R 040121 - Blue Hole- Wimberley

RESOLUTION 04-1-21
RESOLUTION REQUESTING ONGOING PARTICIPATION IN THE ACQUISITION AND
DEVELOPMENT OF THE BLUE HOLE PARK AT WIMBERLEY TEXAS
WHEREAS, "Blue Hole", as it is known to many Texans, is one of the oldest attended
swimming spots in the State. The spring-fed, deep, clear waters of Blue Hole,
surrounded by large cypress trees, has been a favorite summer spot for many years.
The site is and has been under private ownership for as long as the property has been
deeded. The site has been under contract for three years for use as a residential single
family and multi-family development. The development contract has expired. With the
purchase of this property, this very special Texas jewel will be preserved through
conservation and rehabilitation efforts, and;
WHEREAS, the development of a joint partnership between Texas Hill Country
communities, private sector and non-profit supporters and other political jurisdictions has
created an environment in which to acquire and develop the Blue Hole Property for the
purpose of significantly increasing appreciation, understanding and active conservation
of habitat, birds and other wildlife for current and future generations through education,
community involvement and sustainable nature tourism; and
WHEREAS, there is a desire on the part of each of the partners to work together to
realize such a project as the Blue Hole Park at Wimberley Texas; and
WHEREAS, Wimberley Texas has taken the first steps of hiring the services of a
professional design team to develop the park; and
WHEREAS, in order to fully realize the favorable conditions now evolving for regional
cooperation in general and for acquisition and development of Blue Hole Park, it is
necessary that each of the jurisdictions commit to support the project;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL,
That the City of Buda fully supports the Blue Hole Project and applauds the efforts of the
City of Wimberley to preserve this Texas treasure.
PASSED AND APPROVED on this the 20th day of January, 2004.
ATI ST
RESOLUTION 01-21-04
A RESOLUTION OF THE
CITY OF BUDA PARKS AND RECREATION
COMMISSION PLEDGING SUPPORT FOR A TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE
GRANT APPLICATION FOR THE ACQUISITION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE
PROPOSED PROJECT KNOWN AS "BLUE HOLE REGIONAL PARK AND
PRESERVE".
WHEREAS, the City of Buda Parks and Recreation Commission wishes to support the
protection of natural resources and beauty through the use of parks, open space and
greenbelts; and
WHEREAS, the Village of Wimberley City Council has determined that a Texas Parks
and Wildlife grant application would be beneficial to the region;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Buda Parks and Recreation
Commission wholeheartedly supports the Village's Texas Parks and Wildlife Grant
application for the Blue Hole Regional Park and Preserve. We pledge our active
participation to provide and protect the very necessary conservation of our natural and
cultural resources.
PASSED AND APPROVED by the City of Buda Parks and Recreation Commission on
the 21st day of January, 2004.
Director
Commissioner
Commissioner
/?zbu~ liii4
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Attested to by:
d)v~
Commissioner
City Secretary
a"~~·
~J
(/Commissioner
uu~s::t ,~_:_,
Commissioner
Commissioner
RESOLUTION
RESOLUTION REQUESTING ONGOING PARTICIPATION IN THE ACQUISITION AND
DEVELOPMENT OF THE BLUE HOLE PARK AT WIMBERLEY TEXAS
WHEREAS, "Blue Hole", as it is known to many Texans, is one of the oldest attended swimming
spots in the State. The spring-fed, deep, clear waters of Blue Hole, surrounded by large cypress
trees, has been a favorite summer spot for many years. The site is and has been under private
ownership for as long as the property has been deeded. The site has been under contract for
three years for use as a residential single family and multi-family development. The development
contract has expired. With the purchase of this property, this very special Texas jewel will be
preserved through conservation and rehabilitation efforts, and;
WHEREAS, the development of a joint partnership between Texas Hill Country communities,
private sector and non-profit supporters and other political jurisdictions has created an
environment in which to acquire and develop the Blue Hole Property for the purpose of
significantly increasing appreciation, understanding and active conservation of habitat, birds and
other wildlife for current and future generations through education, community involvement and
sustainable nature tourism; and
WHEREAS, there is a desire on !he part of each of the partners to work together to realize such a
project as the Blue Hole Park at Wi[llberley Texas; and
WHEREAS, Wimberley Texas has taken the first steps of hiring the services of a professional
design team to develop the park; and
WHEREAS, in order to fully realize the favorable conditions now evolving for regional cooperation
in general and for acquisition and development of Blue Hole Park, it is necessary that each of the
jurisdictions commit to participate in the project;
WHEREAS, Hays County fully supports the Village's acquisition, conservation and careful
development of Blue Hole Park and commit $700,000 in cash to the project;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSIONERS COURT OF HAYS COUNTY:
That the County instructs the County Judge to pursue necessary agreements for the planning,
design and implementation of this regional effort and to assign staff and other available resources
appropriate for the County's ongoing participation in the creation of Blue Hole Park including the
·tment of $700,0 in cash to the project.
