“Concerns raised by a group of nearby residents involve dust controls, entryways for trucks on Texas 71, potential runoff of chemicals or other materials into a nearby creek,” said Michael Moore, founder of Save Our Spicewood. “Spicewood-area residents have approached county officials about their concerns; however, the local entity has no regulatory authority in commercial and industrial operations.”
Appeal halts work on Spicewood asphalt plant

The Lower Colorado River Authority has issued a second stop-work order in four months for an asphalt company attempting to build a plant on Texas 71 after a landowner filed an appeal critical of the company’s water-quality controls.

On Jan. 7, the LCRA ordered Asphalt Inc. LLC’s operation — referred to in the industry as a “hot mix plant” due to the chemicals used to prepare the gravel for road base —  to halt construction on a 15-acre tract at 6755 Texas 71.

The location is adjacent to Little Cypress Creek in the unincorporated community of Spicewood in Burnet County.  Subdivisions nearby include Quail Creek and Deerpath Way.

Concerns raised by a group of nearby residents involve dust controls, entryways for trucks on Texas 71, potential runoff of chemicals or other materials into a nearby creek, said Michael Moore, founder of Save Our Spicewood.

The grassroots entity is also in the process of gauging the community’s support of Spicewood becoming a city, township or village… Read more from DailyTrib.com


The lack of county authority or local control over commercial and industrial operations in the Hill Country, especially along waterways, is an ongoing issue. If enough county elected officials and enough state representatives joined together to ask the legislature for some authority over these types of land uses this could change. Learn more about county authority from HCA here.