Designed as a competitive site for youth soccer and baseball teams, Bee Cave's Field of Dreams facility has become a bone of contention between residents and proponents of a movement seeking to rezone the tract.

Parents and coaches involved in the conflict packed Bee Cave City Hall on Sept. 24 to address council members about the 20-acre property located at 13909 W. Hwy. 71.

The Lake Travis Youth Association site, currently zoned for public use, is listed for sale at $6.5 million, LTYA Vice President Glenn Smith said. Smith said the association wants to rezone the property as residential/multifamily use, which would garner higher sale offers and enable the nonprofit to buy a larger Lakeway site. The potential site would be double the acreage of the Bee Cave fields and cost about

$10.5 million for the land and construction, he said.

"We're bursting at the seams with kids," Smith told council members. "We have the worst fields of anyone around. The fields are in bad shape because we have so many kids on them."

LTYA, owners of the property, has not filed a zoning application with the city of Bee Cave, Deputy City Manager Travis Askey said.

Smith said the cities of Round Rock and Taylor recently spent $12 million and

$8 million, respectively, for new fields. LTYA spends $110,000 to lease extra fields from Lake Travis ISD to accommodate its players, he said.

Although Smith said the city of Lakeway and Travis County have both agreed to contribute funding for the new project, Lakeway City Manager Steve Jones said the city has not agreed to fund anything with respect to LTYA, and no ordinances are being considered by Lakeway City Council.

"Mayor DeOme and I have met with various LTYA representatives at various times and expressed our personal support for LTYA and a willingness to work with them," Jones said. "But we have not talked specifics, only generalities."

Travis County Precinct 3 Commissioner Gerald Daugherty said that he is committed to seek money from the next bond election for the new fields but does not know when and how much the county will contribute.

"I do think the county should and can contribute money to building new facilities," Daugherty said. "That's something the county needs to participate in."

Smith said he estimates about 25 percent of the children in the LTYA program come from Bee Cave, about 31 percent are Lakeway residents and the remainder come from surrounding communities.

LTYA has already been approached by three developers who are interested in various types of projects for the site including multifamily housing, multifamily housing in back and commercial development in front, or a retirement community, Smith said.

However, 19 of the 23 residents speaking at the Sept. 24 meeting opposed rezoning the fields.

"There is a shortage of land for nonprofit sports in the county," The Homestead resident Michelle Williams said to the council. "This shows the need for additional sports fields. Please don't eliminate an important community space."

Resident Ben King referred to the city's comprehensive plan for the density of housing ratios and public space.

"We are way over our ratio of high-density housing already," said King, who is married to Bee Cave Councilwoman Kara King. He urged council members to apply a balanced approach to the issue and engage other communities that have children participating in LTYA sports.

Dave Ginger said his home on High Canyon Pass looks directly onto the LTYA site.

"When I look at the horizon, at Falconhead and Ladera, it's nothing but rooftops," Ginger said. "I don't want to see this area look like that."

Smith said LTYA could retain its existing Bee Cave property, but the price to buy surrounding properties—about $4 million—and to upgrade the site—another $4.5 million—is out of reach since the group lacks the cash to make the purchase.

"A lot of our money sits in the LTYA land," he said. "We can sell the land and build new fields with the proceeds and money from Lakeway and Travis County."