R VED on this the 20'" day of January 2004.
I, Lee Carlisle, County Clerk for the Commissioners' Court of Hays County, Texas, do hereby
certify the foregoing contains a true and correct copy of a resolution passed and adopted by the
Commissioners' Court of Hays County, Texas, in a Regular Meeting held on January 20, 2004 .
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BLUE HOLE
A Texas Treasure
The Village of Wimberley
P.O. Box 2027
Wimberley TX 78676
How can I help?
Town _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ State _ _ _ _ Zip _ _ _ _ _ __
Phones (_ _) _ _ _ _ _ _ _(day) (_ _) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _(eve)
Email _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Fax _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Tax-free contribution to:
BLUE HOLE
A Texas Treasure
Checks payable to:
The Trust for Public Land
Reference: Blue Hole, Wimberley
Mail checks to:
The Trust for Public Land
Attn: Anjali Kaul, Director of Development
815 Brazos, Suite 400
Austin, TX 78701
512-4 78-4644
For information, contact:
Mayor Stephen Klepfer
Village of Wimberley
512/847-0025
512/847-0422 fax
web: vil.Witnber!ey.tx.us
email: [email protected]
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OATC I BY
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SURVEY RE!BOURCES INC.
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SURVEY PLAT OF 102.10 ACRES OUT OF THE
AMASA TURNER SURVEY NO. 1, H. KEISER SURVEY
NO. 60, AND THE T.C.R.R. CO. SURVEY,
HAYS COUNTY, TEXAS
,
SHEET
or
SRI Pl.AT No.
Bo.42·2406-01
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NEWS RELEASE
Village of Wimberley
City Hall, 13210 Ranch Road 12
Wimberley, Texas 78676
Village of Wimberley to Announce Plan to Buy Blue Hole
For information call:
Cindy Colvert (512) 847-0025
On Thursday, December 18 at 3:00pm the Village ofWimberley will hold a news
conference and special called Council Meeting on the banks of the Blue Hole in
Wimberley to announce the Village's plans to acquire the Blue Hole property for use as a
public park.
Located in the heart of the Wimberley Valley, totally within the city limits of the Village
of Wimberley, the Blue Hole has long been a destination in the Texas Hill Country for
swimming, camping and enjoying nature along spring-fed Cypress Creek. Blue Hole is
often named one of Texas' top ten swimming holes.
Village of Wimberley elected officials, soon after incorporation in 2000, identified the
Blue Hole property as a prime candidate for acquisition by the Village for the purpose of
providing a location for a park with water access and a location for a much-needed
wastewater treatment plant. A small treatment facility currently exists on the site.
Dreams for restoring the Blue Hole and developing it into a public park became a reality
when local landowner and part-time resident, Peter Way, agreed to acquire the 126+
acres for parkland. Way and his family plan to purchase the property from its current
owners, enter into an option contract with the Village and hold the property at no profit
for two years to enable the Village to acquire the funds to purchase the entire tract.
During the next 24 months, the Village of Wimberley will be seeking grant funding and
donations to purchase the land and finance development planning. Preliminary
development plans include a Cypress Creek swimming facility, athletic playing fields,
playgrounds, nature trails, primitive camping, a small RV park and a wastewater
treatment plant.
The Blue Hole is a true Texas treasure. Early records show that John R. Dobie owned
500 acres along the crystal clear Cypress Creek, near the mill that gave the village its
name. Local legends tell tales of pioneers, wagons, and even a bear! The Blue Hole
property is a part of that original Dobie family acreage and shares in the many legends of
early Texas times in the Hill Country.
