Bryan city councilman James Edge visits with WTAW’s Scott DeLucia about this week’s city council meeting, the Kimbell Feed Building in Downtown Bryan, development at Midtown Park, the future use of Edible Field, incentives the city could offer, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs on Thursday, June 5, 2025.
Listen to “Bryan Mayor Pro Tem James Edge on WTAW” on Spreaker.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has announced the latest in detours and closures associated with the “Big 6” Construction project. FRIDAY, JULY 10 Southbound mainlanes between Harvey Road and Texas Avenue – Full Closure – 8:30 p.m. – 6:30 a.m. All southbound traffic must exit through the Southwest Parkway exit ramp and may re-enter the mainlanes at the Texas Avenue/Deacon Drive traffic signal. Additionally, the ramps north of Harvey Road, Southwest Parkway and Harvey Mitchell Parkway will be closed. Please note that ramp closures will begin at 7:30 p.m. SUNDAY, JULY 12 Northbound mainlanes between Barron Road and Harvey Road – Full Closure – 7:30 p.m. – 6:30 a.m. All northbound traffic must exit at Rock Prairie Road and may re-enter the mainlanes south of Harvey Road. Entrance ramps south of Barron Road, Harvey Mitchell Parkway, and Southwest Parkway will also be closed. Drivers traveling to Texas Avenue should use Harvey Mitchell Parkway/Southwest Parkway and turn left onto Texas Avenue. When the mainlanes reopen, northbound traffic will be shifted from the existing mainlanes onto the newly constructed temporary widening pavement. Drivers should be alert for the new traffic pattern and follow all posted signs. MONDAY, JULY 13 Northbound mainlanes between Barron Road and Harvey Road – Full Closure – 7:30 p.m. – 6:30 a.m. All northbound traffic must exit at Rock Prairie Road and may re-enter the mainlanes south of Harvey Road. Entrance ramps south of Barron Road, Harvey Mitchell Parkway, and Southwest Parkway will also be closed. Drivers traveling to Texas Avenue should use Harvey Mitchell Parkway/Southwest Parkway and turn left onto Texas Avenue. When the mainlanes reopen, northbound traffic will be shifted from the existing mainlanes onto the newly constructed temporary widening pavement. Drivers should be alert for the new traffic pattern and follow all posted signs. TUESDAY, JULY 14 Southbound mainlanes between Harvey Road and Texas Avenue – Full Closure – 7:30 p.m. – 6:30 a.m. All southbound traffic must exit through the Southwest Parkway exit ramp and may re-enter the mainlanes at the Texas Avenue/Deacon Drive traffic signal. Additionally, the ramps north of Harvey Road, Southwest Parkway and Harvey Mitchell Parkway will be closed. When the mainlanes reopen, northbound traffic will be shifted from the existing mainlanes onto the newly constructed temporary widening pavement. Drivers should be alert for the new traffic pattern and follow all posted signs. WEDNESDAY, JULY 15 Southbound mainlanes between Harvey Road and Texas Avenue – Full Closure – 7:30 p.m. – 6:30 a.m. All southbound traffic must exit through the Southwest Parkway exit ramp and may re-enter the mainlanes at the Texas Avenue/Deacon Drive traffic signal. Additionally, the ramps north of Harvey Road, Southwest Parkway and Harvey Mitchell Parkway will be closed. When the mainlanes reopen, northbound traffic will be shifted from the existing mainlanes onto the newly constructed temporary widening pavement. Drivers should be alert for the new traffic pattern and follow all posted signs. TxDOT encourages drivers to watch for changing traffic patterns, be sure to follow signs, and to always use caution.
Missed The Infomaniacs this week? Catch up with our interviews from the past few days. Wednesday: John Nichols Listen to “College Station Mayor John Nichols on The Infomaniacs” on Spreaker. Thursday: Hayden Johnson Listen to “Bryan Aquatics Coordinator Hayden Johnson on The Infomaniacs” on Spreaker. Friday: Jeff Kersten Listen to “College Station Assistant City Manager Jeff Kersten on WTAW” on Spreaker.
The College Station City Council met for almost 3 hours Thursday night, convening at 6:00pm and adjourning just before 9:00pm. All items on the consent agenda were approved without discussion or objection: Contract with D.I.J. Construction Inc. for annual traffic pavement striping and markings services, not-to-exceed $500,000 for maintenance activities associated with pavement marking applications on all street types. Contract with Jaco Roofing & Construction, Inc. in the amount of $128,400 for the roof replacements at 304 Holleman Drive East (Fire Station #1), 1015 Colgate Drive (Wolf Pen Creek Park green room), and 1600 Rock Prairie Drive (Bachmann Park Community Center), plus contingency in the amount of $12,840 for a total appropriation of $141,240. Sponsorship agreement with Athletes Unlimited Softball League for the AUSL Championship Series on July 23-27, 2026 for an amount not to exceed $160,743. Franchise agreement ordinance with United Site Solutions, LLC for the collection of recyclables from commercial businesses and multi-family locations. Annual clothing and miscellaneous items price agreements with C.C. Creations for $195,000 and M&M Apparel for $80,000 for a total estimated annual expenditure not to exceed $275,000. Contract award to Renegade Group, LLC for an electrical overhead crossing relocation and improvement related to the Hwy 6 widening project, for an amount not to exceed $145,583.72. The workshop agenda took the majority of the evening, specifically the presentation and discussion on incentives to increase housing density. The conversation looped back many times to “impact fees,” and whether or not the fees could be waived for a developer. They cannot. The buzzwords of the night were “middle housing.” You could sense that the council wanted to make an impact that would allow for more people to own homes within the city. They weren’t looking for more multi-family housing, although they acknowledged that an increase in the number of available apartments could likely cause rents to drop. What was decided upon is a pilot program to encourage townhome development. Townhomes require a smaller footprint than the traditional single family home, allowing for more living quarters utilizing less acreage. While townhomes can be purchased by companies as investments, they’re hoping that the residences will be owner-occupied. The council unanimously voted 7-0 in favor of changing the land use designation for the 7.2 acres on Harvey Mitchell South between Dartmouth Street and the Earl Rudder Freeway from General Commercial to Urban Residential. The council again voted unanimously in favor of changing zoning for that area from GC (General Commercial) & OV (Corridor Overlay) to MF (Multi-Family) & NAP (Natural Areas Protected). The final regular agenda item was an ordinance amendment in the Wolf Pen Creek Zoning District. This area extends from Texas Avenue to the Earl Rudder Freeway. It’s tricky, though. West of Dartmouth Street, it extends from Harvey Road to Holleman Drive. On the east side of Dartmouth Street, it extends south from Holleman Drive, but not all the way to Southwest Parkway. Clear as mud, right? Please see the graphic I have attached at the bottom of this story. The WPC Zoning District is shaded in gray. The reason there was a request to change to ordinance was to allow for a micro-mobility retailer to display vehicles in front of their business. The council was split on this one, but as Councilman Bob Yancy said, “Let ’em do business!” The ordinance change was approved 4-3. If you would like to view the packets for any of tonight’s presentation, you can do so by clicking on the title of the item you wish to view. Parks Update Housing Density Harvey-Dartmouth Land Use-Rezoning WPC UDO Amendment
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