Lake Buchanan communities unite over LCRA conflicts, more
Dozens of Lake Buchanan residents attended a meeting of the newly formed Lake Buchanan Communities Alliance at the East Llano County Annex on Sept. 22. The alliance and meeting were prompted by proposed price hikes on Lower Colorado River Authority land leases to property owners associations. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
The Lake Buchanan Communities Alliance could become a legal entity with nonprofit status by the end of October, according to decisions made by the dozens of residents who attended a formation meeting Thursday, Sept. 22, at the East Llano County Annex.
“We need a community voice and a centralized location for everyone to come to and ask questions,” said Mary Jo Schiefen, president of the Greenwood Acres Property Owners Association. “There are problems larger than one community can handle. We need to be together by virtue of the fact that we live on Lake Buchanan.”
Greenwood Acres is just one of more than 10 Lake Buchanan-area POAs dealing with huge price increases for land leased from the Lower Colorado River Authority for waterfront access in their communities. Greenwood Acres residents first conceived of an alliance after their lease with the LCRA unexpectedly increased to $5,400 a year from $100 a year in the fall of 2021. The POA’s $100 lease had been in place since 1983.
After negotiations with the LCRA, Greenwood Acres managed to have the lease reduced to $3,400, and billing has been put on hold by the LCRA until further study of the issue.
A presentation on forming an alliance was given by Schiefen, fellow POA member Marci O’Brien, and prospective alliance members Wayne Shipley and Ron O’Brien.
The proposed focuses of the alliance would be to act as a coordinating body for Lake Buchanan-area groups, to be a source of collaborative information sharing, to research related legislation and ordinances, to promote civic awareness, and to support representatives that respond to the needs of the Lake Buchanan community.
“It’s not just to go after the LCRA. There are many issues outside of that,” Shipley said. “I think we all could use a little bit bigger of a voice.”
For more information on the Lake Buchanan Communities Alliance, contact 512-775-3689, 512-769-3872, or info@lb-ca.org.
