Busines a 911 N t of illlevels esn't inan wil cent and tl Le Lesses to on City apP - -nt pa - )uters, it e wasn't uld have hich bas and il- pa h st lien n iving t ae Park at College Ration. That would e bers pany i char rty as velol loan. motion barely passed 4 -3, w Esm It Bird Com S ergy and Coll Bt rs o Con iav ( com kfW but A • A rsol mw Th oth la try t of illlevels esn't inan wil cent and tl Le Lesses to on City apP - -nt pa - )uters, it e wasn't uld have hich bas and il- pa h st lien n iving t ae Park at College Ration. That would e into pla only if the corr pany i wanted t 3 pledge the prop rty as lateral f r an expansion loan. motion barely passed 4 -3, Council Members Steve Esm Swiki AInderson and Dic Bird oonosed A second motio finali agreed Ito was passes Anders again opposed. 6-1, more do the council men. - t? As Richard S. Smith, n of the Economic De- nt Corp., told the council, exactly the type of business t to recruit. quite likely that Universal ter Systems will create a syn at will attract more software puter development firms to Station and Bryan. esses such as Universal ter Systems don't have to o College Station and Bryan, are glad they do. t as we know the local com ic, there are many, many communities across this coun at also are wonderful and are ng hard to recruit businesses niversal Computer Systems. College Station not approved ncentive package last week, Okla„ was ready to give the any an $8 million check to there. ously, th computer firm and companies want to come here. like what they see when they he area. That could be in danger, , if local governments aren't five to the new companies and if oils lack a clear vision of the and a commitment to work er to achieve that vision. citing new and established busi- es won't come here if they are e to feel unwelcome. like ery time a company ersal Computer Systems des to locate in Norman, Okla., a ll lose. The local economy suf- Workers are denied good new Taxpayers are left tto Ent creasingly heavy tax course, not all economic devel- is desirable, but the types of inesses the Economic Develop - t Corp. is attracting benefit all of The councils and the county com- ioners should continue to sup- rt efforts. n CS cha engine departs Office begins ope under public woTP By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer I College Station's engineering been re- engineered, and more ch the way. City Manager Skip Noe said ' engineering department began of public works department on Fri city's development services depa "This has been talked about months," Noe said. "We've got a development services." Noe said the move will put th under public works director Me tered engineer. Noe said moving the departrw development services departme city's Comprehensive Plan. Jim Callaway, director of dev said in most cities the engineery under public works. Noe said finding a location t date the engineering staff and works department is under way A move isn't all the engineer facing. Noe said a hand - picked comr take a close look at the nuts and ment. "We're taking a look in the mi uate what we see," Noe said. Noe said the committee includ vice - chancellor for facilities an( struction at Texas A &M i Wendler, dean of architecture The Ea le MM v�t e: g131q1 ages ring sent rations - branoh department has nges could be on uesday the city's gating under the ay instead of the tment. for six to eight )t on our plate in engineering staff k Smith, a regis- it will free up the t to work on the lopment services, department falls at will accommo- ie existing public Relocate design at A &M; Lynn Stewart of Bryan Construction; Teddy Hirsh, p essor emeritus of civil engineering at A &M; and Byron Bloschk ,, retired deputy execu- tive director of the Texas ing department is littee has plans to bolts of the depart- rror and we'll eval- as: Wesley Peel, the planning and con - niversity; Walter ind environmental Please see RELOCATE, Page A2 Department of Transportation. The first meeting of the com- mittee will be held in the next week, Noe said. He said he expects the commit- tee's evaluation to take four to six weeks. Both moves come on the heels of complaints from City Council members Steve Esmond and Swiki Anderson about the engi- neering department. But Noe said the complaints did not lead to the formation of the committee. "There have been enough issues raised over a period of time that it is time to take a third parry look," he said. The Ea0e r� Datc: Gounclus visit the 1 is CIS By DICK BIRDWELL College Station City Cc n a rare Saturd by two more on The Bryan -Colle M uch wrong with City Council. I ha The Eagle taking c on the council. It c does not tell the w In its editorial b against the Consol Facility, The Eagle fact that neither Bi Station has any in] uating board that clinic. The paper ft managed care is co County in 1999 and major change in wl care. Texas A&M a] cent of the space in not paying any of tl Knowledge about th change the opinion I agree that Unive Systems is a fine col an asset for College County. What I obje Pant three times as needs. I also object t own guidelines for iv ing like part -time jot Year are full-time jot were so rich that the ment Corp, changed analysis of projects h look good. I have sup corporation's propose Past. I have no apolol one. 110 1 3 uture ar Y editorial followed Sunday and Monday, e Station Eagle finds the College Station e no problem with ception to my votes Oes bother me that it ole story . sting my position dated Health Caro did not mention the an nor College ut to the self-perpet- dU the proposed ed to mention that ing to Brazos at this can make a o provides medical o will have 35 per - the building, but i5 e capital cost. se factors might f some. at Computer Pant and will be tation and Brazos to is giving a com- uch land as it not following our centives and act- s Paying $6,000 per s. The incentives Economic Develop. ts procedure for make this one rted many of the Projects in the for opposing this 9__1 The Eagle says the council is confused nd has lack of vision. It says debate is cceptable; yet the editorial complains hat votes are not unanimous. The Eagle eems concerned about our reluctance D spend the taxpayers' money. It is true hat there is a strong difference of opin- Dn on the council about the Northgate 1rojects and the convention center. At imes debate has been emotional and I onfess I have interrupted other council lembers. But no member of the council confused and we have a good vision s evidenced by the recently approved mg -range plan and the approval of port-range strategic issues. If you do of know who voted for what, please ?ad the minutes. I want to defend the mayor. Although le frequently vote on opposite sides of n issue, she has done an outstanding ib, for which I respect her. She fre- uently asks for a show of hands, as you iggested, and she also announces who Aes for what. She has been more than dr to the audience and bends over ackward to get input from the public at ie meetings. She is lenient in enforcing ce rules that council has adopted in .der to speed up our meetings. She lswers all of the letters she receives — very time Difference ■ Dick Birdv MIRFMa-Mu Date: CII I I PW Your View • Think of the pocketbooks ollege Station Councilman David Hickson (Eagle, Aug. 22) is "disgust- ed" with the two people Who are ques. tioning the veteran council members and how they usually handle the city's busi- ness. He said the citizens can easily make changes to the council by not re- electing them. Hey, we are trying to do just that. Why do you think Steve Esmond and Swiki Anderson are part of the council? Some of us are disgusted at how the coun- cil has conducted some of the city's affairs in the past and are trying to remedy the situation. Esmond and Ander on are speaking for those of us who question the agenda of other members of the council.. l I am of the mind that we do not need to give away the keys of the city to entice big business to College Station. Yes, new business creates jobs, but it also takes away necessary tax monies fro our schools. Care to guess who foots the bill when more monies are required for more schools? The homeowners. Yes we just received a tax cut, and no soon or was that news released than news of a proposed tax hike comes from College Station schools to offset the loss it will realize. All I ask, council members, is that you all give some thought to how Your deci- sions affect our pocketbooks and be a bit more cautious. The hotel/conference cen- ter discussions have been disastrous and I find myself laughing when Bryan is con- sidering the same agenda. Perhaps the two cities could come to some arrangement and build twice the hotel /confer nee cen- ter than the one College Station s work- ing toward. Or would that seem oo logi- cal? BIL� McGUiRE Co leae Staten Th , Date: a I H 1 Northgte hotel plan Northgate From Al study by Coo p ers & Lybrand to find out if the pro x sed $6 million confer- ence center is f asible. Should ne o iations between the two sides fail b afore the referendum, the Leddy C). will become a con - tender for the roject. Company president Drake Leddy said the Northgate plans will wait for the referendum results. "I'm trying to stay out of the way," he said. "The city can do what they want to do. I'm certainly not trying to play the spoiler. "Bryan -Co eke Station is not a huge market, ' he said, "if too many people do too many things. Withou clear orchestration of what they'r doing, everybody could lose." Another player in the hotel plans i the city of Bryan, which is in the sec and phase of a feasibility study to fmi out if a regional hotel - conference cen ter also could fit into the market. "This is all coming to a head at thi same time and it almost scares me with all of the projects looking at one another," Bryan Mayor Lonnie Stabler said. He said talk of the regional projec began as a joint partnership witl Bryan, College Station and Brazo; County. But now, he said, College Statior may not be a part of the plan. Officials with PKF Consulting tolc Bryan officials recently that a region al facility with a golf course coulc weighed Company says p oposal still under consid ration By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer Despite being picked as the r nner -up site for the College Station hotel-conf arence center project, Northgate still has a.shot at becoming home to a hotel. Officials of the Leddy Co. said they still are considering putting a $20 milli n to $25 mil- lion DoubleTree Hotel on the "mud lot" just to the north of Texas A &M University. "We are seriously considering some type of hotel /conference center on the Northgate site," said attorney Larry Haskins, who repre- sents mud lot owner John Culpel iper III. "Not necessarily the same project, i iaybe scaled down." The Leddy Co. was one of fur that pro- posed ideas to College Station for a joint hotel- conference center in the spring. The top- ranked developers, the Wolf Pen Creek Team, now is working with the city on the project. "Things are going wonderful, they couldn't be better," Jim Allen, a member of the Wolf Pen Creek Team, said of the plans with the city. "We're meeting pretty regular and we've almost got a memorandum of understanding worked out." The two sides are negotiating plans for the hotel - conference center that will go before the voters Nov. 4 in a referendum. The city has proposed spending as much as 6 million in revenue bonds on the project. College Station Mayor Lynn McIlhaney said city staff has indicated that talks with the Wolf Pen Creek Team are going well. The city is in the middle of a feasibility work near Easterwood Airport, which is on the west side of the coun- ty. Stabler said Wednesday that meet- ings are set up for next week with property owners in the area to dis- cuss possible scenarios. The financial feasibility study for the regional plan is expected to be completed in about four weeks. "I am hopeful," Stabler said. "Maybe it will go, I hope it will. If it doesn't, we'll move on to another pro- ject." Leddy said he expects a decision on the Northgate hotel by Thanksgiving, but Haskins said that date could "When you're in development, these things go in stages. It's kind of hard to tell when the fat lady sings'' he said. Please see NORTHGATE, Page A8 The Ea0e q� 5 9 I No decisio made, on S budget surplus By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer Talks continued Thursday about city of College Station's proposed million budget, but no decision was on how to spend the $2.3 million b Surplus. In a special workshop meeting, the seven City Council members proposed budgets for the public utilities, public works and parks and recreation departments. The council could decide next where to spend the surplus funds possibility discussed was to give it to residents in rebates of about $56. Budget From Al "The pro lem we run the if we're w o n g and $141- made where are we going dget up the difference six of heard I College Station c t week Councilman Swiki Anderson One attend the budget meeting. 1 back the mayor, city manager and council members, Anderson I "According to Carver and our current into is mode of operation for our city gover- nance, our mission as a council is to set lo se, goals, and with staff responsible for means and methods for execution of those t make goals. This being the case, I see no benefit in my attendance of budget discussions as staff is going to decide what and how to do, given the mandated goals of council." SIP NOE Mayor Lynn McIlhaney said future manager council decisions are directly related to the budget and its planning process. "Even though we look at the budget on did not an annual basis, we've got to look at it in a memo to years to come and what is going to be other city rote: Please see BUDGET, Page A8 i "W e get a couple of compla required to meet the future needs," she said, adding: [about the odor] a weE k," Included in the he said. funds "A lot of the discussions that pro is a $45,000 study to de osed ermine the come back to the council through- exact reason for the oc or and how out the year are based on budget it can be controlled, R' ley said. decisions. If [the council in m- He said a contract for the study bers] weren't involved in the ud- could be finalized town d the end get process, there may be q es- of September, with a ee -month tions that come up that could work period to follow. The proposed $4.2- million bua- have been answered." The proposed $7.3 in lidion bud get for the parks and recreation Questions were answered get for the public w s depart- department includes work on a Thursday about the proposed $14 ment includes traffi , drainage new baseball complex, two mow - million utility department bud- and recycling programs. ers and landscaping for the new get, including rate -cut possi ili- One uggested addition in the College Station Library. ties. department is a $3,500 bar code The council is scheduled to dis- The proposed budget doesn't sign inventory sys e . Mark cuss the budget again Sept. 12. A reflect a rate cut. Department Smith, director of publ works, vote also is scheduled for that director John Woody said duts said it i vould help the iepartment date, but could be postponed could be possible after the i sue get a street sign repla e ent sys- pending discussions. of "retail wheeling" of electri ity tem set ip. is settled by state officials, which "We' e going to be ble to go could come in the next legisla ive look at signs and see how long session. they've been there ... and recycle City Manager Skip Noe aid them before they IDOse their that, until the final numberE on reflectivity," he said. the new way of selling electr' ity But Councilman Dick Birdwell are in, a rate cut could be the called tl ie idea to invei ktory street wrong thing to do. signs "totally ridiculo s " He said "The problem we run into s if stop sigis and other traffic signs we're wrong and we lose, where he cou d understand, but not are we going to make up the dif street si B ans. ferences ?" Noe said. Bird ell said he A rying to �+. As part of the utility budget, find ways to trim the udget in $440,000 is proposed to clear u an order to use the unuse funds in odor problem caused by the place of capital funds for planned Carter Creek sewage plant, aid drainage projects. Bill Riley, director of thewaste- water division. The Emile Date: q Mcilha ey qj q urges u r ethics o i t gh I I By JENNY NELSON ode violators. Eagle Staff Writer Items included in the mayor's Benda request range from con - College Station Mayor Lynn uct standards among council McIlhaney said Monday that she embers to the treatment of citi- is proposing a stronger ethics ens. policy for City Council members. " It ' s important to understand "I feel like the issue of account at it's OK to disagree, there's ability has been talked about nothing wronc, with differing - ery strongly on behalf of this views — tha 's he thy," she 3uncil and a good ethics policy said. "But res ect for those dif- '4=will establish that accountabili- ferences of opinion must be part Of how council members respond ty, „ McIlhaney said. to one another and the public. Although an ethics code is in place, she is asking the City I think if we're go' g to estab- Council to consider an ethics lish policies or th �ave future of ordinance on Thursday that College Station, we got to could include sanctions against Please see ETH S, Page A8 Ethics from A', realize our role of working togethe as a coun- cil for the best interest of the city.' Mayor Pro Tem. Hub Kennady said he is seriously considering the issue. The current ethics code is what McIlhaney calls a "gentlemen's agreement” hat has no sanctions. "It's difficult to say where the e exists if you don't have an ethi s policy, if you have an ethics policy then everyone understands where those lines exist," she said. McIlhaney said other cities have expanded their ethics ordinances, and that it's time College 3tation does the same. In council material, s ie has included exist- ing policies from Austin, Plano and Arlington, and said if the council does direct the city staff to look into developingya new policy, one or a Hybrid Of all three is "What I think is it that councils come a nity is going to be s Lt to understand is but if the commu- then the council has to look at putting policies in place that will allow that to occur so that the public's trust in this form of government is there," McIlhaney said. Included in policies from the other Texas cities are disclosure policies for council mem- bers, standards of conduct and other issues that each city deemed improper. Bryan City Manager Mike Conduff said the Bryan City Council's ethics policy is part of their Carver Governance form of government. "Our folks have always complied with the rules, so we've never had to explore sanc- tions," Conduff said. FlyNn't JOIN Date: I Council _W0 to act on alm College Jffion officials to di s garage issues *WStafYf NELSON � \` Writer The College Station City Co cil is set to act Thursday on the next step in bringing a parking garage to Northgate. Hiring an architect and beg' ing the process to acquire land are two issues scheduled for discussion at the 7 p.m. council meeting. The City Council meets in the council chambers of City Hall, 1101 Texas Ave. A workshop is scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon. The proposed architect for the $5 million to $6.8 million parking garage plan is The Architex Studio Inc. in College Station. Also on the evening agend is a vote on an agreement with the eity of Bryan to split the cost of a $2 ,000 P " —spe GA RAGE, Pade A14 Gara engineering City Man both city v from wells which is one a 9101<3 Skip Noe said supplies come the same area, on a joint system might be a gc "We can economies b3 Noe said. "Th potential are from joining Also on the action on a Nantucket su proposes sm, currently in t idea. establish some 'orking together," are a lot of other we could benefit ether." genda is possible acre plat in the ivision. The plat )r lots than are Budget discussions on the pro- posed $141 million budget are scheduled to be part of the 3 p.m. workshop. Other items on the agenda for the afternoon meeting include Possible action that would assign the Municipal Court staff to the Municipal Court judge, an ethics ordinance for the council and council committee reports. 7'h Your View Date: gI Let business build it A s I write this letter, the cit of College Station are at of putting the city in the hots ference business. Bryan's coun to be outdone by College Static planning a hotel /golf center. B: County officials say they are it "something." All three are goir ferent directions and succeedir nothing but division. It appears that the only thing elected officials can spend mon are facilities mandated by som from another area who thinks what's best for our community Evidence of this is the site of tl completed Juvenile Detention and the state - operated facility c Sandy Point Road. I hear a lot of talk about an " park" for a 14- county area. Tall as far as this project gets. It se( to get the three government en Brazos County to agree on any that would benefit the whole ai against the Constitution. Our I seem to be focused on spendin€ lars on juvenile delinquents ar offenders, overlooking the law. youth and others who deserve facility to hold a county fair or yet, a regional fair and youth 1 show. If the leaders of this commur looking for a business venture would boost the economic devE of this area, then maybe they s come together and pursue the expo park" concept, rather tha themselves into the hotel /conf center /golf club businesses the the table now and seem to be s that the private sector can dev ter than our local government: NICK leaders ds about Ucon- dl, not i, is azos favor of in dif- �in our �y on judge ie knows e almost ;enter n the is only ms that ities in project ea is riorities tax dol- :1 repeat abiding i decent better vestock .y are iat )pment ould egional put , ence are on nething op bet - ELLO Jr. Bryan Eta4le - 1 Give surplus funds back The College Station City Council has he an embarrassment this entire e 1 However, its action on Aug. 29th rela mg to the $2.3 million surplus was worse than embarrassing. It was insult' gland it was dishonest. As additional funds become available to most f0deral and state politicians, they qu ckly find ways to spend it. I vainly I oped our local office holders were d' Brent. I was wrong. They have been irdected by the same virus that too often turn ' s good people into grubby tax - and -spe l hacks. According to the story in The cyan- College Station Eagle on Aug. 30, the council members delayed a decision that will determine where the city's $2.3 million in excess funds w 11 be spent." Uounc 1 i members, have you no shame? T hat is not your money. It belongs o the taxpayers. You have but one honc st option and that is to thank your bos ies — the taxpayers — for their generosi y', and return the surplus. I DUKE HOBBS College Station Tough6 ethics code needed Eagle Editorial Board C ollege Station May (r Lynn McEhaney is right n target in her effort to add to th to the city's ethics code. On Thursday, the mayor will ask the City Council to consider an ethics ordinance that co d include rep rimands or other sanctions for members who violate the code. A stringent ethics policy would go a long way to ensure that council mem- bers are independent, im artial and responsible to all the people — not a par- ticular special interest grDup or a group of friends. It would prohi it voting on matters in which a meml er has a con- flict of interest. It would require full dis- closure of the existence 4 any substan- tial interest a member has in property or services that would be affected by a vote or decision of the city. There are many models that the city ould use to create an ethics policy. Some are simple, some more complex and strict. But the council and city staff would not have to start from scratch on A ethics ordinance. Many cities are ding such measures useful. As College Station continues to grow and mature, attention should be focused on the needs of the entire community. Guidelines for ethical standards of con- duct will help keep that focus. Trust in government is vital. Citizens hove a right to expect that their elected srvants will not gain from public office d that they will value the highest standards of ethics. And citizens — hrough the City Council — should have recourse to sanctions if those standards pre violated. The Lade Date: Council eyes Its on terns Proposed ethics ordinance referred back to committee By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer Term limits for the College Station City Council is something council members said Thursday they'd like to explore. In an afternoon workshop session where council members can request items for future meetings, the issue of consecutive council terms emerged. Not only were term limits an issue, but also the length of those terms. Councilman Dick Birdwell suggested the council discuss proposing an ordinance to go before the voters in May that would change the city's charter to limit council members to three terms. Councilman David Hickson isked that the council, during the same pro (ess, consider