Bee Cave voters have weighed in on two propositions up for a vote in the May 3 elections Voters in the city of Bee Cave are in favor of both propositions put forward in the May 3 election authorizing a road tax and new public safety building for the city according to unofficial voting results from Travis County Early voting results show Proposition A has received 85.76% approval with a total of 843 votes counted in favor authorizing the city to collect a sales tax at the rate of 0.125% to be put toward road maintenance and repair There have been 140 votes counted against the proposition so far Proposition B has received 82.89% approval with a total of 809 votes in favor so far authorizing the city to construct a new public safety building to house the city’s police department and Lake Travis Fire Station 603 with an $18 million budget There have been 167 votes against the proposition counted as of press time Authorization of the road tax has been put before voters every four years for the last two decades Requiring voter authorization for new developments like the public safety building, however, is new for Bee Cave. Following last November’s election, in which Proposition G passed with a total of 2,200 votes in favor and leases must be put to a vote before development can occur With the public safety building approved, Bee Cave will continue planning work for the facility, which has been ongoing since it was first proposed in 2021.“The city of Bee Cave is grateful to our residents for their overwhelming support in this election,” Bee Cave Communications Director Crystal Cotti said "Early returns show voters want a new public safety building—a vital investment that will provide modern expanded space for our police and firefighters This facility will enhance emergency response capabilities and gives our first responders the tools they need to continue protecting our growing community." No firm date has yet been set for construction to begin on the public safety building but late summer or early fall was the estimated time frame provided by city officials Community Impact will update this article as more election day vote totals are released All results are unofficial until canvassed Visit communityimpact.com/voter-guide/election-results to see results from all local elections in your community downtown Austin's Pecan Street Festival was the place to be Attendees shuffled by hundreds of vendor tents run by eager painters chefs and other local creatives trying to market their goods you had to do the Pecan Street Festival,” said Lynda Coleman a painter and a leader of Generational Artists Collective the festival's long-term location on East Sixth Street turned into a hotspot for the bustling nightlife scene The homeless population in the area also increased Festival organizers announced in late March that the festival, scheduled for this weekend, would move to the Hill Country Galleria in Bee Cave, due to the “recent restructuring” on Sixth Street they said presented an “unsustainable financial future” for the event. Zapata, who has worked with the festival's planning company for two decades, said the city's addition of sidewalk barricades in January would've cut out a third of the usual vendors if the festival stayed downtown. Coleman said the new location gives everyone more "breathing room." "[Organizers] want everybody to be safe, and it would have been a strain to try to push to keep it on Sixth Street," she said. She and artist Joseph Worth both said that in recent years, setting up their festival tents at 5 a.m. felt stressful and scary. It was cramped as vendors rushed in to claim the first-come first-serve space, and parking to unload supplies was limited and expensive. Worth said he stopped working the festival in 2016 because of the conditions on Sixth Street. He said homeless individuals sometimes approached vendors and made them feel uncomfortable. “Artists stopped coming,” said Worth, who moved to Austin in 2007 and had considered the festival prestigious. “It wasn't even just gross," he said. "It was scary. It was a real concern for people out there.” Worth isn't completely sold on the move to the Hill Country Galleria. He said he worries about vendors making back the $600 booth fee trying to sell their products in a center with over 100 restaurants and shops. “It's gonna go from a festival event to essentially just people shopping,” he said. But Coleman said she feels confident the new location “will be a blessing” for both vendors and attendees. “I see people on Facebook complaining that they moved it," she said. “My question to them is: When was the last time you've been to Pecan Street Festival? People have a lot to say, but you don't know the changes of everything" since 1996. Until 8 pm Wednesday. Conditions are favorable for severe storms, including tornadoes. FORECAST4 hospitalized after crash on SH 71 near Bee Caveby Tara Brolley Texas — Four people were taken to the hospital Thursday morning following a two-vehicle collision on State Highway 71 near Bee Cave resulted in three people being ejected from their vehicle according to Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services ALSO | APD Bomb Squad detonates explosives in South Austin home, second incident this month One adult was airlifted by STAR Flight to Dell Seton Medical Center with critical Three additional patients were transported by ambulance to St David's South Austin Medical Center — two with serious injuries and one with potentially serious injuries Two other individuals involved in the crash refused medical treatment at the scene The collision completely shut down westbound lanes of SH 71 at Bee Cave Parkway Drivers are advised to avoid the area and seek alternate routes this armadillo extraordinaire saw his shadow the esteemed order responsible for this sacred ritual Here are a few fun facts about Bee Cave Bob the armadillo who predicts the Texas weather: Like Punxsutawney Phil — or as our friends in Bee Cave refer to him “Hairy Yankee Rat” — Bee Cave Bob emerges from his burrow on Feb Texas is predicted to have six more weeks of winter but the "weatherologist" experts at this year's event say this year’s a special one Bee Cave Bob's Texas politics forecast is .. this wise old overseer of all things Texan also delved into the murky waters of state politics If he walks on the right side of the highway line Texas will have a politically conservative year Walking decisively to the right of the highway line he predicted a year of staunch conservatism Bee Cave Bob was born in — drumroll please — Bee Cave a city declared the planet's official West Pole by the Texas Legislature in 2007 He lives at a ranch known as the West Pole Bob and Phil aren't the only critters on the Groundhog's Day meteorologist deskPennsylvania has Punxsutawney Phil and poor Milltown Mel's forecast event in New Jersey was sadly canceled The Benevolent Knights of the Raccoon are the keepers of this ancient tradition These esteemed gentlemen are guided by the sacred "Benevolent Knights of the Raccoon Magna Carta," written they proudly adorn their necks with necklaces bearing the bones of various mammals (armadillos included Some of the people pictured wearing the necklace include Willie Nelson Want more Austin entertainment and lifestyle news? Sign up for the Austin360 Weekly Picks newsletter for restaurant recommendations celeb sightings and tips on how to explore this city we share The embattled Violet Crown Amphitheater – a planned development including condos and offices off Highway 71 in Southwest Austin that was successfully