Pfluger's Shrewd Strategy to Flee His Sand Trap

 

Businessman Lee Pfluger said Tuesday afternoon he might be willing to sell or trade the 10 acres of land he owns to the city as an alternative to developing a sand transloading facility.

Pfluger discussed the issue with a San Angelo LIVE! reporter following the Tuesday City Council meeting, during which he presented his transloading facility plan. The council subsequently asked questions about the plan  and also took questions from the audience. 

But if there is to be any deal with the city, Pfluger has a caveat: This property next to the Texas Pacifico rail line — located near downtown — will have to be used for something relatively productive.

"If we make an exchange and the city uses the land to create a really nice public park for instance, I would be very pleased," he said. "I would be happy with that."

Pfluger said if he ends up selling or trading the land, he would have no reason to pursue creating a transloading facility anywhere else in town.


"The reason for the transloading facility was that my land has 4,000 feet of rail on it," he said. "The rails are what is important, not the land. The land is just dirt."

His less than 10 acres of property is valued at $137,720, according to the Tom Green Appraisal District.

As far as the proposed sand transloading facility is concerned, Pfluger outlined his plans to create it during a two-hour portion of Tuesday's city council meeting. Many of the public comments afterward were critical of his choice of downtown as a location, and the "light industrial" category upon which his proposal hangs.

 Other criticisms of the idea revolved around possible health, smell, and noise hazards caused by sand and traffic.

However, no decisions about the proposal could be made by the council Tuesday. Legally, the status of the plan lies in the hands of the city's Zoning Board of Adjustment, explained Patrick B. Howard, director of development service. 

Members of the ZBA are waiting for an appeal of that zoning definition and cannot rule on the matter until it is made. If the ZBA's ruling is subsequently appealed, the matter will go before a municipal court judge for determination.

"I wouldn't want to be on the ZBA board right now," Councilwoman Charlotte Farmer said during the meeting.

During the public hearing, Pfluger expressed frustration at the criticism being directed at his plan without any alternate solutions. It appears he also hinted at the idea of a trade or sale.

"Tell me what you want to do with it," Pfluger said to the council. "If you want to make a park out of it, let me know. ... The council needs to be proactive and decide what is appropriate.... Y'all are the gorilla here. I just happen to own that piece of property."

Many members of the city council implored Pfluger during the meeting to change locations for the facility.

"I am pro-business," said councilman Rodney Fleming. "I want you to do this business — just not on the north side of all these houses."

Councilman Johnny Silvas said he has received several phone calls from area residents protesting the location. Farmer said she is worried locating the facility near downtown could do more harm than good.

Former Justice Of the Peace Jesse Martinez said there is a growing number of people worried about the facility being located downtown. At his request, a number of them stood up in the audience.

"This is concern for our city," he said.

Area resident Amanda Reynolds said she was concerned that airborne sand could affect area children. She has a 6-year-old who has asthma.

"We know west Texas is windy," she said, " ... My daughter will have to go somewhere else to play. It's not fair to her or the 2,437 students in the nearby areas."

Councilman Fleming asked Pfluger why he would create the facility in the middle of town when he owns other properties.

"Why not just do this on the north side?" Fleming asked.

After the meeting, Pfluger said he believes city officials should get more proactive about the situation.

"The city has to decide if it is going to be involved or not involved," Pfluger said. "... There is no indication right now the council is looking at any other course of action other than figuring out how to kill the project."

In the meantime, Pfluger said he can't get customers for the proposed transloading facility because of its current uncertainty combined with council opposition.

"How can I get a frac sand customer or a pipe customer when I don't know what the rules are?" he said. "Their active participation in this program is to figure a way to change the rules they have already given me.. Right now, this is 'one step at a time' until I can get to the point where I know definitely what I can do with the property."

 

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Comments

I would love to see his next move if the fracking plan is denied and the city doesn't want the land.
I don't remember him playing in anything other than Dukes... Passed in '94 according WikiP. Fun times watching television back then. Interesting tidbit from WikiP: "Booke was actually only slightly overweight and wore a fat suit during the entire run of the series, which caused his girth to measure five feet around. He threw himself into the role to the point of eating real raw liver, Boss Hogg's favorite dish in scenes that called for him to consume it."
john a, Wed, 10/22/2014 - 12:27
This seems obviously wrong for the welfare of the community. Probably much more so than the creation of Recreational Vehicle Parks would have been. We had no problem stopping the parks. with a 1,000 foot separation rule. I$ there another reason we can't do that now without paying the ransom?
This Mr. Lee Pfluger is very shrewd. So much to the point that he is almost extorting money from the city to purchase that 10 acres of land from him. Either buy it from him or he is going to make everyone miserable with a sand loading facility.
I think his land is under appraised, maybe he should pay more taxes and have to build a house to live in right next to the dust bin he wants to create. Also, 18 jobs in a sand transloading facility? With his estimated 1 truck per hour and only seven minutes to load out, that sounds awfully exaggerated! Also, any san spillage should go straight to his front lawn! Run him out of town on one of those rails he is so fond of!
Here is the link to the petition against this. We need all the signatures we can get to let the zoning board that the citizens are not ok with this. http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/citizensagainstsand
First off, the council meeting was Tuesday, not Monday. Need to correct the story to get the timeline straight. Next thing that needs to be remembered is that zoning is not based on what the current owner says they want to do but what could likely be done if that property was used to the fullest for a specific purpose. Yeah, it's nice that he says he will only use it for about 24 truck loads a day. Truth is that if allowed the property could probably transload about 200 trucks a day if the it is allowed. ZBA will have fun with this one.
I think the city should just excercise their powers of eminate domain over that 10 acres of land and then break ground on the new Police station they've been talking about.......
It is clear what pfluger wants... he is trying to steal a new piece of property with his parcel of land that will be completely unwanted by any other business if the council turns down his request for a frac sand track depot. he is also trying to make the deal look beneficial to the city. We do not need a park there... but pfluger needs another property. He will not say it publicly, but he is probably eyeing city properties that are near railroad tracks and he is hoping to trade his property for one of those... do not think pfluger is looking out for anyone but himself... greedy, greedy, greedy... oh and mr. pfluger you asked what you should do with your property since all the people in the surrounding neighborhoods are apposed to light industrial... the answer is donate the land to a worthy charity that will fit nicely in that area. hey.. Doc had a great idea donate the land for the new police station...
Folks, while the sandlot may not be the most palatable choice, it is ridiculous to demand that the man donate the land for any reason. I suspect he bought the land many years ago, thinking that, "one of these days" there will be a profitable use of this parcel being next to the railroad. With a bit of vision, which he has obviously shown as a trait over the years, and ample cash, any one of us would have done the same thing. The guy has been a city father for as long as I can remember building up San Angelo in many aspects -- give him a break -- people with money aren't bad people as many of you seem to infer ("greedy, greedy"). They did and do what you and I wish we would/could have done. My algebra teacher, Mr. Van Order used to tell me, "Patience is a virtue". Wait for it. It will all work out.
Mike: You must be really old. I also had Keene C. Van Orden on '56-'57. I remember his quote. I know Lee and believe, given a good alternative, he won't shove something down our throats. Jim Kerbow
I don't think he's greedy, he's just picked an inappropriate vehicle to make his land profitable. I do not believe that dust will not be an issue based on my direct knowledge and experience. Not to mention the truck traffic and yet more trains blowing their horn at all hours.

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