expanding council terms fron. two to three years. The City Council is scheduled to discuss these items in more detail at iis next regular workshop. In other workshop business, a proposed ethics ordinance for the city was discussed and then referred to a committ ae made up of former College Station mayors. Using ethics ordinances Yom Austin, Arlington and Plano, the committee was asked to prepare a draft ordinai Lee for council review. The council agreed sanctions against code violators would need to be included, but there wasn't agreement on just how much financial disclosure by city staff, committee and council members should be enforced. Mayor Lynn McIlhaney, wh brought the Please see OMITS, Page A2 gI Limits From Al —� ethics issue before the council, said there have been times when council members have come close to overstepping some ethics issues, but did not cite specific instances. She said the treatment of fellow council members and city staff is something the ordinance would need to include. "I think if we are going to build public trust, then I think it has to be in all aspects, not just disclosure," McIlhaney said. The Ea le, sses budget College Station By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer In a 4 -3 vote Thursday, the College Station City Council approved a $121.6 million budget For next year. Included in the 1998 funds is a $2.3 million surplus, $300,000 of which the council unanimously decided to use for a teen center. The remainder was set aside for future capital projects. The approval came after several proposed amendments to the bud- get failed. "I think that the discussion in reference to the budget was very productive," Mayor Lynn Mcnhaney said. "I believe we were able to pass a budget that • Council Esmo d's survey draws fire from mayor By JENNY NELS IN �\\� Mayor L nin McIlhaney said she sees it another Eagle Staff Writer from a lawsuit sE way' If Co ihnan Esmond feels the council needs College Stati n City Councilman Steve Esmond some cle ir the citi7A nis, direction in some of these issues from then he should've brought this item to has mailed a aunpaign to those residents, issues update an d who voted in the city's la s urvey t elec. the coup and had the survey brought to the coun- tion. another step t cil and 1 t the council work with a qualified statis- Esmond, a newcomer to the counc' said tician to the co d a market survey to get feedback from 'ty," she said. Thursday that a mailer was meant to u to vot- Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. for a study that ers on council ' on issues beforo ues and to gauge public sei the council. timent Please see LE1TEil,Page AB will increase th level of services out the few years, she for citizens of ot r community." Some council membe The city's sin plus funds come enterta' ed the idea of g'. from a lawsuit sE ttlement and from million of the funds back tc smart financial lanning through- payers at about $56 apiece, growth. put smaller lots on I Leighboring land In other bus inside the city limits. cede hiring an a Date: "What function d s Planning & Zoning have in this process if P &Z voted it down once in an una timous vote," res- ident Sally Matthews s Lid after the rs cil voted 5.1 to approve the appeal for the smaller lots. it The council, howeA er, said the city at would not pay to have 3ewer lines moved n- across Texas 6 to accommodate the addi• , i- tion. Anderson cast the lone no vote, with 6 Esmond abstaining -- 1 : m vBry pleased;" -PW_t urrllr m ;h- Phyllis Hobson said. "I think it's the righ i," thing for the entire subdivision and & when it's complete, jill of the families to there will be very proud of it." A council vote on the budget item not been scheduled. In other business, the City Cot heard from a roomful of Nantu Subdivision residents who opposed a ing appeal on the agenda. The sub sion, in south College Station, off Tex cQs 65�- The residents, who touted their n borhood as a "jewel ". and a "hal asked the council to uphold a Planni Zoning Commission denial of a pb "Growth �. s occurring in south College just at ac Developing the lots will require a In the 4 -3 vote, rezoning and final vote by the council. power to author "Growth is 3ccurring in south College they are brough Station, and is just a fact," Kennady final approval. 7 said. "I think a need to prepare for that process to acqui growth. — begin, a step so In other bus ess, the City Council took cede hiring an a another step t ward the construction of a Those voting f Northgate ing garage. cil members D option was not voted on Z had The budget, which Coi g $1 Hub Kennady said was tax- he's seen in six years, that three additional police best and one public safety officer, at least a 3 percent raise for city employees and $10,000 for the Brazos Senior Center. Those voting against the budget were Councilmen Dick Birdwell, Steve Esmond and Swiki Anderson. The unanimously adopted tax rate of 42.93 cents was down from the proposed 43.18 cent rate. The annual budget could become a thing of the past, depending on council action in the next few weeks. Councilman Larry Mariott suggested that the council consider putting an ordi- nance on the May election ballot that would change the one -year budget tc a two -year budget. Please see COUNCIL, Page A2 z7 Ov ion, and t h at s Kennady and McIlhaney. On a related issue in a 4-3 votc College Station Arkitex Studio Inc hired to design a $371,000 schei drawing of the garage. HUB KENNADY " I find this amazing that we're go' Station Pay for a design for land we don't councilman own yet," Anderson said as he unsuc fully asked to table the vote on hirh i mayor was given the architect. all documents before In other business, a 5.1 vote apps ck to the council for an agreement with the city of Bry; vote would allow the share the cost of an engineering s lan for the garage to that will look at the pros and coi thought should pre- developing a joint water supply alter. hitect. The two cities each will pay $129,8 the motion were coup- Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. for a study that rid Hickson, Mariott, explore the sharing of water lines. 0 Lett r In a letter to The Bryan - College Station Eag le on Thursday, Esmond said he will give a sum- mary of the rvey results to the City Secreta y for public infor- mation. "Since being elected, I have heard from lots of people I've never met, and their views don't square with what I'm hearing from other council members either," he wrote. "There are two ways any council members can claim to represent public opin- ion. First is is margin of victory, and second is what he hears from friends and constituents. This survey is an attempt to reach beyond that group and I hope to receive all 2,200 back in the mail." Dr. James Dyer, the senior study direct )r of the Texas A &M University Public Policy Research Institute, said the sur- vey is designed to get people to respond in e certain way and that the questions are too specific. "These are not questions that the genera public is going to know abou " he said. Dyer said some of the questions on the survey are "`Should you stop beating your wife' kind of questions." "I woul n't say the results would be particularly useful," he said. "This is a common form of campaigning or trying to show you havesupport." Esmond 3aid this type of mail- ing is routinely done by electe officials at the state and nation levels. etter acconj1WW the survey, Esmond writes, "Since my first three months have not been without controversy, I want to keep you informed of the progress to date and the reason- ing behind it." Following the introduction, he 'writes about council decisions and his stance on a number of recent "hot- button" issues, such as the hotel- convention center referendum, the Northgate park- ing garage, the College Station Business Park, drainage and growth. "Basically," McIlhaney said, "what he's done is presented a position paper, which at times is misleading or incomplete." The mayor said the council's public relations policy states that the mayor speaks for the council on issues. "The reason is to make sure that, once decisions have been made, to move forward with one voice," she said. She said the mailer makes her "a little frustrated" because some of the issues addressed and pro- posed for opinion are decisions that already have been decided by the council. "My concern is that if Councilman Esmond feels it's important for the citizens to know what the council is work- ing on and some of the philoso- phy, then it needs to come from the council and we ought to ask the citizens as a council," McIlhaney said. "If this is politics or campaigning, then I do not feel it was appropriate." T Date: Firm v ows to build ■ ite ` pany plans uilding despite failed partnership By BLAIR FANNIN OW Staff Writer • A failed partnership agree ent between Beach Mold & Tool Inc. and am Fran Tool Co. Inc. won't halt plans for each Mold & Tool to build a plant in C liege Stat ion, officials said Friday. - "It's a setback, but not a death blow," said Robert Worley, president and CEO of the Bryan - College Station Economic Development Corp. With or without a stamp (d metal part- ner, Beach Mold & Tool offs ials say they still plan to come to College Station. Illinois -based Cam Fran Tool Co. Inc., a family -owned company that nufactures stamped metal products, reCE ntly was pur- chased by a group of invest s along with two plastics companies, Worley said. The sale took many by s rise, accord- ing to Beach Mold & Tool fficials. Cam Fran Tool Co. Inc. has rep rted annual sales of approximately $40 million and makes stamped metal products for big - name companies such as ustin -based Dell Computer, IBM C rp., Apple Computer, Hewlett Pa kard, Sun Microsystems, Bay NetworkE and Canon. Beach Mold & Tool Inc., an Indiana - based plastic molding manufacturer, announced in November that it will build a 60,000 square -foot to 90,00 square -foot plant in the The Business Center at College Station. Estimated cost is $6 mil- lion to $10 million, and the company plans Please see BUSI ESS, Page A7 Ea0e R113191 Business Ellom Al to employ about 250 people. The sale ended what economic and company offi. CiW3 thought was a natural marriage between the o companies. 33ach Mold & Tool Inc. makes plastic moldings for m r puters, while Cam Fran Tool Co. Inc. manufac- tu s stamped metal products, such as computer sis seatbelt- related products for the automotive ' e two companies planned to put the computer i onents they manufactured together and mar - em to major computer companies for sale. e were tickled to death when Beach announced were coming," said Elrey Ash, director of eco- i'c and community development with the city of ge Station. "When they said they were bringing i Fran, it was icing on the cake." Irian D. Dickstein, vice president of finance for i Fran Tool Co. Inc. in Elk Grove Village, Ill., did return phone calls to The Bryan - College Station on Friday. th or without a sheet -metal stamping partner, Yost, chief financial officer, said Beach Mold & still plans to come to College Station. ur approach is that we plan on putting a plastic Lion molding plant down there because that's ) riginal plan," he said. "We had discussions Cam Fran because the customers we serve, metal and plastic parts, is what goes into our ict. It made a lot of sense to have a sheet metal any close to us. It was a unique deal. Our inten- are still come [to College Station]." n Fran Tool Co. Inc. would have brought an ional 70 jobs and invested $4 million in the ini- ihase of the project, officials said. Another $4 m would have been invested over another four- ach has said to proceed with the original deal, ay it was originally structured, and drop the paperwork," Ash said. "They've sent a draft nent and we will be meeting with them next company already has gained approval from Allege Station City Council. Council members ved a $125,000 cash - incentive plan in • City dish By JENNY N Eagle Staff W U.S. Di Kenneth H work Mor between Sopasakis Station. Both sic made duri with Cit Cargill ar Barbara P The disl cost of Burger BE Northgate for a park order the case. "It's a the city Assistant Brymer s can establ ation at 1 location." ;Th Ea 01; Date: 911119 rger e res s say progress 50N -ict Court Judge t of Houston I began y on the dispute ,taurateur George i the city of College said prog a phone cE Attorney Sopasakis' e centers arouna tnE [orating Sopasakis restaurant to a nevi cation to make roon lot. t issued an uhsigne( a move -out date an( other .parameters ii mitive move for ouiu and Mr. Sopisakis, City Manager Tor id Tuesday. "low h ;h his restaurant Opel e new Church StreE also said he Boy Ilutil made di pleased wit] "This is f ed," he said able outcon excited." The city pay Sopas, relocation restaurant that is at what is neE The city burse the of its F funds. Cargill sE the settlers until Sopa that list thi Both pai the cost approved judge will owed. "This th but we're decision," He said doors of a about a m lc egin n ng meeting ie decision. :tiy what we want - 'his is a very favor - iv the court. We're ady has agreed to up to $35,000 for senses, but the ier said Tuesday $10,000 short of .s ordered to reim- aurant owners out sing and Urban relocation expense the exact amount of tt won't be known :is completes forms Eact moving costs. !s said that should more than the 5,000, the federal termine the amount is not resolved yet, Broaching a partial asakis said. plans to open the rated Burger Boy in • 0 • C The Eagle City of College Station News Date: pt 1c i I 1 9 Esmond should speak R e: "Es ond's survey aws fire from mayo The Eagle, Sept. 12. I am whiting in support of Steve Esmond and his right as a ollege Station City Council member' to address issues he supports by com unicating with citizens and seeking t eir input for guidance in governance .. Does being elected to City Council require Mr. Esmond to relinquish his constitutional right to co unicate with those o elected him? Did he give up his right to an opini that dif- fers from the voting majority of council after the vote took place? I think not.... With reg d to Mr. Dyer's 'comments, I agree that Mr. Esmond's uestion- naire was sp cific. But the ity is wrestling wi h many of th s specific issues at this time. I disagree about the usefulness o the informat' � gained given', the ur usual and knowledgeable citizen body that College S ation has.... Obviously the will and directive of the College Station voters has changed. Voting patterns on the co u eil a few years ago were predomin tly 6 -1, changing to -2 before the ast election, and now appear to be 4 -3 n uch of the time. Will it change again n the spring of '98? This also remains to be seen. While I have empathy for the mayor's frustrations:! the rovisitation of some of the issues that E h considers closed, othe s are frustrated because council, in addressing and deciding issues, is no responsive to t voice of the citizens. ... We must continue to honor andsupport our el e tOd officials,, at least until the next election, being civil in our discourse. We dq not, how - ever, have to agree with Majority opinions. We will continue seeking to keep our city government accountable to the citizens. ` .�� SWI I IA. ANDERSON . � College Station City Council The Eagle City of College Station News Date: `�JD I I I�� i 1 1 EDC e comp r chip f it $2.5 billion investment due if plan succeed By BLAIR FANNIN Eagle Staff Writer Economic development boar mem- bers agreed Thursday to begin a recruiting effort that, if succ ssful, would bring to the region a P oenix- based computer chip manufa turer that would invest approximately $2.5 billion in a local facility — one of the largest capital investments in the his- tory of the Bryan - College Station area. It's the biggest prospect that's ever crossed Bryan- College Station " said Robert Worley, president and QEO of the Bryan- College Station Economic Development Corp. "This is a North American s arch," he said. "We're assuming those peo- ple are looking in Utah, Montana ... This is a massive search, and who knows how long it will take. But we are taking it serious." A search firm for the company sub- mitted the proposal. The name of the company has yet to be reveale . Representatives from both Bryan and College Station will make a trip to Phoenix in October, Worley said. Economic development offici3ls are considering the effort somewl at of a long shot, but even if they fail to recruit the company, Worley said they will use what they learn from the marketing strategy to go of er big computer industry prospects in the future. Richard S. Smith, chairman of the board, said the trip will be use i to see what the company's needs are "We will get a better unders anding of what they hope for," he said. "I'm Please see EDC,�Page A8 ADC From Al sure there will be ajor cities in the running. But yoit never know until you try." Economic de a opment officials aggressively are attempting to lure many computer ted businesses to thE area. Alreae y committed to Co lege Statio is Universal Co puter Systems, which makes coi tiputer system or the automotive industry, and Bee Mold & Tool Inc., m ers of plastic moldings for com- pu ers. Universal Computer Systems will ge ierate 1,560 jots and a $14.7 million ual payroll within 10 years, offi- News Park. The company currently is locat- ed in the A &M RE search Park. Board membei s also voted for a second time to ap pi -ove a proposal for Beach Mold & Tool Inc. The company recently lost its p oposed partnership deal with Cam F an Tool Co. Inc. after that company was bought out along with two other plastic manu- facturers. Dale Yost, ch ef financial officer with Beach Mol d & Tool, told The Bryan-College St at on Eagle last week that the compa still intends to locate its plant at e Business Center in College Station with or without a metal stamping I a rtner. each Mold & Tool Inc., based in Indiana, annou c d in November it will build at the usiness Center a 60,000 square -foot 90,000 square -foot plant costing $6 mi lion to $10 million. cials said, while Beach Mold & Tool Inc. will employ 250 initially. Compaq Computer Corp. already has a development center in Bryan. "We are using it to get started on a semiconductor effort, just like we did five years ago when we started the textile mill deal," Worley said. "We went through five industrial mill prospects [before getting Brazos Textiles]. I'm not saying we are going to lose this one ... because it's such a massive geographic search, there is the likelihood." Other highlights from Thursday's board meeting included approval of the expansion of ProdiGene, a biotechnology company that develops industrial enzymes and edible vac- cines for humans and animals. The expansion will be on three acres in the College Station Business The company would employ approxi- mately 250 people. In other business, work on the tex- tile project, Brazos Textiles, has been held up a bit after the death of Turkish investor Izzet Fats' brother, officials said. It was announced in August that Fat selected Bryan for a 365,000 square -foot plant that would produce such items as T- shirts, bath robes and other cotton -based items. Initially, the mill will employ 340 peo- ple, officials said. Southwestern Gas also has asked for a 30 -day extension to discuss development plans for a location at The Business Center in College Station. Plans for the building already have been drawn up and eco- nomic officials now are waiting on a decision from corporate headquar. ters. The Eagle City of College Station News Date: Conferea By JENNY NELSON 9 I ZUIq 1 Eagle Staff Wriler The city of College Station could be a step closer to getting a hotelconference center, following the release F5•iday of a study that says the facility is feasible. "The feasibility study really serves as independent confirmation as to the need for a conference center facility in College Station," Assistant City Manager Tom Brymer said - Earlier this year, the City Council chose Wolf Pen Creek as the site on which to build a $&million conference center. The center is scheduled to be built adjacent to a e cent( lesearchers sa could lose $57,1 rivately built hotel pr Iposed by en Creek Development Team. Residents will cast th( ir votes on in a Nov. 4 referend im. Although the $40,000 pers & udy says the Propose( 45,000 sql nference center will have adequa "edicts a $57,000 annul operatin r the first five years of operation. Brymer said experts have told c rfea College )0 in first e Wolf cials throe posed projc ne pro- money. Ho "It make , brand economic i re -foot dollars spe use, it ping, hotel; deficit The expo $37,900 a ye Y offl- according t hoible study saps at i facili But Brymer said the money ;ost could be o n even less because the study is based on a stand -alone conference center. He said ve overlapping services could be recovered by years the adjacent $20- million hotel proposed at the Wolf Pen Creek site. ut the process on the pro - The city's original $6- million investment hat conference centers lose for the construction of the conference cen. ich, he said, is the question. ter is planned to cone from revenue bonds. worthwhile because of the Brymer said. The Ix nds are expected to be act," Brymer said. "It adds Paid our i.: 15 c , 20 years through hotel -gen- n the community on shop- erated I restaurants." Although the study did not rank loca- operating deficit drops to tions for the conference center, it did point I the fifth year of operation, ea�ibility • s o u the Pro: s tlh the co a ithots to I eek site, t •r one by . orthgate, ti nl. ..'I here's , CO from s dy." Rry In the st ei ce betwec fc - ground � olf Pen I 110 u to grC s: id. In conipil. ;It Coopers 5t colivl st nowide to using a Coll X the 50 surveyed. th percent sai was requir while 67 pen ni ers resp C Ilege Sta nl .ting site urrently, cc tcr has nit ling spat Ca c 400 pe frl ility couk sq :nr -facet c City Mar till Cal Coll set tatiml ' CO ipers & I ti . he city Cr ek Devel rec tly are cw siderati '1'It rsday, I thn makes een I m No emM r. " I the c-ef the a will and cons of the two lcil asked the study's )k at —the Wolf Pen Iheady ranked num- he City Council, and he runner -up loca- o significant differ- ,e market feasibility ier said. Iy, the main differ - the sites is the room wel expansion. The •eek site has more outward, the study g the study, officials Lybrand surveyed ttion organizers test the interest in ;e Station facility. association officials study found that 75 an adjacent hotel I for their event, nt of the event orga- nded positively to on as a potential he city's conference 4300 square-feet of that will accommo- ple. The proposed lave 37,000 to 45,000 space. ger Skip Noe said cil will hear a pre- iursday from a 'brand representa- nd the Wolf Pen pment Team cur - orking toward a of understanding r hotel-conference Noe said. ent scheduled for by the council specific language agreement contin- ei• approval in Muni passes, than a more detailed x' said. study. Please see FEASIBILITY, Page AS The Eagle City of College Sta y tion News Impact fee top agenda at hearing CS to look at joint -us fire station agreemer By JENNY NELSON q` q Eagle Staff Writer I The College Station Ci Council will hold a public heaft Thursday for the adoption of lai use, capital improvement plat and sanitary sewer impact fees. The areas of the city affected 1 Possible impact fees wou. include Greens Prairie ar Barron roads and the Lick Cre( and Nantucket areas. Impact fees are used to recov( city costs when major sew( mains must be installed to sub Port land developments. The City Council also is sche( uled to consider an interloc� agreement with Texas A &P University and Easterwoo Airport for a joint -use fire statioi at the airport. "The whole idea is to reduc overlapping coverage," Cit Manager Skip Noe said. "This is Plan that goes back two to three years." The city's portion of the fire sta tion would come from moving th( current fire station at Rio GrandE Please see COUNCIL, Page A16 Date: tCvfi 24 I I n� C il Airport to the George Bush ou Presidential Library and Museum Center, which is sched- A uled to open in November. A $175,000 grant from the Texas 1'Olfl Al I B18, Noe said. Department of Transportation is available for the project, officials -ive and F.M. 2 He said the ci 's cost to move said, if the other groups involved the new facility will be mini- match it. a1, with only ft raiture and com- City staff is recommending the ,mication set p costs. The con- City Council approve the funds, auction of the e station will be while using money from a $2.3 nded throu a Federal million budget surplus. nation Admi iistration grant The council also is scheduled to A the univers ti hear a report on the Coopers & In a 3 p.m. workshop, the Lybrand feasibility study for the - yan- College Station Economic proposed $6- million conference welopment Corp. is scheduled center. A representative from the report on incentive packages consulting firm will present the ncerning a po3sible cotton mill report, which was released by the at could locate in the Bryan city Friday. zsiness Park. A public hearing on an appeal Also during the afternoon that would allow a new nightclub )rkshop, Bra s Beautiful