beaten down in 2022 by angry neighbors – looks to be back Community Impact reports that the developer denied an amphitheater being involved at all with the new project Whatever the new scaled-down plan includes it’s the location that angers environmental groups like the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance (GEAA) The site is surrounded on three sides by the Barton Creek Habitat Preserve and the creek itself on the fourth side the developer also includes plans for a wastewater treatment plant processing 120,000 gallons per day of sewage to be dispersed into a field directly upward from Barton Creek TCEQ has already approved the changed development’s draft Texas Land Application Permit which GEAA says “is the among the most lax Texas wastewater permits ever with minimal pollution limits and no Phosphorus or Nitrogen removal required.” Nitrogen and phosphorus are two nutrients found in polluted water that lead to toxic algae production After the original water/wastewater permits were rejected by Austin and the TCEQ, the developer released the tract from Austin’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) using a new law passed in the state’s 2023 legislative session Many municipalities including Austin opposed the bill before it was passed concerned for the lack of environmental regulations in unincorporated Travis County The city of Austin Watershed Protection Department has filed comments in opposition to the TCEQ permit echoing GEAA’s concerns about runoff and pointing to the Environmental Commission’s previous denial of the developer’s request though not yet at a level dangerous to humans Johnston’s comments suggest tweaks to the permit – but GEAA’s call for the rejection of the permit outright and point out TCEQ’s pattern of granting lax permits to developments within this environmentally sensitive area “Lax wastewater permits go against TCEQ’s charter and mandate to protect the quality of Texans’ water,” Peace argued TCEQ’s next move will come after a 45- to 60-day period wherein all formal comments submitted online and in person will receive a response – then the agency will evaluate whether a contested case hearing is needed Photo by stickywikit, CC BY 2.0 And we’re honored you look to us for serious You know a strong community needs local and dedicated watchdog reporting Now will you take the powerful next step and support our nonprofit news organization The Austin Monitor thanks its sponsors. Become one See which district you live in The Austin Monitor is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization We are fully-local and cover the important issues and key decisions at the intersection between the local government and the community The Bee Cave City Council on Tuesday approved a resolution supporting the expansion of Texas 71 would turn Texas 71 from a four-lane undivided road to a six-lane divided road The city considers it a “high priority” project due to the road’s heavy traffic congestion the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization issued a draft 2050 Transportation Plan to address transportation needs in the Austin area Expansion of Texas 71 was one item outlined in the draft though it was taken out in the most recent version The city’s resolution voices support for a smaller scale expansion of Texas 71 in Bee Cave specifically focusing on the area between RM 620 and Vail Divide the council hopes to stress the importance of the expansion and encourage CAMPO to put it in the final plan “There’s this entire stretch of road and they just can't do the whole thing so instead of them breaking apart a chunk we’ve asked them to take on just this one part where we are so heavily in need,” Mayor Kara King said at the meeting CAMPO will vote on the final plan on May 12 The initial draft said the project would begin by 2035 The City Council also considered an amendment to its street cut ordinance to allow microtrenching a technique used to install underground utilities The council unanimously agreed it needed more information The proposed amendment follows the city’s non-exclusive license agreement with internet service provider Google Fiber for use of the city's public right of way for internet network facility installation Google Fiber approached the city with interest in providing services through fiber optic cables Microtrenching is Google Fiber’s preferred method of installation The city’s code prohibits microtrenching in roadways Some council members voiced concern about how microtrenching might affect the city’s infrastructure “I’m getting the sense that we all want to be in support of this If we can get to a comfort level that we’re not gonna be spending tons of money having to do repair work for their efforts … when there may be other options,” said Council Member Kevin Hight City Manager Julie Oakley suggested drafting a specific agreement telling Google Fiber where it could use microtrenching “I would like to be able to get more down in the details," Oakley said "so that we have a little bit more information on where it has to be done.” A resolution urging CAMPO officials to prioritize widening Hwy 71 was passed at an April 22 council meeting The city of Bee Cave last week added former City Manager Clint Garza as a defendant in its lawsuit against the developers of industrial warehouses just outside city limits The updated lawsuit claims Garza concealed development plans and might have received payments that bypassed the City Council, according to a city news release. Garza stepped down from his role in January 2024 the developers are accused of relying on Garza to withhold information about the warehouses from the City Council while being able to claim the City was on 'notice' of the development because they emailed Garza instead of going through the proper channels," the Wednesday news release said “These new allegations are deeply concerning and represent a serious violation of the trust the public placed in Clint Garza as City Manager,” Mayor Kara King said in the release More: Clint Garza stepping down as Bee Cave city manager “These new claims are baseless," officials from Velocis the Dallas-based private equity real estate firm behind the project "Bee Cave has already wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars on a failed attempt to stop construction These new allegations are an attempt to distract from their own mismanagement and the Court’s rejection of their claims The City should stop wasting public resources on this failed effort.” City officials have said the construction of the West Austin Business Park goes against the development plan the city and the landowner had agreed to in 2015 and residents say the 269,959-square-foot facility will lower their property values and harm the environment Lawyers for the developers have said that because the warehouse is in Bee Cave’s extraterritorial jurisdiction the developers don’t have to report site plans to the city nor get its approval a Travis County judge instructed the city of Bee Cave and the business park to craft a temporary restraining that would prevent the construction of the industrial warehouse from violating the city's noise ordinance The facility is near Texas 71 and Serene Hills Drive Velocis began construction on its West Austin Business Park in February 2024 The project is part of the Sweetwater Crossing property More: Judge tells Bee Cave, warehouse builder to craft noise agreement before case goes to trial Saying it wanted to promote transparency within the city the Bee Cave City Council on Tuesday passed a whistleblower ordinance to encourage city employees to report any fraudulent activity The whistleblower ordinance and a recent update to the Bee Cave ethics policy are two steps the city has taken in response to the situation which the City Council unanimously approved Tuesday grants employees confidentiality and protects them from retaliation when reporting illegal or dishonest activity A staff report said the policy is important to ensure transparency and accountability within the city and will encourage a “culture of honesty.”  “I think that it’s important to show this community that we have taken what we have learned extremely seriously and we are putting policies in place to prevent it from ever happening again,” King said at the council meeting City Manager Julie Oakley said the city is working to train employees on the new ordinance and familiarize them with the reporting process “Our goal is to have a culture that breeds ethics and transparency and reporting any fraud or abuse that they might see to where they feel comfortable working in this type of environment on a day-to-day basis,” Oakley said Officials said the new ordinance encompasses procedures for handling different types of complaints and has been updated to be meet or exceed state law requirements The council also approved an ordinance that prohibits activity by public facility corporations and housing finance corporations — organizations that seek to promote affordable housing — in the city Such corporations are generally tax exempt City Attorney Ryan Henry said the city hopes to re-exert local control King said she also hopes the move will increase transparency by giving the city additional oversight The organizations "go into a town and develop a property and completely take it off the municipality’s tax rolls,” Council Member Kit Crumbley said “It cuts local control out of the finances out of the development and out of the system entirely.” Council Member Andrea Willott said that approving the ordinance doesn’t mean the city is against workforce housing She said the council decided upon the ordinance because the city would be disadvantaged by the property tax laws Mayor Pro-Tem Andrew Clark echoed Willott’s sentiments “We most definitely want to welcome people who want to live here but at the same time this ordinance offers an opportunity to button up any potential loopholes as well as give the city a seat at the table as well as our community residents,” Clark said The new kiosk will likely not open until at least June A new and improved gas station kiosk is coming soon to the Bee Cave H-E-B is currently under construction and will likely remain closed until at least the end of June customers can purchase fuel at the same fuel pumps but with an upgraded kiosk which a representative said will enhance the space for H-E-B partners The fiber optic network would provide faster internet speeds to the city The agreement with TxDOT was approved at a City Council meeting March 25 Pedestrians on Bee Cave Parkway and Bee Caves Road will soon see safety improvements made to these streets following an agreement between Bee Cave and the Texas Department of Transportation At a City Council meeting Mar. 25 an agreement between the city of Bee Cave and TxDOT was approved and sidewalk additions to Bee Cave Parkway and Bee Caves Road Bee Cave will be responsible for 10% of the $959,650 construction cost and will also contribute $280,000 to development of construction plans, which includes surveying and design services, according to city documents. According to a map of the project shared at the meeting pedestrian sidewalks will be added to the south side of Bee Cave Parkway a sidewalk will be added to the south side of Bee Caves Road from the exit near Starbucks to Tennison Hill Drive At the intersection of Bee Cave Parkway and Bee Caves Road a striped crosswalk with a pedestrian push button and associated beacon will also be added The project must be put out for bid by Dec The Bee Cave police station is so cramped that the gym is in an attic and officers take showers in a former broom closet There are no training facilities at the station and meetings take place at a kitchen table "We are bursting at the seams," Jones said about the current police station at the former City Hall that was built in 1998 That could all change if voters in the May 3 election approve a new $31 million public safety building that would house both the city's Police Department and Lake Travis Fire Rescue Station 603 The construction would not raise city taxes Lake Travis Fire Rescue already increased taxes last year to about $12 more per year for the average property owner in Bee Cave to help pay for part of the building More: Construction starts on public safety training center in Cedar Park; new library opens Voters must approve the building because of a new city proposition passed in November that requires them to approve any significant changes on land owned by the city The two-story joint public safety building will be just under 36,000 square feet at 13301 Texas 71 The Police Department will occupy 17,450 square feet and Lake Travis Fire Rescue will use 14,725 square feet The building also would include 3,700 square feet of shared space for training rooms and a gym More: Austin looks to spend $120M on two buildings to house public safety departments Lake Travis Fire Rescue Station 603 needs more space because it doesn't have adequate room for equipment has simply outgrown its current footprint," said Fire Chief Robert B we will be better positioned to protect lives and property and continue our mission of serving with excellence." The fire station is currently at a facility built in 1994 next to the police station No decision has been made on what to do with the current station if voters approve the new public safety building the City Council has not yet approved a plan for the former City Hall if police move out of it Combining the police and the fire stations will make it easier for both agencies to collaborate and have cross training "Police and fire respond to a lot of the same calls including medical emergencies and accidents," said Jones The new building will house 22 police officers and five to six firefighters It will have sleeping quarters for up to 12 firefighters The city's portion of the cost of the building is $18 million She said She said the city will use existing general fund resources such as sales tax to finance their portion of the building These resources will pay for any qualified tax-exempt obligations issued for construction of the facility Lake Travis Fire Rescue will pay $13 million for its portion of the total cost of the building The department is paying for its portion of the building with tax-exempt promissory notes that are short-term securities issued by governmental agencies for capital projects The tax increase in 2024 already has paid for $5.4 million in promissory notes The board of the agency will "assess funding sources" to pay for the remaining $7.7 million An updated aerial view of the West Austin Business Park site Construction continues on the West Austin Business Park It's time for Texas voters to cast their ballots in the May 3 general election Where can Central Texas residents vote on Election Day Here is what you need to know before voting If you're planning to vote on the May 3 election, here is what time polls open and close: Here is a look at each county's sample ballot for the May 3 election: these are acceptable forms of ID to vote in Saturday's election: The state IDs must be issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety