Update on Local Developments from SMRF

Thanks to SMRF for keeping us up to date on local developments.

10/19:
BUIE TRACT:  Another item on the agenda: the rezoning of a small piece of the Buie Tract land is up for a decision, but everyone already knows how the current majority on Council will vote on that. This was the piece that was pulled by the developer so that the neighbors’ petition could not reach the threshold of requiring a supermajority, which would have killed the rezoning.   This does not mean that the battle is over.   The missing items in the geological assessment are still on all the fault maps and other kinds of maps for Hays County, so we will continue to make that hard to ignore, as these tall apartment and commercial buildings are being proposed to be built on top of some of these missing faults and caves.  The other mystery that we continue to pursue is how the bulldozing was allowed to happen several years ago, with stakes lined up where the Craddock extension was planned by the city.   This bulldozing went on with no permits obtained by the landowners at the time, no biological opinion from USFWS, etc.  We continue to dig on this issue.

Related stories in SMLN:
http://www.newstreamz.com/2010/10/07/pz-approves-rezoning-of-buie-tract-parcel/ 
http://www.newstreamz.com/2010/10/21/buie-tract-wins-final-zoning-approval-in-4-3-vote/

PASO ROBLES:   This subdivision is mentioned in the agenda as possibly coming back for reconsideration, but someone who voted for it last time would have to bring it back for a vote, and the current majority group of council people who voted for it are not going to do that.  But again, this does not mean that this battle is over either.  There are many ways that the issue of watering over the recharge zone with wastewater could continue to be worked on, and SMRF will be doing all we can.  Citizens surrounding that area need to keep up the good work of talking to Council members, writing them too, and hope that there will be a more sensible set of decisions made in the future on this tract.  [email protected]

Related story in SMLN: http://www.newstreamz.com/2010/10/06/city-council-hires-nuse-approves-paso-robles-deal/

PASO ROBLES:  Paso Robles was on the agenda and unfortunately much incorrect info was given during this long agenda item.  It appears that some Councilmembers still do not understand the water pollution consequences of watering in that location with wastewater.  Nor do they seem to comprehend that the drinking water wells around that location do not have treatment plants to remove the chemicals that infiltrate the aquifer from the wastewater irrigation and the operation of the golf course. Worst of all, we learned that the city taxpayers are going to pay for whatever baseline testing might be done, and there is nothing agreed on that makes the developer pay for cleanup if pollution is found.  The rezoning was approved, 5-2, with Councilmen Thomaides and Bose against.  Narvaiz, Porterfield, Terry, Thomason and Jones voted for approval.

10/4:
WINDEMERE: The developers DID get approval last week of the entrance road in the Sink Creek floodplain, so they can build 75 homes.   Planning commission members obviously had qualms about the flooding expected there, over that roadway, but incorrectly felt that they had to allow the variance.  We will be watching for the watershed plan filed for this area and intervening if necessary.  We also learned that the city is drilling six test holes in the Spring Lake preserve to determine whether they can place a wastewater line in this preserve, the same huge line that has caused such problems with sinking soil along Lime Kiln Rd.  This wastewater line will serve the University, the city has stated, the part of San Marcos that is around Sagewood and Craddock, and of course, Windemere.   They have not proposed to do any special second lining or other measures to alert emergency workers when leaks happen in this line, which will drain straight to Sink Creek and thus Spring Lake. ( If you read the paper any given week, there are notices about leaks in sewer lines in cities all over central Texas.  TCEQ requires these notices to be published.  It just points out that sewer lines leak fairly often.) San Marcos will need these extra measures to protect the river if we want to keep swimming in it in the future.  The time to implement these is when you build the line, not later when you have to dig it up again.  Or perhaps we should just find a different location for such lines to start with.  At any rate, if you wish to tell council your opinions on this variance to allow the entrance road to Windemere, which would allow them to develop the banks of Sink Creek just before it goes into Spring Lake, you can email [email protected] or come to the Council meeting to speak this Tuesday, Oct. 5, 7 p.m. or a little before then if you wish to sign up to speak.  

BLANCO VISTA: The Blanco Vista homeowners turned out in force last week and certainly got the attention of Planning commission members.  The item was postponed so the developer could work with the residents on exactly where the 900 new apartments might be placed in their single family community.  This is the same developer that plans to build Paso Robles.  The concerns of this group were very similar to issues brought up about the apartments of the Buie Tract.  It will be interesting to see how it turns out. This item has been postponed until December.  Newstreamz.com has had interesting articles on this and on the 3 developments on the recharge zone.