By SARAH DOOLITTLE, Four Points News

The Lower Colorado River Authority issued its weather and water predictions for the coming year at the annual LCRA Meteorologist Day last week at its Austin headquarters.

Areal photographs and charts provided by LCRA.

Though drought conditions continue to be dire, LCRA representatives at the May 28 meeting were cautiously optimistic about the potential for improved conditions in 2014.

The most encouraging development is increased warming of sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, which indicate a potential El Niño that could bring moisture to Texas in the fall.

“I am encouraged that almost all the modeling is showing a trend toward above-normal rainfall beginning in September and continuing all the way through the fall and winter periods,” said Bob Rose, LCRA’s Chief Meteorologist.

“But whether this is going to end the drought,​ no one really knows that. I don’t want to put that kind of information out there. But again, very encouraged that the pattern will begin to change,” Rose added.

Conservation will continue to be key to help manage the water supply.

The goal, as LCRA General Manager Phil Wilson explained, is for “each of you to think about conservation as a very important tool for all of us to utilize. I would ask each of you to think about how we use water, and when we should use water. Am I wasting water? Can I do this differently?… We all need to be conserving. This drought is serious. And each of us has a role to play in that conservation.”

For the most part people in Central Texas have embraced changes in water usage rules and have been key partners in conservation efforts, Wilson added.

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By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

Texas Department of Transportation revealed pla

ns for proposed traffic relief in Four Points at the Steiner Ranch Neighborhood Association annual meeting last week.

“We are well aware of what’s going on out here and about the congestion,” said Mark Jones, Georgetown area engineer with TxDOT. “We are developing ideas about what we can do.”

TxDOT has mapped and modeled an auxiliary connector road and additional through lanes to move more traffic where current bottlenecks are located. These concepts could cost more than an estimated $4o million and could take up to five years to complete, if funding is earmarked and plans go smoothly, said Greg Malatek, Austin district engineer with TxDOT.

With the proposed connector road, Jones said there would be a estimated decrease in delays in Four Points traffic of 65 percent by the year 2020.

This bypass in light blue from RM 620 to RM 2222 would start near the High Pointe Shopping Village sign and run adjacent to the power lines and emerge east of Cooke’s Automotive. There would be added traffic signals at both spots.
The red shows additional lanes on RM 2222 to and from the bypass connector road.
Map provided by TxDOT

“No money is set aside for this. If we want it done, we need support from TxDOT, the city and the county to get it done,” said Brian Thompto, chairman of the SRNA.

More than 250 people attended the Steiner Ranch Neighborhood Association community meeting on May 28 at Steiner Ranch Elementary.
photo by Lynette Haaland

More than 250 people from the community attended the SRNA meeting on May 28 where many topics were covered, with the most anticipated being TxDOT’s proposed changes to roadways in Four Points.

Current gridlock

TxDOT’s presentation focused on two main areas ​—​ the intersections at RM 620 and RM 2222 and RM 2222 and McNeil Drive, which leads to Vandegrift High School and Four Points Middle School.

Vehicles per day

• 48,600 @ RM 620 (south of RM 2222, same stretch as Boathouse Grill)
• 38,400 @ RM 2222 (east of RM 620, same stretch as Target)
• 43,500 @ RM 2222 (east of River Place, same stretch as 3M)

The maximum hourly vehicle volume of these three spots ranges from 3,900 to 3,200 to 3,700 respectively. These volumes have gone up since Four Points News reported on this topic last fall.

Provided by TxDOT

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By CASSIE MCKEE, Four Points News

Pastors from Austin-area churches organized a city-wide day of prayer and fasting on Thursday that culminated with a service at Hyde Park Baptist Church that evening to pray for rain in Central Texas.

The May 22 service to pray for rain filled Hyde Park Baptist Church with more than 700
people from congregations around Austin. Austin Christian Fellowship’s senior pastor, Will Davis Jr., helped lead the service.
Photos by Jim Shields

Will Davis Jr., pastor of Austin Christian Fellowship based in Four Points, said the idea came about a month ago during a pastor’s prayer meeting.

“In that moment of prayer, on this platform, God spoke to one of the pastors and said, ‘You need to pray for rain and you need to tell the city council what you’re doing,’” Davis told attendees at the evening prayer service.

The group’s first organized “prayer for rain” meet-up was at the Austin City Council meeting on May 15 where they stood in the city council chambers and prayed Lake Travis would return to its 681-foot level, at which point the lake is considered full.

The May 22 service filled Hyde Park Baptist Church with more than 700 people from congregations around Austin. Photos by Jim Shields.

The May 22 service filled Hyde Park Baptist Church with more than 700 people from congregations around Austin. Continue reading →

By CASSIE MCKEE, Four Points News

The neighboring City of Lakeway issued a moratorium on all new swimming pool permits last week in an effort to slow all non-essential water use in the city during this drought.

“We are here on the lake, it’s a part of our community. As we watch the lake levels and our water supply diminish before our eyes, we wanted to look at the steps we can take to address that,” Lakeway spokesman Devin Monk told the Austin American-Statesman last week. On May 20 the moratorium was issued.

Also last week, Lakeway Mayor Dave DeOme issued an order lifting requirements on new construction projects to have landscaping such as grass and trees. Lakeway is currently under stage 3 water restriction, meaning residents can only water their lawns one day per week.

The city of Austin is currently under stage 2 water restriction, which also allows watering only one day per week; however, watering with a handheld hose is allowed anytime.

Dan Edison

Dan Edison, owner of Austin’s Innovative Pools and Spas, has designed more than 600 hundred pools in Central Texas and many in Four Points. He said this is the first time in the 13 years of owning his company that he’s heard of a city placing a ban on pool permits. He said the Brushy Creek Municipal Utility District also issued a ban on pool permits last week; however, an addendum was added that allows new pools as long as the water is trucked in from somewhere else.

While Lakeway’s move won’t affect his business directly, he is worried that it may cause other surrounding cities to take similar action.

“If other ones start following suit, that could be pretty disastrous for the pool industry,” Edison said.

He said he feels that pools are an easy target and aren’t necessarily the biggest water users.

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By VAL OLIVAS, Four Points News

​​Veteran Outdoor supporters and Steiner Ranch residents Shane and Jennifer Stevens are set to host the second annual Veteran Outdoors fundraiser the White Party on Saturday, May 24 in Steiner.

This Memorial Day weekend, Veteran Outdoor supporters and Steiner Ranch residents Shane and Jennifer Stevens are set to host the second annual Veteran Outdoors fundraiser the White Party on Saturday, May 24.

Austin-based Veteran Outdoors is a non-profit organization whose mission is to honor America’s wounded veterans’ patriotism and their sacrifice by providing quality hunting, fishing and outdoor-related excursions.

Earlier this month, VO sponsored double-leg amputee Dan Robles, and another soldier who saved his life, Creston Cherry — both of whom were injured in Iraq — for an excursion to Pandale, Tex. to hunt Texas Dall sheep rams. VO member and Steiner resident James Armer was part of that trip. VO provided clothing, weapons, food and shelter thanks to Austin businessman John Meadows, who offered the use of his private ranch and animals.

Earlier this month, VO sponsored double-leg amputee Dan Robles (second from right), and another soldier who saved his life, Creston Cherry (left) — both of whom were injured in Iraq — for an excursion to Pandale, Tex. VO member and Steiner resident James Armer was part of that trip. (right)

Over Christmas, VO also partnered with members of the University of Texas Golf Club to raise money to send a wounded warrior and his family of seven to Disney World.

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