Tiny bird makes mess of Texas developer’s plans

A tiny, endangered bird that nests only in Texas helped at least temporarily scupper a developer’s plans for a 71-acre mixed-use project in the Hill Country.

Pushback from Austin’s Environmental Commission and environmental groups led International Development Management to withdraw its water and wastewater applications with the city, the Austin Business Journal reported. Critics told the commission last month that they were concerned about pollution that could affect habitats including that of the golden-cheeked warbler. The songbirds, which weigh about 0.4 ounces, are protected by the federal Endangered Species Act.

They also also expressed concern about the development’s effect on Barton Creek, a tributary of the Colorado River and a feature that lures tourists, residences and businesses to the region. In addition, they said they worried about building infrastructure in the Barton Creek watershed.

Austin’s IDM wants to build on a 71-acre property 14 miles west of downtown. Plans include the 20,000-seat Violet Crown Amphitheater, two apartment towers, a distillery and tasting room, a Top Golf-style driving range and parking. It would cost as much as $750 million.

Officials said the project’s water needs would be equivalent to those of more than 760 single-family homes. Developers requested extended and widened city water and waste­water pipes to the proposed site.

Commissioners, who voted unanimously against moving forward, said the water and wastewater lines “would require significant infrastructure improvements in an environmentally sensitive area that the city of Austin is actively working to protect for water quality and endangered species protection.”

The technical director for the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, Mike Clifford, said the project’s city of Austin engineering requirements have also been rejected. Those requirements include environmental, engineering and water quality reviews.

An IDM spokeswoman said in an email that while the company hasn’t made any decisions, it intends to keep working on it. Developers can pursue other ways to obtain wastewater service, possibly through a Texas land application permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Such moves wouldn’t prevent further opposition from environmental groups, which could delay development.

[ABJ] — Cindy Widner

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