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News-Dispatch Volume XXXVI No. 22
Serving Western Hays County, Texas since 1982
75¢
Thursday, March 10, 2016
FM 150
The stars at night are big and bright....
Citizens panel to help county form future BY PAIGE LAMBERT
News-Dispatch Reporter
only be grandfathered in if it was in operation before the conditional use permit (CUP) regulation was set, Ferguson said. Owners would have had to present records that go back to April 1, 2001. He said the process would also be cumbersome because many owners lost records during the 2015 Memorial Day and Halloween floods. “Again, I think it is kind of unrealistic to go back 16 years into this city’s history and ask
Rumblings and concerns have circled around Hays County’s FM 150 west Character Plan for months. The county may soon take the next step and move forward in its lengthy planning process. Hays County Precinct No. 4 Commissioner Ray Whisenant said the commissioners court will look at the plan and may make a decision to move forward in late March or April. If approved, the project would move into phase two of four, which focuses on more in-depth studies and planning. The plan was created to see how the county could improve its infrastructure in anticipation of growth quadrupling by 2050, Whisenant said. “We have a northern border with U.S. 290 and a southern border with I-35,” Whisenant said. “Traffic will always look at how to get between the two points.” A report on preliminary studies will also be presented to commissioners with input from the citizens advisory panel (CAP), project manager Joe Cantalupo said. Cantalupo said the report breaks up short, mid and long-term plans. A midterm plan could be applied to the section of FM 150 from Arroyo Ranch Road to FM 3237 because the county already has a wide right-of-way in that area, he said. A midterm plan, Cantalupo said, would include expanding the two lanes and eventually adding a turning lane. A midterm project would take 10 to 15 years. Cantalupo said it is very rare that a CAP is created years before beginning a road project. Typically, officials spend years “fighting with people” during the process, he said. “What you get (with a CAP) is a solution more people support,” Cantalupo said. “If you can make people understand, you wind up with a better project.” Shelby Eckols, a CAP member who owns property off FM 150, said participating helped him understand what goes into road improvements. It also provided a chance for him to voice his concerns about the entire project, which stretches along FM 150 from Arroyo Ranch Road in Kyle north to Ranch Road 12 in Dripping Springs. “There are road improvements that need to be made,” Eckols said. “But if we put enough thought into it, it may not all need to happen on 150.” The CAP agreed that little change was needed on FM 150, especially on the section of FM 150 from FM 1826 to FM 3237, said David Braun, whose firm represents many landowners in the area. He said many in the CAP disagreed with the initial idea of widening FM 150 to four lanes. “There’s a general consensus that it is a quiet part of the community,” Braun said. “Even those who want four lanes want to look at alternatives.” As a result, the report calls for only safety improvements, such as widening the shoulders, on the stretch
WIMBERLEY COUNCIL, 7
FM 150, 8
PHOTO BY MOSES LEOS III
Tara Krzywonski of the Austin Astronomical Society peers through a telescope during Saturday’s star party at the Texas Night Sky Festival in Dripping Springs. The stars at night were big and bright at Dripping Springs Ranch Park as the Texas Night Sky Festival took place Saturday. The event featured various informational booths and activities relating to astronomy and the solar system. In addition, the Hot Texas Swing Band also performed at the event, which culminated with the nighttime star party under a clear Texas sky. See more photos of the festival online at HaysNewsDispatch.com. Just follow the photos link.
LAGNIAPPE
Fancy Feathers Poultry Show
This annual show features hundreds of poultry breeds, contests, a silent auction, raffles, concessions and a clucking contest. The event will be held March 12 at Dripping Springs Ranch Park, 1042 DS Ranch Road. Visit www.fancyfeatherstx. org for more information.
5K RunDead
Dripping Springs Ranch Park will host a 5K RunDead race on March 12. Events begin at 2 p.m. with zombies beginning their free transformations by onsite makeup artists. Runners will endure a 5K run through a zombie-infested course. Test your speed, endurance, and strength while trying to avoid ravenous zombies. Runners will have flags that represent their health. Zombies will try to steal those flags. Runners must make it to the finish line with at least one flag or become one of the walking dead. 100% of proceeds will benefit scientific research on cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Visit www.5KRunDead.com for more information.
Spring forward! Daylight Saving Time 2016 begins at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 13.
LAGNIAPPE, 7
Paving paradise? PHOTO BY PAIGE LAMBERT
Land between Founders Memorial Park and U.S. 290 has been cleared for the Texas Heritage Village development. A road will eventually be created along the development and connect to Founders Park Road.
Subdivisions changing Dripping Springs BY PAIGE LAMBERT
News-Dispatch Reporter
Hotels, subdivisions and new developments are breaking ground and changing the landscape in Dripping Springs. But change brought by development of a subdivision near the historic Pound House is raising some concerns. Joe Bland Construction LP broke ground for the Meritage subdivision, also known as Texas Heritage Village, on Feb. 22. The subdivision, located at Ranch Road 12 and U.S. 290, will create 130 lots for single family detached homes, said Rick Coneway, director of public works and development. The development’s first step was preparing for drainage improvements required by the city, Coneway said. He said the
“It takes away from the park-like entrance because they have taken away the trees ... It’s definitely different and sad to see the big oaks gone.” –Andrea Larsen, Dr. Pound Historical Farmstead executive director
developer conducted a tree survey before removing foliage along the Founders Park boundary. “If you’ve ever seen it rain, a lot of the water goes through the
park and around,” Coneway said. “What they are doing is improving that drainage and capturing to put into a detention and water quality pond.” According to a press release, the developer is also required to dedicate 7.69 acres to trails and open spaces. However, many are concerned about development being so close to the park. Andrea Larsen, Dr. Pound Historical Farmstead executive director, said the construction hasn’t directly affected the museum’s five acres. It has allowed parkgoers to see businesses on U.S. 290, she said. “It takes away from the parklike entrance because they have taken away the trees,” Larsen said. “It’s definitely different and
MERITAGE, 6
WIMBERLEY CITY COUNCIL
Short-term rentals get guidelines BY PAIGE LAMBERT
News-Dispatch Reporter
The Wimberley City Council unanimously approved a compliance policy for preexisting, non-conforming short-term rental facilities during its March 3 meeting. If a facility owner can show at least five years of continued business or sign an affidavit stating so, and hasn’t received complaints from adjacent property owners, the owner will not have to get a conditional use permit, city administrator Don Ferguson said. The city recently conducted a sweep of the city to determine which short term rental facilities were not in compliance with the city’s permits and codes. Ferguson said the city has identified 30
“If they are being helpful enough in stepping forward and saying ‘what do I need to do to do the right thing?’ then we need to do the right thing.” –Don Ferguson, city administrator
to 40 properties with many that were in operation before the city was incorporated. “If they are being helpful enough in stepping forward and saying ‘what do I need to do to do the right thing?’ then we need to do the right thing,” Ferguson said. “Maybe we need to take a step back and look at how we can make getting grandfather status a little easier for these guys that have been in operation for a lifetime.” Before the council approved the change, a facility could