is to be located on South Texas heduled to r uest a $50,000 Avenue was postponed, officials ntribution fro n the city to help said, at the applicant's request. nd the plantin rof crepe myrtles The Planning and Zoning ong sections F.M. 2818 and Commission turned down the (ymond Stotz Drive. request in August after neighbor- The joint 300,000 project hood opposition, but the permit nong the citi s of Bryan and applicant appealed the decision. )llege Station and Texas A. &M The proposed nightclub would iiversity is designed to improve be located in the former K -Mart e commune y's appearance store in the Brandywine )m the entrarcie of Easterwood Shopping Center. A The Eagle Cit y of College Station News Date: 11_� • Yoor View Business' good in B -CS I just wanted to express rr, y' ciation for all the effort ut forth expanding business in Bryan /Colleges Station. Both city councils and the Economic Development Councils' work have been instrumental in creati a business environment able o lure some of the most respected �mpa- nies into our ommunity. T bene- fits to our economy shall b ealized for many yeas to come. Although great success h s already' been ccomplished Our efforts do not need to slow. Being directed by the efforts of those inter - ested in our economic gro tM the Brazos Valley should stay in the forefront of d sired business com- munities. I As a reside t of College Station I applaud ever one involved in bring- ing new buss esses to our a rea and encourage more to participate in the development of our communities. ROBERT O'BANNON 61iege station r � • C Wolf Pe CS Hotel- By JENNY N Eagle Staff Wr reacl onference .SON q I�jYI I � The Cc Council on er step fory Wolf Pen center. !ge Station City aursday took anoth- •d in the plan$ for a Lek hotel - conference The council unanimously approved an agreement that out- lines the basic terms of a contract between the Wolf Pen Creek Development Team and the city. "I'm pleased at this time," Councilman Dick Birdwell said. "It looks like we can build a hotel. conference center without it cost- ing the taxpayers anything." The $21 1 Allion hotel and $6 million cit -owned conference center will be voted on byy resi- dents in a N v. 4 referendl. "I am in I avor of this project," Mayor Pro Tem Hub Kennady said. "I hop. that the citizens can get behind t is referendum, based on the information given to them, Center m i a or d ;enter t rms OK'd aid that the a ails can be worked out." Representati ves of Coopers & Lybrand aIsc r resented the coun- cil with the r e ults of a feasibility study for the p oject. The study wed the plan to be feasible, with a projected opera- tion debt of $56,000 for the first year, a debt tlie consultants said was near "b a - even." In other business, in a 4 -2 vote, the council decided to keep the city's money in First American Bank, instead of changing it to Compass Bank as recommended by city staff. The city sends out for new bids each year, and Compass came in as the low dder, said Charles Cryan, the city's budget director. However, tie majority of the council deci4eo that the small sav- ings in ch ng banks wouldn't be worth tho change. From A9 _ Birdwell and Co u ilman Swiki Anders n, who voted for the change, said the low bid should be the choice. "We ought to go with the cheapest person," Birdwell said. Bill Atkinson, pre dent of First American Bank, said his bank has a commitment to the commun ity. "We believe this is more than just a numbers deci- sion," he said. "I thb 1k our track record speaks for itself." In other business, t rie council voted to call a public Ilease lee CENTER, Page Al hear g and to get additional information on possi ble itary sewer impact fees for the South College Sta ' q�n areas of Greens Prairie and Barron roads and tlf le Lick Creek - Nantucket area. I bother business, the City Council voted to sch dlule a public hearing to amend the 1998 city u T a change would take $50,000 of the city's excess fun 1, to help buy crepe myrtles to line the road bet veen Easterwood Airport and the George Bush Pre 3i Jential Library and Museum Center. razos Beautiful is requesting the funds to add to a 0,000 project between the cities of Bryan and Col ege Station and Texas A &M University. 175,000 grant from the Texas Department of Tr sportation is available for the project, officials sai . if the other groups involved match it. The Eagle Cit y g of College Station News Date: Council honors local couo e after land donation for p. By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer J Ed Madeley is prescribing rest and play for the residents of Bryan and College Station. After more than 40 years of writing prescriptions for illnesses at Madeley's Pharmacy, the retiree and his wife, Billie, are donating land for a College Station park where residents can relax. "God told me that this land belongs .to the kids," 85- year -old Ed Mad ley said Thursday. The Madeleys were hon red Thursday at the College Station Q ity Council meeting for the land in the Chimney Hill subdivision that t ey C ave to the city. "I know that at you have the community will live on in t munity," Mayor Lynn McIlhai the couple. Ed Madeley said he hopes true, and his on wish for the "that it will be f rever." The Madeleys bought the tract in 1950. At e time, the N said they would never sell the development. By giving the h park, the couple kept that pros Several patrons of the Madeley's Pharmacy were i dance at the ity Council Thursday, including Peggy C the city's publi relations dir( "Ask any k d who grevti Please see MADELEYS, Madeleys From A9 College Station between the '50s and '60s about Madeley's and their eyes will light up and they'll say, `Yeah, we all hung out there, "' she said. Calliham said she remembers the hamburgers and grilled cheese sandwiches she and her high school classmates would order at the pharmacy during school lunch breaks. "It was the y friends," she sa worry about u was safe." College Stati Pugh said she band, Marion F with the Madel "They are jt munity leaders Calliham ere couple with pr generation of y "In those da latch key kids — the Madel( them all," she �k an to com- told is is I for as a in A15 Eagle photo /Dave McDerT,am ce to meet your . "Parents didn't then because it resident H 1 n id her late hu 3- ;h, also "traded" 's. real nice c - she said. ted the childless tically raisin a tths. there werE 110 i College Sta i watched t Ed and Billie Madeley receive a plaque Thursday from College Station Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney (left) commending their done tion of land for a park to the city of College Station. The Eagle Cit y of College Station News Date: CS breaks ground� on spo its o m l e) p p Facility to feature 3 fields, batting cag( By MICHELLE LYONS Eagle Staff Writer C Residents of the Southsidb omihunity in Colleg Station may be hearing the c ack of the bat and th roar of the crowd as early as ay after city official and honored guests Friday roke ground on th Wayne Smith Youth Baseball omplex. Located at 1000 Eleanor Str et, next to the Lincoh Recreation Center, the complex will feature thre champion Little League fields, a concession stand any a batting cage. The complex will be name after Wayne Smith sometimes known affectionate .y as "College Station' Father of Little League." Smith, along with severa other fathers, helped start tt. e program in Colleg Pleaso see BASEBALL, Page A1 Baseball ` ci From A9 Station about 40 ears ago with the cor struction of a baseball park about 200 yards north of the new site. The program e entually outgrew that park, which was turned into Wayne Smith Park, a community park featuring basketball facilities, playground equipment and a laque in Smith's honor. College Station Police Departmen Lt. Larry Johnson, a member of the Lincoln Cen er Advisory Committee, said the complex's proximity to the Lincoln Center w 11 be beneficial form ny. "I think this is ust a wonderful thing to have this complex become reality," Johnson said. "I think this will be great for the youth of the neighborhood. I think it will brin more people into tl�o -oa nu­v t " Mayor Lynn M Ilhaney said the complex will help boost the city's eady- positive parks ieputation. "Bryan-College Station is nationally-known for the park system i ve have and the facilities we have," she said. Little League chairman Ron Carter said the pro - am has grown tremendously in the last 40 years. Today, more than 1,400 youths participate in College Station's program. "And it's growing and growing," he said. "We are anticipating an incredible growth for next year." Also on hand for the groundbreaking was Alan Smith, Wayne's son. "This is the greatest honor, just seeing baseball c me back to this neighborhood," he said. "My father, he was a teacher of the game, not just the sport. He always believed baseball was for children." The younger Smith predicted what his father would be doing if he were alive today. "He'd probably be right in the middle of every - ing," he said. "If he were still around and if his i ealth permitted, he would still be coaching." The project is part of the Lincoln Center /Wayne Smith Corridor Master Plan that was approved by issue :: 1 1995 included $1.25 million for implementation a%e_ _ project. HSI Consulting Architects was the designer and Construction Resource Group of College Station will be handling construction. The Eagle Cit y of College Station News Date: �4)t Z 09 Crows By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer Anyone who has atb recent meetings of the C Station City Council has bee: jected to the squawks of 01 crow who doesn't care whc • interrupts. No, he isn't a council mE His name is Heckle — th appointed City Hall mascot. No matter if a vote is counted or a citizen is plead change, Heckle squawk: bangs his beak on the wind the council chambers so that Mayor Lynn Mcllhan' she is concerned about the the headache Heckle must One councilman said h ders if the crow is trying' Morse code messages on v to vote yea or nay. And the old crow migl good source of informa Assistant City Manage: Brymer said the crow h, around City Hall longe some council members. �n at �o ve C it y Ha Brymer said Heckle an his conference center referendum. partner, Jekyll, have nested out- Maybe he's asking for his nest to side his office for about two years, be annexed, or just maybe he's nded minus their short vacatio is to asking for an incentive package to illege Florida during the off-season. bring a worm farm to town. i sub Where is Jekyll during the Whatever his reason may be, .e old meetings? B ymer said e &yll Heckle may have had his last say ar ing e work in he waits in the arking lot — sae's a because use c ty offi fea s ed friend little shy. mber. Just what these fowl do hen from attending the governing ses- self the council isn't in session? sions. "They just do crow thins like But Heckle is a tough old bird — being raise havoc with the mo ing- he's foiled several efforts to limit ng for birds," Brym said. his appearances. and His theory on the crows is th as snakes, city officials bought )ws of "They've adopted City Hall loudly their domain. because of the high plastic owl for the window ledge. y said caliber of people who work h re." After this failed, too, more drastic es had to be takn, said size of Or could it be City Hall has gone l to the birds? Michael Martine, the c ty main won- No matter their reason for call- tenance superintendent. o send ing City Hall home, Hec has "We've ordered solar sun hether brought a he k -of a -lot of la hs to screens to put over the window so meetings that sometimes can he won't be able to see his reflec- , t be a seem mundane. tion " he said. ion — During his squawk sessions, it's Martine said the screens should Tom hard to tell what the bird is say- be up by the next council meeting, s been ing, but there are numero spec- so Heckle probably will miss out on a r than early vote ' the he's vo November hotel limits. ote concerning council term The Eagle Cit y of College Station News Date: ��() - t 3 01 ) 9 c � - 7 R estauri , By JENNY NELSON a I\ agle Staff Writer � A federal judge in Houston has c a College Station restaurateur to v city -owned building by Oct. 15. George Sopasakis, owner of Boy, said he will meet the deadlin( District Judge Kenneth A Hoyt. The Northgate eatery is moving over to make room for the city's F Street Promenade. Tom Brymer tant city manager, said demolitiot current Burger Boy building will b soon as it is vacated, making a Fe tear a es to vacate Burger Boy ownl says a he will I ave y ct.15 1998 parking lot completior urger "We're pleased that the j set by definite date for Burger B moving," B er said. "Hc block moves us o e step closer itricia differences between Burge assis- city resolved." of the Sopasakis filed a lawsi gin as court in Holton earlier tY ruary that the city owed hi ite possible. ge has set a in terms of fully, it just getting any Soy and the in district year saying allowance. He also filed an appeal with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which declared that Sopasakis does qualify for relocation expenses. The City Council already has approved paying moving expenses up to $35,000. Should the moving cost exceed the approved amount, Hoyt will determine the amount owed. Sopasakis said contractors are working to renovate his new facility. He said that if circumstances beyond his control occur, he can still appeal to Hoyt for a later moving date. • Beach puts By BLAIR FANNIN �xo 'A Eagle Staff Writer \o\ Just two weeks after Bea Mold & Tool Inc. said it still woi come to College Station with without a stamped metal partn economic development offici, said Tuesday the plastic moldi manufacturer has put its plans hold. tans oh holy "They have officially told us put it on hold while they look another partner," said Rob Worley, presidentaxid CEO of 1 Bryan- College Station Econon Development Corp. He said company officials t him they do have some prospe lined up, but economic devel Please seo BEACH, Page Beach c ment officials should hear sor thing in a couple of weeks. At stake is a company tl could create about 250 jobs in 1 area and build a 90,000 squa foot facility in the Busing Center at College Station at estimated cost of $6 million to ; million. Losing Beach Mold & Tool Inc. likely would be the first 1 blow of the year for Econon Development Corp. officials, w have put together a string of 1 companies committing to 1 local area. Among those , Universal Computer Syster which will create well over l,i new jobs, and Brazos Textil which recently committed locating in Bryan with plans employ 340 workers. The Bryan- College Stati Eagle previously reported tl the partnership was off betty( Beach Mold & Tool Inc. and C Fran Tool Co. Inc. Cam Fran T Co., along with two plastics cc panies, was purchased by a grc of investors. Dale Yost, ch financial officer with Beach M & Tool Inc., said at the time tl the failed partnership with G Fran Tool Co. Inc. wouldn't al his company's plans to locate College Station. "Our approach is that we s plan on putting a plastic injecti molding plant down the because that's our original plat he said. "Our intentions are s to come to College Station." But over the past couple of weeks, company officials appar- ently have had a change of he and, at this point, both College Station and Ecoiiomic Develo - ment Corp. offici s are in limb G. "Do we like it? are no " Worley said. "Th s is the priva e sector we're dealing with an , when you are dealing with p i vate companies, 't happens. You win some, you toe some." The Beach Mold & Tool Inc.- Cam Fran Tool Co. Inc. partner- ship was thought to be a natur marriage, according to company and economic officials. Beach Mold & Tool Inc. mak sl plastic moldings for computei s,', while Cam Fr Tool Co. I manufactures stamped me 4 products, such as computer ch -:1 sis and seatbelt elated produ for the automotive industry. The two comp ies planned a put the computer componen s they manufactur d together aid market them to major computer companies for sale. Since Beach N old & Tool Inc. announced in November it wo build a facility in College Statio i, things were rolling along witho a glitch. The College Station Ci Council already has approved a, $125,000 cash incentive plan and al sign is in place at the Busine s Center. If the deal still goes throug ,I Beach Mold & Tool Inc., an Indiana -based plastic moldi g manufacturer, plans to build a 60,000- square -foot to 90,00 - square -foot plant in The Business Center and employ about 250 pe )- ple. L The Eagle Cit of College Station News Date: I LIe' -19 iol r conf6renc The city's part of the project is to be funded through revenue bi city officials say will be paid back nues from the hotel - conference c Mayor Lynn Mcilhaney said t e voters "understand that it's no raise their taxes," she hopes they port the City Council's efforts to b a facility to College Station. The November vote will determi ers want the city to build the a center, but the hotel/office center ers have a stake in the referee DePalma, president and CEO DePalma Hotel Corporation, said depends on the conference center, McMianey said her message to that the project will draw people i Station, which will bring in addi' dollars. nds that rrith rev- . at, once going to will sup - Ing such to if vot- nference develop - um. Joe of the he hotel voters is i College Tonal tax She sai retail and will be an taxes and bring to if "I have College St think if vi they will r A utility mailed in officials a 37,000 to 4 ter. The Wo strategies said a citi has been ing reside works. center sunnort as taxes from restaurants, purchases made by visitors d benefit to the motel -hotel arty taxes the project will a. of faith and confidence in voters," she said. "I really i get the facts before them, an informed decision." insert and a brochure to be : a week are other ways city arketing their plan for the square -foot conference cen- n Creek Team has marketing s own. Investor Davis McGill Political Action Committee ied and a mailout encourag- to get out and vote is in the DePalma said the hotel-conference cen should bring about 150 jobs to the city, pl a $21- million tax base for school proper taxes'Allen, a member of the developmt team, said more development in the W Pen Creek area is on the burner. He said Houston restaurant owners he contacted the developers to discuss po, ble sites near the hotel-conference center If the project is approved, the mayor s the next level of marketing will begin. C officials are targeting state and regior conventions that currently meet in cit such as Abilene, Wichita Falls and Waoc "The success of this facility will aid the success of any other facilities built our region and, hopeMy, it will act a: catalyst for our community," she said. Early voting begins Oct. 20 and wraps Oct. 31. C Blitz on fi By JENNY NELSON 1 I-1 Eagle Staff Writer I The push for the College Station hotel - conference center referendum has begun. City leaders, along with the Wolf Pen Creek Development Team, are touting their partnership project to voters, clubs and the media in preparation for the Nov. 4 refer- endum. "We feel that it's very, very important that we get out the truth and let the voters know how it's funded," developer Jim Allen told The Bryan - College Station Eagle Editorial Board on Wednesday. The $21 million hotel and office center and the city's adjacent $6 million proposed conference center are planned for the Wolf Pen Creek area of College Station off Texas 6. iol r conf6renc The city's part of the project is to be funded through revenue bi city officials say will be paid back nues from the hotel - conference c Mayor Lynn Mcilhaney said t e voters "understand that it's no raise their taxes," she hopes they port the City Council's efforts to b a facility to College Station. The November vote will determi ers want the city to build the a center, but the hotel/office center ers have a stake in the referee DePalma, president and CEO DePalma Hotel Corporation, said depends on the conference center, McMianey said her message to that the project will draw people i Station, which will bring in addi' dollars. nds that rrith rev- . at, once going to will sup - Ing such to if vot- nference develop - um. Joe of the he hotel voters is i College Tonal tax She sai retail and will be an taxes and bring to if "I have College St think if vi they will r A utility mailed in officials a 37,000 to 4 ter. The Wo strategies said a citi has been ing reside works. center sunnort as taxes from restaurants, purchases made by visitors d benefit to the motel -hotel arty taxes the project will a. of faith and confidence in voters," she said. "I really i get the facts before them, an informed decision." insert and a brochure to be : a week are other ways city arketing their plan for the square -foot conference cen- n Creek Team has marketing s own. Investor Davis McGill Political Action Committee ied and a mailout encourag- to get out and vote is in the DePalma said the hotel-conference cen should bring about 150 jobs to the city, pl a $21- million tax base for school proper taxes'Allen, a member of the developmt team, said more development in the W Pen Creek area is on the burner. He said Houston restaurant owners he contacted the developers to discuss po, ble sites near the hotel-conference center If the project is approved, the mayor s the next level of marketing will begin. C officials are targeting state and regior conventions that currently meet in cit such as Abilene, Wichita Falls and Waoc "The success of this facility will aid the success of any other facilities built our region and, hopeMy, it will act a: catalyst for our community," she said. Early voting begins Oct. 20 and wraps Oct. 31. C • Esmond to show results CS councilman calls citizen survey'useful' By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer The results of a voter survey conducted by a College Station city councilman have been compiled and submitted to the city secretary for public view- ing. More than 20 percent of the 2,174 surveys mailed out by Councilman Steve Esmond were returned, a total he said Thursday still is growing. "This is not a format for action," Esmond said. "It's not an agenda, it's for information. I think the results are useful. They give us ! sense of where the voters are." Dr. James Dyer, the senior study director of the Texas A &M University Public Policy Research Institute, said last month that the survey was designed to get people to react in a certain way and was too specific. He said Thursday that Esmond's response rate was "pretty good" for a mail survey with no follow -up. Dyer said the high results are due to the group it was sent to — the vot- ers in the May 1996 election. "You'd expect that group of people to be more tuned in to city politics, which is probably why he got the response rate he did," he said. Dyer said that, although the survey had a high response, Please see SURVEY, Page AB City The Eagle of College Station News Date: 1 013 AB The u rvey rveys are often used to further itical ends, and thi is an mple of one." 'he survey, which iieluded rstions about city issues, luded space for comments, Lions of which Psmond hided in his submissioln to the secretary. ome examples: "News etter is ellent, when may I erect the .t one ? "; "The survey insults public'; "Thanks, finally a incil member who cures for zens "; and "You people are ng a terrible job!! What a ;te of E." smond said he will release a ow -up as more results are eived. He also said another isletter, like the one included h the survey, might be a possi- ty in the future. He said his hose fellow coun- cil members haven't been mments receptive to the survey, ad to be so he doesn't nsidered khw u he'll pre it to the council. light of But he said ces of ere we're surv ar the e available in ing as a the cit sec - mmunity." oice. s LYNN L M n o n WILHANEY MCI' aney said t e sur- mayor vey yielded similar com- ments to a survey done in the spring. Chose comments need to be sidered in light of where •e going as a community," she I. "Anytime we get feedback i the community, yes, it's not ientific survey, yes, there e questions that probably Jed additional information .... by and large, this is informa- that the council can look at take into consideration when ding policy for the upcoming O wwa rnio iomm ❑ n$� :, ea se ev o m mP oc�o �W p nmx m m �m o c w Q�$$°oo� �y CC � F. = 0 m Fn w T c El y G o K `a � o• ID o m 7 ry App ■ � J'O��N tD (D ■ V � Y N in y e n - o G p) a� " 9 7.. E's my -0 a Emig �i K � vin �p ' m m K c �.t oa �. 