County moves forward with Master Thoroughfare Plan following successful workshop

Following a successful workshop Sept. 30, Hood County officials are wasting no time in moving forward with the proposed updates to the Master Thoroughfare Plan.

“The feedback during the Sept. 30 workshop was great, and the data modeling that the North Central Texas Council of Governments provided looked really good,” Precinct 2 Commissioner Nannette Samuelson said, during a regularly scheduled Hood County Commissioners Court meeting Oct. 8. “So, unless someone on the court believes we should hold additional planning sessions or workshops, I feel we're ready to move forward."

The Master Thoroughfare Plan — also called MTP — is a long-range plan that serves to guide the location, size and timing of roadway improvements needed to support a city’s growth.

During the meeting last month, it was revealed that the main objective of an MTP is to alleviate traffic congestion, which ultimately led to the creation of Hood County’s six “priority corridors,” — meaning roadways that need immediate attention.

The six priority corridors include:

• Pecan Plantation South Access — will gain new access routes to the south.
• Stroud Creek Connectivity — addresses safety concerns for a residential neighborhood that often becomes isolated during floods.
• Old Granbury Road Improvements — currently two lanes, the road is projected to require expansion to four lanes due to increasing traffic demands.
• Fall Creek Highway Relief Route — identified as a congested north-south route that needs additional connections to accommodate planned development in the area.
• Mitchell Bend Highway Extension — aims to improve access to the southeast part of the county, which is currently somewhat cut off by the lake.
• Misty Meadows Drive Extension — proposed to enhance access for nearby schools by connecting to the loop.

After presenting the proposed roadway improvements, it was revealed by Ryan Jones, team leader at Teague Nall & Perkins Inc., that the modeling results showed to have a “positive impact” on highly congested roadways like State Highway 144, U.S. Highway 377, Fall Creek Highway and State Highway 171 near Cresson.

Following public discussion, Jones explained that the next steps in the Master Thoroughfare Planning process involve compiling feedback from the steering committee, the court and the public to determine if any revisions or adjustments are needed in their proposals.

He explained that once feedback is incorporated, an updated map and draft report will be prepared, and then a subsequent workshop or presentation will be held to share the final recommendations, which will be brought to the Hood County Commissioners Court for approval.

However, former Precinct 4 Commissioner Steve Berry later revealed in the workshop how important it is for the Hood County Commissioners Court to request funding for the MTP — spurring members of the court to approve the plan earlier than intended during Tuesday’s meeting.

“I agree. We need to push this,” Precinct 4 Commissioner Dave Eagle said. “The first day that proposed bills can be filed is Monday, Nov. 11, for the next session. We need to be the squeaky wheel at this point, so we need to get it done, and we need to make a resolution to send to our legislators to wrap it up."

Hood County Judge Ron Massingill noted that he had requested proposals from TNP to send to Sen. Brian Birdwell and Rep. Shelby Slawson to essentially get Hood County “in line” for funding the MTP.

“Former commissioner Steve Berry was there and said how instrumental Sen. Birdwell was in getting money for the Cresson Bypass,” Massingill said. “And he said the best time to start on this funding is to do it right now.”

He added that while he hasn’t yet received a response from Birdwell or Slawson, he is confident they are aware of the request and believes the county is making progress on the MTP.

While Samuelson, Eagle and Massingill were all eager to get the process rolling, Precinct 1 Commissioner Kevin Andrews expressed some hesitancy in moving forward, as he wanted to ensure all developments regarding the plan had been addressed.

Development Director Clint Head explained that citizen feedback is still being addressed regarding the Master Thoroughfare Plan. With two paid meetings remaining though, he assured that any necessary changes will be made before the public hearing and final adoption of the plan.

“The next step is to quantify the cost," Massingill said. “That's why I sent the plan to Sen. Birdwell, and Shelby Slawson to tell them ‘Please get us in line for the funding.’”

Samuelson added that if the public has any comments or questions regarding the MTP, they are welcome to visit the county website to view the presentation from the Sept. 30 workshop.

With a motion by Samuelson and a second by Massingill, the county is officially moving forward with the Master Thoroughfare Plan updates.