New Braunfels City Council approved an additional $73,823 to engineering company KCI Technologies on Sept. 14 for design and utility coordination service changes relating to the final plans for the Kohlenberg Road widening project.

The item was unanimously approved on the consent agenda so there was no discussion. New Braunfels Mayor Michael French was absent.

What’s happening: KCI Technologies has had to make design adjustments due to significant development improvements along Kohlenberg Road, including the addition of the Costco driveway and 4-lane intersection from Mayfair along with continued facilitation of the utility coordination process to clear any conflicts with the proposed improvements—all of which have required previous funding modifications for KCI Technologies’ contract, agenda documents state.

The additional funding will allow KCI Technologies to provide supplementary utility coordination and deconflict overlapping road-widening improvements at FM 1101. The overlap is due to the Mayfair development adding a traffic signal to an adjacent intersection along FM 1101, which is mandated by the residential project’s traffic impact analysis, according to agenda documents.

On Sept. 15, the New Braunfels Economic Development Corp., or NBEDC, considered a five-year extension for performance deadlines outlined in the Co-Op Marketplace development incentive agreement.

What you need to know: The $4.5 million incentive agreement, approved by City Council in 2024, outlines public improvement requirements that need to be completed by Dec. 31, 2026, according to agenda documents.

Sponsors of The Co-Op Marketplace project requested the five-year extension due to rising capital and construction costs, tenancy and project redesigns. If the extension is approved, improvements would have to be completed by Dec. 31, 2031, according to agenda documents.

Some background: The 2.46-acre property at 210 S. Castell Ave. became the Producer's Co-Op Feed & Supply in 1945. New owners purchased the site in 2021 and announced plans to rehabilitate the historic buildings into a mixed-use development for 20-30 retail and food vendors, according to agenda documents.

One more thing: The item was for discussion only, but it will be brought back for consideration at a future meeting, Jewell said.

Check out the latest transportation project updates across the Austin metro.

Georgetown to reduce speed limit on Ronald Reagan Boulevard: Georgetown City Council gave preliminary approval Aug. 25 to adjust speed limits on Ronald Reagan Boulevard and Westinghouse Road, as well as in school zones on Hwy. 195 and Woodlake Drive.

Planning continues for Hwy. 46 expansion project in New Braunfels: The Texas Department of Transportation is continuing to work on a $1.4 billion project geared toward improving traffic flows on Hwy. 46 in Comal and Guadalupe counties. For Comal County, the project looks to construct elevated main lanes over the existing Hwy. 46 roadway and two direct connecting flyover ramps between Hwy. 46 and I-35. In Guadalupe County, TxDOT officials are proposing to expand Hwy. 46 to a four-lane controlled-access highway with two-lane, one-way frontage roads.

Southwest Airlines to open lounge at Austin airport: Southwest Airlines will open a lounge at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, set to welcome guests in late 2027. The lounges are already under construction.

To cast votes for a U.S. senator, governor, state attorney general and dozens of other races during the Nov. 3 midterm election, Texans must ensure they are registered to vote or have submitted an application by Oct. 5.

How it works: To be eligible to register to vote, an individual must:

• Be a U.S. citizen

• Reside in the county they apply to vote in

• Be at least 18 years old by Election Day

• Not have been declared mentally incapacitated without the right to vote by a court

Getting registered: Eligible Texans must submit a paper voter registration application by Oct. 5. The online form must be printed, signed and mailed to the applicant's local elections office.

One more thing: Voters who are already registered have through Oct. 5 to update their name or address, if needed.

Some voters may appear on the state "suspense" list if local officials cannot confirm their address, although they will still be able to vote in the election.

More information: Learn more about federal, state and local races at communityimpact.com/election.