CITY & COUNTY
News from Bee Cave, Lakeway, West Lake Hills & Travis County
Bee Cave recognized as dark sky city for light pollution efforts
Lakeway incumbents win May 6 election
IN THE DARK What is the International Dark-Sky Association? The International Dark-Sky Association is an advocacy organization that aims to reduce light pollution. What is a Dark Sky Community? Areas that receive the Dark Sky Community designation aim to preserve the night sky through lighting policies and education. Six of the seven designated cities in Texas are in the Hill Country.
BY APRIL KELLEY
LAKEWAY Incumbents were re-elected in both the mayoral and council races May 6. Incumbent Tom Kilgore has been re-elected as the mayor of Lakeway, according to final voting tallies. Kilgore received 53.5% of the vote, or 2,040 votes. Incumbent Gretchen Vance has also been re-elected to the Lakeway City Council at-large position, accord- ing to final voting tallies. Vance received 24.91% of the votes, or 2,269 votes. All results are unofficial until canvassed.
BY BROOKE SJOBERG
BEE CAVE The city has achieved the Dark Sky Commu- nity designation, one of only six other cities in Texas to do so, per an April 20 announcement. Since initiating the application to receive the des- ignation in October 2021, city officials have worked to preserve the night sky in the Hill Country region by enacting lighting restrictions inside city limits. Becoming a Dark Sky Community requires cities to apply through the International Dark-Sky Association and meet certain criteria, such as operating under IDA-compli- ant outdoor lighting ordinances, educating the public on the importance of having a dark sky and gaining commu- nity support for the designation, according to the IDA. The city’s initiative in 2021 came in the wake of the Texas Legislature passing Senate Bill 1090, which allows cities to adopt lighting restrictions to meet the IDA’s crite- ria, according to previous Community Impact reporting. It was previously reported the city of Bee Cave operates under a 2007 lighting ordinance, which set standards for light brightness and glare control. Many of
• Bee Cave: 2023 • Blanco: 2022 • Dripping Springs: 2014
• Fredericksburg: 2020 • Horseshoe Bay: 2015 • Wimberley Valley: 2018
Dark sky goals The IDA aims to promote creating designations for dark- sky communities to: • Improve outdoor nighttime quality of life • Protect human health, nocturnal habitats and enjoyment of the night sky • Recognize the efforts of dark-sky communities • Encourage communities to identify dark skies as a valuable community asset
SOURCE: INTERNATIONAL DARK-SKY ASSOCIATION/COMMUNITY IMPACT
the rules the city has operated under are similar to those required by the IDA, and the city has been working with the organization in recent years to comply with its stan- dards, Senior Planner Amanda Padilla said at the time. Some of these standards include shields on streetlights and lights-out curfews.
Tom Kilgore
Gretchen Vance
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