Before the Village of Wimberley determined to try to save the Blue Hole property for
public use, the private ownership group had planned to develop a large residential
subdivision on the acreage. To save this piece of the Texas Hill Country for the use of
Village of Wimberley
13210 Ranch Road 12 (P.O. Box 2027), Wimberley, Texas 78676
Phone: (512) 847-0025 Fax: 512-847-0422-E-mail: [email protected] Web: vil.Wimberley.tx.us
Stephen Klepfer, Mayor-John Graddy, Mayor Pro Tern
Council Members - Carroll Czichos, Matt Manis, Carolyn Nichols, Marilee Wood
City Administrator - Stephen J. Harrison
MEMO FROM:
Planning & Zoning Commission
Parks & Recreation Board
Transportation Advisory Board
Economic Development Advisory Board
Budget, Investment & Finance Advisory Board
Water/Waste Water Advisory Board
TO:
Members of the City Council
RE:
Blue Hole Property Acquisition
"Resolved: The Planning & Zoning Commission endorses the continuing efforts of the Mayor
and City Council to pursue the opportunity to acquire the Blue Hole Property for public lands and
wastewater plant usage." Vote was 6 Ayes to O Nays.
"The Parks & Recreation Board endorses the efforts by Mayor Klepfer and City Council to
acquire the 126-acre Blue Hole property for public use and supports them in their negotiations to
this end." Vote was 7 Ayes to 0 Nays.
"Resolved: The Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) unanimously endorses the efforts of the
Mayor and the City Council to acquire the Blue Hole property for public use lands and supports
them in their negotiation in this effort."
"The Economic Development Advisory Board endorses the continuing efforts of the Mayor and
City Council to pursue the opportunity to acquire the Blue Hole Property for public lands and
wastewater plant usage."
"Resolved: The Budget, Investment, and Finance Advisory Board of the Village of Wimberley
endorses the continuing efforts of the Mayor and City Council to pursue the opportunity to
acquire the Blue Hole Property for public lands and wastewater plant usage."
"The Water/Waste Water Advisory Board endorses the Village purchase of the 126 acre tract
that includes Blue Hole and proposed wastewater treatment facility site."
The ..*:
Nature.61'
conservancy®
0
!Texas
January 5, 2004
P.O. Box 1440
San Antonio, Texas 78295-1440
711 Navarro, Suite 410
San Antonio, Texas 78205-1721
TEL 210 224-8774
FAX 210 228-9805
nature.org!texas
Mayor Steve Klepfer
Village of Wimberley
13210 Ranch Road 12
P.O. Box 2027
Wimberley, Texas 78676
Dear Mayor Klepfer:
I am writing to express our support for the Blue Hole project currently being pursued by the
Village of Wimberley. This 126-acre project would provide many benefits to the local
community and the region.
The Nature Conservancy is an international, nonprofit organization that preserves plants, animals
and natural communities representing the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and
waters they need to survive. The Nature Conservancy of Texas protects 250,000 acres of wild
lands and, with partners, has conserved more than 800,000 acres for wildlife habitat across the
state.
The Conservancy has recently opened a project office in Wimberley focused on conservation of
the Blanco River watershed. The Conservancy's Blanco River Project and its overall mission of
biodiversity conservation in the Hill Country would benefit from the implementation of the Blue
Hole project. The wastewater treatment facility included in this project would protect water
quality in Cypress Creek as well as providing water quality benefits to the Blanco River. The
project will also offer opportunities to restore and enhance aquatic and riparian habitats along
Cypress Creek.
Beyond the benefits directly related the Conservancy's mission, the project would provide
outstanding natural resource recreational and educational opportunities to the region. These
benefits, while ancillary to the Conservancy's primary conservation mission, are important from a
quality of life perspective. In our experience, overall support for natural resource conservation is
only enhanced through recreational and educational opportunities that have a true conservation
component.
We strongly support the goal of conserving this historically treasured natural resource and hope to
assist you as the project progresses.
Sincerely,
~E:Texas State Director
Wednesday
11 EmilyAnn hopes for
return of stolen lion
mWHS dominates
Hoop Fest tourney
Page3
Page4
-TEXAS PRESS
ASSOCIATION
-City seeks to buy Blue Hole
''A Nice Place To Visit ... A Great Place to Live"™
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MsotvlfEK
On GEST
Live Nativity
at 'Chapel'
Ch.1pc! in the Hilb Church in
Wimberley will perform its an·
nual outdoor live n.i,tivit.y scene
from 6 p.m. to B p.m.
wednesd<1y, Dec. 17. Shepherds
will be directing .drive-by tr<.1ffic
using the circle drive in front of
the Chapel. Those who wish to
leave their vehides for a dose-up view of the nativity scene are
asked to park in the parking lot
on the south side of the Chapel.
