By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press
A dedicated U-turn and lighting for that turn will be in the works soon for the intersection of Business 190 and Constitution Drive.
The Copperas Cove city council approved an advance funding agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for a project that will install U-turn markings and install another traffic signal over eastbound Business 190.
After the installation and new lights, drivers will be able to make a U-turn at that intersection.
When the Business 190 sidewalk and median project was completed in 2023, the intersection was found to have traffic flow issues. Originally, the median was planned to allow for a dedicated left turn/U-turn lane for Business 190. However, toward the end of the project, the striping for this turn was changed to a solid yellow line – meaning that traffic in this lane wasn’t allowed. When city administration discussed the issue with TxDOT, the reason for not being able to use that lane as a left turn/U-turn lane is because the traffic signal mast wasn’t long enough to add the traffic signal for the left/U-turn.
The cost to the city for this is $33,350.70 which will come from unused 2017 Certificates of Obligation funds. TxDOT will be 100 percent responsible for any cost over-runs.
A new strategic plan, along with a strategic marketing plan, will be in the works sometime in the future for the City of Copperas Cove, after discussions Tuesday evening. After some discussion, the council concurred to look into engaging the services of TIP Strategies for a marketing plan. TIP Strategies helped the Copperas Cove EDC craft its strategic plan. Internally, the city staff itself will develop its own strategic plan for presentation to the council.
A public hearing was held prior to the council approving a Conditional Use Permit by Noemi Carranza for 1533 E. Business 190. This permit allows for a church on the property which is zoned Retail and Commercial (RC) district.
The council also approved an amendment that will be executed for the Professional Services Agreement already in place with Strand Associates, Inc. This is for the design and construction phase services for the Northwest Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Clarifier Rehabilitation Project.
The council also directed the city to go forward with a proposal for consulting services to create a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone in Copperas Cove as an economic development tool.
The council also approved the execution of a Utility Connection Charge Agreement with Dominion Privatization Texas, LLC in the amount of $5,000,000 for the West Fort Cavazos Energy Resiliency Project under the 2023-2024 Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant (DEAAG) award.
The council held an approximately 45-minute closed session, during which it discussed two economic development prospective projects, Project Hometown Hero and Project Ironwood, and the offer of a financial or other incentive to those prospects, as well as deliberated an expansion of the current lease agreement with AT&T Mobility at Hogg Mountain, and the evaluation of City Manager Ryan Haverlah. It emerged from that session and took no action on any of those items.
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