Any expired forms cannot be expired beyond four years for voters ages 18 to 69 Individuals 70 and older are allowed to bring photo IDs that have been expired for any amount of time What alternative forms of ID can be used to vote?Voters who cannot provide one of the specified forms of identification may complete a Reasonable Impediment Declaration at the polling station and present an alternative form of ID These alternative forms of identification may be either original documents or copies Here are the following forms of ID you can use: persons are not allowed to use wireless communications devices within 100 feet of voting stations persons are not allowed to use mechanical or electronic devices to record sound or images within 100 feet of the voting stations Devices that should not be used in the polling place include: The location has not yet received final approval but a permit for a pickup window has been granted The Mediterranean food chain Cava may soon be coming to Bee Cave.The details The business offers a variety of salad and rice bowls A permit for the new location’s mobile pickup window was approved at a Bee Cave City Council meeting but final site plan approval has not yet been granted Developer Bill Walters stated that his goal was to open the location by the end of 2025 A gas line rupture has closed an intersection in Bee Cave Friday morning Lake Travis Fire Rescue reported that firefighters are working on a 6-inch gas line break in the 13200 block of Bee Cave Parkway The incident has forced the closure of Bee Cave Parkway at Ranch Road 620 ALSO | City of Austin pulls airport art funding vote following calls for more local artists Officials said there is a strong odor of gas in the area Crews are monitoring air quality and report that no hazardous levels have been detected Motorists are advised to avoid the area and find alternative routes while first responders work to address the situation Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that only the drive-through element of this location has received approval a final site plan will need to be approved subsequently The fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain Chipotle may be coming soon to Bee Cave had its drive-through element approved at a city council meeting on Jan but final re-platting and site plan approval has not been given yet The Lake Travis ISD Educational Development Center is one of many voting centers in Travis County This story was updated with new information After half a century on East Sixth Street in downtown Austin the annual Pecan Street Festival — which offers arts music and fest food — will move to the Hill Country Galleria in Bee Cave for its spring 2025 event Leaders of the nonprofit Pecan Street Association which owns the festival to promote East Sixth Street — originally named Pecan Street in 1839 — say the move is temporary Festival organizers say the core problems are the new fences and temporary bollards added along East Sixth Street in Austin's popular entertainment district city spokesperson David Ochsner said the city offered to remove the rubber curbing on the street and were in discussions about removing the bollards when the event's board had an emergency meeting to move the festival These barriers were recently added to East Sixth Street to create protective perimeters for pedestrians, as the city of Austin reintroduced vehicular traffic during the weekend. In the short term, that change has already been credited by the Austin Police Department with decreased violence among the crowds that had ranged freely and sometimes lawlessly in the street Organizers say the fences and bollards would limit the placement of festival booths during what used to be called the Old Pecan Street Festival "We are unable to set up our regular floor plan," said Luís Zapata His company also produces the Fourth of July gathering at the Hill Country Galleria "We were looking at losing a third of our vendors making it financially impossible to go on with the festival." Austin mayor: 'I wish them well in Bee Cave'Zapata said that once the bollards entered the picture he teamed with the city of Austin to find a suitable venue within the city limits Ochsner said the city tried to help the festival move to two locations: Congress Avenue and Riverside by the Long Center but neither worked due to time constraints and physical space restrictions He said Sixth Street would have been closed to vehicle traffic as it has been in years prior during the festival had it remained in its original location "We've run out of time to find a physical location in Austin," Zapata told the American-Statesman last week "We worked with the city for several months A couple hundred vendors had already applied and paid their booth fees expecting an event to sell their art and feed their families it is the event of the year in terms of sales for these artists." Ochsner said in the statement: "We provided several options but their organizers were not willing to offer concessions We are open to continuing to have discussions with the organizers to identify solutions." There is currently a moratorium on new events in downtown Austin as major infrastructure and construction projects are underway. The moratorium was first imposed in 2014, according to a 2023 city memo were grandfathered and exempt from the ban Pecan Street Festival has lost that status Should organizers seek to return while the moratorium is in place Austin Mayor Kirk Watson in a statement said in addition to trying to help with a temporary location "The festival has contributed to the magic of the street," Watson said There remains some debate about the first festival ran under the headline "Sixth Street Celebration Set Today." The story credits the East Sixth Street Conservation Association for founding the festival to raise money to plant trees from Congress Avenue to Interstate 35 the 1975 event promised strolling musicians a Spanish-language folk comedy and exhibits at the Driskill Hotel Zapata said the festival has been in danger of losing its family-friendly reputation as the character of Sixth Street has evolved in cycles over the years "We may have lost some of our most loyal vendors over time," he said which hurts our efforts to perpetuate the event." open consumption of alcohol and some minor crimes Festival organizers also expressed concern about rising parking costs downtown they proposed that the Bee Cave site would offer a "cleaner greener and more family-friendly environment." Although many Central Austin residents have traditionally walked to the event Bee Cave is approximately 15 miles west of downtown Austin The Pecan Street Festival is slated for May 3-4 at the Hill Country Galleria Free parking is available at the shopping center the festival remains dedicated to its legacy and looks forward to another 50 years of bringing the community together," Pecan Street organizers said in a statement "The show must go on," Zapata told the Statesman The business plans to open its fourth Austin-area location in Bee Cave Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that the new Trader Joe's location is still currently occupied by Office Depot.A new Trader Joe’s is coming soon to the Shops at The Galleria in Bee Cave The details On Nov. 22, the business registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation for a new location in Bee Cave located in the building at 12812 Shops Parkway the business previously known as OfficeMax Information included on the project details page includes an estimated completed construction date of Jun 1 and an