City chooses location for new pool

By Kyle Mooty

LPR Editor

Plans for a new Lockhart City Pool were approved last week by the City Council by a 6-1 vote. The new location will be at the intersection of San Jacinto and Center streets near Navarro Elementary School on about 10 acres of LISD property.

There were four sites proposed, including one at City Park (not the current site). This proposal was on Carter Street, the smallest of the proposed sites. Parks & Recreation Director Travis Hughes said that site would probably not allow room for a recreation center that has also been discussed.

Site No. 2 was near Lockhart Junior High, also on LISD property. While large enough, Hughes said the location was not centrally located, something of which the Advisory Board has strived to accommodate.

Yet a fourth location was 30 acres of privately owned property that also presented some issues, according to Hughes.

The Advisory Board looking for a new site due to the current Lockhart City Pool having lasted perhaps beyond its lifespan and facing multiple issues had done its due diligence, Hughes said.

“I arrived here a couple of years ago and I realized our municipal pool was in the last steps of its lifespan,” Hughes said. “We asked for community input and expert input.”

The concept of a new pool was to include both a leisure pool and a competitive pool for the school district.

Hughes said the site chosen is centrally located and had “several pluses going for it.”

“It has good proximity to residential areas,” Hughes said. “We also received letter of support from the school district.”

LISD Superintendent Mark Estrada was at the meeting.

“Think it would be a benefit to the community, at-large,” Estrada said. “I think it could be a win-win.”

An agreement would need to be decided between the city and LISD.

Hughes said the construction of the pools would cost about $8 million.

“This would allow for school district to develop swimming and diving teams, and also programs for the elementary kids,” Hughes said.

Hughes said the current pool will continue to be used as it limps along for one or two more summers.

Plans are to improve the pavilion space for things like Chisholm Trail Roundup at the current swimming pool site at Lockhart City Park.

Also agreed upon by a 6-1 vote was a Resolution authorizing an application to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Local Park Grant Program for Aquatics Facility construction funding. Texas Parks and Wildlife advised Hughes to build the pools in separate phases and apply for the grant each time, therefore perhaps getting the maximum grant of $750,000 each time.

Hughes said the leisure pool along with a bathhouse and office would be built first, or about 70 percent of the total project, with the competitive pool second.

In other business:

A public hearing was held for the application of rezoning from Agricultural-Open Space District to Residential High Density District on 8.64 acres at 351 County line Road. The hearing was held by Charlotte Hodges of Carlson, Brigance & Doering, Inc. on behalf of Cerulean Dog Investments.

Planning Director David Fowler said the development was looking at possibly more than 200 apartment units with accessibility to SH 130, San Marcos and Austin. There will be a private pool and workout facility on site.

Mayor White advised City Line Road was narrow and he saw no relief in the near future.

The project is near Lockhart junior High School.

Councilmember Brad Westmoreland added, “Right now, that’s my issue… the road itself. I still call it a path.”

Councilmember Jeffry Michelson added, “Kids are walking in the ditches. There’s not much sidewalk and no lighting.”

Mayor Pro Tem Angie Gonzales-Sanchez admitted that the traffic at the junior high would “try your patience.”

Nevertheless, council unanimously approved a medium density request.

Assistant City Manager Joseph Resendez noted Capital Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS) was requesting $40,000 for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 as a funding contribution from the city, double from the 2023-2024 request.

CARTS’ Community Engagement Director Dana Platt noted the counties served by CARTS tailor each service based on that county’s needs. She said Lockhart and Caldwell County served rural areas by calling 24 hours in advance, have an Inner Urban Coach which goes into Austin three times per week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday), and its newest feature CARTS On-demand, which is Lockhart’s most popular service.

In fact, Platt said Lockhart led all area towns with CARTS On-Demand with 131 trips per day on average, compared to 124 in Bastrop, 109 in Taylor, and 83 in Marble Falls.

CARTS On-Demand is available weekdays 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. One-way is $2, an all-day pass is $5, and a monthly pass is $88. There are half-price fares for seniors over 65, as well as persons with disabilities, and children under 12 with an adult.

A Resolution regarding a petition by David Acevedo, Eduardo Acevedo, Virginia Villareal and Margarita Britt was approved, adding a 498.78-acre property located west and south of Seawillow Road into the Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) of the City of Lockhart.

RISE Broadband construction began July 8, but City Manager Steve Lewis reminded everyone people can still choose their internet provider.

The city has hired a new public information officer. Tatiana Salazar will begin her new position on Wednesday, July 24. Salazar has 10 years of experience as a television news producer and has most recently served with the City of San Marcos as a bilingual communications specialist, working directly with the police department and the communications department.