HSB POA discusses foreclosure on properties, seeks funds from city for lighthouse

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

In the midst of discussions among Horseshoe Bay City Council members about spending as much as $25,000 to combat milfoil along the lake's 17 miles of shoreline, the main property owner’s association there wants the same amount to be allotted toward lighthouse restorations.

“The lighthouse is over 40 years old; it needs help,” said HSBPOA board president Tom D’Arcy after the organization’s meeting Wednesday, Nov. 19. Unlike some council members, D’Arcy views lighthouse restorations as “in the public interest,” echoing the same argument used by some council members at the city’s Oct. 21 meeting to justify possible future expenditures on water weed control.

“We view the lighthouse as iconic: there’s more to it than who it benefits in the community,” D’Arcy added.

The organization raised $7,500 at its Beacon of Light on the Arts gala last month, although “it was not intended to be a big money-maker, it was a thank-you for those who have donated toward the lighthouse fund,” said general manager Nancy Ritter Friday, Nov. 21. The organization has $56,000 already raised toward its goal of $90,000, she said.

“We’re confident we can get started on the repairs, including new siding, in the spring,” she said.

At the meeting, Ritter elaborated on the roofing work ongoing to repair leaks that have dogged the structure for decades. “My concern is about the roof design, especially after the architect who is designing the mausoleum looked at it,” she said.

Mayor Steve Jordan, in the audience, said roof leak issues were never resolved, even while the structure was under warranty.

Roof repair work is part of ongoing maintenance, not part of the major repairs needed, Ritter said.

The organization discussed sending foreclosure notices to the owners of 963 properties, many of which are lots with no structures, as a warning about delinquent annual maintenance fees, which have been required since 1971 by the Declaration of Reservations of the HSBPOA. 

For the full story, see Tuesday's Highlander.