Local environmental organizations and county officials have voiced concerns about a proposed amphitheater and residential development in unincorporated Travis County, citing potential environmental impacts.<\/p>\n
The Travis County Commissioners Court filed a resolution July 14 opposing the project\u2019s Texas Land Application Permit submission.<\/p>\n
The White Rocks Residences is planned to be off Highway 71 near southwest Austin. Plans for the area include an outdoor performance venue seating 10,000 people, an indoor performance venue seating 1,500 people, a luxury hotel and residential condos.<\/p>\n
Travis County has argued the development could negatively affect local waterways, most notably, the adjacent Barton Creek Habitat Preserve. The preserve includes over 4,000 acres of nature, with water flowing to Barton Springs and later replenishing the Edwards Aquifer<\/a>, a large source of drinking water for Central Texas.\u00a0<\/p>\n White Rocks Entertainment LLC did not return the Texan\u2019s request for comment.<\/p>\n White Rocks Entertainment LLC filed for 120,000 gallons of wastewater discharge per day, which Travis County has deemed insufficient for a development of that size, as that would cover only the residential condos.\u00a0<\/p>\n Commissioner Ann Howard of Travis County Precinct Three said this amount of wastewater does not reflect the sheer amount of other things the company plans to build.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re not mentioning the hotel. They\u2019re not mentioning the outdoor theater or the indoor theater. They\u2019re not mentioning the distillery,\u201d Howard said. \u201cThe permit they\u2019re applying for doesn\u2019t match, and so that just tells me that they\u2019re not being super transparent.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Separate from the resolution, Travis County filed a request for a hearing with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the state agency dedicated to public health and natural resources. The Save Our Springs Alliance and The Nature Conservancy also filed separate requests for hearings.<\/p>\n The Save Our Springs Alliance is a nonprofit advocacy organization for Barton Springs, Edwards Aquifer and Hill Country wildlife.<\/p>\n Victoria Rose, a staff attorney for the alliance, said the organization is concerned that due to the grade of the slopes on the property and the soil being unsuitable for irrigation, wastewater from the development will create runoff into Barton Creek.<\/p>\n \u201cSince there\u2019s no limit on phosphorus or nitrogen (runoff) in the draft permit, we\u2019re concerned that once the water gets into the creek, it\u2019ll spur excess algae growth in the water,\u201d Rose said.\u00a0<\/p>\n