DRIPPING SPRINGS — Dripping Springs residents continue to object to a proposed outdoor music venue that would be located off Fitzhugh Road.
California-based developer Blizexas LLC seeks to build a 5,000-seat venue at 14820 Fitzhugh Road in Dripping Springs. Residents and community members raised their traffic and environmental concerns about the proposal at a November 2022 Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) hearing related to a wastewater permit request by the developer.
TCEQ has yet to make a ruling on the wastewater issue.
Separately, Blizexas also included a recent schematic in its Edwards Aquifer Contributing Zone Plan application to the TCEQ, which shows about 22 acres of planned impervious cover due to a large number of parking spaces. The contributing zone plan application deals with site runoff and water quality control.
“I think what stands out to me the most is the amount of asphalt and concrete and the number of trees that they are proposing removing,” said Marshall Bowen, a local attorney whose family owns Shield Ranch near the site. “It really looks like some sort of stadium in that rendering … It’s often said that concrete and asphalt are the last things to be developed on a piece of land and nothing comes after asphalt and concrete because it’s so permanent. This is fundamentally changing this important piece of our Hill Country forever.”
Bill LeClerc, director of real estate and investments for Lexor Investments, said that the company does not know the materials that will be used for the parking lot at this time.
“Our goal is to provide enough onsite parking so that all of the patrons visiting can park onsite,” LeClerc said. “We don’t know what materials we are going to use out there yet. Our goal is to not pave that parking lot. We will look to follow the guidelines and regulations that TCEQ and the county have for fire accessibility lanes and look into using some alternative surface for the parking areas themselves.”
Bowen said that he does not see this as the best location for this type of venue.
“We are hopeful that TCEQ will ultimately not [grant] the application permits for the development because it’s our position, and this is detailed at a technical level in our public comments to the TCEQ that we’ve filed.We don’t believe that a development like this at this scale is compatible with this particular piece of property on this road,” Bowen said.
Resident Ann Clearkin, a member of the Stop Fitzhugh Concert Venue Coalition, agreed that this is not an appropriate area for the venue.
“I’m not opposed to development at all,” Clearkin said. “I think it’s necessary for a growing city but this is probably the worst area you could ever want something of this size and magnitude because of the water and noise but also, because of traffic. In my opinion, it’s actually a risk to life to have it here as well. I think there are multiple reasons that it shouldn’t be here and it would be great to find somewhere else to put it.”
Because Fitzhugh Road is known to be a winding road susceptible to accidents, Clearkin said it would be beneficial for interested developers to know the area prior to proposing any type of construction.
“People have to be aware, especially if they haven’t driven the roads out here. It would be good to have people drive the roads who are making some of these decisions to see how dangerous it is,” Clearkin said. “Probably two months ago, someone was stopped on the corner on the side of the road and it’s only a two-lane road. I was coming at normal speed and would have slammed into the person had there not been someone on the other side.”
“So if there are 2,000 people on the street and people are trying to get through during concert times, that would be a significant threat,” Clearkin added.
This is a developing story. The Hays Free Press/News-Dispatch is continuing to monitor this situation and will update the public as more information becomes available. If you would be affected should the venue be built, please send an email to Editor Megan Navarro at [email protected].
