In January, Lakeway City Council approved of selling a portion of Rebel Park that is generally submerged by Lake Travis and in Rebel Cove to adjacent landowners for $70,000, subject to voter approval.

Lakeway City Manager Steve Jones said the six adjacent landowners to Rebel Cove want to purchase the city-owned land that is usually under water so they can build boat docks that go into Lake Travis when the water level goes below 665 feet above sea level. The purchase agreement unanimously approved by City Council allows the other landowners adjacent to Rebel Park to still use the cove.

Greg Clay, one of the six adjacent landowners to Rebel Cove wanting to purchase the parkland, said Rebel Cove and Rebel Park are usually only used by people who live nearby.

"The concept is to sell that unusable land to raise funds for the City of Lakeway," Clay said.

The cove and park are largely unused by the general public because there is no nearby parking, and it is hard to tell what is public and private property in the cove, Jones said. Councilman Alan Tye said his experience on the Lakeway Parks and Recreation Commission led him to believe the park and cove would never be widely usable for the general public.

If the city-owned land, which is appraised at $30,000, is sold for $70,000, it would increase the city's parkland fund by 9 percent, Clay said.

Mayor Dave DeOme said he came into the Jan. 17 City Council meeting intending to vote against the adjacent landowners since his instinct was not to sell parkland. But he said he changed his mind after determining the area is useless to the greater community.

"It is not really parkland in my mind," he said. "I think it is parkland in name only."

The purchase agreement could be brought to voters in May as part of the general election. If no incumbents are challenged and a general election does not happen, the landowners have agreed to fund a special election.