0 _ 0 :3r w�o ■ .N. a w �■ m�e C G a � =` "3"j�v'w Zf)C'ti zln�s ZC g T' o mh , ]• oy. 0 o . o b 0 Z E ° c o' F T in o C h The Eagle ', Vl Y Cit of College Station News Date: 1 Carter Creel By PAT ABERNATHEY Eagle Staff Writer The College Station Planning and Zoni and City Council, along with about 45 pi night heard plans for and discussed a pp channel for Carter Creek. Mike Davis, the owner of land along a S of the creek that runs from Bryan to Colleg to move the channel in the section of the between University Drive and Harvey Ros The section of the channel he wants to i 1,200 feet in places, would be lined by 4-fo • i retaining walls and have a retention poi proposal dra Crib "I am concerned about thi Commission From 9 ple, Thursday osed drainage years ago. In 1994, we negotiated the financing and came area resident c 00 -foot section rection of the drainage in the Station, wants Road to handle increased water flow. eek that runs Davis wantsto change the charm he can eliminate flooding in the between Univers we east, up to Road, then fill low -lying area a high concrete commercially velopable floodp �T i near Harvey opable land. needs to be accu- Crib fironmentally, act is not sorT ] that our con will be proud - --- CHRISTIAN fvs Council something that our o rill be proud of in 20 .id. "Are we preps the Brazos 2020 pi Aimmates floodplains Brazos 2020 projec ange plan put togetl governments for the area. One aspect of tl rlled for the maintair Mains for greenway ;paces. t Shafer said many liege Station do not the project and sho critic from public allowed to speak on the issue. "We presented this 11 years ago and received a resolu- From 9 years ago. In 1994, we negotiated the financing and came ;HERRY ELSON hr( ii rection of the drainage in the _ area," said Sherry Elson, a resi- nit, dent who lives in a neighborhood he can eliminate down stream. "The drainage of 20 Burton Creek and Carter Creek land into devel- Will changed, the basis for inquired about other cities and these ciannels needs to be accu- rate." G Elsor also said if new channels were d ig, soil scraped and then floodplains and the creation of filled ft , the dust might blow in to the win 1. Development Group, which is Pollu ants in the dirt that may is no have be an washed in from facto - nity ries up tream could affect resi- he s dents, s e said. igno, We that soil to be tested This before [ y work is done[ so we do Th not fm I out there is harmful long chemia is in it after the fact," she local said. of th Chris ism Turner, representing jest i Brazos 3reenways Council, said flood the prc "ect would create large open long-tern problems for College SO Station. in C "En vi onmentally, this project abou fironmentally, act is not sorT ] that our con will be proud - --- CHRISTIAN fvs Council something that our o rill be proud of in 20 .id. "Are we preps the Brazos 2020 pi Aimmates floodplains Brazos 2020 projec ange plan put togetl governments for the area. One aspect of tl rlled for the maintair Mains for greenway ;paces. t Shafer said many liege Station do not the project and sho critic from public allowed to speak on the issue. "We presented this 11 years ago and received a resolu- )roject..." tion approving it," Davis said. "We got back into this six years ago. In 1994, we negotiated the financing and came ;HERRY ELSON back about a year ago." During the informational meeting, city staff members lives downstream said Davis' project needed permits from College Station _ and various federal agencies in order to go forward. Davis said about one -third of the total land project would n end up as wetlands, greenways and open spaces. he can eliminate During the public hearing portion of the joint meeting, )rive and Harvey several people spoke out against rechanneling the creek. hake the one -time " I am concerned about this project. It is a massive redi- land into devel- Please see CREEK, Page A15 0 allowed to speak on the issue. "It is the opinion of many resi- dents that they would like to know more about this project," he said. _ "We respect Mr. Davis' rights as a landowner and businessman, n but we think the community will be overwhelmingly affected by this project." Residents and members of the Planning and Zoning Commission ER inquired about other cities and fan their use of open spaces. The com- missioners spoke of the recently adopted College Station Comprehensive Plan, which called for the preservation of tu- floodplains and the creation of s," greenbelts. to Greg Tagert of the Municipal ct? Development Group, which is doing the engineering work on a Davis' proposal, spoke in favor of by the project. ue "There will be no change [in ro- water levels] off site," he said, of addressing downstream resi- nd dent's flooding concerns. Tagert said this was a landown- )le er who should be allowed to do as rw he wishes with his property if it be poses no harm to others. 0 The Battalion City of College Station News Date: 1 Brazos B awaits c1tY co BY JOEY JEANETTE S( Staff writer With the approval by the College City Council tonight, visitors to the Bush Presidential Library and Muse enjoy a Brazos Beautiful project. The city council will decide on a pro- budget that will provide a $50,000 posed grant to Brazos Beautiful for the use of land- scaping along Texas Highway 60 E nd FM 2818 to beautify the entryway to th city in ' h the George Bus Presi- conjunction wit dential Library. Highway 60 (Raymond Stoltzer P c dmuseum. d FM 2818 both are routes to th Peggy Calliham, public relation for College Station, said the mone toward enhancing the pathways to I I Library. Enhancements include planti I myrtles along the highways leading t brary's entrance. Brazos Beautiful plant 60 dogwood trees along t i Grass and i curbs along the route al considered. John Delaney, project designe , tractive signs stating directions to t BUSH Con Hued f m Page 1 City Manager Skip Noe said at the last city workshop, that the grant to Brazos Beautiful would help beautify the city. He said the city wants to make sure the expected 300,000 tourists en- joy their visit to the library and want to return. "We are proud of this city," Noe said, "and we want everyone to enjoy eve —thing about it, including the " ape, wh h says a lot about how m' we care. Brazos Beautglal 1, Inc. is an on-going . project with the of cleaning up and improving the landscape. Katie Gibson, recycling coordinator for Brazos Beautiful, handles the recy- cling for the city. She said Brazos Beau- rkway) library officer will go e Bush crepe the li- 3 y also route. will be said at- e library 9i project [cil vote. B P *.eorg CO l are needed. "The library itself is b laney said. "So the path leading well. This p oject is just th proving the environmer Brazos Valley a beautiful The crer e myrtles and bear white blossoms alo laney said crepe myrtle cause Bryan-College St myrtle capital of the stat He said dogwood tre symbolize strength and I The Ci Council hay and will ake a decis meeting. PLEASE! tiful is a necessity t any city to mote a clean environment. The project encourages the c munity to recycle, keep highways "We are proud of this city a we want everyone to enjoy everything about it, includi the landscape, which says a about how much we care." SKIP NOE CITY MANAGER roadways clean and improve the ronment The Bush Foundation will he project if approved y the City Co I " De- it should be as ieginning to im- Lnd making the ice to be." gwood trees will the stretch. De- iere chosen be- on is the crepe may be used to died the plans tonight at the BUSH ON PAGE 7 r- Bush Complex to dedicate statue Ad "The Day the Wall Came idential Conference Down," a five -horse statue, will Center and the Academic be presented to the George Building -West. Bush Presidential Library and It was on temporary display Museum at 10 a.m. Saturday. at Georgia's Stone Mountain The statue commemorates Park during the 1996 Olympic the fall of the Berlin Wall in Games and was installed at E 1989 during President George Texas A &M in August. t Bush's administration. Speakers at the ceremony The statue, which is one and include Dr. Ray M. Bowen, the a forth times life -size, is a repli- University president; Don Pow- ca of horses leaping over the ell, chairman of the Texas broken wall. It was created by A &M University System Board Santa Fe artist Veryl Goodnight. of Regents; and David Also- The sculpture is 30 feet brook, director of the George long, 18 feet wide and 12 Bush Presidential Library Cen- is 1t`` feet high and is placed in a ter; Bethany Burnam who the plaza between the Bush Li- representir k the Class of '96 _ brary and Museum, the Pres- and the artist. Date: New Plan to hire 6n91 By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer Discussions by Coll( City Council memt intense Thursday as city's largest drainag( f was addressed. The plan to hire an ei the Bee Creek channeli ject was delayed of debate by the council. Engineers on the cc trouble with the word request for qualification sent out, saying it di local firms from propos. One sentence in the said that experience in s hydraulic reports to th Emergency Managemei istration would be i because achieving "apl improvements in a time] is critical to the succe project. Councilman Dick Biro he had heard from local that the sentence scaj away from the project. the sentence "a piece o cratic bologna." Birdwell, Steve Esm o Swiki Anderson touted that there are local engir. could do such projects, they might not have , e Station The council decided Thursday rs were By JENNY NELSON Ze of the Eagle Staff Writer concerns College Station ;ineer for have to attend City ition pro- ings to see their e] !r much in action. nts will 'il meet - officials well &dd experience with FEMA a� firms in ngineers Houston. A them The council decided Thursday mcil had that televising their meetings 19 of the was not the best way to get their that was message!across to residents. the fact �ouraged Discussions about ielevising ig ideas. the proceedings is pert of the proposal council'$ plan to better icommu- Ibmitting nicate with residents, a id fin anc- Federal ing for such a plan wa included Admin- in the 1908 budget. nportant Concern about the broadcast , oval fcr ranged from possible grand- , manner standing by residents tc a lack of > of this understanding city issu s, which well &dd experience with FEMA a� firms in ngineers Houston. A them Public Al orks Direct Mark le called Smith said the FEMA exTerience bureau- was inclu (ed in the requirements in the hoe that experience with find and FEMA woi dd speedup th roject. the fact The coulicil rejected Eir dwell's !ers who suggestion to throw out the pro - dthough posals and sending them back out s much with the FNMA sentence deletp.d er delayed Council wil not televise meetings ) V sometimes only are detailed in printed material. "I am opposed because I think people will start grandstanding and it will make the meetings drag out longer and longer," Councilman Larry Mariott said. "I think people need to come down here and tell us what's on their minds." In the 1998 budget, $12,000 was included for proposed broadcast- ing possibilities, which staff said would cost about $550 a meeting if professionally taped. The council asked Peggy. Calliham, the city's public rela- tions and marketing manager, to come back to the council with more effective forms of commu- nicati the council's goals. But in another 4 -3 vote, the council decided to bring the city staff's top three ranked firms — Klotz & Associates /Kling Engi- neers; Brown & Gay Engineers /Dodson & Associates; Municipal Development Group/ Turner, Collie & Braden /Joe Orr Inc. — and the No. 5 team — Urban Design Group — in for pre- sentations at the Oct. 23 meeting. The Eagle o f College Station News Date: /(_ CS Council toward teri 5 -2 vote authorizes drafting By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer The College Station City Council showed mixed sup- port Thursday for term limits. With a 5 -2 vote, the council authorized the drafting of an ordinance limiting City r' ^1mcil service to two consec- e terms of three years. If council adopts the ordi- nance, it would go to the vot- ers in the May election. Those opposed to the limits, Mayor Lynn McIlhaney and Mayor Pro Tem Hub Kennady, were supported by a Texas A &M University political sci- ence professor who also is a ■ elay on engineer /A2 ■ o televised meetings fornier College Station m� "I think this may be mo a solution in search of a I lem " former Mayor ( Hal er said. "Is this a big I lem we're facing, people 1 ing around too lone his doesn't' look lil problem to me," he said. Halter said that, since 197(s, only about three pE hav stayed in office for i thai L the six -year limit the cha ter amendment w • I ed 00 li its city ordinance Limits From Al limits are the right thing to do," he said. "If you don't have a prob- lem, why do you want to fix it ?" Kennady offered two reasons why the council cleanses itself without term limits: voter removal and a limit to how much time people can give to public ser- vice. The earliest the council could consider the ordinance for a May referendum charter amendment would be February. Council members also looked at another change in the city's char- ter — making the one -year budget a two -year plan. But officials said state laws require that cities adopt a budget every year. The council decided to have the city staff look at the possibilities of a two -year budget adopted each year. But p, ponents of term lim- its sai of limiting service i2 could hr der newcomers from runninj jor the council. _ "I th n people run out of , or. ideas n I think there are a of people who don't want to run •ob- against incumbents and this ary would create an even playing •ob- field," Councilman Dick mg- Birdwe I said. Halter said the incumbent e a retention level is the lowest at the local level of politics and the that ter limits are the talk at iple several 1 vels of government. .ore "It's en vogue thing and, iew right n w, people think term uld see LIMITS. Paqe A2 lease Limits From Al limits are the right thing to do," he said. "If you don't have a prob- lem, why do you want to fix it ?" Kennady offered two reasons why the council cleanses itself without term limits: voter removal and a limit to how much time people can give to public ser- vice. The earliest the council could consider the ordinance for a May referendum charter amendment would be February. Council members also looked at another change in the city's char- ter — making the one -year budget a two -year plan. But officials said state laws require that cities adopt a budget every year. The council decided to have the city staff look at the possibilities of a two -year budget adopted each year. �1 V Date: Citizens gro access to cit College S By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer College Station citiz discuss problems in new topic at their in city's decision to no 1 to the group. "We the People," Southside neighborh third meeting at the issues, but the focus c city's ruling that tl being political in na topics beyond the n the city said the g access to free televi: ing space. "When the city st, tion says `We th p loses qHf 1 services p political C C You people have an awesome power who formed a group to - you can vote. > r neighborhood had a rig Monday night: The sr provide free serv ices k — SWtK1 ANDERSON citizen -run branch a Co llege Station Councilm )d organization, hel f its an issue, people get upset," City Attorney Ancoln Center to discuss Harvey Cargill said. "There are things we the meeting turned t the should of be doing or supporting as a city ... group is borderin on we're orlpolitical." re. Because they di uss Carg 1', said that if the city supports one ghborhood's bounda ries, group, pen in giving the $25 meeting space, it .up will no longer ave would v :)n advertising and eet e to do the same for all groups — no is using public fund for Please see MEETING, Page AS Meeting From A 71 matter the cause. Fliers advertising the meet' gs say the group's goals are: o di- nance enforcement, neighbor- hood civic pride and historical area preservation. Assistant City Manager Tom Brymer said the original Southside group formed by the city was designed to help gE t a neighborhood association for'th9 area. He said the city staff worked as facilitator for citizens interested in neighborhood integrity. Brymer said the city will con- tinue to work with the residents on Southside issues, but when the group gets into other cit ide issues, "the city has to take a step back." City Manager Skip Noe said in a memo to the City Council at group members "have begun hav- ing meetings that focus on broad- er issues, [including] some hat are bordering on the political." "We the People" member Norma Miller, in ammo to Noe, said: "We are so un political, we hurt ." in an effort to lose their Politi- cal ties the group decided to drop its "W the People" itle and go back t the origina. Southside neighborhood o nization, which the group m rbers had split fr m because th yy� deemed it Members said the phone the city n mayor Tuesday to n city knows the gro po liti ca l committee. Both Noe and Bry are n t trying to contr 1 what the gri but at the city The group aisci -ityw de hot - button Monday's meeting. Among the top were tax abatemi dung from local c] and c ty staff decisi The main topic v tion of property, s has happened in neighborhood. ire plan to gager and :e sure the is not a r said they - ourage or i discusses, ist remain ed several ,ues during discussed s, chicken ken houses S. condemna- Lething that Southside James 'Thompson toia or navmg his home bought by the city to make room for the city's newest Little League field. Attorney A.W. Davis, told citi zens the ins and outs of condemn- ing property. Davis' firm is currently repre- senting Elmo Neal, a resident who is fighting the city about property they condemned at Northgate. Complaints about decisions from city hall, including condem- nation, got a response from Councilmember Swiki Anderson, who reminded those complaining that they have the power to change the system. "if you don't like the way it is, you can change it," he said. "You people have an awesome power — you can vote." The Eagle Citv of College Statio Neves Date: /�/ /aB • be $14 to ( the Of press your thoughts November, the cit' of Allege Station will ha e a voice . deciding whether th city of ge Station should spend $6 :)n on a conference center to tilt at Wolf Pen Cree e Wolf Pen proposal includes a iillion Sheraton full-service with approximately 200 Ls and an 80,000-square-foot story office building estimated st $8 million, which ould be esponsibility of the eveloper. Thursday, the Lea e of Len Voters of Brazos ounty sponsor a voters' fo on the bility of building this confer - center. th the College Station City icil and the Wolf Pen 4opment Team requested feasi- studies regarding the pro- d conference center end both ived results from independent s. The information will be pre - �d at the meeting. Le voters' forum will provide -mation that is specific to the -endum and will give citizens r )liege Station and panel mem- \\ an opportunity to discuss :)r issues such as the economic environmental impact on the .munity, as well as traffic pat- s and cost to taxpayers. ae voters' forum will be held at Chamber of Commerce Conven- . & Visitors Bureau, 715 versity Drive East in College .ion at 7 p.m. Moderator will be y Halter of the department of tical science at Texas A &M versity. Panel members will ude Jim Allen, developer and tner in the Wolf Pen Develop - it Team; College Station Mayor Lin Mcllhaney; city engineer Lt Laza; parks and recreation actor Steve Beachy; environ- italist Scott Shafer; and Dick ester, director of the Chamber's ivention & Visitors' Bureau. he League of Women Voters of zos County encourages the citi- s of College Station to attend meeting to ask questions and :uss pertinent issues regarding important November referen- n. /� �' \ MARY EDWARDS Program vice president League of Women Voters of Brazos County LI The Eagle Cit y of College Station News Date: i �� / / 3 1 1 t CS del con Council hiring e By JENNY NELSt Eagle Staff Writer Some College members said F to see more local city projects. "When we're c engineering fo one in Hous Councilman Did if we're going f firms don't have a totally differer Recent queri local engineers at the first m( Station coin Committee. B' Councilmen Ste Mariott, discus! tions of hiring 1 M- jo ps en discuss ineers )n City Council they would like .eers working on ariott said he agrees that local peo- should be used for local projects n they are qualified. rdwell said an attorney general's Lion on local preference does not cities from hiring local firms, but keep them from hiring solely on a 1 basis. .ty Manager Skip Noe said that, n city jobs are less than $15,000, City Council's approval isn't ing bread and butter us to give it to some- ,n is ridiculous," Birdwell said. "Now, do something local ny experience in, it's thing." about hiring more ere addressed Friday !ting of the College :il's Engineering dwell, along with e Esmond and Larry d the legal ramifica- ,al engineers. said these smaller jobs go to local 99.9 percent of the time. when local engineers are the qualified for a project, some engi- in attendance said they can't I the insurance required by the committee asked city staff to at the local preference of other cities and to report back to the "We don't have any problem talking them to see if we can work out a mpromise where we can still protect e city and have someone responsible r what happens out on the project," ty Attorney Harvey Cargill said. Cargill said the city cannot put up a gal -only "flag." "You want to be able to say that you lected the most qualified engineer," said. Th E City of College Station News Date: I O - -= t i • • Citizens of CS can handle TV meetings Eagle Ed torial Board o he People of Co are 't bright stard City Cot enou h t ur Important issu ncil. es before At le4t Station that is what some Col a g embers ouncil members aPPare: Last w ek, council not to by new city members deci adcast their ble TV network. ove Resider is watching TV might hav hard tine council ' understand* g what t doing, some bers th council me To be members onest, sometimes have a hard . count t standing is b erg hat the g unde issue. are dOth bu th, In some issues are material a ses, the council outlined only aid, tit Y i P ssed out Print m c ° e bers' information until mem instance, it Packets. Fo; consent ag ns on the statutory an Cu generally before they' at the council ren't dis• meetings e voted on. Viewers a home time figur� such cases, would out what is have a hard going on in What abo a council decided. those residents audience don't get cop. in the meetings? Most tion packets, soof h et the council informa. ey are what is h able to grasp There's members sai broadcast er reason the co until the didn't want the will to eetings. because I think s make the meet people dstanding and it will longer, Coun igrndrag out longer and said. Larry Mar.ott the don't want that behavior to be the t then, Mariott said, "I think peo- ieed to come down here and tell us :'s on their minds." >uldn't that make the meetings g out longer and longer ?" e fact is that the council allows le speaking to an issue only a cer- amount of time — usually three rtes — to have their say. Aing TV cameras wouldn't make minutes longer. In fact, Mayor i Mcllhaney who does a good encouraging people to speak at icil meetings — might be more )ted to hold them to a strict three rtes if the whole community was even if more people talked and longer because of the TV cam - is that such a terrible thing? :.l meetings cannot be contained i a neat time frame. y 'drag on" because people in e Station are passionate about city and its future. Good for y It would be wonderful if more citi- n took the opportunity to attend -d C liege Station council meetings. Our a g vrnment shouldn't operate in a v c um. a Realistically, though, not everyone e attend the meetings — the council in wouldn't be big enough if they d — and not everyone wants to. 1 at doesn't mean they don't care a it what the council is doing. By t e vising the meetings, more citizens C ud. "attend" council sessions and k up with what the city is doing, p iricularly if the meetings are r b oadcast at different times ughout the following week. It isn't the public the council mem- b mistrust, it is themselves. Their b h avior at some recent meetings b 1. ed the entire community and the don't want that behavior to be w t essed by potential voters and de a part of the permanent record. he College Station council should rE consider its decision not to show its meetings on TV. We think the citizens of College Stati on have the right to see their cc cil in action. d we think they are smart enough to out what is going on. T�� 7 6 • The Eagle City T of ColleCollege Station `New �n Date: V lci j i i I __J t;onferen hotel moo center for CS farting Monday, the voters in College Station have chance to build a multipurpose convention cen er attract a first -class hotel and reinvigorate the vision f beautiful and functional Wolf Pen Creek waterway thro the heart of the city. At the time, they can expand Ii city's tax base by $21 million and elp bring in millions of r ei tourism dollars every year. Even better, they can do so at r Lo cost do taxpayers. At stake is a public - private pax tnership that would brin 200 -room full- service Sheraton hc tel, a four-story office bit d ing and a conference center that NAB have 45,000 square fee o usable meeting and convention space. If approved by voters the project would be completed I iy Jan. 1, 2000, at the got 6 west corner of Holleman Drive d Dartmouth Street, act s, from the Wolf Pen Creek Amphit ieater. The $21- million hotel and offic building would be built b3 private investors. The conference center, which