Marina Causing Waves!

UPROAR OVER PROPOSED NEW MARINA!

For those of you who may not have heard, there is a huge uproar about a proposed new marina. Here are some of the nitty gritty details…

The LCRA (Lower Colorado River Authority) received a facility permit application in August from Harbor Ventures, Inc. The $53,299 permit is seeking construction of a marina off the bank of Graveyard Point at the end of Hurst Creek Road. This is in the extra territorial jurisdiction (ETJ) of the City of Lakeway, not in the city limits, which means Lakeway is very limited in what they can do to oppose it. If approved, in its first phase, the marina would cover 401 square feet of water with 262 slips along with a 131 car parking lot and two boat ramps – one at the end of Hurst Creek Road and the other at the end of Graveyard Point. The project would include floating septic tanks to hold sewage, public restrooms, two above ground fuel storage tanks with three fuel dispensers, a marine service station and ship’s store, according to a press release from Brooks Hollow HOA. Phase II is slated to be a floating yacht club and another 50 slips with parking ultimately for 250 cars.

Opponents say that two 10,000 gallon steel fuel storage tanks will rise roughly 35 feet into the air, disrupting views and disturbing habitat, adding that gas tanks could prove vulnerable during floods.

“While the application states ‘all tank openings shall be above the design flood elevation,’ the submitted drawings show the tanks at a height of 715 mls, seven feet lower than FEMA’s required flood plain elevation of 722 mls,” the release stated. (That’s also a full 34 feet higher than a full Lake Travis at 681 mls)

Opponents of the marina have voiced concerns about road and water traffic, as well as toxic hazards, noise and light pollution, and water quality degradation among its concerns. Other concerns include increased run off from the parking lot, as well as the preservation of the archeological site of Lohman’s Farm.

The LCRA is holding a public hearing on the matter Oct. 3rd from 6-7 p.m. at Vintage Villas, Sunset Room, 4209 Eck Lane.

Source: Excerpts from September 14th article in The Lake Travis View by Charles McClure, Editor