Survey says: Horseshoe Bay residents want more to do
This map depicts the city of Horseshoe Bay’s boundaries and extraterritorial jurisdiction. Image courtesy of the city of Horseshoe Bay
Horseshoe Bay residents want more entertainment, public spaces, a downtown district, and better shopping—all while maintaining the city’s identity as a lakeside resort community. That’s according to the results of a recent city survey, which were presented to the Horseshoe Bay City Council on Dec. 10.
Residents also expressed concerns about water scarcity, the conflict between Horseshoe Bay Resort and the Horseshoe Bay Property Owners Association, and the resort’s influence on city affairs.
The Land Use Development Advisory Committee conducted the survey this fall to determine what Horseshoe Bay residents wanted out of the city’s undeveloped land and extraterritorial jurisdiction. The committee was formed in March and is made up of appointed residents and city officials.
The committee interviewed over 50 stakeholders and received more than 1,000 responses to a 13-question survey as well as 300 public comments while conducting research for its final report, which was delivered on Dec. 4 and presented to the City Council on Dec. 10.
“From our work and research, it was determined that Horseshoe Bay is a unique and special place that draws people here because of what it is today—and has been developed as a life-style resort community on a lake,” reads the committee’s final report. “From our interviews and research, it was determined that managed and controlled development is needed to preserve the Horseshoe Bay lifestyle.”
The committee’s findings will be used to help develop the Horseshoe Bay Comprehensive Plan in 2025, which will steer the city’s course for decades.
According to survey results, respondents overwhelmingly ranked the categories of “restaurants/entertainment venues,” “public parks/green spaces/recreational facilities,” and “major retail/major grocery stores and the like,” as the most desirable development in the city’s near and distant future.
Respondents also expressed a desire for more single-family homes and ranchettes rather than multi-family housing and apartments.
The survey showed strong support, 83 percent, for a “city center district” on FM 2147 that would serve as a community gathering place with room for farmers’ markets, retail, food, and entertainment.
Survey respondents were largely full-time residents, at 85 percent, and represented a diverse cross-section of the population with a fairly even split between residents who had lived in the city for 15 or more years, six to 15 years, and one to five years.
The 1,000-plus respondents represent roughly 20 percent of the city’s population, which was estimated to be about 5,000 in 2023.
Several survey comments were made regarding an ongoing conflict between Horseshoe Bay Resort and the Horseshoe Bay Property Owners Association. At least 31 of the 300 written comments mentioned the desire for a resolution or concerns about the resort’s influence on city business.
“Lots of people love what the resort lifestyle looks like, but they don’t like to pay for it,” reads comment No. 148 in the committee’s final report. “The HSB POA Board is destroying this peace and community feel of the area. They need to be stopped (immediately).”
Another comment, No. 155, reads:
“The HSB resort has too much power, which is suspect. We pay a POA fee, yet we DO not have access to any of the pools, tennis/pickle ball, or golf course features. This has caused an environment that has become toxic, and as a resident, it needs to change.”
Respondents also ranked water as the city’s most critical issue, followed by overpopulation, the loss of control over land use, and traffic congestion.
To see the report in its entirety, view other comments, and understand the methodologies used by the committee, click on this link.