Landowners, leaders, and lawyers rally against railway
Affected property owner Barry Hodge holds a sign in protest of a proposed 26.9-mile quarry railway at a town hall meeting April 8 in Burnet. Staff photo by Elizabeth De Los Santos
Togetherness was on display Tuesday, April 8, at Hill Country Fellowship in Burnet, where leaders from Burnet and Lampasas counties hosted a joint town hall and workshop to address mounting concerns over a proposed 26.9-mile quarry railway.
The event offered a rare moment of unity and urgency as landowners, attorneys, and government officials gathered to strategize on how to stop the rail line.
The proposed project, led by Texas Materials Group Inc., includes building 14.4 miles of new track and reactivating 12.5 miles of long-abandoned line, cutting through private land, to carry construction materials from several Burnet County quarries. While the company has yet to formally file with the federal Surface Transportation Board, the railway’s early-phase review has prompted outcry from those along the routes.
“They are proposing to run through the middle of our property with no regard to fence lines or adjacent property owners,” said Bar H Bar ranch’s Bill Hinckley at the town hall. “We have an uphill battle. … This is going to go on for years, so we have to band together and fight with everything we have.”
Burnet County Precinct 2 Commissioner Damon Beierle, whose precinct would include most of the rail line, outlined a timeline shared with him in a recent call with the Surface Transportation Board. The current comment period for elected officials and the governments initially contacted by Texas Materials ends April 14. A site visit is set for later in April, during which STB representatives will review the proposed path from public roadways. However, Beierle is compiling a list of landowners who want their properties included in the visit.
“If we can get (STB) on the land instead of just reading about it, it’ll have a much bigger impact,” he said.
Town hall attendees received sample letters and environmental comment templates—some specific to the region’s threatened species and historical sites—to use when future public comment periods for the project are open. General comments may be submitted online.
Resident Michael Greco, a retired veteran, gave emotional testimony about health concerns related to the proposed railway, which would run near his home.
“My allergies have tripled because of the dust from the quarries,” he said. “Now, they want to run another track right behind my house. … Greed is usurping all the people’s land, property rights, animals, and health.”
Eminent domain attorney Dennis Donley, whose family’s land also lies in the path of the proposed line, provided legal insight and warned residents to document adverse possession claims.
“A lot of these easements haven’t been used in decades,” he said. “You need to assert your ownership now before it’s too late.”
Stephanie Ahr, founder of a petition, Facebook group, and StopTheQuarryTrain.com, all against the railway, announced that a private legal and environmental team has been hired by a coalition of landowners to conduct independent studies along the entirety of the proposed line.
“We have some affected landowners that have joined forces and hired private environmental and historical companies, as well as a (Washington) D.C. railway attorney that actually does this for a living,” she said.
The rail line has sparked coordinated opposition from local and state leaders. Burnet County passed a resolution against the project on Tuesday, and Lampasas County is expected to follow suit. State Rep. Ellen Troxclair and state Sen. Pete Flores have submitted letters opposing the project.
“Everyone you want on board is getting on board,” Commissioner Beierle said, “but the most important voices are yours.”
A recording of the April 8 town hall may be viewed on the Burnet County government’s YouTube page.