Council approves development with restaurants, bar, live music
Seth and Laura Martin of Burnet presented their vision of the Hillside Marble Falls development to the Marble Falls City Council on June 7. Staff photo by Nathan Bush
A new development with restaurants, music and wedding venues, and an open-air cocktail bar — all with a view — was approved by the Marble Falls City Council during its regular meeting Tuesday, June 7, despite opposition voiced by neighbors during a long discussion on the matter.
Hillside Marble Falls on Rocky Road is being developed by Lauren and Seth Martin of Burnet, owners of Perissos Vineyard and Winery. It will also include hiking trails and lodging and will be built in three phases.
“We were initially going to go totally residential (with this property) and save a couple of lots for ourselves and sell the rest of it,” Seth Martin said. “As we kept going over it, we were struck with an epiphany. It was too good for just us. In my mind, this is a way to democratize the view.”
After the Martins’ presentation, Mayor Richard Westerman opened the topic for public comment, and several neighbors to the proposed development voiced concern over increased noise and traffic.
“I believe my home is right next to the proposed hotel lodging,” said Bonnie Mead, a resident of Channel Oaks, which borders Hillside Marble Falls. “This development is inviting hundreds of strangers going in and out, coming from bars, concerts, and parties, and there is currently no restriction on how close this can be to my home.”
She requested the City Council include a 100-foot buffer zone from her property to protect its value and her children.
Another Channel Oaks resident, Michele Hart, had similar concerns. She fears the live music element will be a nuisance and weaken her sense of peace and privacy.
“This is 370 feet from my house,” Hart said. “When I think of cocktail bars, drinking until 2 (a.m.), and live music, it decimates what sanctuary I have in my own home.”
After deliberation, the council, neighboring properties, and developers were able to reach a compromise of a 40-foot buffer zone with additional noise mitigation efforts such as preservation of trees already on the property. The vote was 5-2 for approval of the development with Councilors Bryan Walker and Griff Morris voting against.
“What’s onerous about (100 feet) is it would be a radius,” Councilor Dave Rhodes said. “That would take up a lot of real estate.”
IN OTHER BUSINESS
The council, voted:
- 7-0 to approve a $13,575 feasibility study for renovations to Fire Station 1;
- 7-0 to approve a variety of code changes, including allowing estate owners to build much larger accessory buildings, loosening boat dock regulations, and adding child daycares to the list for conditional-use developments;
- 7-0 to approve $500,000 for engineering services with Trihydro for the Mormon Mill elevated storage;
- and 7-0 to approve the construction for the Westside Tri-Campus Connectivity Sidewalk Project through Aguirre & Fields, effectively allowing the city to move forward on a 2019 plan to build sidewalks for students at Marble Falls schools.
The Marble Falls City Council’s next regular meeting is at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 21, in council chambers at City Hall, 800 Third St.
8 thoughts on “Council approves development with restaurants, bar, live music”
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I thought it was the city of Marble Falls that said, “for a weekend or a lifetime”.
It was on a mural next to the bridge for thirty years, now you’re upset that all these people are here? Y’all are just too funny.
All it seems that any council members think about is the all mighty dollar. It’s going on here it Granite Shoals. Constantly building. The poor animals are been run out of their habitats and all people can say is it’s progress well I say it’s money talks and bs walks.
What does “democratize the view” mean? Out of the goodness of your heart you are sacrificing some lots for homes for commercialization so that more of us can come there to spend money to see the view?
Can think the word is “capitalize”.
SMH
“40-foot buffer zone with additional noise mitigation efforts such as preservation of trees already on the property.”
What a joke. And as if preservation of trees on the property is a special offer, and not what would be part of the plan anyway?
We have a development going in next door to our acreage elsewhere in the county, with a promised 50’ buffer, and I can tell you that is simply a bit of visual protection. It does NOTHING for sound.
The epiphany seems to be related to maximum use of the land that produces maximum sales price.
I’m sorry to learn that the creators of a lovely peaceful spot with Perissos Vineyard are willing to destroy the peace for others.
Between Marble Falls City Council and the EDC, Marble Falls is up for sale to the highest bidder. But wait, let’s not worry about water resources, the electric grid …….. tax revenues are up!
I totally agree with the previous. Let’s approve it now and we’ll figure out the rest at taxpayers expense. The way it looks to me is council only looks at is this beautiful picture painted by the developers and the increase in revenue but not the whole picture. Maybe more need to attend the council meetings and see the whole picture presented and voice our opinions.
This might be a good development but if you factor in where the main entrance will be it will be a traffic disaster. Main entrance will be on Rocky Road which for those who do not know is a poor road overall not to mention the city does not own the entire road. They have YET to acquire all the row. Then you have the fact there still are NO city water lines or sewage lines. If they get installed who is paying for those lines? And will the lines be large enough to service all the large tracts along that stretch. Seriously is this another one of their Approve it now and figure the details out later bs. AS usual Big Money is all that matters in MF. Common sense right out the window.
Don’t bother trying to stop “progress” folks. MONEY TALKS!!! It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been residents and payed taxes when somebody comes along with lots of MONEY all your history in an area goes down the drain. It happened to us at Lake Buchanan. Big MONEY came in and now we have a bar and a trailer park, complete with loud music, right the road above our once quiet neighborhood. Even the Pct. 1 commissioner wouldn’t support the long time citizens when the big MONEY started talking. Oh, did I mention MONEY?
Water supply, fire protection, stress on the electric grid, lack of viable two-way access…what is Marble Falls Council thinking. It’s clear MF city fathers care only about increasing tax base and could care less about basic citizen issues. 40’ buffer? Get real…Marble Falls Council is a joke.