Residents decry ‘inconspicuous’ notice as dredge request advances

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  • Comanche Rancheria residents submitted complaints to the Lower Colorado River Authority about the size and location of a notice on the public commenting period for a pending sand plant dredge and site development application.
    Comanche Rancheria residents submitted complaints to the Lower Colorado River Authority about the size and location of a notice on the public commenting period for a pending sand plant dredge and site development application.
  • The site map of the planned sand plant in Kingsland demonstrates the footprint of the Collier Materials project on property that backs up to Lake LBJ. If all permits, including current ones under consideration by the Lower Colorado River Authority, are approved, construction could begin as early as late March, officials said. Contributed
    The site map of the planned sand plant in Kingsland demonstrates the footprint of the Collier Materials project on property that backs up to Lake LBJ. If all permits, including current ones under consideration by the Lower Colorado River Authority, are approved, construction could begin as early as late March, officials said. Contributed
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A public commenting period begins for a proposed sand plant in Kingsland, as applications for site development and dredging permission in Lake LBJ hang in the balance.

The public has 15 days from the notice posting Jan. 18 to submit written comments to the Lower Colorado River Authority in connection with permit requests submitted by Collier Materials Inc.

Collier’s plan involves erecting a sand plant on leased land in Comanche Rancheria in Kingsland and dredging sand from the waterway on the shoreline of the property.

“LCRA reviewed it, and now they’re putting it out for public comments,” Company vice president Kevin Collier said. “They’ll assess the comments and determine if any pertain to both.

“Any issues, they’ll address with us and the engineers (Westward Engineers), and if there’s anything that needs to be addressed we’ll address it.”

Collier, who launched plans for the project in the summer of 2020, currently contracts with the city of Llano to operate a dredging operation in Llano on Town Lake in the heart of that city.

For the proposed Kingsland project, opponents expressed concerns about potential noise of the dredging equipment, truck traffic and plant operations as well as the impact of wildlife and the quality of the waterway.

Representatives for the nearby Comanche Rancheria formed a group called Save Lake LBJ who lamented how the public notice posting accompanied the latest applications.

“They’re required to give the public adequate notice,” Group attorney Virgil Yanta expressed to The Highlander in a Jan. 19 interview.

“The first notice was 108.5 feet from the public road. It’s just an absurdity. It hides the ball in the public to keep the public in the dark.”

Westward Engineers, on behalf of Collier, was provided the notice from LCRA to be posted on the fenceline of the property site, Collier said. LCRA contacted the company to inform them of concerns from the public about the distance of the sign from the roadway.

As of Jan. 20, the company made arrangements to move the notice closer to the road.

Despite the move, Yanta accused the process of allowing an applicant to “hide the notice in the most inconspicuous location.”

“That’s supposed to be the notice to the public,” he said. “That’s not fair to John Q. Public.”

The site of the plant is estimated to require about 12 acres of the property, approximately 75 acres.

Ultimately, Collier contended the plant would be a benefit to the safety and navigability of the waterway.

“The benefit is removing the sediment from the lake. There’s dredging companies working every day removing sediment around boat docks,” he said. “This will remove sediment to help keep it from moving into the lake.”

The operation would be located west of RM 2900 Bridge, adjacent to the subdivision. The proposed trucking route would travel off the property onto County Road 309, eventually leading to Texas 71, which has an existing left-turn lane as well as ingress and egress onto the major highway.

He added the project will create jobs for truck drivers, dredge operators, loader operators and scale house operators.

Pending approval of all permits, the sand plant is estimated to start construction in late March.

To offer public comments, email HLWO@lcra.org or mail LCRA Water Quality, P.O. Box 220, Austin TX 78767.