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2022
Volume 35, Issue 9
www.LHIndependent.com
News@LHIndependent.com
January 20, 2022 | 50 Cents
BUSINESS
Commercial development flourishing across Liberty Hill
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer As the growth goes in Liberty Hill, so does the commercial development. From new restaurants and retail to medical offices and more, the development happening across the city is hard to miss. From Golf Cart King, the large structure being built on County Road 214, to “coming soon” signs dotting Highway 29, like Rapid Express Car Wash, which will be constructed between Dairy Queen and Texas Pawn & Jewelry, there’s not much of Liberty Hill that isn’t under construction. One of the most notable projects is Stonewall Crossing, on the corner of Highway 29 and Stonewall Parkway at the entrance to the Stonewall Ranch subdivision. Landowner Rockspring announced in recent months the construction of four different fast-food restaurants, including McDonald’s and Taco Bell, which will be built on the east side of Stonewall Parkway, and Wendy’s and Popeye’s, which will be on
the west side, adjacent to Circle K and Auto Zone. A car service chain has also signed on to build behind Auto Zone, and an 11,000-squarefoot retail center will be constructed adjacent to Taco Bell. Vista at 29, about a mile west of Ronald Reagan Boulevard on the south side of Highway 29, is nearing completion on its first two buildings. The tenants in the center will include a mix of medical, offices and retail. So far, businesses announced include Cold Spring Liquor, Koffe Café, Mid America Mortgage Office, True Smile Ortho, Lotus Dental and Bunch Pediatric Dentistry. In addition, the new Tex-Mix location will be at the Vista at 29 business park and will be the company’s primary sales and dispatch office. When Vista at 29 is complete, it will include six different buildings and several pad sites. “This is going to be a very positive addition to the Highway 29 corridor in Liberty
See COMMERCIAL, Page 4
This rendering shows what Stonewall Crossing, at the intersection of Highway 29 and Stonewall Parkway, might look like once it’s fully built out. So far, McDonald’s and Taco Bell have announced restaurants there. Landowner Rockspring will also be constructing an 11,000-square-foot retail strip center on the site. (Courtesy Graphic)
City executes letters of intent for new water sources
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer The City of Liberty Hill currently receives its supply of water from the City of Leander, but is in negotiations with two new water source opportunities that would give the City the opportunity to be independent from that supply. The last half of 2021 in Liberty Hill was laden with water restrictions after a malfunction at the Leander water treatment plant caused a major depletion in the water tanks. The City was in Phase 2 water restrictions from July until December, when it moved back into Phase 1 restrictions. City officials have been working the last several months to find new sources of water to prevent that from happening again. Both letters of intent were executed by Mayor Liz Branigan on Jan.10. The first LOI is with Austin-based BlueWater Systems, which is a company that provides wholesale water supplies to municipalities, water supply corporations, and other water providers in Central Texas. The water comes from the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer, which has been identified as a long-term resource for Central Texas, according to the Texas Water Development Board. “BlueWater has assisted other ©2022 The Liberty Hill Independent
municipalities and done other big projects getting water resources to the Central Texas area,” said City Administrator Lacie Hale. “They have had quite a few significant projects as far as moving water resources and supplying water to areas that need it. The biggest project I know of is they built a pipeline from Burleson [County] to Manor.” The second LOI is with Hill Country-based Gandy Water, LLC, but the City is limited on what can be shared about that company for now because of the company’s confidentiality clause, Hale said. “Both of these are great opportunities for water resources for our city,” she added. “I have to speak generally because these letters are non-binding letters of intent. We are currently negotiating the agreements, which will both give us an opportunity to have long-term water resources.” Hale said the potential project with BlueWater would give the community access to water very quickly, while the Gandy Water, LLC deal would be more of a long-term plan due to infrastructure needs for that water source. “The resources would be available to us in phases,” Hale said. “The amount of infrastructure needed from BlueWater is not as extensive as what is needed for Gandy, so that would be a quicker impact in the sense of getting us water
See WATER, Page 2
Superintendent Steve Snell helped cover lunch duty at Bill Burden Elementary on Jan. 14. Dozens of staff and hundreds of students have been out sick over the last week across the district as COVID cases continue to rise. (Courtesy Photo)
LHISD at ‘tipping point’ as COVID cases continue to rise
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer As COVID cases continue to rise throughout the Liberty Hill Independent School District, Superintendent Steve Snell is concerned the district may be forced to close due to a lack of teaching staff. Snell said he and his team meet every morning before school and every afternoon after school to assess where the district is and if the schools can continue to be safe and operational based on the number of teachers and
staff members absent. While there are no plans to close the schools currently, it could happen. “We are pretty much at a tipping point,” he said Tuesday. “If a few more staff go out, it’s going to be hard to stay open.” Employees at the administration office are also assigned to different campuses each morning to help the schools get on their feet for the day. “My directors start each day at a specific school and do what they can to help out, be-
cause we never know if there are going to be any last-minute cancelations of substitutes or teachers, or if they have to be out because their children are out,” he said. For now, one class at Liberty Hill High School and one class at Bill Burden Elementary have been closed due to not having enough specialized staff to teach those students, Snell said. With the spike in cases, every day brings the district a new challenge, Snell added, which is why last week, he
took over lunch duty at both Bill Burden and Santa Rita elementary schools. “We are doing what we can just to give the teachers a break,” he said. “If we have any way to adjust our days and meetings so we can help out, then we are happy to do so.” Snell added that the call from each school’s PTO asking for parent volunteers to step in for things like lunch duty, drop off and pick up has
See COVID, Page 4