Jones told the Court he will attend the June 14 meeting on behalf of the Court and encourage Austin to keep SH 45 SW in its plans
Update (Friday June 15) – Late last night, the Austin City Council unanimously adopted, by ordinance, the city's Imagine Austin 30-year development plan. The vote was 7-0. Imagine Austin as finally adopted, according to a member of the city's planning department, excludes the controversial SH45 southwestern extension to Interstate 35 – not exactly what Commissioner Jones and the Hays County Commissioners Court were lobbying for. The council also approved an action item to consider recommending to CAMPO (Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization) that it drop the SH45-SW proposal from its transportation plan – an even worse outcome for county officials' wishes – which would pretty much make SH45SW disappear altogether from the map.
Note: The press release from Hays County Commissioners Court was sent to media Wednesday June 13, 2012. The letter to the editor below it was sent also on Wednesday to Hays County citizens by Friendship Alliance member Rob Baxter. Pct. 2 Commissioner Mark Jone intends to do some lobbying in support of the road plan today at a public hearing of the Austin City Council. Baxter is encouraging citizens to voice their opposition to the plan.
Join the conversation with the Friendship Alliance at this address: friendshipalliance@yahoogroups.com. Send your comments and questions to roundup.editor@gmail.com, to Commissioner Jones at mark.jones@co.hays.tx.us, or click on the "comments" below the letter
County Judge, Bert Cobb - bert.cobb@co.hays.tx.usLaureen Chernow
Commissioner Pct. 1, Debbie Inglasbe – debbiei@co.hays.tx.us
Commissioner Pct. 3, Will Conley – will.conley@co.hays.tx.us
Commissioner Pct. 4, Ray Whisenant - ray.whisenant@co.hays.tx.us
Hays County Communications Specialist
laureen.chernow@co.hays.tx.us
Office: 512.393.2296, Internal 1-2296
Hays County Courthouse, San Marcos, TX – The Hays County Commissioners Court Tuesday unanimously renewed its dedication to seeing State Highway 45 Southwest from Loop 1 to FM 1626 built, passing a resolution calling on the Austin City Council to support the roadway in the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan and the Austin Metropolitan Area Transportation Plan.The Austin Planning Commission and Imagine Austin have recommended that the Austin City Council delete SH 45 SW from its plans during a public hearing set for June 14.
The roadway has been adopted in the Austin and CAMPO plans for many years and Hays County relied on that adoption in its decision to join with TxDOT in funding the expansion of FM 1626 from FM 2770 to the Hays/Travis County line.
Last year, frustrated by the lack of progress on building SH 45 SW, the Hays County Commissioners Court had offered to spend up to $5 million to help fund a smaller version of the roadway in conjunction with Travis County – an offer that is still on the table awaiting additional studies requested by Travis County officials.
Pct. 2 Commissioner Jones“SH 45 SW, which has been planned since the 1980s, is necessary to help traffic flow between Hays and Travis Counties and to relieve congestion on local roads through neighborhoods that were not designed to carry such large amounts of traffic,” said Precinct 2 Commissioner Mark Jones, whose precinct borders Travis County along FM 1626. “The population has grown dramatically since SH 45 SW was first deemed necessary.
“Today’s technology allows roads to be built with less environmental impact, and a large portion of the area along the proposed roadway is designated as the City of Austin’s Water Quality Protection Land and, therefore; not available for development, stemming concerns about the new road contributing to environmental degradation and future growth along that corridor,” Jones said. “Currently, vehicles creep along inadequate neighborhood roads adding to air pollution issues in Central Texas that drive us all closer to federal non-attainment designations for air quality.”
Jones noted that some 40 percent of residents in Hays County actually work in Austin, while 20 percent of Texas State University students live in Austin and commute. Jones told the Court he will attend the June 14 meeting on behalf of the Court and encourage Austin to keep SH 45 SW in its plans.