would adj ii the hotel, would be built by the c ty at a cost of no more' $6 million, to be financed by re ienue bonds that would b( repaid by increased hotel -motel tax revenues generated b3 the hotel and by property taxes paid on the hotel and o 6( building. The positives about the hotel-conference center project many. The negatives are few. In o er words fit is a great d , ' for the citizens of College Statio i and, liideed, everyone: ir. Brazos County. The proposed location at Wo f Pen Creek offers ma advantages. It is convenient to East Bypass and to Te _ S Avenue, thus making it easy for risitors to get around to Much of the infrastructure alreac y is in place to, support, e project. The only thing that would be needed is a traffi c lighl at Dartmouth Street and Hollemm Drive, and city offidi s say that is needed anyway. The conference center site alru dy is owned by the city, se no additional land would have to be purchased. Plus, there 3s sufficient space for ground -level arking and plenty of rocin to expand the conference center ' in the future if, as we are cc n- fident, it is a huge success. The chosen site has another big advantage. The con;L e center -hotel project likely would spur further developm t Q along the Wolf Pen Creek corridor, something visionary c . y leaders have been promoting for a decade and more. t vision is absolutely correct, although the execution of t foresight hasn't always been handled as well as it could e. This is a chance to revitalize and tenew that vision and in e Wolf Pen Creek the center of an ven more prosperous and beautiful College Station. I The hotel and conference center no doubt would attract restaurants, entertainment venues, shops and other ' busi- n sses to the Wolf Pen Creek area. Such projects have a way of doing that. Before long, Wolf Pen Creek would become what man of us always dreamed it could be. I'h hotel- conference center project also commits the "city to coming a true regional hub for conventions and tourists. nventions and meetings that now have to go elsewhere cc uld be accommodated in the new conference center, which . w LU be 80 percent larger than any present hotel -based meeting sl ace. The center could host trade shows, reunions, corporate rr tings and a multitude of other gatherings. With our loca- ti n smack in the middle of the largest population centers T xas, College Station is a natural location for such gather- ings — particularly with the opening of. the George Bush Pr esidential Library and Museum Center in less than three wee ks. Until now, though, there simply hasn't been space to host many of them. Everyone benefits when tourists come to town. They eat in our restaurants, shop in our stores, buy gas in our filling sta- tions and stay in our hotels and motels. Although many of the guests to the convention center could be..expected to stay at e adjoining Sheraton, many would seek lodging at other hotels and motels in College Station and Bryan. Studies have sliown that the local marketcatt support -existing hotels afid tI e new facility. Those visitors would generate new sales tax and hotel -motel revenues, which would be used to provide services to "pe'r- ent residents. Studies also indicate that 150 new jobs uld be created by the project, in addition to other jobs cre- a - ,ed elsewhere in the community to accommodate the creased number of visitors. The only down side is that the convention centers generally d not pay for themselves. Neither do city parks;: libraries and. s imming pools, but we're glad we have them. Studies indi- te that a stand -alone conference cerf9irC: tit College Station; ; ould operate at a deficit of some $57'bo0' a year for the first fur or five years, dropping to about $38,000 a: year thereafter. project associated with a SheratonHotel; however, Proba- bly would show a smaller deficit. On the other hand according to independent studios the h Ael- conference center project, would gbklerate 'an esiii h ed . $ 00,000 more each year inutility revenues and "$80,W a#hu- ` y in increased sales tax revenues. . It is obvious that the benefits of the project are far greater: tlian the liabilities. The referendum is a chance for Colfbge S lion residents to show faith in the ommurfity and ittalce a commitment. to its fixture. The Eagle recommends a vote of yes on tlie; referendurti' to . b ild a joint public - private hotel- coh*ence :., center -office: cr Early voting M onday * Texi� CS hotel/conferen a center on BY JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer Voters begin the task Monday of deciding whether or not College Station needs a $6- million conference center. Early voting begins four months after the City Council decided to go to the residents for final approval for the project. The proposed Wolf Pen Creek hotel - conference center is a pri- te public endeavor that city %W:i said they hope will attract tourists to the area for regional and state conventions. The private portion of the pro- ject, a $14- million Sheraton hotel and an $8- million five -story office building, is being paid for by the Wolf Pen Creek Development Team. The team's plan was ranked number one of the four proposals that sought the project. The selec- tion of the site selection was not a unanimous City Council deci- sion, as three councilmen wanted to build the hotel - conference cen- ter at a Northgate site. The Wolf Pen Creek team was the only one that proposed a site other than Northgate. Three other groups proposed hotel ideas in the Northgate area, where the city has been irr talization effort. In a feasibility by the city, Coc representatives b a of �d in a revi- ly sponsored & Lybrand said the Please see HOTEL, Page �r Hotel From Al Northgate site would not have the room to expand like the Wolf Pen Creek site would. The study did conclude, howev- er, that both sites would accompa- ny the hotel - conference center. The study also estimated that the conference center would lose $57,400 in operating and mainte- nance fees during its first year of operation. City officials said that, throughout the study process on a conference center, developers have said a $50,000 or less deficit is considered break -even. The study analyzed the confer- ence center as a stand -alone facili- ty, minus the hotel and office building that supports the confer- ence center. If voters approve, city officials say the conference center will be funded with revenue bonds that will be paid back with tax revenues from the hotel and office building. If the revenues from the project don't cover the conference cen- ter's expenses, city officials say hotel -motel taxes from the new hotel will be used to make up the difference. Developer Jim Allen said the Wolf Pen Creek Team already has been contacted by three to four restaurant chains from the Houston area for information about future area development. "Citizens are going to have an opportunity to vote on Nov. 4 for an economic boost to the commu- nity at no cost to the taxpayers," Allen said. He said getting information out to the public about the referen- dum has cost the development team about $65,000. City officials also are working to get information about the refer- endum out to residents through utility bill inserts, direct mail- ings, and staff and council appear- ances at local clubs and meetings. State voters to decide amendments BY KELLY BROWN Eagle Staff Writer Early voting starts Monday to decide 14 statewide constitu- tional amendments, and area officials are hoping an issue involving a proposed conven- tion center in College Station will prompt otherwise disinter- ested voters to check in at the polls. The Nov. 4 constitutional amendment election has Secretary of State Tony Garza trav eling across Tex stressing V.QTf . Page A2 z j, From Al the importance of casting a vo ta in an election that could change the state's Constitution, whit was adopted in 1876. Brazos County officials are equally eager to get the 74,000 o W so registered voters in the count out to the polls. "Every year we prepare as though every one will come o and vote, but generally it's a 10 V turnout and I'm very disappoint- ed about that," Brazos CountY Clerk Mary Ann Ward said. But Ward and College Station city officials believe the 15th issue on the ballot is what will bring out many residents to exer- cise their right to vote. At the bc t- tom of the ballot is a question for a special election asking voters if the College Station City COME should proceed with the co - struction of a convention cente . Only College Station taXpayE rs who are registered voters c in voice their opinion on that qu s- tion, but the other 14 questic ns, on the ballot are there for all. Those registered voters casting early ballots before the official election day can vote at any of five locations, regardless of where the voter lives in Brazos County. The Eagle City of college Station Date: i The polls will be open frc a.m. to 5 p.m, Monday thr Friday through Oct. 29, bui doors at the sites will open 1 extra hours on Oct. 30 and Oc which means f 8 a.m. to 8 The two Col ege Station pc sites for early voting include ■ The emorial Stu Center on the campus of Z A &M University, off Joe l Boulevard across from Field. ■ The College Station sc district's administration of at 1812 Welsh Ave. The three polling places Bryan are: ■ Brazos County Courthc 300 E. 26th St. ■ Arena Hall, Tabor Road East Bypass. ■ Galilee Baptist Church, N. Logan St. College Stati n City Secre Connie Hooks said residents i precincts are eligible to vote the conventic n center is although therE only will bE polling places as officials con date some of th 9 areas. The precincts, from which: dents can vote 3arly at any of five locations e: 2, 8, 9, 10, 2( 24, 27, 28, 29, 3 , 32, 33, 34, 35 40, 58, 59, 61, 62, 64, 71, 73, 75 83. Eight of these precincts, 1 ever, have registered voters reside inside and outside College Station city limits Hooks said its important residents check. their addres make sure the reside inside city limits an or pay city to Those eight precincts includ 27, 28, 29B, 35, E 2, 64 and 75. Hooks said property has t annexed into the city within past two years, but the vo boundary lines will not chi until 2000. Details on where the �6 precincts in C liege Station t are eligible to vote on the con en- tion center Nov. 4 will b e announced at later date. The 14 constitutional am nd- ments and hove} they read on I the ballot are: News 8 No. 1: The constitutional gh amendment to allow a person the who holds the office of municipal ree court judge to hold at the same 1, time more than one civil office I ' M. for which the person receives g compensation. No. 2: The constitutional nt amendment to authorize the as Legislature to limit increases in tt the appraised value of residence le homesteads for ad valorem taxa- tion and to permit a school dis- in 2, trict to calculate the school prop- erty tax freeze applicable to the residence homestead of an elder- ly person or the surviving spouse of an elderly person, in accor- dance with the law authorizing the transfer of the school proper- ty tax freeze to a different home- stead regardless of whether that law was in effect at the time the person established the person's homestead. No. 3: The constitutional amendment to authorize the Legislature to permit a taxing unit to grant an exemption or other relief from ad valorem taxes on property on which a water conservation initiative has been implemented. No. 4: The constitutional amendment eliminating dupli- cate numbering in and certain obsolete provisions of the Texas Constitution. No. 5: The constitutional amendment authorizing the Texas Supreme Court to sit to transact business at any location in the state. No. 6: The constitutional amendment allowing the Texas growth fund to continue to invest in businesses without requiring those businesses to disclose investments in South Africa or Namibia. No. 7: The constitutional amendment relating to the autho- rization of the Texas Water Development Board to transfer existing bond authorizations for water supply, water quality, flood control or state participation from one category of use to anoth- er category to maximize the use of existing funds and relating to more efficient operation of the bond programs. 6)VC(— No. 8: The amendme it to the Texas Constitution expanding the types of liens for hor ie equity loans that a lender, 'th the homeowner's consent, may place against a homestead. No. 9: The const t tional amendment to autho i e the Legislature to authorize an ad valorem tax rate in rural f re pre- vention districts loc t d in Harris County of five de its on each $100 f taxable value prop- erty. No. 10. The consti utional amendment designating e pur- poses for which money m the compensation to victims of crime fund and the compensa i ns to victims of crime auxiliary fund may be used. No. 11: The consti u Tonal amendment limiting the ai aount of state debt payable from the general revenue fund. No. 12: The consti ional amendmeni to establish dead- line for Texas Suprem Court action on a motion for re e iring. No. 13: The constit tional amendment to encourage sons to pay and save for young xans' college education to ext the full faith and credit of the AEtte to Protect the Texas Tor iorrow Fund as a constitution y pro- tected trust und. No. 14: The constit tonal amendmentl to allo the Legislature to prescribe t ual- ifications of I constahlP.- 0 The Eagle City of College Station News ` Date: 161 ZZ )9 CS C to consicl closing streets A By JENNY NELSON L � The until meets at the College Station from a 7,000 vehicles to between 3,000 drivers the drivers two streets aily. Hard said that if , Eagle Staff Writer r1 � City H , 1101 Texas Ave. A 3 p. rd. work- to 3,800 'cles. are caught, it will cost them $8 of shop eeting is scheduled top a the The i e streets of Foster Avenue, "Our Police Department has been doing ` Temporary partial closings on two regul evening meeting. Glenha a Street, Nunn Street and Walton enforcement on that," he said. "Anyone streets in College Station could become M on and Ashburn avenues have Drive have seen traffic increases, Hard they see enter that [area] certainly gets a permanent Thursday. been mporarily closed since April as said. ticket." The City Council is scheduled to discuss city officials searched for a way t reduce He d the additional traffic on Foster The council also is scheduled to consider an ordinance that would authorize the per- cut -t ough traffic on the res dential Avenu which has shown the most ranking engineering firms for Lite city's manent partial closing of Munson and stree inc is attributed to construction Bee Creek channelization project. The Ashburn avenues. Residents also will get a City transportation planner Hard on Tex venue. ranking is scheduled for the 7 p.m. meet - say at a public hearing scheduled for the 7 said tI kat, since the spring closing, daily He p.m. meeting. traffic counts on the streets have dropped vehi( 0 0 traffic counts show about 40 ,gally enter the closed portions Please see COUNCIL, Page A8 AB The Sfadon Eaek MIYiN/q, DdWW 2 Ne are set for O I. Corporation and O u n�,1 Universal puter Systems. O.I. Co tion has applied for tax ab posed a tf ments for its pro - ion. The addition From Al 1 Plans to ad ,000 square-feet to g• At 4 p.m., the council has ' the facilit vit- and 24 new 's existing building io s. ed the four competing firms ake presentations about their to The Prow d tax abatement q alifications and plans for package for the posed exp t a $1.5- million pro - ion includes P IV oject. Klotz Engineer unicipal Development Gr ng, eight -year up, the city an abatement from U ban Design Group and Brown wit $23,240. possible value of & Gay Engineers each are scl ed- A propose greement between to give 15- minute press ta- the city and U iversal Computer ti ins. e council also is sched Systems, a ed the College parry locating in Business to th consider a possible additio city's drainage ordina to Park, wool ove the proposed M re specific details of Coll e. site by a fe ge Manager S h dred yards, City ce said. St se ition drainage problems to be added to the ordiraj ire If approve , UCS would build th it currently regulates devel ice on the 31 p- Mold and icres where Beach had planned to m datnage. nt to avoid flooding and fl build instea o on a lot on Texas other business, the council 6. The Beach has been put old and Tool plan o hold. is pl heduled to hear a request a five -story women's d to Another b r- between the ess proposal is i mi ory at the corner of Marion Currently, and Cabletime. mpany is locat- h and George Bush drives. ed in Crystal ark Plaza, where ex e proposed 48 -unit build' s the city's 24 -unit per a Noe said t e communications au matic approval. company has Cabletime o tgrown its space . I proposed to pur- de business expansion lopments also are schedul r chase four a Station Bus' in the College e s Park at a dis- for ouncil action. blic hearings on the count rate of 1 ,000. The proper - ati c n of two - ty is shown to b valued at $30,000 reinvestment zon an acre. Please see COUNCIL, Page A8 The Eagle City of College Station News 7- Date: e I A helpl* hand for them homes Community de used to improve By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer Melinda Jeske is enjoying a lux ry most people take for granted - i hot water. Until a few months ago, the 7 year -old College Station woman h� 4 o boil her bath water on the stove er Park Place home. But thanks " 'community development funds, sl just turns on the faucet now. College Station's Communi Development program fixed 1 Jeske's home with plumbing, a conditioning, heat and insulat windows. "It helped me out a lot," said Jesl whose physical condition limits h mobility. This year, the city received abc $1.6 million in federal Communi elopment fund living eonditioj Development Bloc Grant mon( help residents like Jeske, sai( Carroll, Coll ge Stat'. Community Development direct "I think, when people think of ple living in houses like that, think of people in a certain pa town," Carroll sat . "That's not These are houses hroughout to With a staff of two full - employees and one part -time v ers, Carroll said t e average st, the city's waiting list for proje( about a year. Not all of the pr( take that long, she said, and are done on an emergency basis "Most of the pe ple are so ec when they find us. They didn't ize we were here," Carroll said. Darrell Parker, who designs homes and helpsyVith other pro said seeing the rqaction of resi 's o- � of te. ae n is Eagle photo /Jenny Nelson Melinda Jeske of College Station now has a hot water heater, thanks to the city's community development funds. makes his job worthwhile. "It's unbelievable, the response," he said. "You just get a good feeling. Please see HELP, Page Al2 H 6' T $500,000 ing programs. grains building and $750, Community for homeowrers new homes each year for its hous- Development pro- include remodeling, arid down- payment assis- FrOm A9 tance. Last year, Macmfllan said the city helped It's certainly not the money you do it for." give 87 families bettat living conditions, but Bryan has a similar community develop- she said the need still is greater than the ment program. resources. "In Bryan, we still have a gre need, but To uglify for help from the city, applicants we're Very proud of what we get accom- must e low - income homeowners. For exam - plished," said Gail Macmillan, ryan's divi- ple, ai L income for a family of three must be sion manager for Community Development. under $28,000, Carro aid. Macmillan said Bryan receives between Nor fa Lee Rucker t a new house froin the ��et 0 city's program. Her old he love — she said her husba ago. But after a half centu become unlivable. The 74 -yea -old College L z er said she is thankful to tl her a home with the latest " I think it's wonderful, People who think they m, munity devel pment progr call their respective city'. information. Bryan residen and College Station reside 3778. was built with built it 51 years of wear, it had grandmoth- for building said. ualify for com- assistance can lice for more in call 361 -3610 can call 764- • CS to BY JENNY NELSON ^\ ` Eagle Staff Writer \�\ The College Station City Council voted Thursday to open Munson and Ashburn avenues following a trial partial closure of six- months aimed at reducing cut through traffic in the neigh- borhood. The council said closing off one end of the street to two-way traf- fic is not the best way to elimi- nate cut - through traffic. Speed humps and stop signs were men- reopen two avenues Signs to be provided for By JENNY N busiest Eagle Staff Wr' . I'm signs . The College Station City Council voted cities," Thursday to provide directional signs to Aid visi- The tors driving to the area's newest tourist attraction. already The council decided that routes to the George Transp Bush Presidential Library and Museum Center Hard s< need and will get additional signs. The city will pay for three signs to be located at some of the tioned as the next possibility. David Hickson Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney was "I think the I the only no in the 4 -1 vote. helped," Mcllh; Councilmen Swiki Anderson and we have made C ation Eagle Friday, Getober Streets From A 1 the streets have dropped fi between 3,000 to 3,800 vehicl But many residents living that traffic now cuts throug] Hard said the temporary 1 $7,500, won't be removed jus "Until we develop a plan o1 we won't take down the bars In other business, the coi place a five -story women's Marion Pugh and George Bu The council also approve sh Library site ;ections in town. that we've added those additional se are important entrances to our r Lynn Mcllhaney said. signs will complement 13 signs ned by the Texas Department of �n, city transportation planner Ed Please see SIGNS, Page A2 travesty of the entire neighbor- hood." Some councilmembers sided with the residents who found the partial closure inconvenient. "It's real obvious that it's a big inconvenience," Councilman Dick Birdwell said after about half of the speakers complained about the closure. He said that, with nearby Texas Avenue construction under way, a permanent closure to the street would not be appropriate now. City transportation planner Ed Hard said that, since the spring closing, daily traffic counts on absent. quality of life in that n igbbor- public hearing. d closure has hood." I "I think this was a dreadful, said. "I think Abou 25 residents spoke their terrible mistake," resident Marge Terence in the minds about the closure during a Zwolinski ,'said. "I think it's a 1997 Ne ws about 7,000 vehicles to on side streets complained their streets. arricades, which cost about yet. action as to what to do first, ers," he said. ncil approved a request to ormitory at the corner of h drives. three business exp nsion and O with A was Tool at a Please see STREETS, Page A2 elopment projects. orporation, already in the city, was granted tax nents for its proposed expansion to add 40,000 eet to its existing building. The addition will .s the company's work force by 24 new jobs. ax- abatement package for the $1.5- million pro- Expansion includes an eight -year tax abatement possible value of more than $23,000. site location for Universal Computer Systems, a y moving into the College Station Business Park, )proved. The 31 -acre site is where Beach Mold and lann to build before rutting that rrniart on_hnlrl_ er company, Cabletime, currently located in 1 Park Plaza, has outgrown its space. The council d an agreement that would allow Cabletime to 1$e four acres in the College Station Business Park scount rate of $15,000. The property is shown to be at $30,000 an acre. C� PON" :'v '1011m* -w rr� N IM7,151"Uinit" By aEtvlvY NELSON , f' \ \ F,agte Staff writer (\\ \ A College Station resident has asked City Council members to promise proles- as C members and to "refrain from issuing statements that appear to state council positions on given issues, instead of leav- ing this prerogative to the mayor or a des- i ated spokesperson." I melliuvib weeks regarding the workings between various City Council members," Cooper said. "There have been things brought to my attention ... they're not sharing inform a- to "I don't think it hurts to refocus our attentions on the fact we were elected to serve all citizens of College Station and to make decisions that benefit both today and the future " she said. sion ism while serving as a ecte o t• Mayor Lynn McIlhaney, Mayor Pro Tem tion with each other all of the time." Included in the pledge is a part that says cials. Hub Kennady, Councilmen Dick Birdwell, Cooper told the council that "these rules signers will "refuse to belittle anyone to "I hope it makes them stop and think Larry Mariott and Steve Esmond signed [on the "Fair Play Pledge "] are things most their face or behind their back." before they say something," Jerry Cooper, the pledge. Councilmen Swiki Anderson of us learned hack when we were kids." McIlhaney said healthy debate can lead who presented the council with the one- and David Hickson were not present at the McIlhaney said Friday the pledge was to good decisions, but "that once decisions page "Fair Play Pledge" Thursday night, meeting. McIlhaney said she will provide kind