ATX-LTW: Impact 10/30/2025

A new indoor pickleball court could be on its way to the Bella Colinas neighborhood area in Bee Cave following approval of a special use permit at an Oct. 28 City Council meeting.

Diving in deeper: Developers requested a special use permit for part of the Masonwood development, which includes the Bella Colinas and Terra Colinas neighborhoods, for the purpose of adding an indoor pickleball court to an upcoming commercial center off Hwy. 71 named "Courtside."

The existing zoning for the site at 5001 Palermo Drive is for Neighborhood Services, which include restaurant, retail, bank and gas station uses. The permit now allows the developers to build an indoor pickleball court.

Conceptual plans include six pickleball courts, 7,000 square feet of restaurant space and 4,200 square feet of retail space.

“This whole thing has definitely been a passion project of the ownership, and they’re very excited,” applicant representative Rachel Shanks said. “They live in the area and they really wanted to do something that spoke to them and hopefully to the community.”

Check out the latest news from Leander ISD.

Board approves resolution for long-range planning efforts: The board unanimously approved a resolution Sept. 30 to establish a clear process for long-range planning, define roles and outline timelines for the 2026-27 school year and beyond. Some of the key details of the resolution include:

• Establish criteria and thresholds for campus consolidation
• Consult with community and staff before implementing educational program changes
• Find revenue generation and expenditure reduction strategies

Therapy Pet Pals of Texas was founded in Austin in 1984 by Kathryn Lashmit, and has been offering pet visitations to the elderly and infirm in Texas ever since.

The overview: Therapy Pet Pals of Texas is a private nonprofit created with the goal of assisting the elderly, terminally ill and mentally or physically challenged through pet visitations at nursing homes, medical hospitals, rehabilitation centers and other special needs facilities.

The benefits: Pet visitations offered by volunteers and their therapy dogs can provide a positive bonding experience for those confined to institutional living facilities, according to the nonprofit’s website.

“The residents just know when you're coming. They remember the dog's name, not always yours. It's all about the dogs for us,” Executive Director Nancy Gray said. “And [the residents] just smile. Sometimes they've told us that they were in pain, but once the dog comes, they feel they don't think about their pain for that few minutes they can hug on the dog, or sometimes they just want to talk to you.”

The overview: As Community Impact enters its third decade, it’s returning to its roots of growth and deeper reader connections. The “Patron” program, which began in 2020 by reader demand, has relaunched as the InCIder.

“This relaunch represents our renewed commitment to readers who support our local news,” CEO John Garrett said. “Beyond funding great journalism, we also want to reward our InCIders and build deeper connections with them, creating a true sense of community around the work we do.”

Event details: As part of the relaunch, Community Impact will host its first-ever InCIder Hour, a new event aimed at celebrating and engaging the company’s supporters.

The event, open to InCIders only, will take place Nov. 12 from 5:30-7 p.m. at Community Impact Headquarters, 16225 Impact Way, Pflugerville.

Guests will have the opportunity to network with fellow InCIders, meet Community Impact staff and attend a featured conversation with legislative reporter Hannah Norton, moderated by Garrett.

“Our first event needed to start where all the hard work is put together,” Garrett said. “People are blown away when they see our operation. To be able to sit and chat with the best legislative reporter in Texas, Hannah Norton, makes it an event our InCIder friends deserve and hopefully will enjoy.”