City officials are moving forward with plans for what they and area first responders say is a needed emergency access route near a tucked-away Bee Cave neighborhood. The progress comes following a Jan. 28 special meeting during which Bee Cave City Council authorized Mayor Monty Parker to negotiate with Travis County officials to annex a problematic low-water crossing near the Homestead subdivision south of Hwy. 71 as well as create an emergency access easement and early warning system on Great Divide Drive. Marie Lowman, a Bee Cave council member and Homestead resident, said Feb. 7 via email officials are "engaged in discussions with property owners to secure an emergency access route for first responders in the event the low-water crossing experiences a flood event at the same time there is an emergency call from the neighborhood." City Manager Clint Garza said any specific locations for the alternate emergency access route are not yet determined, nor are the details of what type of road it would be. “We don’t know the materials of construction yet,” Garza said. “What I do know is we want something that is adequate for fire, EMS, and police response at all times but especially in wet weather when there is a flood at the low-water crossing on Great Divide.” Though a timeline for completion of the alternate emergency vehicle route is not set, Garza said all parties involved are moving quickly to iron out the details and move forward with the project. Bee Cave Police Chief Gary Miller said the alternate emergency vehicle access has been needed for a long time. “The big benefit for the Bee Cave Police Department would be the ability to get there during high-water times, which we can’t now,” Miller said. “An alternate route may take us longer than the normal response, but at least there’s an alternate route.”