estimated cost of $900,000 for renovation of the 17,109 square-foot facility The permit states construction will start in February and wrap up next summer on June 1 an Office Depot official stated that company notification of the store's closure had not been issued as of press time A representative for Trader Joe’s declined to answer when reached for comment on the new location Trader Joe’s is a grocery store chain with over 500 locations in the United States. This new location would mark the fourth to open in the Austin area, with three other locations in Northwest Austin, downtown Austin, and Rollingwood. A special meeting will be held Jan. 7 to discuss options regarding vacant positions. (Taylor Cripe/Community Impact) Armstrong Williams takes on the news of the week and asks the questions you want answered. Don’t miss our weekly town hall. Bee Cave lawsuit alleges fraud from developers Texas — The City of Bee Cave has updated its lawsuit intended to stop construction on a warehouse near the Sweetwater neighborhood off Highway 71 The lawsuit now alleges its developers deliberately kept city council in the dark about the project and claims former city manager Clint Garza took money under the table so the project could bypass council scrutiny PREVIOUS COVERAGE| Judge halts Bee Cave industrial park construction amid community complaints Garza had allegedly been receiving payments and gifts for a number of years before the city found out communications director for the city of Bee Cave "There was a conspiracy over many years between former city manager Clint Garza and the developers of the Sweetwater area The reason city council didn't know is because they were intentionally being kept in the dark to avoid the scrutiny that was required by that development agreement." The defendants have not responded to the new updates In response to the lawsuit on Tuesday night Bee Cave City Council added a whistleblower policy to the city's personnel manual to protect any employee who reports illegal or unethical activity The shop will be located near the entrance of the Hill Country Galleria (Rendering courtesy Georgetown Manor Inc.) The festival will now take place at Bee Cave’s Hill County Galleria in May Bee Cave City Council members voiced their opposition to the development at a March 25 meeting The business offers lash and brow services A new lash salon has opened in the Hill Country Galleria.The overview Lash and Company offers eyelash extensions customers can book appointments for brow services The beauty franchise has over 20 locations around the United States lunch and event space at That's My Jam will open in mid-May A judge is weighing whether a temporary injunction halting the construction of an industrial warehouse near Bee Cave should remain in place until the case can go to trial City officials say the construction goes against the development plan the city and the landowner had agreed to in 2015 Lawyers for the developers say that because the warehouse is in Bee Cave’s extraterritorial jurisdiction rather than its city limits The injunction hearing began on Nov. 12 but District Judge Laurie Eiserloh quickly determined the court needed more time to hear from both sides Eiserloh ended the second day of the hearing saying she did not know which way she would decide but that she would make sure to study “every word” to ensure justice is served “This has been a very interesting case,” Eiserloh said Those were beautiful homes out there that I saw a lot of money on the line that you all made very clear continues to be an expense to you.” Eiserloh said she would send both sides specific questions to answer as closing briefs In February, the Dallas-based private equity real estate firm Velocis began construction on its West Austin Business Park, which sits on top of a hill near Texas 71 and Serene Hills Drive. The project, which was court-ordered to stop construction in October is part of the Sweetwater Crossing property When the 40-foot concrete tilt walls went up in August city officials received complaints from nearby residents and filed a lawsuit against Velocis and Wheelock the city of Lakeway and Madrone Canyon Residential Community also joined the lawsuit as plaintiffs The lawsuit claims Velocis and Wheelock violated a 2015 contractual development agreement entered into by the city and Wheelock on the Sweetwater Crossing development According to the city’s application for the injunction the agreement set strict guidelines for what the land can be used for “including that any development be mixed-use commercial and residential in a manner consistent with the nearby Sweetwater residential community.” It also states that “Wheelock promised to work alongside the City to plan and develop a community consistent with its values and character.”  the defendants say the development agreement gives Bee Cave a “few” approval rights but that the city signed away the final authority of review and approval to the Design Review Committee which is made up of three Wheelock representatives The counterclaim states that is why there is no record of the city approving any site plans from Sweetwater Crossing since the 2015 agreement was entered In the October restraining order hearing against Velocis and Wheelock District Judge Jessica Mangrum ruled that the development had to stop construction until the injunction hearing was finished testified that for each three months of paused construction the company is at risk of losing between $500,000 to $1 million the company has spent about $21 million on construction costs The bulk of Wednesday’s hearing was a continuation of the plaintiff’s witness statements and cross-examination the lead engineer hired to design and seek necessary approvals for the project The plaintiffs said there were multiple inaccuracies in the submitted site plan The document was submitted to three authorities having jurisdiction and was signed by each: Travis County Emergency Services District No Lazy Nine Municipal District 1A and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality The document also says that Travis County Transportation and Natural Resources requires the owner to contact the city for permitting requirements Barr said the definition of “city” in the document was “city town or other applicable local government jurisdiction.” Barr said the three authorities he submitted the plan to were those applicable local government jurisdictions four detention ponds to store stormwater runoff were drawn but only one was built Barr said he had no concern the change would affect pollution developers regraded a few areas on top of the hill to account for all water flowing to the one detainment pond a Wheelock partner and member of the Design Review Committee testified that the building was built to 40 feet tall 10 feet shorter than the maximum allowed height of five stories He also said “there’s no question” the city was given notice of what would be built on the property Rafferty said that in the post-closing agreement when Wheelock sold the land to Velocis it states that Velocis will construct “a distribution center fulfillment center or light industrial warehouse facility” within 36 months of the purchase a defense witness who was the representative for the Lazy Nine MUD while the 2015 agreement was being drafted testified that it was clear then that the city would have very little say over what would be built in the Sweetwater Crossing development An updated rendering of the public safety building was shown at the Feb warehouse builder to craft noise agreement before case goes to