CompPmentary hot chocolate
and cookies will be served at the
south entrance to the Chapel.
Please come by and enjoy this
festive event. Questions should
be directed to Chapel Secretary
Lee Hix at 847-9762.
Golden E:;agle nominations
sought
Nomin;:itions are now being
aCcepted for the Wimberley
Birding Society's 2003 Golden
E.:ig!e aw.ird. Presented annual-
ly to the person in Hays County
who does the most for birds and
birding during the year, the
;:iward includes a c.ash p.lyment
and a framed certific,1le. The
award win be given to a Hays
County rcsidt•nt who supported
birds in some meaninb'ful w.1y
and deadline for nominations is
January 10, 2004. To submit a
nomination, simply write wh.1t
the pcr.;on did and why he or
she should receive the award.
Send a!I nominations to Ea~e,
?.SO . C,ypress Creek Lane,
Historic 120-acre site
held on option while
grant money is sought
By Mary Elizabeth Davis
with the View
Jn
a
unanimous
decision,
Wimberley city council members began the groundwork toward the purchase of Blue Ho!e, a 120-acre historic swimming hole and camping
area behind First Baptist Church.
Council members authorized
Mayor Steve Klepfer in a specially
called meeting Thurs<fay to execute a
$1 option contract with Peter Way's
Wimberley Park Limited for a twoyear period. \Vay is a longtime resident of the Wimberley Valley.
"The Village of\Vimberley and the
Texas Trust for Public Lands has two
years to receive public input and raise
the necessary funds to purchase this
Texas treasure," Klepfer said. "This
wouldn't be possible without Mr. Way,
who is assisting the Village to preserve
this landmark, as well as protect the
water quality of Cypress Creek and
the B!anco River. Mr. Way is doing
this out of the goodness of his heart,
and will not make any profit."
The city and the trust must r;iise a
minimum of $2.5 mil!ion, plus al! costs
associ:uc<l with the purchase.
"We have had cnrly discussions
with state and county officials, as wcl!
as individuals, and foci it will be virtu. ally a shoe-in to raise the necessary
CHARLES 1'1<:CtURE/WIMB[Rt£Y VltW
The Village of Wimberley has made arrangements to purchase historic Blue Hole swimming hole and 120 adjoining acres.
funds, as well as additional development costs," Klepfer noted. "We don't
anticipate u_sing any of Wimberley's
general funds for the purchase of lhe
park."
A -- -- ~ -- - ,. •
The partnership will maintain
ownership of !he property until the
city can exercise the option.
The purchase of Blue Hole has already won widespread support. Six of
the city's boards have already endorsed council's efforts ro acquire the
property.
- - - - - -- - - - - - - - •see B1ue Hole, page 5
Wednesday
a Community Chorus
• Lone Star Theatre
brings Job' to life
to perform Dec. 6-7
Page3
PageB
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0·1GEST
Christmas
tree lighting
The St Stephl'n'5' Episcopal
School Sin~rs will be lighting
up 1he night and the
Christmas tree - on Thursday.
Dec 4 at 6 p.m. Jt Ozon:i
Nation.ii Bank. The community
is invited to join the Singers in
a few holiday
favorit~
herald-
ing the arrival of Santa and his
bright red sleigh.
Hays County
lighting ceremony
Please join Hays County on
i's~ ~
A Great Place to Live"™
P.O. Box 49, Wimberley, Texas 78676-0049 • E-Mail Address: [email protected] ."
MIDWEEK
.
50¢"
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City purchases treatment plant.
By Mary Elizabeth Davis
wirh the View
\Vimhcrlcy city council members
authorized lvfayor Steve Klepfer to
e:cecu1e a contract with Blue Hole
Ltd. for !he purchnsc· of an existing
wastewater treatment plant near Blue
Hole, a famous swimming spot.
The council agreed to pay Sl for
the treatment facility and the three
acres it sits on, including a grassy sep·
tic field where effluent is disposed.
The council unanimously ap·
proved to buy the treatment facility
arter coming out of executive session
Nov. 20 . The existing wastewater
treatment plant currently serves Deer
Blue Hole negotiations under way
Creek of Wimberley, a local rehabilitation center and nursing home.