Building 1626 extension is ill-conceived – your worst traffic nightmare
Dear FA Friends, Neighbors and Members,
Sadly, SW 45 keeps rearing its menacing and ugly head as our clueless politicians in Hays County continue to vote against our interests, their constituent's interests, while voting for illogical and ill-conceived plans that favor developer interests, not the taxpayers. While MOPAC grows more crowded daily, they now seek to flood it with one endless traffic jam plus truck traffic it does not see today as they seek to turn it into a western bypass of I-35 that will also open precious watershed lands to rampant development. Never mind planning it when you can just build it.
While we may not live in Austin, it can't hurt to tell them what we think, so please let the Austin City Council know what you think before they vote on this issue this Thursday.
http://www.austintexas.gov/department/austin-city-council-members
Dear Austin City Council and Travis County Commissioners:
Please help us. Please keep SH 45 Southwest out of the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan, as recommended overwhelmingly by the Austin Planning Commission and the Imagine Austin Citizens Advisory Task Force.
*Building SH 45 SW would put 30,000 more cars on to south Mopac everyday, converting Mopac from a local commuter highway into a western bypass for I-35 traffic.
*Building SH 45 SW would pave over or deliver pollution to hundreds of fractures, caves, and sinkholes that feed pure Hill Country rain into Barton Springs and the Edwards Aquifer.
*Building SH 45 SW would promote unmanaged, far-flung sprawl in northeast Hays County – in direct conflict with the Imagine Austin plan goals of building a compact, affordable and sustainable Austin.
Thank you for your consideration.
A Hays County resident.
41 comments:
Imagine Austin is an attack on property rights and an effort to implement the Kyoto treaty by stealth. I wish the Commissioner's Court would wake up to this trojan horse.
Where on earth are these extra 30,000 cars on Mopac coming from? That's a ridiculous suggestion made by people who don't live in the part of the county that will benefit from SH45.
FA is nothing but a mask for Andrew Backus and Rob Baxter. FA represents only these folks and perhaps a few of their buddies. They like to claim that hundreds of other people support them and they point to the populations of various subdivisions in the area.
The only members if FA are local HOA corporations. The scheme employed by FA is to suggest that Backus & Baxter have all this support by claiming that all the residents of these involuntary membership HOA subdivisions agree with them by virtue of membership in involuntary membership HOAs. This is a step lower than Jim McMeans' "surrogate signing" for his petition drive.
Backus and Baxter should be content that SH45 is going in. Their path to Austin is up 1826 to the SH 45 stub to MoPac. This will allow much easier access to 35 or anywhere east for all the Austin-centric environmentalists. They should just hop on and keep going without ever looking back.
Environmentalists aren't capable of operating under their own names. They rely upon smoke and mirrors by giving themselves names like "Alliance", "Coalition", etc.
I was at the Austin City Council meeting last night. An overwhelming number of its citizens specifically asked that SH 45 NOT be built.
Commissioner Jones referred to Hays County as "Hooterville" and formally apologized to the residents along Brodie Lane for Hays County's traffic congestion - like they own that road.
Travis County upped the ante to 8 million for Hays County. How much money are we going to spend in another County? I don't see Travis County helping us out with IH-35.
Anonymous #4-
Sounds like you went to the McMeans School of Public Deception. "Majority Rule" is not the sole consideration for anything. Certainly the position of "majority" of the people that show up to these things (a statistically insignificant number compared to the number of the people in the area)
Besides, the people that have the time and ability to show up to these meetings certainly do not represent the interests of the vast majority of the population anyway.
I did not refer to Hays County as Hooterville. I stated that a speaker before me refered to us as "Hooterville." I did apologize to the residents along Brodie lane for the congestion Hays county residents are causing in their neighborhood only to emphasize the need for SH 45.
If you want Hays County to simply continue to be swallowed up by Austin, then build SW 45 and 1626 and every other road Conley's road masters want to build.
Want Hays County to remain unique and vital in its own right?
Create employment right here at home and protect those aspects of Hays County that make it the great place to live that it is.
You anti-Agenda 21 nutjobs are a hoot (like in "HooterVille") to watch writhe and squirm every time somebody says, "social" or "community" or "our" or "we".
You teabagging conspiracy theorists are looking in all the wrong places for what actually threatens our country and our liberty: the corporate state that you unwittingly prop up and allow to control your lives.