trialAustin American-Statesman(This story was updated because an earlier version contained an inaccuracy.) A Travis County District judge on Friday instructed the city of Bee Cave and the owners of the West Austin Business Park to craft a temporary restraining order by Jan 10 that would prevent the construction of the industrial warehouse from violating the city's noise ordinance Judge Laurie Eiserloh's letter denied all other relief for both sides and ordered them to agree on a date for the case to go to trial city officials said the construction goes against the development plan the city and the landowner had agreed to in 2015 Residents said the 269,959-square-foot facility will lower their property values and harm the environment Lawyers for the developers said that because the warehouse is in Bee Cave’s extraterritorial jurisdiction More: Hearing concludes without decision on construction of industrial warehouse near Bee Cave The injunction hearing began on Nov. 12 but Eiserloh quickly determined the court would need more time to hear from both sides The judge ended the second day of the hearing on Nov 20 by saying she did not know which way she would decide "Those were beautiful homes out there that I saw the Dallas-based private equity real estate firm that is building the facility near Texas 71 and Serene Hills Drive Paul Smith said that between November 2023 and August 2024 The project, which was court-ordered to stop construction in October Spring has been a busy time for Bee Cave Public Library with the fourth annual Books and Bees Festival that took place recently After winning the Texas Library Association’s “2024 Libraries Change Communities Award,” festival organizers were determined to make this year’s version even better The event kicked off with an intimate “Evening with the Author” on Friday featuring Katherine Center Things You Save in a Fire," and "The Rom-Commers." The Netflix movie adaptation of her novel "Happiness for Beginners" hit the Global Top 10 in 81 countries in 2023 Katherine regaled the audience with hilarious stories about her life and how she incorporates them into her novels The event took place in the community room at Keystone Bank the title sponsor of the Books and Bees Festival The festival continued the following day on the lawn and plaza in front of the library at the Hill Country Galleria and featured opening ceremonies with Bee Cave Mayor Kara King a performance by the Bee Cave Elementary School Choir and a sneak preview of this summer’s coming attraction The rest of the afternoon featured a wide range of author panels and book signings and even a workshop on writing and publishing for aspiring authors Barnes & Noble hosted panel discussions about young adult graphic novels and romance novels while the Keystone Keynote Tent featured noted Texas historian Stephen Hardin discussing the Runaway Scrape with Statesman columnist Michael Barnes The festival is a celebration of nature as well as literacy and includes bee education as part of the city’s status as a “Bee City USA.” Local beekeepers offered samples in a honey-tasting contest alongside educational activities provided by local conservation groups The afternoon concluded with a rollicking concert with children’s entertainer Joe McDermott More than 3,500 people attended the Books and Bees Festival while enjoying the perfect The library would like to thank the festival sponsors the Friends of Bee Cave Public Library and the city of Bee Cave the Hill Country Galleria and the Sonesta Hotel-Bee Cave A team of volunteers kept the event running smoothly alongside city employees from all departments With the end of the school year just around the corner the Bee Cave library is busy planning its annual Summer Reading Program with the theme this year being “Color Our World.” Expect a wide range of activities for all ages and interests designed to keep the whole family reading over the summer For more information about programs and services at Bee Cave Public Library, please visit the website at beecavelibrary.com or call 512.767.6620 The library is inside Bee Cave City Hall in the center of the Hill Country Galleria Hathaway is the director of the Bee Cave Public Library The meeting will take place at Bee Cave City Hall on Feb Bee Cave will host a public town hall in order to share information regarding the city’s new public safety building, city officials announced at a meeting held Jan. 28 The town hall will take place at Bee Cave City Hall on Feb The city will welcome resident feedback while raising awareness of the city’s partnership with Lake Travis Fire Rescue to build the facility Designs will also be shared detailing plans for the new building and residents may come and go as they please The public safety building has been in talks since 2021 when the city of Bee Cave first formed its Capital Improvement Projects composed of council members Andrea Willott and Kevin Hight as well as Mayor Kara King The CIP plan, adopted Oct. 26, 2021 also includes several other city projects like constructing a new library and improving Central Park The new public safety building would house both Lake Travis Fire Rescue and the Bee Cave Police Department, who, according to CIP planning documents, require more space than their existing police station can provide This station, located at 13333 Hwy. 71, formerly functioned as Bee Cave City Hall, and Mayor King has described police officers as being “crammed in” to the building, according to previous reporting by Community Impact. The city’s budget for the public safety building is set at $18 million and the new facility will include spaces shared between departments such as a gymnasium and training room The building will be approximately 19,300 square feet and construction will take 15-18 months to complete according to previous reporting by Community Impact In November, Bee Cave voters approved Proposition G which requires voter approval for the city to be able to take any action or pass any ordinance addressing subdivision Several ongoing city projects have been impacted by this proposition these projects will need to be placed on the May election ballot for voter approval Although construction documentation for the public safety building is expected to be finalized by March the construction phase will not be able to begin until after the May election Other ongoing projects impacted by Proposition G which may appear on the May election ballot include a new library Construction crews are expected to begin work in 2025 An agreement has been made between the city of Bee Cave and Google Fiber to install a fiber optic network throughout the city using public right of way This agreement, announced at a City Council meeting Jan. 14, is the first step toward bringing new infrastructure that would provide faster internet speeds to the city of Bee Cave, Director of Communications Crystal Cotti said several steps must be taken for the network to be laid out and implemented Design and engineering phases will come next after which Google Fiber will submit permit applications to the city of Bee Cave for consideration That construction phase typically takes somewhere between 18-24 months In terms of how long it will take residents to have access to the new fiber network that will depend on how the permitting process goes Head of Technical Operations in Central Texas for Google Fiber “We would expect to be able to—assuming that the permitting process is pretty straightforward which we believe it would be—start construction sometime before the end of 2025 and then be completed before the end