It was the first time the public got an overview of how the nature preserve might look and heard some of the proposals about what kinds of activities and exhibits will be there. Just over 50 people, not including presenters Barbara Austin and Chris Lalitch of RVI and architect Nathan Quiring of the Clayton & Little architectural firm, attended the open house. Hays County Pct. 3 Commissioner Will Conley said he thought “the response was overwhelmingly positive” and that finding common ground between the wide range of groups represented in Hays County can sometimes be a challenge.
The presentation laid out the main goals of the preserve to protect the well and restore the
natural area, construct wetlands and habitats for native plants and wildlife,
to provide environmental education to the public and a place for the community
to gather and recreate. Everyone agreed
that the conservation easement required that the natural habitat of the site be
protected and restored and the less invasive the “development” of the land the
better. Hiking trails will allow water to seep back into the aquifer and
parking will be pervious and any impervious cover will be severely limited and provide for
rainwater catchment on all buildings. .
RVI broke the property up into nine zones and proposed possible ways to
best utilize them. Beginning from the
highest elevation to the furthest north they are:
Zone 1 – primarily wild undisturbed uplands, thought to be a good place
for bird watching and hiking
Zone 2 – the most easily accessible entry point off Mt. Sharp Road, the
site for the Stewardship Center
Zone 3 – prairie rehabilitation, nature trail with educational kiosks/ rest stops and possible rain gardens
Zone 3 – prairie rehabilitation, nature trail with educational kiosks/ rest stops and possible rain gardens
Zone 4 – continuation of the trail with more rest stops, recycled
furnishings, forest & land management
Zone 5 – environmental restoration and research, possible labs, study
or exhibition areas
Zone 6 – more restoration and research, overlook, improve parking &
capture/filter run-off
Zone 7 – informational signage for Jacob’s Well, bank restoration, deck,
classroom and overlook
Zone 8 – riparian zone alongside Cypress Creek will be fenced to limit
access, nature trail with rest stops
Zone 9 – day use “recharge zone,” large open space for picnics, bike
racks and improved parking area
Although there may be some additional structures built on the property,
Quiring said they will be designed using
as much “green” technology as possible and leave a “net zero” carbon
footprint. Some of the proposed
buildings include a stewardship center to house the main visitor center, a
multi-use meeting area with a catering kitchen, restrooms and a covered picnic
area.
Lalitch said RVI is not laying out plans for structures at this
stage. “We are in the program stage of
the planning.” They’re deciding what
goes where based on input gathered from various sources, including the
public. RVI conducted a site analysis
during the months of October and November in 2011 and presented their
preliminary findings to the stakeholder’s group just before Thanksgiving to
plan and oversee the project. What they learned in that phase provided the
basis for the Thursday’s presentation.
Conley said they already have
$400 thousand dedicated to the project and Hays County Commissioner’s Court
voted to approve surveying the property in the near future. Somewhere down the line, he said he’d like to
have a satellite of the River System’s Institute on the property. That will
most likely find a home in the area currently known as “Camp Jacob.”
With the public’s input, RVI is now entering the preliminary master
planning phase which will continue for a few more weeks. They anticipate
completing and refining the final plan by the end of March. Interested residents who may have missed the
open house are invited to contact RVI, Clayton & Little or Commissioner
Conley to submit their ideas and comments on the future plans at the Jacob’s Well Natural Area.
Contact Information:
RVI Planning + Landscape Architecture
712 Congress Avenue
Suite 300
Austin, Texas 78701
(512) 480-0032
Clayton & Little
1001 East 8th Street
Austin, Texas 78702
(512) 477-1727
