Last Minute Deal Kills Hill Street Frac Sand Depot

Lee Pfluger pulled the sand depot off the table in a last minute, just in time for today’s 1:30 p.m. hearing in front of the City of San Angelo Zoning Board of Adjustments.

According to the appellants who are asking the ZBA to change the City Planners’ ruling that property zoned "light manufacturing" allows for the trans-loading of frac sand from rail cars to 18-wheelers, the deal struck was a one-way offer from Mr. Pfluger.

Pfluger will place a deed restriction on his Hill Street property forbidding the trans-loading of frac “proppant”. The wording is a broader description of what cannot be trans-loaded on the property, said Guy Choate, who is representing the appellants.

According to Pfluger, he had offered the deal last week, but had no takers. Pfluger said he has been working to mitigate the complaint of increased truck traffic on Hill Street by asking the City to help him gain easements to land between the U-Haul dealership and House of Faith. There is a piece of land owned by the HOF that prevents a roadway from S. Bryant to the land-locked property, Pfluger said.

Pfluger said Friday that Rachel Beaver, owner of the HOF, would not budge to allow the easement.

Pfluger’s land was up for discussion in secret executive session at the last meeting of the San Angelo city council, which may indicate there was a bigger deal in the works.

An inside source said that it did not go far. “We don’t negotiate with terrorists,” the source said. Pfluger said that all of his offers until now have been brushed aside.

Guy Choate who represents the five appellants said that only one of the five, Winkie Wardlaw, will force the hearing to be held. Choate said that Wardlaw felt that it was important for the citizens of San Angelo to have a full hearing.

Pfluger said he plans to present his full discussion to the ZBA which starts at 1:30 p.m. at the McNease Convention Center.

What did Mr. Pfluger get in return for his deed restriction? “Nothing at all,” he said.

Click here for background on the proposed Hill Street Frac sand facility and the surrounding controversy.