The Killeen City Council has approved an extension to the ongoing Gilmer Street construction project, with work now expected to continue until at least August.
This decision has sparked concerns among local business owners who have already been dealing with the effects of the construction for nearly a year.
Brian Combs, co-owner of Frost Driving School in Belton, has experienced significant disruptions to his business due to Loop 121 construction in bELTON. Regardless of where the construction is in Bell County, he's pleading with city leaders to consider the ramifications of these decisions.
"Well, we’re losing customers. I’ve been reaching out, trying to start another Frost School in Gatesville, to compensate with what’s going on over here," Combs said. "So if this has to go down, I’ve got another place I can go to."
City Engineer Andrew Zagars explained the reasons behind the extension, citing the discovery of an unrecorded 4-inch main. "It wasn’t on any of our records, we didn’t know where it was, and as we started finding out, many of those water and utilities were tied to this 4-inch main," Zagars said.
Combs emphasized the need for better communication from the city to keep business owners informed about the construction progress and plans. "I can guarantee you we’ve lost $40, 50,000, easily. I want communication. More, to tell me what’s going on, so I can keep my employees and people communicating with me," Combs said.
CORRECTION: Our video story states the council was held on Thursday when it was actually held Tuesday, January 7th.