of ironic after she received three are made, the council must work as a team A said Friday. Anderson and Hickson with copies of the complaints about council "back biting" — whether you voted for or against it." The pledge includes promises to share pledge. during her monthly mayor's breakfast "A divided council, like a divided com- pertinent information with other council "There has been a lot of talk in the last Friday. munity or nation, cannot stand," she said. • • The Ea City of College Statio , New s s , Date: 1 6' 0'56 7 E a ber backs S ce ter plan By B AIR FANNIN /t T eam. Eagle Staff Writer `�\ The - service hotel will have 200 r x ms. The board of directors of the If voters approve the confer- Bryan-College Station Chamber ence enter plan, chamber offi- of Commerce on Friday cane out cials say the project is expected to in support of the College Station generate new tourism business conference center referendum to through untapped conferences be voted on Nov. 4. and conventions, add $21 million The conference center, to be to the tax base, create approxi- locat d in the Wolf Pen Creek dis- mat $130,000 in utility and trict, will be a big benefit to the sales tax revenues, and create 150 local business community, board jobs. chairman Andrea Derrig said. The new meeting space also "The Chamber of Commerce's will be 80 percent greater than role is to support the business any ent facility in the com- com unity of Bryan -College mun t , officials said. Stati n," Derrig said. "We elieve "T re was no opposition," this onference center w' 1 be a said Beverly Borders, interim catal st for new business in the president and CEO of the Bryan - com unity." College Station Chamber of proposed conference cen- Com rce. "We supported it ter, i ihich will cost $6 million, is beca s the chamber feels it is sch uled to be built adjacent to a good for business and it will be priv, tely built hotel proposed by good for the Bryan - College the N lolf Pen Creek Development Stati n area." LE 0 1 .. The Eagle City g i of College Station News Date: Oct s I qC1 T • Last oppor t cast pearl F iday is the last day for Texans to v titutional amendmen election. Vot extra incentive t cast their whet ier to build a city -own ad conference a pri rate Sheraton Hotel will be on the b, W1 ile some of the items on the ballot many Texans, there are enough importar voter turnout. Unfortunate , if history is will o to the polls. What a shame to let or ers d acide the future of our state. The amendment issues range from allo borr w against the equity in their homes for p 3ople who use water conservation r the i sues pertain only to a limited segme but hat's the way the Texas Constitut than ed, we will continue to see such r evei7 r couple of years. Pl ase don't let those mundane issue; polls Every vote counts. We've heard all the excuses why peol buy a one of them. There inay be too mar be too complicated or too boring. Still, rem in free, we must all p icipate in t] Po Is for early voting ar 1 open until 8 earl3 in Bryan at the Br azos County Gal' ee Baptist Church, or in College Stud ant Center or the Coll age Station sc] If 1you know you can't ake it to the yo vote early today. \ 1? lt3' votes early in Tuesday's con - in College Station have sots: a referendum on .ter in conjunction with iy seem unimportant to ssues to attract a heavy iy indicator, few Texans a relative handful of vot- ig Texas homeowners to possible tax abatements Sures. Granted, some of of the state's population, i is written. Until it is row issues on the ballot you away from the don't vote, but we don't elections. The issues may we want our country to electoral process. m. Friday. You may vote arthouse, Arena Hall or tation at the Memorial )l district offices. olls Tuesday, please cast ED The Eagle City of College Station News D ate: QOQ 1 ci9 Study the election issues Tuesday, College Station re i- dents are being asked to vote o n on a on that adja ent facility. TI le, operations referendum: "Should.College and mainten mce will be cc ve'red through Station have a conference center ?" revenues fro the convent o center and Voters are now in the position of ak- hotel -motel tax. Therefore, the commun- ing a decision which will affect this com- ty benefits ft om a publicly wined confer - munity's ability to compete for co er- ence center, without a genE r fund ence and convention business. expenditure or tax increasE needed to pay As a decision maker, please take the for it. As you make this decision, please look time to collect all the facts surrounding at all the fac s, ask to see the studies, and this decision. remember you now hav the responsi- There have been several indepen llent bility to make a decision based on the studies done that say our community can- future economic stability o bur commu- not bring more convention busines due nity. to lack of sufficient meeting space. Anyone in re sted in vie g copies of e Several independent studies have en the studies ay do so by contacting the s one that show that a 37,000 - 45,000 city secretar at 764-3541. "square -foot facility is justified. Meeting planners, locally, region y k LYNN McILHANEY, mayor and nationally have been interviewed I Ilege Station and the marketability of this facility is there. All the hotel people I have ta. Red P with pro ject with agree this convention Center is need- ed. everal years ago I had � severe flood - Once professional studies on the ieed ing pro lem on my pr Oerty due to S lack and financial aspects of a facility were of ity oversight d failure to complete, we then looked at how to fund properly supervise prope developers. this project. The public - private partner- When I coin lained to the city officials I ship has been developed. was told, in ffect, "Sorry, iuddy, that's By working with the private sector, the your proble ." construction cost will be covered through 'A short while later, the city floated a $1 a special tax district and hotel-motel tax million issue for "flood control." I voted for it only to find it went to the Wolf Pen Creek area. Next, the city built a large fire station near the Wolf Pen Creek area. Now the city officials are trying to get $6 million to spend on a convention center — guess where? I'm sorry, but it seems to me the city officials have some hanky panky going on. BURTON V. DUKE College Station Against city involvement I returned from an extended out-of-town trip and learned that either the city of College Station or some advocacy group has published that the College Station City Council is unanimous in its support of the convention center project. This is not correct. I do not support city involvement, either in part or in total of the convention center. However, if the voters approve it, I will support the project. I do support the choice of the Wolf Pen Creek site over the Northgate site. I do support construction of a motel at the Wolf Pen Creek site using private sector funds. SWIKI ANDERSON, councilman College Station • 0 • The Ea! City of College S � Date: V ■ no on Tues0ay en my fellow citizens o r­', gl ;ollege Station, befor you �� 'ote on the proposed ollege\ sq 1 Conference Center be su of the following facts hi: fie College Station Conference Center Advocacy Group is special interest group who are not resi- dents nor do they office in he city of College Station. ■ 7 e conference center ill lose money, according to the cit -com- missi ned Coopers & Lybre nd study, losing $57,000 in the first year mone. ■ 1he center could lose up to $200, per year according to the same Coopers & Lybrand group and trie maximum gain would be $50,000. ■ razos County current y has 171,000 square -feet of meetilig spac , not including the new Texas A&M Reed Arena.; the Geo ge. Bush Presidential Conference Center; or the proposed Br os County and City of Bryan onfer- of cy do le ation News t nter. e Reed Arena and George h Presidential Conference ter will add at least 40,000 n{e -feet with space for events i a s wedding receptions and tong and fishing shows, etc. The city's Cooper & Lybrand II stated that only 19 percent of e & regional groups, 25 percent xal organizations and 45 per- t of Texas A &M groups that e conferences, would consider proposed conference center. Lo cal hotels report an occupan- e of 60 percent (except during id football games and gradua- l) The city's study shows that w rings at the proposed confer - e would add on average 50 hotel ibmit to my fellow citizens of ;e Station, that the above speak loudly. to no this Tuesday. The facts t add up. BRIEN L. SMITH College Station • • I• Date: Vote I for the cents and how we see ourselves as a com- munity. Eve study proves that there is a mark t and a need for a con rer- ence enter r Colle e ith Tuesday's election attra looming, it is time for to br' those of us who lamb, city officials for creating the Pen Creek mud pit to consider proposed city conference cent Critics argue that the center i destroy natural habitat. If you visit other conventior ters, you fmd that the landsca architects can harmonize max made structures with natural tings. rl who attends every If the enter referendum pw those of us concerned with th'. issue wJJl attend the planning meetino and express these cc and how we see ourselves as a com- munity. Eve study proves that there is a mark t and a need for a con rer- ence enter r Colle e in Brazos County. Station has sufficient attra ions, hotels and restaurants to br' 19 conventions to this area. ,ted t' we lack is a place to hold olf cone ions. the The Tuesday vote does not deter - r• mine Whether there will be a con - ill feren elcenter. It determines that the conference center will be in cen- Collel a Station. 1e As he husband of a school teach rl who attends every ;et- Kind garten Teachers of Texas cone tion, I have seen the time to ,es, stop iaking jokes about the Wolf Pen reek mud pit and support the cons �ction of the Wolf Pen Creek confe ehce center. cerns. Then ere is the tax issue. Simplifi d, this plan creates a tax- ing dis ti - ict that finances the con- structiol, i and maintenance of the conferei ice center without using a nickel f -om local taxpayers. Some say this is voodoo econom- ics. No one has produced written evident to disprove the numbers. Since the evidence doesn't exist, this argiment is moot. The iE sue here is more than envi- ronmen and taxes. It is philosophy DENNIS MALONEY College Station 6 • 9 a Date: KJOU 4 Steele said his clie�ts were told ins # C S X6,4 By KELLY BROWN �o le: �1 Eagle Staff' Writer District Judge Cadolyn Ruffino in Northgo has postponed a pr whether to throw of which a Bryan College Station off them while, ,c property. A hearing on th been scheduled for Steven Steele, an resenting Elmo a: Neal, said he needs gather evidence in city in September r the suit be dismisse df that the property would be used for a ` parking lot and street improvements, and that the pro- posed deal with Texadelphia is fraud against his4liefits. But Daniel F. Shank, a Houston attorney representing College Station, said the -land sale is "completely legal and the city of College Station didn't do any- thing wrong." He said the city told the Neals that the property would be used for "public use," and that eco- nomic development falls under that definition. Please see DELAY, Page A2 Delay uit lied deal eeding over said it was a lawsuit in The Neals, who owned property )uple says at on Patricia Street in the ial ied to North ate area, rejected offers nj their several years ago by city officials to buy their property. filed matter had It eventually ondemned mrsday. and the city soo began the ttorney rep- process of selling th p roperty to Marvelyn Texadelphia Sani twich and lore time, to Sports Restaurant a a part of the ,e case. The North ate revitaliz ti�on project. 1 asked that The deal has not be finalized. From Al Shank said the Neals must pre- sent evidence of frau , negligent misrepresentation, abuse of process and unconstit itional tak- ing of property in or er to avoid summary judgment by the court. "They haven't done that," he said. Steele said he has documents obtained through th city that show the city was onsidering selling the pro erty to Texadelphia before of icials con- demned the Neals' lan 1. A letter written in July 1995 by Joel P. Stanley, the rresident of the restaurant chain, states that he was interested in the property at the southwest comer of College Main and Patricia s reets, for- merly Kinko's and Chicken Basket. He wrote that sine he had "pursued the purcha e of these sites to this point, I w h to avail myself to further disci?ss this and any other possibilities with the city council, its manager or attor- il Nereus ney. " said it was The Neals' propeM was con- demned in early 1996. icials as Four pity officials and a former e mploye have recently been added to the suit, which filed in April. They inch dO Mayor Lynn McIlhaney, Cou cilman E. Hubbar Kennady, Cil Manager Skip Noe, Developme t Services Director Jim Callaw and for- mer City Attorney Ca Locke. Steele said actions ly city offi- cials were proprietary rather than governmental an dare there- fore not immune from Avil prose- cution. chase Shard said it was ppropri- ate to ame the city icials as individuals in the laws t. "It's 1. ighly unlikely tie mayor and oth rs had any mi rimunica- tions with any of the people," Shank aid. How can they be liable when they n3ver even talked to them ?" In M ' ch 1995, the I q�als were told tha the city wan ed to pur chase property "in lieu of con - demnat' on." The couple declined an offer to buy the property for $5 ,500 since, according to court do uments, it was debt free and was broviding a substantial income. The Neals' suit claims that Locke and Callaway told them the property would be acquired to expand parking in Northgate. Shank said no documentation shows that city officials told the Neals what the land would be used for. The Neals' tenant moved out because of the threat of condem- nation, according to the suit, and they were unable to lease it to another business. The Neals said they were told during a hearing later that there was a legitimate public purpose for condemning their property. They did not appeal the February 1996 condemnation decision. "The plaintiffs relied upon the false, inaccurate and misleading statements made by the city offi- cials," the lawsuit states. Noe's job as city manager and McIlhaney's post as mayor put them in a position where they knew about the dealings, accord- ing to the lawsuit, which cites Kennady as being the "council- man primarily responsible for the actions of the city in wrong- fully acquiring the plaintiff's property." The Ba aln City of College Station News 12 GAGES Date: Nov. 4, 19 COLLEGE STATION • TX he l7�titf��.l i � I conference center CS to vote o By ROBERT SMITH Senior staff writer College Station voters will go to the olls today to decide if the city should build a pro- posed hotel and conference center. The proposed Wolf Pen Creek hotel. and conference center was approved 4 -3 b the College Station City Council in July. If the center is approved, city official will move forward with the Wolf Pen Creel', De- velopment Team, which has proposed $14 million Sherati fice center nex College Sta made the dec Creek conferee cil cast a split N "We've had and they all fo ence center) is point and a fin Under the 1 million confer .million of- center. McIlhaney Wolf Pen city coun- udies done ind confer - rket stand- ' she said. ill fund a $6 ie Wolf Pen Creek Team will fund the hotel and office. McIlhaney said the city will commit no more than $6 million to the project. "The way it is set up, we will be able to have a convention center at no costs to the tax- payers," Mcllhaney said. Councilman Swiki Anderson said the con- ference center is a bad idea. "We could spend our money better on es- sential services like streets, lighting and wa- ter," Anderson said. If the city and Wolf Pen Creek do not reach TUESDAY • NOVEMBENN • 1997 an agreei►ic with the L posed a ho Northgate' Voters t, should be 1 The ball the city of (W construction of a conven The Wolf Pen Creek prc Street and Hblleman Drive, hotel, office (building and a inegotiations rich has pro - center on the le if the center it will be built. City Council of )teed with the center ?" d, at Dartmouth ides afull service Ptence center. F1 I City of College Station. News Date: Nov. 5, 197 Voters approve propose for confetence center BY OBER g S GI. i 1�?11 College Statiers approved a propos d Wolfe Stati - r s approved a propos dwolf Pen Creek hotel and conference center yeste College Station citizens voted by abc votes (2,106 to 1,8C7) for the city to procei construction of the conference center. The proposed ho 1 and conference center proved 4 -3 by the Co ege Station City Council College Station ayor Lynn McIlhane the deciding vote ' favor of a Wolf Pen Cr tel and conferenc center after the city cast a split vote in "I believe it(ho wonderful project "and I am very pleE who took time to say in the future of City officials pla Pen Creek Develop el anT cent for the community," sl sed with the number of ome out and vote and College Station." i to move forward with t vent Team, which has pr 300 with a $14 on Sheraton hotel and an $8 million office cente r r iext to the conference center. that voters have approved the referen- dum, w a will be able to sit down and work out a fi- nal a r ement with them (Wolf Pen Creek Team) det ' i g all of the aspects of the project," McIl- If ras ap- Pen ( i July. gotiE made prop A ho- Nort )uncil N the ,r) is a Mari said, U people lion lave a Tean TI e Wolf Stre( itiations between the city and the Wolf .Team fall through, the city will begin ne- i with the Leddy Company, which has a hotel and conference center on the "mud lot." mey said she expects construction of I and conference center to begin in '98. the proposal, the city will fund a $6 mil - erence center and the Wolf Pen Creek fund the hotel and office. olf Pen Creek proposal, at Dartmouth I Holleman Drive, includes a full service ce building and a conference center. c �1,�. 57, l 9 Date. V oters a By JENNY NELSON 1 �19� B Building c buld Eagle Staff , jj Writer � College Station voters said yes Tuesday to the city's proposed $6- million confer - believ s in its future," Mayor Lynn The ence center. Mc ey said Tuesday night. project With a 2,106 to 1,807 vote, the city' refer - The 45,000 square -foot conference center Creek 1 endum passed by a 54 percent margin and is the city's portion of a public - private "I a paves the way for a conference center to be partnE rship that will include a room behind built at Wolf Pen Creek. Sheral on Hotel and an 8,000 sq foot preside "I'm very proud of a community that office building. Corpor Center it r the citi From Al Statio 0 manimous decision — a 4-3 split vas the deciding vote. Anott er 4- vote immediately followed, vhich brought the conference enter proposal before the voters. lad the council chosen not o go he referendum route, they may Gave been forced into it, as a peti- ion calling for a`ieferendurn was irculating in town with hat rganizers said was enough sig- iatures to call an election. Studies and preparation fo the onference center has cost the ity about $93,000 in consultant Assistant City Manager 'om Brymer said. DePalma estimates that the Volf Pen Creek Team has spent 200,000 thus far on the proj . The final agreement bet veen he city and developer hass not een signed, but both sides said hey plan to begin imme iate cork on a finalized contract. Had Legotiations with the Wolf Pen ,reek team fallen through, city fficials said The ddy :ompany, the number two vel- per, would have been chosen. Drake Leddy of San An onio aid Tuesday that, despite not paving the city's partnership, his aam is moving forward with fans of its own. Although 1hose ,ave not been finalized, Laddy aid a decision on the hots on- arence center adjacent to the 'exas A &M University campus rill be reached by Thanksgi ing. Meanwhile, the Wolf Pen Creek Team and ing down project, w working d phase of a on the c spring. "I'm re< zens of C this preset nity for "It's or tourism A hotel-4 not be the Wolf Pen ( Wolf Pen C her of of restaurant him about area. "We're e ence ce thought CS center by April million private portion of the being built by the Wolf Pen alopmtsnt Team. shrilled that the citizens got project," said Joe DePahna , and C.E.O. of DePahna Hotel n, one member of the team. DePahna said he hopes to begin con- struction by April, with a completion date of June 1999. The council chose the Wolf Pen Creek Development Team out of four proposals, with the other three teams proposing the Northgate area of town as the site for the conference center. Choosing the team and site was not a Please see CENTER, Page AS .1 excited for is of College ecause this some great lity for the fy. It's only help the conomies of nd College ttion.9 7 3 HICKSON y officials are nail - specifies of their the development of rings being the next piect that has been s table since the sited for the citi- Station because me great opportu- e community," vid Hickson said. ng to help the ries of Bryan and rence center may V development at . Jim Allen of the Team said a num- s with Houston ns have contacted ne eateries in the for the taxpay- inst the confer - ded those who ral would mean • City 1, • • The Eag of College St Date: N 0v l U ongra n ce n all the bustle sum George Bush Presides er event of great imp( the excitement. On Tues go ahead to build a $6 in a I rivately owned Shera he vote is an expressi cit but the entire area. growth is critical if the ( he conference center m space. In union with erf W magnet for meets throughout the eastern 1 ho rs after the polls c] Valley called College Star ce ter for 1999, the year more organizations will the coming years. he people who come ne v Sheraton but in othi motel taxes they pay an bu V will pay for the coy en e center. Those peop stcres and buy gas at ou an I greater services for Perhaps it is fitting the on y two days before G A M University. The t trE mendously. People cc w' I want to spend a fei ad led draw for organizat Ar d people coming to ( Ceiiter will need a place Last week, we sure ( Sheraton will provide. A do a ceremonies won't be tinue to draw hundreds 4 In addition, by approv Pen Creek, the voters t( Wolf Pen Creek project t( cat become a reality. We applaud the voters to pprove a new city -om de ision, one we know tl te ding the 1 Library nce to the , College on hotel and in of confrdeni Voters under ty is to thriv( will have 45,0 the adjoining ;s by busine alf of Texas. ( )sed, one grc on City Hall t it will open. e arranging n ;o those meet r local hotels I the sales to Aruction and e will eat in • filling statio ll of us. t the voters a] orge Bush d( vo facilities ning to meet: hours tourii ons deciding )nferences at o stay. Auld have us .though the ci repeated, the f thousands o ng the hotel d city leader move forwar( of won't e [tion News T_ ations vote ication and opening of the Museum last week, anoth- nmunity's future got lost in ion voters gave the city the center in conjunction with jacent office building. in the future not only of the 1od that planned economic cell into the next century. square feet of usable meet - )tel, it will serve as a pow - 3s and organizations from Wednesday morning, only o from outside the Brazos xy and book the conference 'e are confident that many stings in the new facility in will stay not only in the I motels as well. The hotel - on the merchandise they gyration of the new confer- , restaurants, shop in our They will create new jobs ,oved the conference center cated his library at Texas 11 complement each other ;s at the conference center the Bush Library. It is an wre to hold their meetings. ie Presidential Conference the 200 extra rooms the i of people for the dedica- sidential Library will con - ople each year. conference center at Wolf at they are eager for the hat once was a dream still 1 for having the foresight nter. It was an important regret. The Eagle Cit y g of College Station News Date. • 0 uncil sets hearing CS reioninar bid • By JEN14Y NELSON and the er at Harvey Road Eagle Staff Writer 11112-19 and the Post Oak Mall entrance. The College Station City If appr ed, the contract is Counc' will get a chance to scheduled go to the low bid - hear public comments der, TLS Traffic Controls, Inc, Thursd y before deciding on a of Rivers [de, Texas. The total rezoning proposal in the project i3 estimated to cost Nantucket subdivision. $200,500. The requested rezoning The C t Council also is would allow the undeveloped schedule to consider staff portion of the south Colle a engineering rankings Station subdivision to built out for the Anderson Street reha- in smaller lots. bilitation project and the The public hearing is sch d- Graham Road improvement uled at 7 p.m. during the co project, ib a total projected cil's regular meeting at the cost of $3.5 million. College Station City Hall, 1101 Nine firms submitted state - Texas Ave. ments of qualifications for the The and currently is zon ad jobs and Aty staff then ranked for larg ar lots than the develop- the firms er would like to build. For the derson Street pro- Residents in the area oppos d ject, the umber -one ranked the