Proposed concert venue in Dripping Springs has residents voicing concerns
DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas - A new venue is set to open in Dripping Springs, and some residents say they don't want it. Many residents believe the chosen site would be detrimental to the community.
"The three roads that leave from that venue all have single lane low-water crossings, so if you have 5,000 people, or however many cars that show up, it is significantly going to be dangerous" says Randy Metzger, a member of the Stop Fitzhugh Concert Venue coalition.
Residents piled in by the dozens at the Dripping Springs Ranch Park to meet face to face with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. They expressed their concerns about providing a wastewater permit to Blizexas LLC, the developer of a proposed concert venue in Dripping Springs.
"We are concerned that the wastewater system that they have designed, and have submitted to TCEQ, does not adequately protect Barton Creek and our property from impacts of their wastewater system, which we don't believe will function as designed," says Sheild Ranch owner Bob Ayres.
"I think the whole thing starts with the water permit. I think that is the whole start of the permitting process, and, from my understanding, then it goes on from there," says Metzger.
According to a statement provided by TCEQ, "the public meeting is being held to obtain additional oral or written public comments on the draft permit. The written response to comments will be considered by the TCEQ Commissioners at an open public meeting prior to action on the application. No decision will be made at the meeting."
"We hope that they will eventually decide to deny the permit and, at least at the minimum, to require the developer to make the system stronger and adequately sized and have higher quality of treatment," said Ayres.
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The Shield Ranch owner says this is the first meeting in regard to the wastewater permit, but not the first he has attended to stop the developer from building the 5,000-seat venue on Fitzhugh Road near his home.
"I have been to all the meetings. I believe and what I have seen is increased attendance from meeting to meeting, increased interest by neighbors, by environmental groups and by the media and potential adverse impacts of the project," said Ayres.
Although hundreds of people showed up to Monday night's meeting, the developers were not in attendance. FOX 7 Austin has reached out to the company, and is waiting to hear back.