Wake up and smell the hegemony.
The City of Austin has just given the people of Hays County a big clue: stop driving so much, stop moving to Hays County if you work in Austin and stop building all those tacky subdivisions that require long commutes.
Anyone on the Commissioners Court listening?
Building a road over your water resource recharge zone is just plain nonsense.
Why don't all you Buda and Kyle commuters, who all USED to live in Austin, get real.
It is NOT in the interests of Hays County residents in general to build you a big, expensive road to work.
Move back to Austin, please.
Jones, his predecessor J. Barton and the cities of Kyle and Buda have been clamoring for growth without doing their due diligence on the consequences and repercussions. Read: Just Build - No Planning Necessary. Now they want to stick it to all of us with their mistakes and the bill. What are they thinking!?
Hey, Mr. Delacroix. Just because a person is not intellectually vapid and is aware of the United Nations Agenda 21 movement for (what they term to be) "sustainable communities" within the United States does not mean the detractor is a "nutjobs". It simply means they are not ignorant or purposefully worthless enough to ignore the United Nations Agenda 21
"initiative-pushers" (see United Nations website for their own statements and info on Agenda 21) and their ongoing attempts to cast a net around those who chose not to live in "sustainable growth villages" such as the rathole drunk tank known as downtown Austin. (Try being down there at 02:00 in the morning)
So keep in mind, if a conspiracy is organized for a certain purpose, it isn't a "theory". It is simply a conspiracy.
So attempting to ridicule someone who is not ignorant of that conspiracy demonstrates the type of intellectual vapidity which helps bring on the autocratic rule the U.N. Agenda 21 conspirators wish to obtain.
Rather than ridicule those who are concerned with the Agenda 21 conspiracy, why not go to the conspirators website, and research the United Nations Agenda 21 plot for yourself?
Or would you rather watch basketball playoffs instead?
Buda and Kyle, along with San Marcos, bear little resemblance, culturally or geographically, with the western part of Hays County.
They are all about growth and "modernization" while so many of us in Dripping Springs, Driftwood and Wimberley would simply like to enjoy a quieter, slower lifestyle.
Why these formerly-sleepy little hamlets now wish to become urban centers may be understandable, but it is not fair, nor desirable, for them to expect others to subsidize this questionable growth paradigm.
Hays County is not Austin and should not be allowed to become indistinguishable from Austin.
My suggestion for those who like living in a big city is to go north or south, right up the road there are some fine big cities, but please, stop working so hard to ruin our small town jewels and populate our open spaces.
To Mark Jones, Co. Comm. for Pct. 2 also known as "Hooterville" - by his recognaizing it as the name
Why in the hell would you apologize to the residents along Brodie Lane? These are the people who proposed purchasing that road from Travis County so they could forbid people from Hays County from traveling the street..
So - who exactly are you in bed with Comm. Jones? Former County Judge Jim Powers - or is it Marc Rodriguez - who are sponsoring a fund-raiser for you next week??
You are the company you keep. And if you lay down with dogs, you get up with fleas.
You, sir, need an exterminator.
Rob Baxter could not beat Karen Ford, Ray Whisenant, or sadly even Mark Key. In fact an endorsement from Baxter is a kiss of death for any candidate.
I'm through listening to losers, someone else please take over the Friendship Alliance.
Dr. Odell how I miss you.
To: Need Change
While you are a bit rude in your assessment of Mr. Baxter, you are right.
Like alot of folks I got Mr. Baxter's emails of support for Joe Volpe in the Dripping Springs City Council race.
Mr. Volpe got dead last in that election, and I can't help but wonder if he would have done better if Rob had just stayed silent.
The only place Baxter could win an "election" is a rigged homeowner association. He's been "president" of Goldenwood POA for over a decade.
HOAs like that are the reason that the legislature passed a new law to prevent board members from being able to dictate who could run for office or vote.
Baxter isn't content with operating a regime over his neighbors - he wants the rest of the area to recognize the "rule of Rob" as well. Tell him to just take a hike - and avoid buying property in a place like Goldenwood where you would be stuck with the Rule of Rob (and sidekick Andrew Backus).
