Cease development of new LV Waste Center until all plans and studies are made public

The Issue

After a City Council retreat in November, the City of Lago Vista made a decision to and began clearing City-owned lots "ABS 189 SUR 98 CAMPBELL M F ACR 3.9294"  and "ABS 189 SUR 98 CAMPBELL M F ACR 1.1719" of all trees and habitat for a site evaluation. These large lots are adjacent to residential areas, Lago Vista Public Library, Lago Vista Police Department and approximately 600ft from Lago Vista Elementary School.

Only after directly inquiring with the City Manager, was it made known that the city intends for this area to be a new, larger location for their green center to include:

  • Hazardous waste collection area
  • Transfer station for waste collection
  • Recycling center
  • A helipad (already present)

However, as no plans have yet to be made public, the scope and impacts of the development are unclear. The city has stated that if it moves forward, that buffers will be included between this Green Center and adjacent properties, but it is unclear what these buffers may be.

Depending on the scope and rigor of the development, impacts could range from noise pollution from mulching equipment, odors of various decaying waste and dangerous runoff.

Currently, the land has been cleared in preparation for this work and was begun without any public announcement to residents of Lago Vista, destroying a large portion of natural habitat. We request that before the City continues with any further development, that they publicly share all plans for the lots, including but not limited to; all of the functions of the proposed facilities, environmental impact studies, and timeline of the development.

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Dan ClarkePetition Starter
Media inquiries
Victory
This petition made change with 198 supporters!

The Issue

After a City Council retreat in November, the City of Lago Vista made a decision to and began clearing City-owned lots "ABS 189 SUR 98 CAMPBELL M F ACR 3.9294"  and "ABS 189 SUR 98 CAMPBELL M F ACR 1.1719" of all trees and habitat for a site evaluation. These large lots are adjacent to residential areas, Lago Vista Public Library, Lago Vista Police Department and approximately 600ft from Lago Vista Elementary School.

Only after directly inquiring with the City Manager, was it made known that the city intends for this area to be a new, larger location for their green center to include:

  • Hazardous waste collection area
  • Transfer station for waste collection
  • Recycling center
  • A helipad (already present)

However, as no plans have yet to be made public, the scope and impacts of the development are unclear. The city has stated that if it moves forward, that buffers will be included between this Green Center and adjacent properties, but it is unclear what these buffers may be.

Depending on the scope and rigor of the development, impacts could range from noise pollution from mulching equipment, odors of various decaying waste and dangerous runoff.

Currently, the land has been cleared in preparation for this work and was begun without any public announcement to residents of Lago Vista, destroying a large portion of natural habitat. We request that before the City continues with any further development, that they publicly share all plans for the lots, including but not limited to; all of the functions of the proposed facilities, environmental impact studies, and timeline of the development.

avatar of the starter
Dan ClarkePetition Starter
Media inquiries

The Decision Makers

Ed Tidwell
Ed Tidwell
Mayor
Responded
“First, I would like to thank everyone for their concern and contacting me regarding this issue. I need to make sure that everyone is on the same page regarding where we are in the process. Second, I must make a disclaimer. The following is my own personal opinion and does not represent the opinions, a stance, representation, or position of any other council members, city staff, the council as a whole, or the City of Lago Vista. Clarification: Nothing has been discussed in a "closed door" meeting. The City Council does not have "Closed Door" meetings. We do have Executive Sessions either at the beginning of our regularly scheduled council meetings, at the end of the meetings, or both in some cases. However, this item was discussed during our Strategic Planning Session. It was an Open Meeting and was held over a two day period. It was advertised and posted properly. It was also attended by members of the public on both days. The only action that has been taken was direction from council to staff to research the site and bring a concept plan back to council. So, nothing has been decided other than research. Site: The site is property that the City bought from the school district several years ago when the City built the Police Station and the current Helipad. The site has always been intended for expansion of City facilities. Currently the map includes a road easement that extends the road that runs in front of the Police station south past the library and then turns east and continues to Lohman Ford Rd. Any facilities on this site would be buffered from residents by this street and a screening fence. The site sits predominantly behind the Police Station and will be hidden from Dawn Dr. and virtually unnoticeable. I tried to include a photo of the site from Dawn Dr., but I am having difficulty uploading a photo. The Original photo is where the helipad is. Whether anything is approved at this time or not, the helipad will remain and will be improved and maintained when necessary. The helipad is a vital component of the EMS/Starflight system in our area. Potential facilities: The site could be the site for an expanded Green Center. Our current location is not only too small and does not allow for expansion, but it is in an unsafe location for citizens trying to get in and out. None of our other lots are large enough or allow for access like this site would. Alfalfa Dr. was mention in a comment, but the City does not own property on Alfalfa, and it is not in the City Limits. This site could also include a Solid Waste Transfer Station. A transfer station is a roll-off dumpster. I tried to add a photo of the one at FM 1431 and New Hope Road just west of Cedar Park, but the site won’t allow me to upload a second photo. It is NOT a dump. It is intended to be a location that City crews can use to dispose of the large household items like furniture that disrespectful people like to dump in secluded areas of Lago Vista instead of disposing of them properly. It would also allow citizens to dispose of large items as well. Our two citywide trash-offs eliminate most large items but there are times when people move, or something happens where they cannot wait for the trash-off events. This would eliminate the possibility of someone moving and leaving large items in their front yard for someone else to deal with. The need and request for something like this has been tremendous. This site could also serve a location for the collection of Household Hazardous Waste. HHW is not Toxic Waste. It is B.O.P.A.T.E (Batteries, Oil, Paint, Anti-freeze, Tires, and Electronics) items that most homeowners have in and around their house. These are also items that City crews find improperly disposed of in our secluded parts of the City. If anyone brought items to the HHW collection event we held last fall, you will recall the 100s of gallons of Oil, Paint, and Anti-freeze along with the 100s of pounds of Batteries, Tires, and Electronics collected. These items are strictly controlled by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Tires being the exception, these items must be contained within a building that keeps them out of the elements and prevents leaks or spills from reaching the ground. Operation: The site could also house the sections of Public Works that would be responsible for the maintenance and operation of the Green Center, Transfer Station, and HHW collection. The services would only be open so many times per month. For instance: The Green Center is open two days a month currently. This could allow for four days a month. It would not be open every day. There would be a slight increase in traffic in the area but would be minimal. There would not be large trucks entering and exiting this area on a regular basis. Every now and then a truck would be required to enter to remove the collected items. Except for the current Green Center, we do not have facilities for the collection of the above mentioned items. Currently if a citizen wishes to dispose of any of these items, the closest dumps are in Burnet County, Williamson County near Hutto or in Travis County east of the airport and HHW waste must be taken to a facility in south Austin. The need for a facility of this sort is greatly needed in our area. At this time, nothing has been planned. Staff has simply been requested to research the site and bring back a concept plan to Council. Once that has been done, the issue will be put on the agenda for presentation and consideration. It will be presented in either a planning session, a work session, or a council meeting; all of which are open meetings and the public is always encouraged to attend.”
Joshua W. Ray
Joshua W. Ray
City Manager
Frank Robbins
Frank Robbins
Lago Vista City Council Place 6
Dick Weatherly
Dick Weatherly
Lago Vista City Council Place 5 / Mayor Pro Term
Tim Collins
Tim Collins
Lago Vista City Council Place 4

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Petition created on November 27, 2019