Bryan City Council gives green-light for school transportation complex on west end of city

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - The Bryan Independent School District has received the okay from Bryan’s city council to erect a new transportation complex on an open lot of land that’s been the center of a zoning debate.

Representatives from the Bryan Independent School District went before the city council Tuesday night to seek zoning approval that would allow for the construction of the Ruby Haliburton Auxiliary Complex on the southwest corner of Harvey Mitchell Parkway and Leonard Road. BISD’s current transportation facility is scheduled for demolition to allow for the construction of the new Sadberry Intermediate School.

Following a three-hour presentation, discussion, and debate, the city council unanimously voted to green-light the project, although some of the council members continued to express concerns about the location of the facility.

The plan had previously been voted down by the city’s planning and zoning commission for a variety of reasons including traffic and property values, but the school district laid out reasons before the city council for why the timeline of the construction of the facility should move forward. Prior to the meeting, Bryan ISD representatives hinted that if the request was denied Tuesday by the city council, legal action would be considered.

Before the city council’s vote, more than a dozen Bryan citizens spoke in favor of the project and urged council members to vote in favor of BISD’s plans.

The facility is named after longtime BISD school bus driver Ruby Haliburton, who passed away last year.

Among those attending the meeting, were Haliburton’s children, who expressed appreciation for those who voted to name the complex after their mother.

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