Didn't Rob Baxter endorse Andrew Backus?
Guess Friendship Alliance didn't really represent the position of all the residents of the area - not by a long shot. Rob Baxter has a need to feel bigger than he really is. That's why he relies on abstractions like "Friendship Alliance" to suggest that his opinion is more than just his. Sad that he has to invent imaginary friends to play with.
"Imagine Austin"? I could care less about Imagine Austin. That's why I live in Hays County. I have my own opinion thank you and it's not represented by the Austin city council.
Spend, spend, spend. That's all our commissioners court seems to be good at. Just ask yourself, who will be on the receiving end of that five million dollars. Is it you? Hell no.
If you have any interest in remaining FREE from Austin or the players in Hays County (aka Conley, Jones...the whole Barton clan), then pay attention.
Just say HELL NO.
We are NOT interested in becoming part of Austin. We are NOT interested in paying for Austin commuters to travel back to Austin to work. And we NOT interested in becoming little more than a sideshow to Austin's overblown urban plan.
People are being encouraged to move to the Austin area by the Austin Chamber of Commerce. Many of these people realize they cannot afford to actually live in Austin proper, so they look east and west for alternative housing prospects....and many discover options in Hays County.
Think about it, people. We are becoming little more than a bedroom community for AUSTIN.
Is this what you had in mind when you moved to Paradise?
So. What do we do now?
Five Million Dollars just so Buda can travel to Austin?
No f'king way is that FAIR or RIGHT or....dare I say: AFFORDABLE.
Stop the domination of Hays County politics by those who would turn us into little more than a strip mall for Austin.
We are not amused.
Everyone "Had" the chance to make changes for the better on May 29th. A poor voter turnout resulted in the status quo. You have only yourselves to blame.
Yes, we all had the chance to get rid of Will Conley and all his minions and "we" did not do it.
Actually, you can thank all the Democrats who refused to take charge of their own destiny and vote in the Republican Primary.
Loyalty to whom? To what?
You drank the KoolAid, people. Happy yet?
Stop letting the corporations control every aspect of our lives. Road companies need roads to build and they peddle their wares as progress.
Real progress would look very different than just more roads, more cars and more houses where agricultural fields used to be.
Real progress would consider building a road over the aquifer recharge zone to be out of the question.
Real progress would see our kids getting all the help they need to get educated so they can live a good life and support themselves, drink clean water and eat healthy food.
Real progress would look very different than what Conley or Jones or the Bartons have in mind for us.
Don't leave County Judge Bert Cobb out of this conversation. Remember his out-of-context speech about 45 during the redistricting meeting?
I smell an influence peddler, former County Judge Jim Powers, as one of the key players behind this. He uses Cobb like a mule.
Check out Marc Rodriguez. Mark Jones is having a fundraiser at his office.
Lobbyist for private water pipeline developers.
Yes, the water pipeline people are behind so much of what passes for policy in Hays County.
They smell money whenever someone says "Water."
Like I overheard someone say at a water board meeting: Move to East Texas, there is plenty of water there.
If Mark Jones is in cahoots with Marc Rodriquez, then water is definitely on the menu.
http://www.texastribune.org/library/data/lobbying/lobbyist/27635/rodriguez-marc-a/
Name
Marc Rodriguez
State Ethics ID
27635
Occupation
Legislative Consultant
Phone
512-494-9798
Address
1122 Colorado St. Suite 2399
Austin, TX, 78701
Clients (2011)
Apple Inc. (CA)
Pay: $25,000 – $50,000 (Prospective)
City of San Antonio (TX)
Pay: $50,000 – $100,000 (Prospective)
County of Bexar (TX)
Pay: $50,000 – $100,000 (Prospective)
CPS Energy (TX)
Pay: $50,000 – $100,000 (Prospective)
Hays Caldwell Public Utility Agency (TX)
Pay: $50,000 – $100,000 (Prospective)
Liquid Environmental Solutions of Texas L.P. (TX)
Pay: $25,000 – $50,000 (Prospective)
LRP Ltd. (TX)
Pay: $50,000 – $100,000 (Prospective)
San Antonio Water Systems (TX)
Pay: $50,000 – $100,000 (Prospective)
Southwest Texas Water Resources LP (TX)
Pay: $50,000 – $100,000 (Prospective)
Texas Water Quality Association (TX)
Pay: $10,000 – $25,000 (Prospective)
Some of us moved to Hays county because of the affordability. I am sorry that we all can't afford condos downtown or ranches in the hill country.
