Has anyone driven the new 9th Ave/MLk bridge? I have 3 times. The first time out of curiosity and 2x yesterday to get to 15th, and nobody else is on there at the same time. The new light on 121 irritates the heck out of me and when fall classes start, it's really going to be difficult to get thru campus. Why did Belton build this? Why is it called a loop when it's getting cluttered with lights and housing?

That MLK cut through, and the I-35/190 flyover are about as useless as an azzhole right here

And 121 soon will be as well...

ddp

If Belton wants to do something useful for a change, cut Lake road or Sparta through to I-35

I'll always disagree about the flyover. Especially when I14 gets funding and the 1670 exit is moved back to accommodate wheat rd & 1670 (the future dam to dam road

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I'll always disagree about the flyover. Especially when I14 gets funding and the 1670 exit is moved back to accommodate wheat rd & 1670 (the future dam to dam road

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Maybe

I had to go out to river place the other day and saw this for the first time. I think it's an appropriate road. Let people get from 121 to the back of campus. There are dumber things that have been done.

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I had to go out to river place the other day and saw this for the first time. I think it's an appropriate road. Let people get from 121 to the back of campus. There are dumber things that have been done.

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I think that is what it was built for - - access to umhb from 121, which will become increasingly necessary as 121 becomes littered with Apartments

Students either live on campus or that side of Belton. I guess some will live in the new colonial oaks apartments. But how much can UMBH grow? And how will 121 become littered with apartments? There's no where else to build

Tax dollars would've been better spent widening in to 4 lanes but what do I care? I don't pay city taxes. Of course if I did, I wouldn't be on dog ridge water and without water for 2.5 days this week.

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Students either live on campus or that side of Belton. I guess some will live in the new colonial oaks apartments. But how much can UMBH grow? And how will 121 become littered with apartments? There's no where else to build

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UMHB owns all the land back from campus to 121, south of the creek and north of MLK Jr. I am not sure the exact acreage, but it is a pretty large tract.

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If Belton wants to do something useful for a change, cut Lake road or Sparta through to I-35

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Just plow through HEB and the Leon Heights neighborhood, hang a quick right south, cut through the old golf course, then it's just a quick demolition of heritage park and the neighborhood behind River Forest Inn, a bridge over the railroad, and boom, you are at I-35 and 6th!

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If Belton wants to do something useful for a change, cut Lake road or Sparta through to I-35

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Just plow through HEB and the Leon Heights neighborhood, hang a quick right south, cut through the old golf course, then it's just a quick demolition of heritage park and the neighborhood behind River Forest Inn, a bridge over the railroad, and boom, you are at I-35 and 6th!

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Haha

Not all of it. They have very little 121 frontage, but quite a bit north of 9th and west of campus across the creek. I guess Belton put in a bridge so UMHB could access that property. Awesome! Public tax dollars spent to help a private university.

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Not all of it. They have very little 121 frontage, but quite a bit north of 9th and west of campus across the creek. I guess Belton put in a bridge so UMHB could access that property. Awesome! Public tax dollars spent to help a private university.

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I'd say that the student body of UMHB contribute pretty significantly to the tax base in Belton.

How so? When they're at the Taqueria on Thursday nights or during football season, on gamedays?

Bridges cost a lot of money.

Mazzag, yes, they pay sales taxes... I don't know how much but if 3000 students paid $500 per year in sales taxes, that's $1.5 million.... and that number is probably low

Their landlords pay property taxes, which is collected from rent

People coming to town for events, parents staying overnight to visit, or move their kids into the dorm or apartment

Faculty pay sales taxes and property taxes as well

It all adds up

I'm not saying the bridge is a good or bad idea, but yes, UMHB students, staff, and events do contribute SIGNIFICANTLY to the local economy, and to local tax coffers

Plus the school hosts graduations for schools too small for the expo center, kids coming in for camps in the summer, and play off games. I think they are even hosting a few regular season high school games also. Play offs in baseball and softball for sure.

All of these bring people buying gas, shopping and eating out into Belton. Some like dropping off at camps might even mean a night in a hotel by parents.

