In anticipation of the Wimberley City Council meeting this week, the Wimberley Valley Watershed Association released a statement it has submitted for public comment highlighting concerns about the city’s proposed transportation plan.
This Thursday, Dec. 1, the city council will discuss its recently proposed transportation plan with the possibility of approval. However, the plan — which is the first update of its kind proposed in Wimberley since 2010 — has met with some pushback over its possible impacts on local development and the Hill Country environs.
“We are grateful for your work on behalf of all the citizens of the Wimberley Valley who deal with increasingly challenging water supply and development pressures,” the Watershed Association’s statement began. “We value leaders who have taken the time to deeply understand the dilemma in planning for a thriving economy in an area with uniquely fragile karst hydrogeology. We value your support, participation, and collaboration on water quality controls and water supply protection efforts of the Cypress Creek Watershed Protection Plan.”
“We have heard you clearly grapple with the balance between traffic congestion and watershed protection and between water quality, road construction, and development concerns,” it continued. “The 2022 Transportation Master Plan includes several unnecessary legacy projects as holdovers from a 2010 transportation plan. New roads through undeveloped areas will attract new development that is unsupportable with available groundwater resources and would impact groundwater availability for environmental features and existing development.”
The statement identified Project ID numbers 14 (River Road Extension), 15 (Carney Lane So. Extension), 19, 20 and 21 (Fulton Ranch Rd.) as “contrary to the current need and awareness for conservation development that protects critical recharge areas and sensitive riparian zones to protect water supplies, preserve endangered species habitat and reduce flood risk for our community.” The association reasoned these projects were unnecessary or provided “minimal benefit.”
“Drought and groundwater pumping have already shown that our water resources are finite,” the statement added. “Limiting access and creating conservation easements alongside right-of-way can mitigate the choking effect of concrete swaths over undulating, porous karst topography.”
The city welcomed this feedback as part of the ongoing community input process, according to Wimberley Mayor Gina Fulkerson.
“The city has been working on the revised City Transportation Plan for some time, and we’ve had several open meetings along the way,” she said. “Comments and responses like these are an important and valued part of the process, and will be given serious consideration as we continue to work toward a final version of the plan. Protecting Wimberley Valley’s natural resources has always been a very high priority for this community and is and will continue to be a top priority for the city.”
Citizens have the opportunity to provide feedback at the meeting on Dec. 1 at 6 p.m.
