Salado aldermen July 21 unanimously approved pursuing a development agreement with QT South LLC relating to the annexation of a 5.87 acre tract of land located at the northwest corner of the FM 2484 and I-35.

The Oklahoma based company is proposing to construct a Quick Trip Travel Center on a vacant tract of land currently located in the Village of Salado’s E-T-J. 

The facility will feature a full-service kitchen along with a complete menu of grab and go fresh food items. There will be fueling bays for regular motor vehicles and large trucks. The travel center is expected to employ approximately 50 people.

The proposed development agreement requires the annexation of the property into the Village.

The proposed development agreement requires the developer to meet certain landscape and lighting requirements. It prohibits overnight truck parking and allows a one hundred feet tall free-standing sign. The sign height exceeds the maximum allowable sign height of 20 feet for a property on Interstate 35.

The typical Quick Trip Travel Center is 5,200 SF, but the Salado center will be approximately 8,000 SF.

In other business, aldermen approved the Construction/Final Plat and Construction Plans for Sage Hill at Amity, a residential development that will be located between West Amity Road and FM 2484 in the E-T-J of the Village of Salado.

Sage Hill at Amity is a proposed 22.89-acre residential development. This will be a single-phase development with approximately thirty (30) lots. Access to the proposed subdivision will come from Few Oaks Drive. Water for the subdivision will be provided by the Salado Water Supply Corporation while wastewater services will be provided by onsite septic facilities.

The Village Engineer reviewed the proposed plat and plans and found them to be in compliance with provisions of the Village of Salado’s Subdivision Ordinance.

Aldermen approved a $5,000 expenditure for the improvement of Bluff Road, to be matched by the homeowners association on that street.

The board authorized the expenditure of $13,931.82 to replace heating and air conditioning equipment at the Village Municipal Building.

Aldermen authorized a letter of commitment for the purchase of two new patrol vehicles. The vehicles, if approved in the 2023 FY budget, will be two Chevy Tahoes. “This gets us on a wait-list, rather than waiting until the FY goes into effect on Oct. 1 and waiting nine months from that date,” Village administrator Don Ferguson said. “If we do not approve the purchase during the budget, we pull our names from the wait list. There is no financial commitment at this time.”

The board authorized hiring two additional School Resource Officers, partnering with Salado ISD on the program. This will put one officer at each of the school campuses.

The board approved $4,296 (plus shipping) for the purchase of solar powered LED stop signs at the intersection of West Village Road and Williams Rd.

The board pulled discussion of the All Abilities Playground from the agenda. The board tabled a proposed change in zoning on a property in the Historic District until its Aug. 4 meeting.