Some families/individuals split time working between Austin and locations further south (San Marcos in my situation).
So if you prefer that we sit idling on Brodie, burning fuel unnecessarily and dripping chemicals onto 1626 and Brodie that will get washed into the creeks, rivers and aquifers anyway then let the cars keep piling up.
Last anonymous, I respect what you are saying. I can relate. But if we keep doing the same thing over and expect different results, then we're all insane. My thought is keep building the roads and keep accommodating increasing growth/traffic and we will all end up drowning in dripping chemicals and toxic air. Sorry but that's what the politicians keep repeating at the behest of their developer sponsors. Can you say something new that is not insane? I might listen.
What seems insane in my opinion is the idea that growth will somehow slowdown or stop because the extension is not built. Hays county has increased over 60% in the last decade with Buda and Kyle leading the way with over 100% growth without the extension. I know this is news to nobody, but my point is growth will continue, regardless. We can not turn back the clock to the days when Buda (or even Austin) was a sleepy little town, but what we can do is plan for that growth the best we can. Until Hays residents and Texans in general are willing to invest (yes I mean pay taxes, forgive me for being a heretic) in public transportation like a commuter rail line, then the only option is to build either a road or a fence.
I vote for the fence.
Conley refuses to repair elder hill road because not enough of "his" people live there or use it. Since we will be forced to elect him in Nov I am asking all those people who did not vote for him to not vote for him in Nov. Yes I know that he will be elected no matter what we do but if a majority of the voters do not vote for him maybe he will get the message.
If 5,000 people vote in the Nov election and only 500 vote for Conley just maybe he will realize that had everyone voted in the primary then he would have lost and his constituents are not happy with him.
It's a long shot but it can't hurt to try. Just maybe he will realize that the majority of the people are not happy with him.
Although I concur that NOT VOTING FOR CONLEY in November will send a message, it is a bit late, don't you think?
We had our chance to GET RID OF CONLEY in May and we blew it.
Lemmings.
Elder Hill Road has just been repaired; actually re-paved! It is now a fun drive and no more chuck holes. What do you want, a 4 lane highway? Thanks to Conley for not wasting money on a road that just got rebuilt.
Elder Hill Road needs the occasional passing lane as this tiny, meandering country lane is known for attracting people who like to drive way faster than one should.
Why is it that people on our back country roads think the whole world is a Grand Prix raceway?
Slow down and save lives, gasoline and my last good nerve.
Elder Hill was repaired in precinct 2 not the part in Conley's precinct. That was the part I was talking about.
Is it any wonder people do not use their real names on this list?
When Rob Baxter penned a letter to his neighbors, that was subsequently published on this blog, the personal attacks went wild. Even Andrew Backus was pulled into this fray and Mr. Backus had not even been part of the conversation or the letter.
I would venture to say that neither Mr. Baxter, nor Mr. Backus, needs a "mask" behind which to state their opinions, as each of these men has consistently spoken on behalf of or against any number of issues that concern them.
Not only that, but these men are both working to make their neighborhood, their community and this world a better place every day they wake up, so please, stop trying to kill the messenger.
Our water really IS running out, we really DO have too many people and too many cars on the road and we really ARE in a time of economic and environmental crisis. So, please, why don't you help, rather than pounce on these people who are merely trying to help.
Elder Hill Road, if I am not mistaken, is in Whisenant's balliwick.
Unless a lot of care was taken to bolster the places that always need to be re-repaired, time and again, that road will be a mess again in no time. There is water running under that road, I guess. It runs right along several creeks and is likely historically the creekbed itself.
Post a Comment