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Mazzag, yes, they pay sales taxes... I don't know how much but if 3000 students paid $500 per year in sales taxes, that's $1.5 million.... and that number is probably low

Their landlords pay property taxes, which is collected from rent

People coming to town for events, parents staying overnight to visit, or move their kids into the dorm or apartment

Faculty pay sales taxes and property taxes as well

It all adds up

I'm not saying the bridge is a good or bad idea, but yes, UMHB students, staff, and events do contribute SIGNIFICANTLY to the local economy, and to local tax coffers

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I agree with your premise, but most sales tax goes to the state. For a student to pay $500 in city sales tax, they would have had to spend $50,000 on taxable goods within the city limits of Belton.

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Not all of it. They have very little 121 frontage, but quite a bit north of 9th and west of campus across the creek. I guess Belton put in a bridge so UMHB could access that property. Awesome! Public tax dollars spent to help a private university.

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Yes. The own all of the land between Nolan Creek and MLK. I am not sure what constitutes a little or a lot of frontage, but everything between MLK and the bridge on 121 going over the creek is theirs. I'd guess that it is at least 300 yards or so of 121 frontage.

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Mazzag, yes, they pay sales taxes... I don't know how much but if 3000 students paid $500 per year in sales taxes, that's $1.5 million.... and that number is probably low

Their landlords pay property taxes, which is collected from rent

People coming to town for events, parents staying overnight to visit, or move their kids into the dorm or apartment

Faculty pay sales taxes and property taxes as well

It all adds up

I'm not saying the bridge is a good or bad idea, but yes, UMHB students, staff, and events do contribute SIGNIFICANTLY to the local economy, and to local tax coffers

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But how do you know all sales taxes stay in Belton? Why not temple?
Their landlords are paying a lot more in property taxes because students are driving up the appraisals. And freshmen have to live on campus. I'm sure the 300+ faculty members, some life long residents of Belton anyway, pay their fair share, but it doesn't add up.
Does UMHB offer their facilities for graduations, baccalaureates and sporting events for free? I don't believe folks that travel here from a 15 miles radius stick around here to eat. They probably go home or to temple/Harker heights/Killeen for special occasion dining. FBC Belton has close ties to UMHB. Belton city council has a lot of FBC members. Just something to consider.

There's a couple of private property owners along 121, north of the 9th ave light. From the maps on bellcad, they have most of the 121 frontage.

Not between MLK and the creek. That house is owned by UMHB. Once you cross to the north side of the creek, that property is privately owned.

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Mazzag, yes, they pay sales taxes... I don't know how much but if 3000 students paid $500 per year in sales taxes, that's $1.5 million.... and that number is probably low

Their landlords pay property taxes, which is collected from rent

People coming to town for events, parents staying overnight to visit, or move their kids into the dorm or apartment

Faculty pay sales taxes and property taxes as well

It all adds up

I'm not saying the bridge is a good or bad idea, but yes, UMHB students, staff, and events do contribute SIGNIFICANTLY to the local economy, and to local tax coffers

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I agree with your premise, but most sales tax goes to the state. For a student to pay $500 in city sales tax, they would have had to spend $50,000 on taxable goods within the city limits of Belton.

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That's true.

But does the city of Belton get any money from the state for building the bridge?

I'm sure a significant portion of the project was state funded though TXDOT or other programs.

Dang. They do own that house! And I found this.

http://m.tdtnews.com/news/article_cbd2ba62-48a5-11e6-ad57-df7c44451de9.html?mode=jqm

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City officials said they hope the $6 million project will relieve the traffic congestion that has come with Belton's growth. It is the most expensive municipal road project in Belton's history.

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I think expanding 121 to 5 lanes would relieve traffic, but what do I know. Driving thru campus is such a convenience. And now UMHB has access from campus, to the 62+ acres they own across the creek.

UMHB will own half of town someday

$6 million is whole lot of money, but it is kind of misleading when you qualify it as a municipal road project. Most of Belton's significant thoroughfares are technically state highways, so they don't qualify as "municipal" projects. Sparta is about the only municipal road project I can think of that might come close.

The widening of Loop 121 will come when TXDOT decides to fund the project, since it is a state controlled road. That one will be a doozy with the bridges over the creek and railroad.