NEWS BRIEFS
Abridged stories from online
City of Lakeway to build committee for LakewayAirpark zoning issue
BY GRACE DICKENS
nd the right group to solve this issue.” Problems arose in September when Lakeway Mayor Tom Kilgore received a report on ordinance violations dating back to 2016 from representatives of two airpark neighbors, according to a press release from the city. Following this, the city began to closely monitor the activities of the airpark and determined there were several violations of the Aviation Zoning District ordinance. The ordinance has undergone several changes since its introduction, with the most recent in 2010. In 2003, the ordinance prohibited commercial operations, including ight instruction, airplane rental and transportation of passengers. The 2010 amendment changed the language of the ordinance to rede ne commercial operations as “any business activity established to nancially pro t” from the provision of services or aircraft operations. The 2010 amendment caused confusion over what operations were permitted at the airpark, Torbett said in a statement posted to the airpark’s website in February. Since the airpark is a nonpro t corporation run
In response to controversy surrounding the operation of the Lakeway Airpark, the city of Lakeway in March will organize an Aviation Zoning District Committee consisting of seven members chosen by each council member through volunteer applications accepted through March 14. Decisions on committee members are expected to be made at the March 21 council meeting. The committee will meet to analyze issues related to public safety, airpark operation, devel- opment in and around the airpark zoning district, and other technical issues. The committee will make recommendations to council in response to proposed amendments to the district. “The airpark fully supports the idea of a col- laborative approach. Let’s focus on solving the problems,” Lakeway Airpark Inc. President Mike Torbett said at the Feb. 22 City Council meeting. “You have to have people that have complimentary personalities that can work together, and you need people that have experience, and I think we’ve got a wealth of that here in Lakeway, so surely we can
Members of the airpark include homeowners at the airpark, aircraft owners in Lakeway and boosters.
by members of the Flying Club, operations have continued at the park, including commercial air tra c, primary ight instruction and airplane rentals, according to the city. These operations are prohibited under the 2010 revision, and the “for pro t” stipulation included in the revision was a legal error to begin with as the exchange for goods and services is a commer- cial activity, regardless of whether it is for pro t, according to the city.
Eanes ISDopens long-awaited aquatics centerMarch 2
BY GRACE DICKENS
Eanes ISD unveiled its newly constructed aquatics center Feb. 24 following a decades long push for a school district pool. The facility began operation March 2, and the district plans to hold a grand opening of the facility March 26. Located on 23,000 square feet, the $10.3 million bond-funded facility houses a 518,000-gallon, temperature-controlled pool with several starting blocks, three diving boards and a bulkhead that allows a platform in the middle of the pool to move in order to accommodate di erent events or be used in di erent directions. The pool will be available for the Westlake High School swimming and diving program; a possible middle school expansion swim program; potential water polo and other activities; and community use for pool time, swim lessons and swim club rentals, according to a press release from the district. There also is a locker room with full showers and a water extractor for wet swimsuits, a public-use restroom and o ce in the building. The 25-meter, eight-lane stretch
Bee Cavemayor honors formermunicipal judge Bee Cave Mayor Kara King presents longtime resident Cecil Perkins with the proclamation.
BY JENNIFER SCHAEFER
At Feb. 22’s Bee Cave City Council meeting, Mayor Kara King opened the session with a proclamation that Feb. 23, 2022, would be Cecil Perkins Day. Perkins is an early citizen of Bee Cave and served as the city’s rst munici- pal judge from 1990-97. Perkins served in the military and later was a captain with the Austin Fire Department. He later served as a Realtor and was inducted into the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2014 and owns Witch Doctor Farms. “The high point in this presenta- tion to me is to look out here and see ... the people who have developed the nest little city in Bee Cave, Texas,” Perkins said.
The new facility o ers eight lanes, three diving boards and several starting blocks.
pool is a Myrtha pool, which uses a bolted stainless steel wall system, a PVC liner and concrete base to increase the longevity of a pool’s life. This type of pool is considered the standard in athletic settings and is often used during Olympic trials, said Alison Soelter, head girls swimming and diving coach. The facility has seven glass garage doors on each side that can be opened to permit air ow during summer and allow for more event space. Though the facility can set up bleachers for small events, the
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space is not t for larger events and was built primarily as a training and work space, Chief Operations O cer Jeremy Trimble said.
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LAKE TRAVIS WESTLAKE EDITION • MARCH 2022
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