of 2026,” Bone said As construction is completed in different areas throughout the city service is turned on usually within one or two months of that specific area’s build completion The city’s agreement with Google Fiber is non-exclusive meaning residents may still choose from other fiber vendors if they wish “Customers will have the option to use Google Fiber,” Cotti said we’re not saying everybody in Bee Cave is going to use Google Fiber Google Fiber wants to make this investment in the city but they’re not the only potential fiber vendor.” residents will be able to receive email notifications and updates on their home’s service availability by signing up on Google Fiber’s website and entering their home address Google will also provide residents with information in a variety of other ways including putting out door hangers and signs throughout the community and connecting with local HOA groups to explain what residents can expect Google’s typical method for installing cables is by placing them underground creating what are called ‘micro-trenches’—small trenches cut into street pavement along which cables can be run so in that deployment we don’t have cabinets that we’re going to be placing all over we’re not putting pedestals in yards,” Bone said “It’s all in the front easement or the front right of way and all of our facilities where we splice the fiber or leave coils for access to be able to serve homes City Manager Julie Oakley said the city has ordinances in place which prohibit excavating or cutting into public streets meaning Bee Cave will need to work with Google Fiber to figure out how construction will work and address whether ordinances should be amended Bone said the new fiber network is intended to serve as many Bee Cave residents as possible “Our deployment toolkit that we use allows us to deploy pretty broadly across the city,” Bone said “Our goal is to serve the entire community.” Interim council members Kit Crumbley and Blake Sbrocco are sworn in at the Jan City Council discussed two new subcommittees at a meeting held Mar Bee Cave is creating new subcommittees to advise City Council on development and historical preservation of the city The City of Bee Cave has created and appointed members to a new Hill Country Galleria subcommittee, which will review rezoning requests and other matters related to the Hill Country Galleria. Also established at council’s March 11 meeting was a historic preservation subcommittee which will be tasked with documenting and preserving Bee Cave history On March 28 2023, City Council first appointed a subcommittee for Hill Country Galleria, City Manager Julie Oakley said. This committee was formed in order to provide direction to developers and property owners within the Galleria. Although it has already existed in some form for several years, a new resolution approved at council’s March 11 meeting will now formalize the subcommittee and officially renew appointments of its existing members Currently, there is one vacancy on this committee, left by former council member Courtney Hohl. Following the resolution, council will appoint one new member to fill the vacancy and also assign the chair of Bee Cave’s Zoning and Planning Commission, or ZAPCO, to the committee, Oakley said. Currently, the chair of ZAPCO is Lori Wakefield, according to the city of Bee Cave’s website. brought forward plans to create a historic committee dedicated to preserving and documenting Bee Cave history The idea was deprioritized while the city responded to the pandemic the history of Bee Cave lacks proper documentation and is primarily carried by residents and older generations which council member Andrea Willott suggested may contain two council members and three members of the public would solidify this knowledge for future generations Willott suggested that the city could conduct interviews with various Bee Cave residents to obtain needed information a resolution will be brought to council’s next meeting to formalize the new committee Mayor Po Tem Andrew Clark stated that city hotel occupancy tax funds could be used for historical preservation efforts and that the committee could provide guidance to council on usage of these funds Council member Blake Sbrocco added that the committee could assist the city in identifying potential historical landmarks in the city, such as the Old Bee Cave Schoolhouse the school districts will be able to take field trips to some of our spots in town it’s going to really just grow upon itself I think it’s a fantastic idea,” Sbrocco said Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More TEXAS — In Texas, local armadillo Bee Cave Bob has taken on the role of famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil for many people since 2011 The absence of a shadow in Bee Cave Bob’s 2025 forecast signals an early spring in Texas replaced Groundhog Day with “Armadillo Day,” stating “we don’t need no mangy groundhog in Pennsylvania predicting the weather for us.” Around 4 p.m. in 2024, Bob’s shadowless prediction heralded an early spring for Texas Many are eagerly awaiting his 2025 forecast The 8-year-old armadillo is set to make his prediction on Feb Stop by to watch the prediction and celebrate with Bob; the festivities start around 1 p.m. Kids can pet and take photos with the famous armadillo at this family-friendly event Bee Cave Bob’s 14 predictions have included 3 for six more weeks of winter and 11 for an early spring All Bee Cave and Lakeway council members were elected by ordinance after facing no opposition All incumbent candidates seeking re-election to Lakeway and Bee Cave’s city councils in May have secured their seats without opposition with two incumbent council members re-elected in Lakeway One non-incumbent council candidate and city mayor were also elected in Lakeway without facing opposition.In West Lake Hills both cities opened applications for council positions council members Christopher Forton and Kent O’Brien as well as Mayor Pro Tem Gretchen Vance and Mayor Thomas Kilgore faced expiring terms as she had already served three consecutive terms and was therefore ineligible to appear on the May ballot Louis Mastrangelo, chair of Lakeway’s Zoning and Planning Commission ran unopposed and will also serve on council alongside Forton and O’Brien An ordinance declaring all of these unopposed candidates elected to council was passed Feb. 21, and can be viewed on the city’s website. a general election for three council seats was held as well as a special election for two vacated council seats left by former council members Courtney Hohl and Jon Cobb Both of these seats had a remaining term of one year and council members Blake Sbrocco and Kit Crumbley were elected by council to fill them until a formal election was held Andrea Willott and Kit Crumbley will now fill the unexpired terms with Blake Sbrocco being elected instead to a standard two-year council position Mayor Pro Tem Andrew Clark and Kevin Hight will fill the remaining two-year terms As was the case in Lakeway, all council members were elected via ordinances which cancelled the special council election and the general council election in Bee Cave three incumbent candidates filed to run for city council The only seat contested is council member Dana Harmon’s with candidate Joe Swider having filed to run against her More information, including candidate filings, can be found on the West Lake Hills city website. Though council elections were cancelled in both cities residents of Bee Cave and Lakeway will still need to decide on several ballot items seeking voter