The Travis County Commissioners Court approved a resolution opposing a Texas Land Permit Application submitted by White Rocks Entertainment LLC to the Texas Commission on Environment Quality at a July 14 voting session.
The overview
The White Rocks development is located on a 71-acre plot in unincorporated Travis County near Hwy. 71. The project is expected to include a 10,000-seat outdoor amphitheater, 150 hotel rooms and 600 private residences, according to previous reporting from Community Impact.
Yet, the large development has been a source of controversy and has received opposition from government officials, advocacy groups and neighboring homeowners.
The issue
The permit application states the company would discharge 120,000 gallons of wastewater per day via a new activated sludge treatment plant, referred to as the White Rocks Treatment Facility. However, calculations from the Travis County Transportation and Natural Resources Department have found that amount of daily wastewater may be larger due to the size of the proposed development, according to a press release from Travis County.
“I am deeply concerned about what the White Rocks development could mean for our natural resources and native wildlife,” County Commissioner Ann Howard said. “As proposed, this development would cause irreparable damage to the surrounding area and Barton Creek Habitat Preserve by producing harmful pollutants and straining the water supply that impacts the Travis County community.”
Beyond the wastewater, the resolution also includes concerns citing the strain on water sources, pollutants, land clearing, grading and alteration of the natural landscape.
What else
The TCEQ approved hearings requested by the Save Our Springs Alliance, The Nature Conservancy and local homeowners.
The hearings will allow both the permit applicant and the hearing requesters to present evidence and expert testimony to a judge. The judge will then make a recommendation of approval or denial to the TCEQ.
The TCEQ commissioners will still make the final decision.
