Vandegrift players compete for spots on the fall roster during the annual spring football game and “Thursday Night Bites” festival at Vandegrift High School on Thursday, May 25, 2017.

Parents of players competed in the annual ‘Glory Days’ flag football game at halftime at the annual spring football game and “Thursday Night Bites” festival at Vandegrift High School on Thursday, May 25, 2017.

By ZACH SMITH
Four Points News

The atmosphere was much more like a festival than a football game on Thursday as the Vandegrift Vipers team wrapped up spring practice with its annual silver-black spring game at Monroe Stadium where silver beat the black 22-7.

The event was a part of “Thursday Night Bites” which featured food trucks and the annual “Glory Days” flag football game with dads of many of the players.

“It might have been our biggest crowd ever,” Vandegrift head coach Drew Sanders said. “There’s lots excitement about our program. That’s what you want because you’re playing against yourself. Our community loves football.”

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Construction of a two-story building on this 8-acre tract at 3810 N. Quinlan Park Rd. is slated to start in January. Plans call for two more smaller sites on the same parcel that is flanked by Steiner Ranch Boulevard.

Construction to start January

By LYNETTE HAALAND
Four Points News

Local residents Cosmo Palmieri and Kelly Gray are working on a commercial project to develop an 8-acre site at Steiner Ranch Boulevard and N. Quinlan Park Road in Steiner Ranch.

Palmieri and Gray have a history of working together. They partnered on the Steiner Ranch Steakhouse as well as a new condominium project in the Hudson Bend area.

Now at the 8-acre site at 3810 N. Quinlan Park Rd., plans include a two-story, 34,000-square-foot commercial building and two smaller pad sites of 5,000- square-feet each. Construction is scheduled to start in January.

Palmieri is developing the mixed-use, commercial center with Gray, who owns the site. Recently a site development permit was issued on the land, Palmieri said.

Levy Architects is designing the project and architectural drawings have been started. The larger building will include retail on the lower floor and office space on the second level, and it will have views of Lake Travis, said Palmieri.

This parcel has been designated as a commercial site in the community’s master plans. Levy Architects will be keeping the HOA and residents informed about the project, Palmieri said.

Plans include two driveways off of Quinlan Park Road, with one across from Portobella Drive.
The project is expected to be complete by fall 2018 and Lincoln Property Company’s Wes Babb will be the center’s leasing agent, Palmieri said.

He and Gray have been working on the five-story, 36 condominium project called Waterfall on Lake Travis for more than three years. It is located on the tip of Hudson Bend peninsula and Gray, of MRG15 HiLine, Ltd. is the owner.

A special session is the last hope for supporters of the anti-annexation bill, Senate Bill 715, which was filibustered as the 85th Texas Legislative Session ended at midnight on Sunday.

By LYNETTE HAALAND
Four Points News

The final version of Senate Bill 715, the anti-annexation bill, passed the House on Sunday, but was filibustered by Senate Democrats. As a result, the Senate never got to vote on the bill as the 85th Texas Legislative Session came to a close at midnight on Sunday. A special session is the last hope for bill supporters.

“SB 715 was filibustered to death Sunday night by Senators who favor a big government and big-city, municipal-lobby agenda over a community’s right to choose its own destiny,” said Tim Mattox, an 18-year resident of River Place and a member of the homeowners association board.

Leading up to the filibuster, the House passed an amended version of Texas Senate Bill 715, which would give property owners the right to vote for or against municipal annexation. The bill passed by the House included, among other things, language that positively impacted River Place. Because the versions of the bill were different, it went to a conference committee made up of five senators and five representatives. They agreed on the final version of SB 715, which also included language favorable to River Place, Mattox said.

River Place is scheduled to be fully annexed by Austin on Dec. 15 and leaders believe annexation will bring higher taxes and fewer services to their community. They also want to draw attention to the fact that other local communities may be next on Austin’s annexation list.

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This photo shows the road Four Points Traffic Committee wants to improve and open to Leander ISD staff and students. This road is off of River Place Boulevard and runs along the edge of the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan and a housing development.

LISD hosts public forum regarding second access road

By CASSIE MCKEE
Four Points News

After two years of waiting on a response from the federal government, members of the Four Points Traffic Committee have initiated a new strategy in the effort to build a secondary access road to Vandegrift High School and Four Points Middle School, according to Pam Waggoner, vice president of Leander ISD Board of Trustees and founder of the FPTC. She said the community will play a crucial role in the effort.

“The next and most important piece of this is the community,” Waggoner said.

LISD hosted a public forum for the community regarding the construction of a second access road on May 30 at 6:30 p.m. at VHS. At the meeting, district officials were scheduled to share the history of construction of the two campuses, safety concerns and traffic congestion in the area, along with next steps for obtaining federal approval for the project.

“There’s a lot of new residents in this area,” Waggoner said. “They don’t know the history of the Four Points area. It’s a way to bring new residents up to speed.”

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