ide to reduce the lot si2 es team is Municipal Design at a p lic hearing earlier this Group. year. Forth Graham Road pro- The Planning & Zoni ig ject, Wal o &. Associates was Commi ssion unanimou ly chosen. denied the request, saying tl at Negoti t ons with those the proposed rezoning is dill r- teams ar cheduled to begin if ent from the original mas er the coun ' approves the pro - plat. jects. Also n the agenda is the con- In an ternoon workshop siderat on of the purchase of session, a tour of the College two trATic signals, one at t e Station 1 1, blic Library, now interse ction of University under c truction, is sched- Drive and Glenhaven Street uled. • The Eagle City of College Station News Date: KIOV f 3 i i 1 9 1 7 Signs, By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff' Writer speed bumps to s�( w Munson traffic tation plan- through the spring. / �venues'pro- The Munson and Ashburn iething that ject began after complaints about cut - last council through traffic on the neighborhood streets. A city traffic count showed about vented cars 7,000 vehicles a day were using the street. Drive from The first plan, which began in May, low - llel street, ered the count to about 3,000 to 3,800 vehi- - ricaded and cles a day. "We're concerned that the neighbor - L vote led to — monitored i n tegrity," ident of odlands o. 1 bumps, $1,500 nstalled e ember, R. ed for r ections r, et and urd. y with is some- W e don't as pre - nce of changes M itional 0 The second effort to keep trai College Station's Munson Drive is uled to begin next week, city o announced Wednesday. This time, the effort to cut back street's traffic will include stop sig speed bumps. The new measures into effect Monday, taking the place ricades that have the street ix r� U Munsc Fr om' A 1 hoods in intain their said William Smith, x the College Neighborhood Associa Hard said the spe estimated. to cost beti and $2,50 each, won't 1 until so etime in depending on the weat The stc p signs are x the Muns n Avenue in of Rose ircle, Holt University Oaks Boule "We're not terribly 1 it but, as long as ther thing to help us out, want to r turn to how May 1997," Smith said. Hard stressed the iml being aware of the traff and watching for the stop signs Please see MUNSON, Page AS closed to trafric, city trans ner Ed Hard aid. "We got direction to do off would be less disruptive at hed- meeting," he said. vials The city's I efforts from turning onto Muns the Lincoln Avenue. A p and Ashburn Avenue, also was 1 go it, too, will be changed. bar- Last month; a 4 -1 City Co .ally new plan that Hard said w' Munsc Fr om' A 1 hoods in intain their said William Smith, x the College Neighborhood Associa Hard said the spe estimated. to cost beti and $2,50 each, won't 1 until so etime in depending on the weat The stc p signs are x the Muns n Avenue in of Rose ircle, Holt University Oaks Boule "We're not terribly 1 it but, as long as ther thing to help us out, want to r turn to how May 1997," Smith said. Hard stressed the iml being aware of the traff and watching for the stop signs Please see MUNSON, Page AS Date: CS voter's to 4 14 state amend By JE NELSON ■ Edit Eagle St. Writer move College Station voters will get their Creek chance on Tuesday to say yes or no to the posed city's proposed $6- million conference cen- $8 -mill ter. confer The conference center issue, included in "My the statewide constitutional amendment munit election, was approved by the City Council vote," in July. The site chosen — Wolf Pen Creek. Sunda If voters approve, city officials are set to "If ffiey ents also 'al /A6 ead with plans by the V velopment Team, which a $14- million Sheraton hote on office building adjacer nee center. ope is that the citizens of will take the time and get Mayor Lynn McBhan( . still have questions al ov, ) 3 3, 1997 50 cents et say i*n center on N project to call r X Pen then tab as pro- Voter and an is cord to the "Shall College it com- tion of a iut and If ne said Wolf Pe ranked )ut the become of in Tuesday's eleeti n ie that they will take the time ie city manager or City Hall ... time to vote." 1 not be choosing a site- specif- x center. The ballot reads: City Council of the city of on proceed with the construc- vention center ?" itions fall through between eek and the city, the second- The Leddy Company, would developer. If Leddy were cho- EWO court ju time more ion ige to hold at th than one ci ' a Development Board to transfer office existing bond authorizations for 4W for whi compensation. h the person r ives water supply, water quality, flood control or state participation From Al No. : The constit ttional from one category of use to anoth- amend ent to author' a the er category to maximize the use ment." Legislat ire to limit incre tses in of existing funds and relating to Both sides of the issue have the app iced value of re i nce more efficient operation of the sent direct mail pieces to citizens homest ds for ad valorem - bond programs. pleading each side's case. tion an to permit a sch 1 dis- No. 8: The amendment to the The College Station Center trio to culate the schoc I rop- Texas Constitution expanding Advocacy Group, whose $30,000 erty tax freeze applicable t the the types of liens for home equity political contributions have residenc a homestead of der- loans that a lender, with the aided in mailing;, is supported by ly persoi i or the surviving s use homeowner's consent, may place members of the Wolf Pen Creek of an e derly person, in a r- against a homestead. Development Team: Davis d ance m ith the law auth r zing No. 9: The constitutional McGill, Accord Commercial Inc., the tranifer of the school per- amendment to authorize the DePalma Hotel Corporation and ty tax ze to a different h me- Legislature to authorize an ad Da1Mac Construction Companies stead re of wheth r that valorem tax rate in rural fug pre- Inc. law was in effect at the ti ne the vention districts located in On the other s de of the camp is person stablished the n's Harris County of five cents on Brien Smith, local certified homeste 3A. each $100 of taxable value of prop- financial planne , who says there No. : The constit it erty. are too many pen -ended ques- amendn ient to author' a the No. 10: The constitutional tions that re in unanswered. Legislat ire to permit a U xing amendment designating the pur- He sent out 1, letters telling unit to grant an exempl io i or poses for which money in the voters to vote n . other r alief from ad v it orem compensation to victims of crime "The facts do not add up," he taxes on property on w i h a fund and the compensations to states. water cc nervation initiat v has victims of crime auxiliary fund But McUhanEy said she and been im lemented. may be used. other city offici have been up No. : The constit onal No. 11: The constitutional front with the c tizens and "have amendment eliminating d pli- amendment limiting the amount shown them th worst -case sce- sate nunbering in and of state debt payable from the nario." obsolete provisions of the exas general revenue fluid. Fourteen ^ ^Stitutional Constitution. No. 12: The constitutional amendments w' also be decided No. : The constit tonal amendment to establish a dead - on Tuesday. Th amendments as amend ent authorizing the line for Texas Supreme Court they read on thE ballot are: Tee upreme Court tol SR't to action on a motion for rehearing. No. 1: Th constitutional transau business at any 1 tion No. 13: The constitutional amendment to allow a person in the s a t e . amendment to encourage person who holds the o fice of municipal No. 6: The consti t onal to pay and save for young Texan' sen, the site also would change, as proposed building at the Northgat mud lot site. Selecting a site for the conference center brought a split City Council vote. Some still don't think the center is such a good idea. "I am not in favor of the conference cen- ter," Councilman Swiki Anderson said on Friday. "I don't think it's a good invest- Please see ELECTION, Page A2 amendr ent allowing the Texas college education to extend the 4W growth und to continue tA i i ivest full faith and credit of the state to in bus' Lesses without re ju Lring protect the Texas Tomorrow those usinesses to c is lose Fund as a constitutionally pro- invesbx nts in South or tected trust fund. Namib' . No. 14: The constitutional No. 7: The constit atonal amendment to allow the amen ent relating to thE a tho- Legislature to prescribe the qual- rizatioii of the Texas ater ifications of constables. sen, the site also would change, as proposed building at the Northgat mud lot site. Selecting a site for the conference center brought a split City Council vote. Some still don't think the center is such a good idea. "I am not in favor of the conference cen- ter," Councilman Swiki Anderson said on Friday. "I don't think it's a good invest- Please see ELECTION, Page A2 c 0 The Eagle City of College Station News J Date: I I -14 -9 CounciJ OlKs new zo g for Nantucket CS subdivision will change to single - family residential By KELLI LEVEY Eagle Staff Writer \\\ The College Station City Council approved a zon ing change for the Nantucket subdivision Thursda3 night after hearing from numerous residents or both sides of the issue. Developer Phyllis Dobson requested the zoninl change from agricultural to single- family residen tial for 52 acres in the front of the subdivision on the southwest corner of Texas 6 and Nantucket Drive. Dobson's proposal for the 'South Hampton subdi. vision calls for building 2. ,e homes per acre, as opposed to the eight homes per acre the previous zoning allowed. Sally Matthews said the new subdivision will spoil the "country atmosphere" that attracted her to Nantucket. "I would've never bought out there if I had known this was going to happen," she said. Councilman Dick Birdwell said Dobson's plans call for each lot to be at least twice as large as the minimum 1/8 acre the zoning guidelines dictate. "These lots are 8,500 squar feet and up," he said. "They certainly are not small residential lots for the city of College Station." Dobson assured the council that she plans to maintain the integrity of the subdivision she devel- oped on the south end of College Station. "I will do my very best to do a very nice develon- Please see ZONING, Page AS zoning ment at the front of Nantucket," she said. The council approved the rezoning 4 -0, with Councilman Steve Esmond abstaining after he stated he had a conflict of interest regarding the issue. Councilmen David Hickson and Hub Kennady were out of town. The council also approved an ordinance to reduce the speed limit on Munson Drive from 30 mph to 20 mph. In response to residents' com- plaints about a high volume of traffic, the city erected barriers to prevent through traffic on Munson and the adjacent street, Ashburn Avenue, for several months. The north end of Munson is scheduled to reopen Monday with additional stop signs along the street. Speed humps will be added along the street in December. In other business, College Station municipal employees soon will receive one -time $460 bonuses from the city's $2 million savings from last year. After the bonuses, approximately $590,000 of the savings will remain in the city's budget. 11 The Eagle City g of College Station News Date: l I ,) L - Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney and Coi K Moun Ian Clara ce get a look Thu nother lib By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer Eagle ph ty the new Colle�e Station Lil at scheduled to o6en In March 1 coming City officials aren't wasting time getting the word out about the next library to open in College Station. A week after the dedication of the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum Center, the City Counci on Thursday toured the College St tion Library, which is scheduled to open in March. This is a little smaller scale than we had last week," chairman of the Library Services Task Force Larry Ringer jok d as council members viewed the new fac' ity. The 16,500 square -foot library, still s ow- ing bare walls and floors, w for more than 100,000 books, "It's going to offer the peon munity more access to Community Librarian Clara Since 1987, the College St has been housed in a Texas ping center, where it has 5,C of space, and h as served as a Bryan Library The new Ii rary, located across from A &M Conso School, is 80 percent cc Charlie Shear, communicate mation services manager for Plebse see /Jenny Nelson �ibrary y, which is From A 3. 1 The price tag for the new library, complete with electronic o o n window shades, computer rooms and a puppet stage, is $2.6 mil - have room lion. The funds are coming from .nger said. resident - approved bond monies. in the coin- An additional $300,000, to sup - plement the bond funds, materials," ounce said. is being raised by the Library Services ion Library Task Force. So far, Ringer said, venue shop- $270,000 has been raised. square -feet A ceramic handprint tree is -anch of the one way the task force is raising the additional funds. For $250, a i F.M. 2818 child's name and handprint can lated High be added to the mosaic hand - plete, said painted tree. After the purchase s and infor- of the first tile, additional tiles le city. cost $200. Another fund - raising project is Y, Page AS terra cotta tile pavers that will line the entrance and walkways leading to the entrance. The tiles f will be inscribed with the donor's specified name or business. The cost varies from $50 to $500, depending on size. U • 79 Date: Kennady won't eek Z � � a return to CS co c ponent of revitalization it Northgate area. I believe he's aelped the city ke progress,' said Colleg( tion Mayor Lynr lhaney, who said she wil for re-election in May 's been very active in th( rthgate area." Kennady was elected mayor tem by fellow council mem s in 1996 an kept the title )ugh 1997. I think it's a oss to the cit! ause I think a works bar( the city.... H votes his con ous,I m said Co cilman La riott. Besides his push fo: Ahgate revitalization By JENNY NELSON pro Eagle Staff Writer the College Station Mayor o ma Tem Hub Kennady announ d Sta Wednesday that he will of Mc seek a fourth term on the City run Council. "He Kennady, 39, said his law No practice and family leave scarce time to volunteer on a pro council. ber "I hope that by announcing thr my intention early interes ed candidates will discuss t is bec matter with their families over for Thanksgiving and Christmas," sci he said in a written stateme t. Ma He could not be reached or further comment. No During his three terms on he council, Kennady has been a Please see KENNADY, Page A; Kennady From Al Kennady said he has worked to keep taxes low. During the past few months, marked by numerous split votes on the council, Kennady has been outspoken in debate. He voted against ranking the Wolf Pen Creek site as number one for the city's $6 million con- ference center project approved by the voters earlier this month. Kennady favored the pro- posed Northgate site for the pri- vate- public partnership in which a conference center will be built adjacent to a hotel. "I feel like his heart was right and his intentions were for the best of the community as a whole," McIlhaney said. Councilmen Mariott and Dick Birdwell both said they will seek another term. Each time Kennady ran for office he won with more than 60 percent of the vote. In 1994, he won in a landslide when he received 72 percent of the vote. In 1988, Kennady ran unsuc- cessfully as a write -in candidate for the Brazos County attorney seat. U High Plan t congei By PAT ABERNATHEY Eagle Staff Writer r 1 Since the early 1990s the Texas Department of Transportation has been drawing up plans for a ­�w state highway through south Illege Station. The 3.2 -mile stretch of pro- posed new road would connect Texas 6 and Wellborn Road. Officials with the Department of Transportation and College Station say this stretch of road will be a vital link in the traffic flow of the area. "The city, the county and TxDOT all thought this project was important to provide a major east -west highway," said College Station Transportation Planner Edwin Hard. "As development continued, we saw that we could not continue to funnel traffic down south Texas 6 and onto Texas Avenue." The estimated $4- million pro- ject would begin construction in 1999 and be completed by 2003, • Date: NGV ay � ease otion according to the De Transportation. One major milepos ject came on Oct. 2 department held a pt to gather and recc input and feelings or Federal officials ar the record of that me Residents of the a by the proposed higl sed concerns at the lic hearing. "My concern is th, traffic would create traffic situation at th section for us to get school," said Joe Di, on Barron Road, wr be intersected by Te "We are concernE rural area being c seems like they h made the decision. like they are really residents," Diaz said hearing. of in the pro- when the )lie hearing - d resident the project. reviewing bisected i expres- ber pub- t the flow of i hazardous main inter - :o work and z, who lives .ch is set to as 40. 1 about the ?stroyed. It ive already I don't feel listening to at the public Please see HIGHWAY, Page A2 Wellborn Road o-0 Z ,/ L w CID CD' o 4 e CD �. m o d ~ �p0 0 g od � o G a 0 CD na X Q o CD =r CO) C Q 0 0 Z CA CD CD CL } - -z . Cr m v oa a Page A2 The Bryan - College Station Eag Sunday, November 30, 1997 News Highway From A 1 Bob Appleton, advance planning engineer for the department's Bryan office, said the department would begin buying right of way once federal annroval is recPivP.d acres wr„ira „,,,,a • - 1, ,,,. a r__.., -- - in a road." As it stands, Appleton said, Texas 40 will be built in an area free of development. - Department officials even took into consid- eration the existence of an endangered plant in the area. Officials said land will be put aside to protect the endangered orchid Navasota ladies tresses. The history of the project stretches back county officials began ch a similar project. lea, was to take Greens meet it from Wellborn Texas 30 — a loop," ideas were discussed 1g his 16 -year tenure as oads, you will get devel- iis road would open up , elopment. It would also hound the city." plan for Greens Prairie Road died when funds from the state failed to come through. That original loop idea could come to fruition. Texas 40 could be extended at a future date to F.M. 2818, creating a loop around the Bryan- College Station area. The loop would encompass Texas 6 to the east and north, Texas 40 to the south and F.M. 2818 to the west and north. Road just east of Texas 6. Texas 40 will use the existing interchange of Texas 6 and Greens Prairie Road. Hard says the need for traffic relief exists even without further development. "We have sections of Texas Avenue that have 50,000 vehicles per day traveling on them," he said. "This [Texas 40] will bring more traffic to Wellborn Road and F.M. 2818." Hard said the project has been worked into master plans for the city, and is deemed essential for southern traffic flow. "Four or five years ago we began develop- ing new land -use plans with this highway taken into consideration," he said. • A4ar keting B r y an , Coll Station Growling number of attractions make promoting area easier, officials say By BLAIR FANNIN Bogle Staff Writer ith the newest and hottest attraction in the state now in the Bryan - College Station area, the Bush Presidential Library and Museum will draw thousands of tourists locally each year. But the library isn't the only new attraction to the area, with the recently approved Wolf Pen Creek hotel and conference center, and the soon -to-be- completed Reed Arena at Texas A &M University also coming on line. So, the question now is how do local officials market these facilities so that j they generate a good economic return? "With the Bush Library, we started promoting it three years ago because this business works that far in advance," said Dick Forester of the B ollege Station Convention and Vi ureau. "Last year, we booked 32 MNPgroups to come here, but this year, they are all coming to us now that the library has opened. We'll triple that easily next year." To get those tourists into Bryan and College Station, the sales people at the convention and visitor's bureau stay on the road year -round. Few officials from the bureau attended the library dedica- tion in November. Instead, they were in Tampa, Fla., at the National Tours Association convention selling this area. And it wasn't a hard sales job, either, Forester said, having a presidential library in your own backyard. "In the past, our staff has been down there seeking out those people from Texas saying, 'You need to book College Station, "' Forester said. "This year, they were coming to us." In December, they'll hit the American Motorcoach Association in Nashville, Tenn. "We'll do the same thing there like we did in Tampa," Forester said. "You go and have designated appointments. You get the list of group tour motor operators in advance. You designate who you want to have appointments with and are allotted eight minutes to present your sales pitch." Tour groups mean big money to the local area. The economic impact is $4.600 a night on a bus that carries 48 P�aengers. They spend money on everything firm fees, shopping, food. All of tha up," Forester said. C tion and Visitor Bureau staff also works with the Presidential PRESIDENTIAL CORRIDOR M W#1 M i JL r i ar ' gyp. n , . .. w.. -„fir _ Artist's drawing from the wolf Pen Creek Team's report The Wolf Pen Creek hotel and conference center (above) is one of a number of new and projected destination points for the Bryan and College Station area. Along with the newly opened George Bush Presidential Ka Library and Museum and the soon -to -open Reed Arena at Texas A &M University, the area Is growing in visitor attractions. Also, the Presidential Corridor (left), the route linking the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library with the Bush Library, should bring new visitors to the area, offi- cials say. Visitor Bureau Visitors Guide ig business locally. In runty tourism expendi- 1.88 million. Tourism people and returned $3.01 million in local tax The city of College Stati has made a strong push for tourism to researched locally, combining host of community leaders from both Bryan Please see FUTURE, Page E10 Map from the Bryan - College Station Convention Corridor Association, which was Forester si formed t1wee years ago, promoting sites Tourism along the way between Austin and 1995, Braz( College 3tation. tures were Work already has begun on develop- employed ing brochures for the new Wolf Pen approxima Creek h tel and conference center, receipts. , . .. w.. -„fir _ Artist's drawing from the wolf Pen Creek Team's report The Wolf Pen Creek hotel and conference center (above) is one of a number of new and projected destination points for the Bryan and College Station area. Along with the newly opened George Bush Presidential Ka Library and Museum and the soon -to -open Reed Arena at Texas A &M University, the area Is growing in visitor attractions. Also, the Presidential Corridor (left), the route linking the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library with the Bush Library, should bring new visitors to the area, offi- cials say. Visitor Bureau Visitors Guide ig business locally. In runty tourism expendi- 1.88 million. Tourism people and returned $3.01 million in local tax The city of College Stati has made a strong push for tourism to researched locally, combining host of community leaders from both Bryan Please see FUTURE, Page E10 Page E10 The Bry - Co Stat E agl e Sun day, N oveml E The recently opened George Bush Presidential Library and Museum Is expected to bring about 350,000 visitors to Bryan - College Station within the first year. Fut ure From E1 — and College Station who have joined forces to come up with fresh ideas on how to market the area's top sites. "There's been some discus- sion about doing additional marketing, that there should be more community market- ing," said College Station City Manager Skip Noe. "I think that is happening. The Convention and Visitor Bureau is making a strong effort, and the hotels in our area do marketing. I think the cities are involved in promot- ing the whole idea of communi- ty marketing." Ron Blatchley, owner /opera- tor of the local McDonald's restaurants, suggests a "desti- '?tion point" type attraction a built, using that community marketing approach. "Otherwise, how do we get these people to stay overnight ?," said Blatchley, who is a former Bryan mayor. "When you bring a kid to the library, they are going to look around at all it has to offer, but that lasts for only a short time. No one entity can do it alone. "There are the naturals, like a premiere golf course, a water recreation facility, an exhibi- tion center, recreation parks — we really need to focus on those. "It could really work well if we all collaborate together on it." Blatchley said if both Bryan and College Station and the county can collaborate togeth- er, "the bigger the destination point." It's going to take a collabo- rative effort," he said. "You don't want something where one city has something they have to say grace over." • National Archives and Record Administration photo • • U l ty h S fire stati BY JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer j � - I I J C� College Station week to hear about sidents will get a chance this the city's fire Plan. station relocation Neighborhood Meetings Wednesday a nd are set for Tuesday, sday to e scheduled move Southwood Valley t The f fire stat ion a No.ext year's Easterwood Airport 2 from wh public er doll ° out there," e meetings is to explain said Fire Currently, fire station Chief Dave Gird o ormation Boulevard. Giordano No. 2 is on Rio Grande said the overlapping coverage Part of the city. move will reduce the of some areas in the central "TT_ 11 00 relocation plan we are trying to give standardized coverage ti ughout the city," he said. e said the move also will improve access to areas a r ss Wellborn Road and the railroad tracks. e new station is a joint project with Texas A &M C i ersity the city and Easterwood Airport. Cur, the city is working on an interlocal a eement with A &M to allow a fire engine from the Ri Grande Boulevard station to be moved to the Ea t rwood location. 