Like other cities in northern Hays County, Buda is like a gangling adolescent struggling to control runaway growth. So when the mayor appointed Gary Bradley — the developer most often blamed for promoting runaway growth — to Buda’s new master plan committee last week, many townsfolk rolled their eyes and snickered. Even Bradley admits to being taken aback, but he says he’s up to the challenge of helping Buda control its own destiny.
As it happens, Bradley says, there was a motive behind Mayor Billy Gray‘s madness. “One of the problems Buda has had in the past is getting people to participate in the planning process, so the mayor and another council member told me, ‘we’re putting you on the committee because you always draw a crowd. This way, everyone will want to come to the meetings to make sure you’re not trying to sneak something by them.’ I accept that,” Bradley says. “I think that’s probably a good strategy.”
Bradley, who served on the city of Austin’s Planning Commission in 1979-80, promises to try really hard to keep his own development plans for 2,500 acres (300 acres of which lie within Buda territory) from conflicting with the committee’s mission. The committee numbers around a dozen people and represents a mix of green, civic, and business interests. They plan to hold their first meeting on Monday — Bradley’s birthday.
This article appears in October 12 • 2001.
