Several changes to Bee Cave’s Thoroughfare Plan were approved at the March 24 Bee Cave City Council meeting, marking updates to the city’s future transportation goals in the area.

The details: The revisions are part of the city’s Thoroughfare Plan, which outlines goals, plans and projects for future mobility improvements in the area. 

One notable decision includes the final alignment for a Southwest Collector, intended to provide an alternative pathway for local traffic through connections with Hamilton Pool Road. Plans are subject to change pending council action.

Diving deeper: According to city documents, current traffic on Hwy. 71 and Hamilton Pool Road exceed capacity, and Bee Cave Parkway is approaching capacity. The creation of a Southwest Collector is intended to address mobility and safety in the area to improve traffic flow.

Four alternatives were initially proposed in October for the Southwest Collector, but Option 3 was approved at the meeting. Option 3 aligns the Southwest Collector to meet at the Bee Cave Elementary School driveway and includes one signalized intersection, rather than two nearby intersections.

Months after a historic flood hit Central Texas, Travis County has been awarded a $1 million state grant to install flood warning sirens.

The Travis County Commissioners Court approved an award agreement for at least $1 million in funding from the Texas Water Development Board at a March 24 meeting. The grant is a part of the state’s $50 million effort to fund the installation of flood warning siren systems in counties impacted by the July 4-5 flooding.

The details: The $1 million grant is expected to cover the installation of outdoor warning siren systems, including flood gauges, in Travis County. The sirens must be located in areas that the TWDB has identified as being prone to flash flooding.

The backstory: Central Texas was impacted by catastrophic flooding on the weekend of July 4, resulting in more than 130 fatalities. 

Senate Bill 3 requires cities or counties impacted by the July 4-5 floods to install and operate outdoor warning sirens. Under Senate Bill 5, the state will award $50 million across 30 counties.

Hays County officials and parks department staff celebrated the opening of Karst Canyon Preserve on March 27. The 175-acre preserve features a stretch of Dry Cypress Creek, the Wimberley Bat Cave and a habitat for the endangered golden-cheeked warbler.

The big picture: Karst Canyon is the biggest addition to the Hays County park system in a decade, said Karl Flocke, Hays County director of parks and natural resources. The preserve is located in the Greater Jacob’s Well Natural Area.

The Watershed Association purchased the site in 2019, stopping the established plans for high-density development of more than 1,000 residential lots. Hays County purchased the land in 2025 with funding from the Parks and Open Spaces Bond.

The preserve’s first phase included 2 miles of trail that connect to the North 40 Trail at Jacob’s Well Natural Area.

Diving deeper: The preserve features distinctive karst landscaping, shaped by soluble limestone that forms sinkholes, caves and springs. The terrain is essential for recharging the Trinity Aquifer and supporting regional water sustainability, according to Hays County.

Three medical cannabis businesses have been conditionally approved to participate in the Texas Compassionate Use Program, state officials announced April 1.

The big picture: The companies received conditional licenses from the Texas Department of Public Safety in an effort to expand access to medical cannabis products. Under the compassionate use program, physicians can prescribe medical-grade, low-THC products to eligible patients in partnership with licensed dispensaries.

Zooming in: Two of the three businesses given conditional licenses April 1 are affiliated with existing medical cannabis dispensaries that work in several other states. The new licensees are:

• GTI Texas, LLC (doing business as RISE Dispensaries) in West Texas

• Cresco Labs Texas, LLC in East Texas

• Texas Medica Collective, LLC in Northeast Texas

Conditional licensees must pass additional state evaluations before they can begin operating, according to the DPS.

More context: As Texas expands its medical cannabis program, the state is also tightening restrictions on the multibillion-dollar consumable hemp industry, Community Impact reported.