The city of Bee Cave issued cease and desist letters on July 24 to two developers of three properties along Hwy. 71 near the Sweetwater community after construction processes began without approval from the city, according to a Facebook post from the city of Bee Cave.

The issue: Bee Cave previously determined that the existing stormwater and water quality ponds for the properties maintained by Lazy Nine MUD have not been proven sufficient to protect landowners, roadways and watersheds from flooding and pollution, per a statement from Bee Cave Mayor Kara King.

According to the cease and desist letter, the city did not receive sufficient documentation and information from the developers regarding how the development would meet the city’s drainage and pollution standards without further action.

“Until adequate measures are installed, or the Lazy Nine MUD updates its deficient ponds, these developments will pose a public safety risk that is sadly all too well known to Central Texans,” King said.

The Travis County Parks Foundation's Park Stewards Program, a volunteer development program in its first year, turns residents into ambassadors for their neighborhood park. 

The gist: Over several months, participants move through learning modules on conservation and nature before completing 20 hours of service in their park and earning a patch naming them a steward of that park. The program is free and open to anyone, regardless of expertise.

Get involved: The foundation is recruiting for its fall cohort at Southeast Metropolitan and Reimers Ranch parks, with applications opening online in early August. Sessions run two hours monthly, and one-time stewardship days are open to anyone who can't commit to the full program.

Check out the latest transportation projects across the Austin metro. 

Upcoming projects

I-35 at Inner Loop Interchange

Project: The project includes the design and construction of improvements to the interchange between SE Inner Loop and I-35 in Georgetown.

Update: All work for the project has been put on hold pending TxDOT advancing the design of I-35.

• Timeline: TBD

• Cost: TBD

• Funding source: Williamson County 2023 road bond

Ongoing projects

Oak Hill Parkway

Project: The Texas Department of Transportation is currently reconstructing Hwy. 290 in Oak Hill, transforming the existing four-lane, undivided roadway to a six-lane divided highway with new frontage roads and 14 miles of shared-use paths.

Update: As of July, drivers can now travel on newly opened mainlanes, frontage roads and ramps. Drivers can expect ongoing painting, landscaping, asphalt paving, striping and shared-use path improvements to cause lane closures.

• Timeline: 2022-26 (total project)

• Cost: $677 million allocated for the entire project

• Funding source: TxDOT

This summer, Texas is launching a new process to study the viability of data centers and other large projects seeking to connect to the state’s power grid. The process’ strict requirements could deter major industrial projects from coming to the state, experts warn.

The overview: The Electric Reliability Commission of Texas’ new "batch study process" will require that large projects be evaluated in groups, rather than individually. The process was developed in response to Texas’ data center boom.

What they're saying: All projects that would use at least 75 megawatts of electricity will be required to participate in the batch process—including industrial and hydrogen production facilities. However, industrial and manufacturing projects operate differently from data centers and may not be able to meet some of the batch requirements, industry representatives said July 29.

In a state that works to attract major companies and bills itself as business-friendly, that’s a concern, lawmakers said.

"Where are y'all at on trying to differentiate those types of traditional, enterprise, big commercial, large load projects?" Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, asked.