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At the Dripping Springs City Council meeting on Feb. 17, members heard presentations on several items, including an annexation and zoning amendment and a special event permit for a crawfish festival.
The first item on the agenda was the annexation and zoning map amendment for a 14 acre tract located at 1300 Creek Road, off Roger Hanks Parkway. Pat Hegelson of Tri Pointe Homes addressed the council, explaining that their requested use is consistent with the city’s future land use map. The subdivision that would be built on the property would consist of 18 half-acre lots. Hegelson said that in December, their water services agreement was approved, and they also have an agreement for wastewater leases.
In the staff report, City Council heard a comparison of the impacts of leaving the property in the ETJ versus annexing it. Within the ETJ, there are no land use restrictions. There are no building height limitations, no dark sky lighting obligations, and less stringent tree preservation requirements. If annexed, the property would be subject to the stricter requirements that apply within city limits.
For those reasons, and considering the additional property tax revenue that would come from the subdivision, city staff recommended approving both the annexation and zoning of the property. Members of the Planning and Zoning Commission also were unanimously in favor of the approval.
Upon a vote, the council approved both the annexation and the zoning amendment.
Next, the council heard a presentation on a Special Event Permit application submitted by Evilhawk Entertainment for “Swampy Tonk: Mudbugs & Music,” an event to be held on March 28. The ticketed event would have attendance capped at 1,000, and it would primarily be located on the property of Pig Pen BBQ. It would include a temporary road closure for portions of Hays Street and South College Street. The applicants have been working with surrounding property owners, including the First Baptist Church, to arrange dedicated parking for attendees.
Council members and the mayor voiced concerns on several public safety issues, including the safety of attendees around a busy highway, traffic flow around the site, and especially the amount of traffic that the event would create on 290 and 12.
Ultimately, the council requested that the applicants work with city staff and the local Emergency Services Districts to investigate these issues and see if an agreement could be reached to address them. Then the application can be considered again at the Mar. 3 City Council meeting.
Next, the city heard a presentation on temporary road closures for Founders Day. The plan is very similar to past years, and does not include any additional roads. The council approved the proposal.
The final two items of the night were a resolution of the City of Dripping Springs in support of Hays County’s CAMPO Transportation Alternatives grant application for the Sawyer Ranch Road shared use path and a change order for the Stephenson Building project to incorporate audiovisual components. Both were approved by council.
