Tasty treats likely coming to Lockhart

By Kyle Mooty

LPR Editor

The Ziegenfelder Company, based in Wheeling, West Virginia, plans to add its fourth location in Lockhart (they are also in California and Colorado). The company makes frozen treats.

Ziegenfelder would be on 7 1/2 acres at the 130 Industrial Park and will employ between 60 and 100 people at a 96,000-square foot facility.

Lockhart Economic Development Director Mike Kamerlander said the company would receive an 80 percent property tax rebate for five years, at which time it will drop to 30 percent.

Ziegenfelder CEO Kevin Heller said the company wanted the next location in Texas. “What landed us here were the people here,” Heller said.

Ziegenfelder plans to invest $37 million in the facility.

In other business:

Lockhart industrial Park II will include a spec building by Warelock Partners 2 LLC on 2.46 acres. That group recently closed on five acres in the park.

The council unanimously approved the annexation of 89.775 acres for ROED Properties Co., LLC on the east side of FM 1322, about 2,600 feet south of Seawllow Road. The land is currently cropland in the southeast corner of the city. Dan Ross with the development group, said there will be single family homes built there.

Garden Gate Holdings LLC and co-owner Brad Loughlin asked for a zoning change from medium residential to high-density residential between 200 S. Rio Grande St. and 203 Colorado St. The group is also involved with two other projects in Lockhart, including The Greens. It was approved 7-0.

Lockhart City Planner Dan Gibson, in looking at the city’s plan, said the estimated population of Lockhart is 15,600 by the end of 2022. He said there have been 5,000 acres annexed into the city since 2000 with another 638 planned to be annexed soon. The annexation agreements expired in August. 

Gibson said the city’s new plan should include a post-secondary education school, perhaps an Austin Community College campus, as well as a hospital. The city has issued a Request for Proposal for qualified consultants for the city to draft and adopt a new comprehensive plan.

Lockhart City Attorney Monte Akers noted the original Clearfork Ranch development now goes by Juniper Springs and will be on 32.486 acres with the majority of the project is in the county. Nick McIntyre of Perry Homes is the developer of the project. He said the development and that they will get water from Maxwell Water.

“We will be building an onsite sewer treatment for the project,” McIntyre said. “The preliminary plot is currently in review with the city and jointly with the county.”

Sean Kelly noted there is about a “six-year waiting list for hangers at the Lockhart Municipal Airport.” The council approved the minimum standard agreement at the airport.

Thomas Hughes was unanimously approved to the Airport Advisory Board.

City Manager Steve Lewis said the cemetery cleanup will be Oct. 4-7; the citywide bulk clean up, held in conjunction with Central Texas Refuse, will be Oct. 15; and the city’s Splash Pad will close Sept.30. In the meantime, the Splash Pad is open Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 8 p.m.

Regarding the recent honor as Central Texas’ School Board of the Year, White praised the Lockhart ISD board. “I want to recognize the school board,” White said. “As partners in this community, we should raise their banner.”