Buda residents wary of more industrial development than allowed by the city’s master plan and opposed to the construction of a 500,000-square-foot US Foodservice facility suffered a blow dealt by the United States Third Court of Appeals Monday.

A state appeals court last week turned back Buda citizens who hoped to vote down a land use change, saying a city council decision clearing the way for US Foodservice to locate in the eastern extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) is not subject to referendum.

A pair of Buda residents is suing the city for refusing to allow residents to vote on a city council decision that greases the skids for US Foodservice to locate east of town.

A group wishing to keep a US Foodservice facility out of Buda is giving the city council one more meeting to allow a referendum on the matter. Otherwise, Budadfirst is threatening to sue.

Opponents of a proposed $50 million US Foodservice facility in the northern Buda area suffered a blow Tuesday after Hays County Commissioners Court members voted 4-1 to begin the process of funding construction improvements to Turnersville Road and CR 118.

BudaFirst.org submitted a petition at Buda City Hall Wednesday, hoping a land use change enabling US Foodservice to locate a regional headquarters east of the city can be put to a public vote.

Buda residents are fighting to keep a US Foodservice regional headquarters and distribution facility out of the Sunfield MUD east of town. The facility could eventually employ around 400 people.