The Amarillo City Council reviewed progress on a major infrastructure effort Tuesday, discussing a draft environmental document tied to the proposed Hollywood Road II Wastewater Treatment Facility.
City staff explained that the draft environmental information document is a required step in securing financial support from the Texas Water Development Board. Amarillo has applied for a $60 million low-interest loan through the agency to help fund the project, which is expected to play a key role in supporting future growth and wastewater capacity in the area.
“The cost we know is going to be high and it’s going to be a challenge so this is just another one of those mechanisms and one of those boxes that need to be checked to allow us to be able to get the funding that will get this project off the ground,” said David Prescott during the meeting.
According to staff, the environmental information document is part of a broader federal funding process and is designed to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of the proposed facility. The document outlines the project’s scope, location, and any possible environmental concerns tied to construction and operation.
Officials reported that the current draft found no impacts to wetlands or floodplains, a key factor in advancing the review. The city has also coordinated with federal, state, and local agencies as part of the process and hosted a public meeting earlier Tuesday to gather community input.
Public participation remains a central component of the review. Written comments on the draft environmental document will be accepted through May 5, giving residents and stakeholders an opportunity to weigh in before the document is finalized.
Once the comment period closes, city staff will review and address feedback from both the public and partnering agencies. Those responses will be incorporated into a final version of the environmental information document, which will then be submitted to the Texas Water Development Board for formal consideration.
If approved, the city anticipates receiving a “finding of no significant impact,” a determination that would clear the way for funding to be released. That milestone would allow Amarillo to move forward with the wastewater treatment facility project at Hollywood Road.
The proposed Hollywood Road II facility represents a significant investment in Amarillo’s infrastructure, aimed at ensuring the city can meet future demand while complying with environmental regulations. While the process to secure funding includes multiple regulatory steps, city leaders emphasized that completing each requirement is essential to unlocking the financial resources needed to begin construction.
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