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A new development on Fitzhugh Road — outside of Dripping Springs’ city limits and extraterritorial jurisdiction — caught the attention of area residents last year with the proposal of a 5,000-capacity venue.
The development, referred to as the Fitzhugh Music Venue, is a proposed outdoor music and events venue to be located at 14820 Fitzhugh Road. The effort by Blizexas, LLC and parent company Lexor Investments aims to bring a high-quality, multi-use venue to the area. However, some nearby residents see this kind of development as “unwanted.” A schematic released last month did little to reassure the community.
“Nobody in this community wants this concert venue here,” said concerned neighbor Carrie Napiorkowski. “We just don't think it is a good idea to put thousands of cars on Fitzhugh Road for concerts multiple times a week.”
Napiorkowski, a member of the newly founded Stop Fitzhugh Concert Venue coalition, said she sees the effort as a serious safety issue.
'It's dark and winding, and when you add alcohol to the mix, it can be dangerous,” she explained. “What are EMS or fire supposed to do if they're stuck in traffic because of one accident? That doesn't even begin to get into the noise and light pollution or the potential impact to Barton Creek or wildlife.”
On Nov. 29, a public hearing was held by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to discuss a municipal wastewater permit application proposed by Blizexas. If approved, the permit will provide the new development with its own municipal wastewater service. The venue would serve up to 5,000 people per day up to three times a week for up to six hours, according to the permit.
The proposed wastewater disposal system is a subsurface drip dispersal system, which does not produce discharge and would not require wastewater to leave the site. According to engineer Erin Banks, it is estimated the venue would use 12,000 gallons of water per day, averaged over a week, from a well installed on the site.
Because the proposed venue is not within the city of Dripping Springs’ purview, regulation and oversight of the facility is less strict than if it fell within the boundaries of a city, Hays County Commissioner Walt Smith (Pct. 4) explained.
“They have done a traffic impact study, but there are so many issues and concerns we won’t really know the full scope of until they put on their first event,” he explained. “What will the traffic look like? We don’t really know, but there’s nothing that the county can do. The septic (wastewater) situation is really what will make or break the project at this point.”
Blizexas has said it is confident it can produce a venue that takes residents' concerns into account.
“We plan to develop a world class and wellrun venue near Dripping Springs that is respectful of our neighbors, the land and the Hill Country’s unique character,” said Bill LeClerc, director of real estate development and investments at Lexor. “This premiere destination will create opportunities for local businesses as well as artists with roots in the community. We continue to work closely with our experienced local project team and local officials to finalize our plans, and we look forward to sharing more details with the community in the coming months.”
TCEQ has not yet issued a decision on the permit, and Blizexas has yet to release a timeline for the construction or opening of the venue.