..The firs! ph:i.!>c of the expansion
wilt serve the downtown square are.a,
the businesses along Ranch Road 12
and Deer Creek," said Mayor Steve
Klepfer. ''The c.'\:pansion will include
replacing the current facility to a
50,000 gaBon per-day state of the art
treatment plant and collection lines
to service downtown."
Two years ago, the city signed an
interlocal agreement with the
Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority
(GBRA) to design, finance, build and
operate the new sewage treatment
center. Klepfer said that along with
the three-acre site and facility, the
city also purchased the existing
Certificate of Convenience and
Neeessitv (CCN) and the current
Texas Co.mmission on Environmental
Quality (TCEQ) permit. A CCN out·
lines the boundaries where the city
can provide sewage services. Th.e
TCEQ regulates and permits waste·
water facilities in Te'xas.
"The importance of obtaining
those permits and· adding them lo the
Village's CCN obtained a year ago allows GBRA and Wimberley to imme~
diately begin design plans," K.Jepfer
observed.
Officials have been intt:res1ed in
obtetining a city-run wastewa1er treat·
ment plant for years. Downtown busi~
nesses and' residents are on septic sys·
terns and cannot offer public bathroom facilities.
Members
of
the
city's
Water/Wastewater Advisory Board
endorsed the ·council's plans in a 7-0
vote at their Nov. 17 meeting.
• see City, page 5
Wednesday. Dec. 3 at 6 p.m.
for the lighting of the Hays
Count;y Courthouse. The San
Marcos High School Choir, led
by Blaine Hol!ub. wit! perform
holid.:iy music. Cookies ;ind
apple cider will be provided.
A visit from SJntJ Claus will
conclude our evening.
Communily Chorus
concert on lap
The Community Chorus will
ho!d their fJI! Concert on
December 5 -5 at 7 p.m. Jnd
December 7 at J p.m. at
Chapel in the Hills. The
Community Chorus wil\ hold
thcirSprins Concert on April 2·
3 at 7 p.m. and April 4 31 3 p.m.
at Chapel in the Hilts.
Lone Sl3.rThea.tre
""'"•;i•nlirw •!nh'
Cowboy Christmas
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Development's
wastewater
permit halted
County to seek expert legal advice
By Mary Elizabeth Davis
with the View
hasn't responded. I !hink it was
in:innrnnn..,, .. •n ''" ..,,.,, .. i.:~~
•
n jfflarcos 11\atlp l\ecorb
Brushing up on history: TxSt
Alumni House being repainted
Drivers cruising past Texas
State Unlverslty-San Marcos
for the neA1 month or so will
Ukely notice a fluny of activi-
ty around the historic Alumni
House at the Intersection or
LBJ and University drives.
The tarps and scaffolding
going up mean one thing: The
venerable building Is getting
a much-needed palntjob.
"We've got It on our schedule to finish everything by the
end of March," said
;.This has been In the
planning stages for
the last six months,
and we've finally
gotten it all approved.
The contractors are
working on it right
now."
Bill
Tomlinson, construction contract administrator. "We
should have It pretty well
Bill Tomlinson
TxSt administrator
wrapped up by then.
"The work Is all exterior.
We're refurbishlng all the old
wood and replacing damaged
wood sldlng," _he said. "This
has been In the planning
stages for the last six
months, and we've finally gotten It al) approved. The contractors are working on lt
right now." . .
.
There's m_cire-g61ng On than
meets the eye, ):19w~ver: Over
the years water- dani!lge, ter-·
mites and: wciqd: rot have
-.tSe·e HO.~ii~ _pii.ge 3A)
Artist's rendering of the repainted Alumni House.
Blue Hole parkland push begins
Proponents
of new park
have two years
to raise funds
l
By ANITA MILLER
News Editor
?
In
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s.
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The sentinel cyprl'S"- trees
that give the creek Jts name
are bare now, their fallen
needles carpeting both the
banks and bottom - until
the shallow water gives way
to what has rtghtfully been
said to be one Texas' premier
swimming holes.
Na one was jumping off the
old rope swings Into the Blue
Hole, though. Instead. the
couple dozen Hays County
and Vltlage of Wimberley ofl1cla]s and residents were
gathered for a more meanJngful occasion that a chllllng
dip. They were gathered
along Cypress Creek In the
middle of December to look
toward thf' future while
- ·~eruktiig to cede the treasures
of the past.