approval on May 3 In Lakeway, a proposed 0.25% sales tax collection for road improvements known as Proposition A and 6 charter amendments The amendments primarily address changes to city processes In Bee Cave, a new public safety building has been placed on the ballot following the passage of Proposition G in November Additionally, a road tax similar to Lakeway’s will appear on the Bee Cave election ballot with the city requesting to collect 0.125% of sales tax for a road maintenance fund Kit Crumbley and Blake Sbrocco were unanimously appointed by the Bee Cave City Council on Tuesday to fill two open seats They were immediately sworn in and participated in the rest of the council meeting Crumbley and Sbrocco were two of 10 applicants the City Council received five of the 10 applicants were interviewed by the council with questions regarding their involvement with the city potential conflicts of interest and what challenges they believe the city faces The vacancies were created following the resignations in December of Jon Cobb and Courtney Hohl. Hohl cited a personal reason for stepping down. Cobb’s resignation came weeks after a Nov 4 City Council decision to isolate him from all matters regarding an ongoing lawsuit against an industrial warehouse being built in the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction The appointed council members would fill the seats leading up to the May 3 elections "I do want to thank those of you who applied and stayed "We do sincerely hope that those of you who have a desire to serve the city will either continue to do so with so many different committees and commissions  We have lots of ways to get involved and we'd encourage all of you to do so King said that with critical decisions ahead for the city "we need council members who are already well-versed in the issues and ready to make immediate Crumbley worked in federal service for 21 years before moving to Bee Cave and getting involved in the city government by joining the Planning and Zoning Commission in 2021 becoming chair of that commission in 2022 and acting as the vice chair of the Charter Review Committee in 2024 Crumbley said he has become more and more familiar with how the city operates “Public service has been a calling throughout all my life,” Crumbley said to the council “When I learned that council was considering filling its vacancies see if I could be of any further assistance to the city.” Crumbley said he has developed good relationships with city staff noting that they always answer his questions with patience which he said he’s “known to ask a lot of.” Crumbley said that since becoming a resident of Bee Cave he has watched nearly every council meeting and enjoys reading city ordinances in his spare time Crumbley said he comes armed with an understanding of legal issues and will take the recommendations of the city attorney to heart where we’re moving into a rewrite of our comprehensive plan — and that’s going to be a big undertaking,” Crumbley said “I think that my time on Planning and Zoning has given me a lot of background and experience in moving into that I want to be helpful to the city as we move forward.” Sbrocco also joins the City Council from the Planning and Zoning Commission He also was part of the Charter Review Committee and the Zoning Board of Adjustments Sbrocco brings over five years of public sector work at the state and national level He works in community development and revitalization for the Texas General Land Office Sbrocco volunteers with the Bee Cave Friends of the Parks Foundation and is a volunteer basketball coach with the Lake Travis Youth Association “I have met so many incredible families through these experiences and it would be an honor to represent them and all of our residents,” Sbrocco said Sbrocco said with all the challenges the council faces he believes Bee Cave residents need leaders who are “unencumbered by anything except an overriding desire to serve the people in this community.” they have left two vacancies on the Planning and Zoning Commission and the city is accepting applications The City Council also approved a license agreement with GFiber that allows for the installation maintenance and operation of a fiber optic network within the public right-of-way "We're excited to bring Google Fiber’s high-speed internet to Bee Cave," said King “Our residents and businesses have been asking for more internet options and Google Fiber will add to the list of amenities that truly elevate Bee Cave as a wonderful place to live Google Fiber is beginning the design and engineering phase and expects to start construction in 2026 with service becoming available to Bee Cave customers later that year All five Bee Cave City Council members up for reelection will serve another term after no opposing candidates filed to run prompting the council on Tuesday to cancel the May elections Blake Sbrocco and Kit Crumbley all had filed for re-election Their appointments followed the resignations in December of Courtney Hohl and John Cobb Cobb resigned following a City Council decision to isolate him from matters regarding an ongoing lawsuit against developers of an industrial warehouse Hohl resigned for personal reasons following the death of her mother Mayor Kara King was the only council member not up for reelection The council also adopted a hotel occupancy tax fund policy which aims to streamline the application for entities applying for funding The policy is meant to promote tourism and the hotel industry within Bee Cave and to ensure funds are used directly toward Bee Cave activities while maintaining transparency The new policy outlines a process for applicants clear deadlines and an explanation of legal restrictions said the policy was created after the council requested that city staff review the existing application at its Jan less confusion for applicants is what we were going for with this policy,” Regueira said Bee Cave has a 7% hotel occupancy tax rate that creates about $550,000 in yearly revenue Those funds can go toward categories including historical restoration and preservation City Manager Julie Oakley said the city has seen more competition for funding related to the arts Such requests are limited to 15% of each year’s fiscal revenue Historical restoration and preservation is limited to 50% Oakley recommended that the city hold a strategic planning session this summer focused on how to allocate the hotel occupancy tax funds King suggested potentially using funds for a larger project "The other thing that I think would be helpful for City Council is for the city staff during our budget process to put together a three-year plan on how this money can be allocated," Oakley said using some of the historical preservation money for the old schoolhouse and fixing it up and bringing tourists in to see how the old schoolhouse was There may be opportunities that we need to expand on." In another move to promote the city’s tourism industry Bee Cave signed onto a resolution alongside the city of Lakeway requesting the Texas Legislature to allow them to use hotel occupancy tax revenue for sporting-related events and facilities Ellen Troxclair filed such a bill earlier this month Bee Cave is barred from using hotel occupancy tax funds for sporting events because it is in Travis County “I’m glad that our representative’s going to do this because … that’s a huge influx of money into the city when they hold those tournaments and bring all those families in town,” King said The 270,000-square-foot warehouse facility is next to the Sweetwater neighborhood off Hwy