's meeting is set for 7 esday wood Valle p m• in the Y Elementary School cafeteria 27 , Brothers Blvd. Wednesday's meeting is set for 7 p M. in the A &M Consolidated High School cafete- ria, 701 F.M. 2818. Thursday's meeting is set for 7 P.M. in the Rock Prairie Elementary School cafete- ria, 3400 Welsh Ave. 1_ J r • • • E arage We canij C olne l to terms 07 a utu al agreergent, so Li on, this resol u uthorize co c fl adopts it, woad ova fo el, ito ecounc [ 4r , consider a real i ch6d 'to estate c t ract w ' Richar Harm Part Of the , 'Ining, who own the other PrOPOsed er t 0 - -t As - for ' Um A r 11well d he sup deninati.n n it'. best :he pports lic's interest, - the pub don't rest bqt.'"wh s upport the en I t ! �11 P ion. 1 Z= dr, 7 said to Use if f 1 int, but I times W complet . Coll" Prefer to ty 11 • said the ci rymer- th e in nego conde He Said Is tiations. C government;J1 b Possibilit - Vas a Scan co ndemn prope Od 'es approved was such as thi if a good f cases ny , - fa ith R r atiOn effort has alth hegofi- was one O 'nino, 'w6 all"knew th date rnlined that failed and it is f the th ings - that Might or pub , sai needed f I the p happen, h e d lic Use. �;MAAVC,­J l C ouncil members appr sal the r"Italizatio i ; d of the N d the i P k U garage e sand, ar home to In a split 4-3 vot Year the future 750-space' to 1 0, and two, W h o garage, Parking voted aga Inst it say I " lias bee a strategic issue Lion Is not right i On, With the Ci CO few Years ty Cou ncil for the Past uncillnen Dick Bita The Implemen' Swiki ' Anderson-al redevelOPment ation t f that 'd 'WNS PI that �they Td May d has ee 0 Motio Th will not SU P ,66 ft . 41ie .. are with ,a b . nW11 r 11 taking ursday !n t, Of acts do :not erson" c 6 u 4 P 0 is And L ?,,,# tile g ihe 1'-d arage th t the city 011ot su pport co MPeting i rt �� t an arena " best "" to the private L4 *f A petiti tb Wftor t S the Parkin" asking the city * i on g garage On a r to put p J� er d 115 s un, ballot , wh ich eferen- a isl)a he has Anderso Byzne j4 lh " 40 rthgate ro_ n said r Sai th p signed curren were 13 Wing throuj� ut the cit tly is cim Oy. d Of 1.5, Parcels of, w ere cOn defied to build the pa lot_ • • Date: 1 Z 1 10 Ag full r last • ounci CS l • etin E agle JENNY NE SON 9 Staff Wrie � Z � � � One iss e on the agenda is - sideration f a request from A &M The Colleg Station Ci United ethodist Church, which will meet Th sday for its 1 t cil occupies s ace on both sides of Lodge lar meeting of e year whit gu Street. The c urch has asked the City imt"mi a lot of 1} means Council t onsider closing Lodge hed business is sched- Street for s uled to be disc ssed. ty reasons. vow In their only scheduled meetin for approv , the closure would be a the month, co cil members are set temporary tal -run to test the altered to discuss pro osed amendments to traffic patte s caused by the closure, the city's zon• g regulation on is to said Jim C way, development ser- less telecomm iregul towers, re- vices direct r fo id that, althou r the city. p Callaway s c asing the G eens Prairie Water cit Tower for $1.2 y staff re o illion, a contract for mends the temporary the Bee Creek amage Project and a 1�' city ° 1 ials have heard some array of topics. pposition t the plan by the owners p City Manager ki Noe said several of Universi y Bookstore, who say of the meetin ' their delive F g agenda items, must ucks will have diffi- be approved by an. 1 to meet must cultly access the store. dar year deadlin s. The chang so would reverse the The council eets at 3 one way tr 1 pattern on adjacent workshop sessio and at p'm. for a Patricia Str et, Callaway said. If the regular meet p m for approved, th losure woul Texas Ave. Sout •gat City Hall ; 1101 d kill on I Please a COUNCIL, Page A2 • to Southwest Parkway to F.M. Council 2818. If awarded, the contract would include the design, preparation From A of plans and contract documents; _ and construction, administration street parking on Lodge Street. and inspection services related to "We don't have any problems the improvements associated trying it," Noe said. with Bee Creek. Eva Reed - Warden, a member of Residents along the creek area the church, said children's pro- have experienced flooding on sev- • grams meet on one side of the eral occasions, and city officials street, forcing the children to say the redesign should alleviate shuffle back and forth between the flooding. buildings. Also on the agenda is a public "We've had a lot of near miss- hearing and the c:onsidera` of es," she said. a resolution that woul adopt In other business, the council land -use fees in the Lick r eek, is scheduled to consider award Nantucket and Pebble HiiP sub - ing a $254,000 contract to Klotz divisions and Greens }airie Associates for Bee Creek channel Road areas. improvement from Texas Avenue The fees would be chargi &) land owners to recover the cat` cost of sewer trunk lines cor .- structed in the areas during capi- tal improvement projects. Another issue scheduled for a vote is the hiring of a consulting firm to assess the condition of Adamson Pool, which city offi- cials say is' in need of a renova- tion. This year's budget included $39,600 for the study. • 1 emning acreage College Station city offici:,is are moving forward with laps for the $6.8 million College Main Parking Garage. On Thursday, the City Council will consider a resolution that Would allow city staff to move ahead with acquisition of the it through con- xr owners of the e site, Abbas Ali more than the city has suggest- s, Assistant City Brymer said • Garage From I Al "we can't come to terms on a mutual agreement, so this resolu- tion, if council adopts it, would authorize attorneys and staff to move forward," he said. The council also is scheduled to consider a real estate contract with Richard Benning, who owns part of the proposed lot. As for the other two owners, Brymer said the city is in negotiations. He said governmental bodies can condemn property in cases such as this if a good -faith negoti- ation effort has failed and it is determined that the property is needed for public use. Council members approved the parking garage earlier this year in a split 4 -3 vote, and two who voted against it say condemna- tion is not right in this case. Councilmen Dick Birdwell and Swiki Anderson said Tuesday that they will not support the motion Thursday. "I do not support the garage," Anderson said. "I do not support the city competing in an arena best left to the private sector." A petition asking the city to put the parking garage on a referen- dum ballot, which Anderson said he has signed, currently is circu- lating throughout the city. Birdwell said he supports con- demnation when it's in the pub- lic's best interest, but "when I don't support the parking project, it's hard to support condemna- tion." Mayor Lynn Mellhaney said she feels the city uses condemna- tion carefully. "I would prefer not to ever have to use it from a personal stand- point, but I also realize there are times when it is necessary to complete a project," she said. Councilman Larry Mariott said the condemnation process was a Possibility when the garage was approved. "In my mind, we all knew that was one of the things that might happen," he said. Brymer said the revitalization of the Northgate area, home to the future 750 -space parking garage, has been a strategic issue with the City Council for the past few years. "The implementation of that redevelopment has been taking place with a number of projects in that area," he said. "This is just another step in carrying out that long -term strategic issue." The city's Patricia Street Promenade project, under con- struction, will add another 115 Parking spaces in the Northgate area, Brymer said. In that pro- ject, he said 13 of 15 parcels of land were condemned to build the parking lot. rl L___A Date: Friday, De cember 12, 1 997 OK g i s v By JENNY NELSON Eagle ,Staff Writer No. The College Station City Council, in a 43 vote, Thursday night gave city staff the go-ahead to begin the process of condemn- ing land for a $6.8- million park- ing garage in the Northgate area. The 1.5 acres needed for the 750 - space garage is owned by four individuals, one of whom isn't happy with the $85,000 offer extended by the city. Landowner Abbas Ali Hassan refused the city's offer, which led to council's condemnation vo icials say condemnation is possible if a good -faith effort has been made to deal with the property owner and it is deter- mined that it is a public necessi- n to co de n land street to close for 30 days By JENNY NELSON, Eagle Ste f Writo r The College Station City Council on Thursday unanimously approved a 30-day trial closure of a street in the NDrthgate area. The temporary closure of Lodge Street was requested by members of the A &M United Methodist Church, which has buildings on both sides of the sta eet. This is a high priority for our church," Pastor Charles Anderson told the council. Anderson said safety for church members is the Please see STREET, Page A2 ty. Proponents of the gar said in the Northgate area, urged the Hassan is o t of the country the time to build is now, i the council to move forward despite and could not reached for com- city as the logical develo r the opposition to the garage. ment Thursday. Don Anz, owner of Caf E ccell "The time is now, let's not let it 50 ccnts number one reason for the closure request, as a number of "near misses" have occurred when chil- dren and the elderly have crossed the street. The (church will pay the expenses for the clo- sure, which Anderson said will take place in the spring semester. The closure also will reverse the one traffic pattern on adjacent Patricia Street and elin inate on- street parking on Lodge Street. Erni Camp, who owns the nearby University Booksto e� opposed the temporary closure, saying that de very trucks will have difficulty getting pass," he said. Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney said the parking garage needs the city's involvement. "The reason it is important for the city to be involved is because of the multi-ownership over there," she said. "For the revitalization of Northgate to occur, the city must be a part- ner." But Councilmen Dick Birdwell, Steve Esmond and Swiki Anderson didn't think condem- nation was right in this case. "I do not regard the parking garage as an essential city Pro- ject," Esmond said. Anderson and Esmond both have said they want to take the project, which will eliminate on- Please see COUNCIL, Page A2 0 Council from A1_ street parking in the area, to the voters in a referendum. "We gave voters a shot on whether to build $6- million con- ference center and we're not going to give them a chance to vote on a $6.8- million parking garage," Esmond said. Mayor Pro Tem Hub Kennady said the parking garage is a step in revitalizing the Northgate area that has been talked about for the past 20 years. "This serves an area of the city that doesn't have a big voice in this city," he said. "The parking garage is just a step, but it's -not going to solve the problems." Another identical 4 -3 vote approved a real estate contract with Richard Benning, who owns Part of the lot where the proposed garage will be built. As for the other two owners, Assistant City Manager Tom Brymer said the city still is in negotiations. Benning, who will be paid $27,560 for his lot, said the park- ing garage will give College Station amenities to boast about and will allow the city to get badly damaged streets and sidewalks up to par. 3RRECTIC Due to incorrect information submitted to The Eagle, there were some inaccuracies in Thursday's Spotlight about Ti* Sieker Band's performance schedule. The band will be pre- sented the keys to the city of College Station by Mayor Lynn McIlhaney at the Memorial Student Center Flag Room at 5 p.m. Saturday and will conduct a banjo workshop until 6 p.m. Street From A 1 access to his business. If I've got to live with it, I'll do it, but I think the city should pur- sue other options," he said. In other action, the council awarded a $254,000 contract to Klotz Associates for channel improvement work on Bee Creek from Texas Avenue to Southwest Parkway to F.M. 2818. The contract includes the design, preparation of plans and contract documents, construction administration and inspection services related to the improve- ments associated with Bee Creek. City officials said about 18 homes along the creek area have experienced flooding on several occasions. The new design pro- poses to eliminate this flooding. The council also approved amendments to the city's zoning regulation on wireless telecom- munication towers, with Councilman Dick Birdwell cast- ing the lone no vote. "I'm amazed at your desire to regulate everything there is," he told the council. "With the wis- dom of you folks, we can iesulate everything and we are." Other council members, how- ever, said they feel like there should be some regulation, espe- cially around residential areas. The new amendments, sched- uled to comply. with the Telecommunications Act of 19%, limit the size and aesthetics of the towers. In another matter, the council approved the purchase of four single - family lots in Churchill Estates for $56,000. The lots are to be used in the city's Community Development program, which provides affordable housing for lower income and first -tune home buyers. City officials said the goal is to stabilize a neighborhood with home owners instead of renters, who predominantly occupy the area. • Oil bust pushed lexas cities into economic deyelopment By ELREY ASH ,Special to The Eagle Across the nation today, economic development is videly accepted as a rea- sonable and iin)ortant.function of local government. Ev n as late as 19 howev- er, economic evelopment as not a function that n iost cities in Texas felt was their res nsibility. But by 1982, there were seve al factors that may have influenced a hange in attitude. Fi st, there was a noticea le down- turn in the Texas econ- omy due to tl a bust in the oil industry and closings of many Texas air bases. out the same time, tie Texas ASH Legislature pproved tax abaterr. ent to encourage econ mic growth in he state. Diversity was needed It was at that time that Colle a Station leaders began to take a hard lopk at the city tax rate, comparing that to - he grow- ing school tax rate. They rea.ized the community would not be able tp contin- ue to thrive economically as only a bed- room commun 'ty to Texas A &M University with iomeowners picking up the entire tax bill. College Statioh needed to diversify its tax base through new business and industry in order I support the quality of life that had coirie to be expected. Today, as a result of that thiniing and a commitment to diversifying the econo- my, the city has an attractively devel- oped business center that opened in November 1996 md has two confirmed high qu ity tenants and others showing great in rest. Why- a incentives important? Many eople suggest that businesses will come without incentives. But the reality i that high - quality businesses, like those We wish to attract, operate in a marketp ace where incentive packages are offer d to them by fine communities through at the state and nation. While we do n t wish to attract any and all businessi s and some that we want to attract w R not come, we also realize that incentives have been necessary for us to compete or the high - quality businesses. When o offer incentives, we always identify tie pay -back period and contrac- tually b' d the business to stay here for a certain Viod of time. We do not offer any abatement of school taxes as a part of the incen ive package. In fact, our public schools have benefited from the addi- tional aisle value placed on the tax rolls as a result of economic development efforts. At preE efit, the city has used incen- tives valt led at approximately $1.3 mil- lion to lee age over $22 million in capi- tal invest Ent creating 820 new jobs. For no , the use of incentives is the way citie are operating in the '90s if they wan to stay economically healthy. It may no always make sense or be ben- eficial to operate in this way but, for the present, it appears to be the method of operation l for most municipalities involved ' I economic development. For more! information about economic development, call Elrey Ash at 764 -3570. ■ Elrey Ash, , is the director of Economic Developme t! for the City of College Station. • 1� Speed h Avenue's By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer College Station's Munson Avenue is undergoing a change this week — speed humps are being added to the street that has been the focus of much attention this year. Complaints from Munson Avenue resi- dents — including that 7,000 vehicles drive on tl&ktreet every day and that there was TISr ; h cut- through.traffic — prompted Date: � z I I -- 1 December 17, 1997 50 cents I P s slow Munson increased affic count, planner says Street the ch the Ci y Council to look at ways to reduce such of ic. "So ar, I think it's goirg fairly smooth," transl ortation planner Ed Hard said Tuesd ty of the latest chaj iges. The fast attempt inch ded a six-month parti closure but, last month, the City Coun it decided that app oach was not the best ay to keep traffic Out of the neigh- as VNT signs, residents on nearby streets, such more Avenue, Glenhaven Street, Nunn count: i Walton Drive, were glad to see and said they were tired of the traffic coming into their neigh- Duncil decided to give the traffic another try, this time with stop �e duced speed limit and speed d the traffic count now is an of 4,500 vehicles a day, about 1,000 lian the partial - closure traffic The partial closure cost the city about $7,500 for barricades and signs, Hard said. The current trial project's cost has not been calculated, Hard said, but speed humps cost between $1,500 to $2,000 each. The city is installing five speed humps on Munson Avenue. I think we'll see the speeds go down some," Hard said. "The speed humps are going to force people to drive slower." Please see MUNSON, Page AS Munson r: From A i� He said going the 20 -mph speed limit, reduced from 30 mph, is a must when driving over the humps. The council should get the results of the latest trial project sometime in the spring, Hard said. Officials defend condeml�ing land By JENNY NELSON Eagle Staff Writer College Station city officials said Tuesday public funds limit their property - buying power and the only solution to acquire land for projects such as a proposed parking garage in the Northgate area is condemnation. The city is beginning the process of condemning one -third of an acre for the College Main Parking Garage because the owner won't take less than $200,000 —more than twice the appraised value, Assistant City Manager Tom Brymer said. "In being stewards of public funds, we have to pay for what we're buy' g," Brymer said in defending the city's $85,000 offer to landowne Abbas Ali Hassan. Brymer said governmental bodies can condemn property in cases such this one if a good - faith negoti tion effort has failed and it is c etermined that the property is needed for public use. Hassan is one of four people who own parts of the 1.5 -acre site in Northga proposed for the parking gar ge. A contract with another ow4r, Richard Benning, was approve by the City Council last week for more than twice the appraised value for his smaller portion of th3 area. Pleaselsee LAND, Page AS • • Id Land From 1�►1 '. Brymer said Benning's land was "a different piece of proper- ty" and that it was on a much smaller scale. The remaining two property owners are in negotiations with the city. Todd McDaniel, assistant com- munity development director, said they expect to be able to set- tle those cases without condem- nation. Another aspect of Hassan's property is the tenant — a Muslim congregation. Brymer said the tenant may qualify for $20,000 in relocation funds through the U.S. Housing and Urban Development's relocation act. No ruling on the owner or ten- -ant relocation reimbursement under the HUD act has been received, he said. But city officials said they don't want to play it safe when it comes to the relocation assistance after a similar situation this year with the owners of a Northgate eatery called Burger Boy. In that case, city officials said the business owner, a tenant of the city, did not qualify for the funds but, after months of negoti- ation and an appeal filed by the restauranteur, HUD ruled that the owner did qualify. Hassan's attorney, Michael Landrum of Houston, said Tuesday he will present "relative facts about the property" when the case goes before an appointed committee that will oversee the eminent domain hearings. By BLAIR FANNIN Eagle Staff Writer In what economic officials hope will ead to the recruitment of a future semicon uc- for company, Universal Computer Systems broke ground Thursday on its 215,000 square -foot facility at The Business Center in College Station. The $30- million software develop ent firm proved to be the ar ea biggest b i- ness announcement in 1997. It's also the biggest computer company locally sin e a facility for Texas Instruments closed down. Universal Computer Services is what economic officials hope will be a series of fa cl'o 11* expanding in Houston," he said. "This is a chance for our young A gies to stay here in Bryan- College Station," said Richard S. Smith, chairman of the Economic Development Corp. "This is also good for the people because it will incr ase the tax base. It will be a bell-cow for other high -tech companies to locate here in our community." Universal Computer Systems offers its services not only in the United States, but across the world. It has expanded its usi- ness into the United Kingdom, Me ico, China, Bolivia, Brazil and, just last w ek, Argentina. Please see LOCAL, Page nign -tec computer compan e locally s they attempt to a chip ma lufacturer in the fut "One f the things this does i on the high -tech map," sa Worley, president and CEO of College Station Economic DE Corp. Universal Computer Systems, tially will employ 800 people, I first big tenant in The Bus' E The Business Center is next d Pebble Creek subdivision ins t Station - currently the fas e housing market in the area. Bob Br1ockman, president an the manufacturer of harp( vane Local CEO, said and soft- From A9 The company supplies dealer- ships with hardware, software and support systems dealing with all facets of the automobile business, including accounting, inventory and more. The compa- ny also has a facility in Detroit, which serves as a programming interface for Ford Motor Company. The company will employ a number of software personnel and also fill positions in industri- al distribution, marketing, elec- ttonics repair and assembly. The College Station facility will be a hardware home base, Brockman said. The company also is diversified with its prod- ucts and services. Its rental sys- tem service, which sets up com- puters for companies that put on large training seminars, has "just been exploding," he said. ware systems for the automotive industry could have expanded on its 32 area site next to its Houston headquarters. Instead, officials opted for Colleg Station, which feeds a number of Texas A &M University graduates into the com- pany. "I've lived in Houston for 32 years," Brockman said. "But it's a big city. Bryan- College Station has a lot of attributes. It's a good place for our people to live." Executive vice president Rob Nalley, a 1965 A &M graduate, also played a big role in locating the company's expansion facil- ity in College Station. "We've hired quite a few Ags and our expansion plans fit better here than "It's good for businesses or major corporations that have training meetings and need com- puters," Brockman said. "It's a lot like a rent -a -car operation." Recruiting Universal Computer Systems wasn't easy for local economic and govern- ment officials. College Station beat out Norman, Okla., and Auburn, Ala. Incentives offered to get the company located in College Station included 30 acres of land in The Business Center; $350,000 in cash over three years; and a partial city tax abatement for 10 years.