A "great Christmas present" for the state of Texas and thereby its people - Is
how Steve Klepfer, mayor of
the Village of Wimberley, put
It last week In announcing
plans by which the J26-acre
Blue Hole Tract will one day
become public parkland.
In a Joint press conference
and special meeting of the
the resource Itself, settling down for a good read by the City Council on Dec. 18,
banks of Cypress Creek. (Photo by Anita Miller)
(See Blue page 3A]
Reading by the ripples
Whtie the adults were prepartng to announce plans to
acquire the Blue Hole property for public parkland,
Marissa Harrison of Drtpplng Springs chose to enjoy
Names of carbon monoxide victims released
By ANITA MILLER
News Editoi:
San Marcos Police have released
the names of cwo workers killed by
carl::ion monoxide poisoning last
week, and aJso that a fund has been
set up to benefit the survivors of one
of them.
Juan Uvaldo Nieto Sr., 44, and
Eleazar Picazo Hernandez, 33, were
remo.dellng a home In the 900 block
of Indiana and apparently died from
fumes from a gasollne-powered generator on Dec. 13. Their bodies were
,.
One man is survived by his wife
and seven children living in Austin
found three days later by the contractor who had h!red them.
Authorities said both men had
Austin addresses but are citizens of
Mexico and had come to Central
Texas from the Monterrey area.
Hernandez Is survived by family
members still in Mextco, while N!eto's
wife and seven children live In
Austin.
Neither had insurance or worker"s
compensation, prompting individual
San Marcos police offlcers arid the
department's Blue Santa program to
pitch in for food, gifts and clothing for
Nleto•s children, as we\l as to pay for
funeral expenses.
An account to benefit the family
hp:s Q<;en established at Frost Bank
LI;i San: Marcos. Donations may be
made to: The family of Juan Nieto Sr.,
Benefit Account. C/0 Frost Bank,
P.O. Box 649, San Marcos. TX,
78666, or can be deposited at any
Frost Bank.
The men had been applying wall
texture In the home at the time of
their death. Both bodies were found
In one room, and the home also continued a large gas generator that had
a kerosene heater plugged Jnto It.
Investigators said the kerosene
heater had about a half tank of fuel
(See Nam.es page 2A)
City hears citizen
day
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Blue Hole town hall oil Jan. 29
. By Mary Elizabeth Davis
with the View
It ..yas an event many considered
historic and the most important happening to occur this year in Wimberley.
The press conference, held on the
banks of Blue Hole Thursday afternoon, drew in city and county officials,
business 6vmers, residents, antj. a tele-
vision crew from Austin.
They all gathered to watch as
Wimberley Mayor Steve Klepfer
signed an option contract paving the
way for the city to purchase the famous
swimming pool, turning it into a cityowned and community-protected
recreational area.
Citv officials are conducting a town
Village holds press conferenee
29, 2004 in the Lonestar Theatre to
gather public input. about the purchase. There will also be additional
meetings in January with area
landowners, and numerous public
hearings over the next two years.
"I think the State of Tuxas is about
to get a great Christmas present,"
Klepfer said. "What we're doing today·
is we are signing an option agreement
between the Village of Wimberley and
Mr. Peter Way."
Way, a part-time Wimberley resident, is buying Blue Hole. He is holding the propertv for two-years while
chase price through grants and donations to buy the land from Way. The
city is also responsible for reimbursing
Way for any expenses he incurres during the 24-month period.
Way was responsible in providing
the city several months with funds to
conduct a study on nature trails. Blue
Hole sits near the 7.19-acre Cypress
Creek Nature Trail. The city.purchased
the $400,000 property about a year
ago.
"We thank Mr. Way and his family
for his philanthropy. He will not make
anvorofit on this deal." Klenfer s•in.
ure, is often nanted as one of the state's
top 10 swimming holes. Its history
dates back to early records showing
John R. Dobie owned 500 acres along
·the Cypress Creek near the mill that
gave the village its name. The Dobie
estate conveyed the Blue Hole property to an Austin partnership group 30years-ago. The group allowed limited
swimming and primitive camping. The
group later built a nearby wastewater
treatment plant on three-acres. The
property has been on the market for
about a decade.
City officials expect to limit public
access to the swimming hole due to the
property~s
.
. environmental sensitivity.
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