The developers of a proposed concert venue off Fitzhugh Road in Dripping Springs have been told by residents since 2022 one thing—it’s not music the community is against, it’s this venue.

The gist

On Jan. 29, members of the community attended a public meeting hosted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, or TCEQ, in regards to a wastewater permit filed by California-based company Blizexas. The meeting took place at Dripping Springs Ranch Park, 1042 Event Center Drive, Dripping Springs.

This is not the first time the residents have gathered to discuss the project. In 2022, the TCEQ hosted a meeting about the same permit. In 2023, a community forum was called by Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra.
Residents spoke against the development during public comment Jan. 29. (Elle Bent/Community Impact)
How it happened

The meeting began with a Q&A forum before moving on to a public comment section. Representatives from the TCEQ were present as well as engineer Erin Banks from Blizexas, who attended the meeting in 2022, and the company’s attorney, Craig Douglas.
Erin Banks (left) is the engineer for the proposed concert venue project. Attorney Craig Douglas (right) represented the applicant, Blizexas, at the public meeting. (Elle Bent/Community Impact)
The permit would provide the venue, which plans to serve up to 5,000 people a day, three times a week, with its own municipal wastewater service.


Banks estimates the venue would use 12,000 gallons of water per day averaged over week, and would source the water from a well installed on-site.

Multiple residents asked questions regarding how the developer plans to avoid runoff that could potentially pollute local waterways. The TCEQ maintains that the permit will not allow for the applicant to discharge any pollutants into water and that the permit “includes provisions to protect local surface water and groundwater resources."
Representatives from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality answered questions and received comments on a draft wastewater permit at a public meeting Jan. 29. (Elle Bent/Community Impact)
Mike Clifford, technical director for the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, said the amount of impervious cover, or features that block rainfall such as the parking lot, may cause runoff. Clifford said the impervious cover combined with small fields about half of an acre in size within the venue’s lot to irrigate treated sewage could result in runoff that is both stormwater and wastewater.

Not a single resident spoke in favor of the project during public comment and urged the TCEQ to not approve the wastewater permit.
Community members hold up signs for Fitzhugh Neighbors, a grassroots organization against the development. (Elle Bent/Community Impact)
Zooming out

Community members are also concerned about safety on Fitzhugh Road, which intersects with RM 12 and Hwy. 290, and consists of multiple low-water crossings and no shoulders. Additionally, residents anticipate potential environmental impacts from light, noise and water pollution.
Hundreds of residents attended the public meeting Jan. 29. (Elle Bent/Community Impact)
What’s next


The TCEQ will prepare written responses to comments made at the meeting Jan. 29. Prior to making a final decision on the wastewater permit, the TCEQ will take these comments into consideration.

The renderings of the venue can be found here. For more information on the coalition, visit www.stopfitzhughconcertvenue.com. For more information on Fitzhugh Neighbors, visit www.fitzhughneighbors.org. For more information on permits submitted by Blizexas, visit www.tceq.texas.gov.