Johnson Park

UPDATE: Organizers released a schedule of events as follows: Statement of Purpose ( 9 a.m.); Community Speakers (9:10 a.m.); Unity March Begins in Johnson Park (10 a.m.); "I Can't Breathe" Nine Minutes of Silence (11:15 a.m.); Community Speaker (11:30 a.m.); Prayer of Unit (12:05 p.m.); Breaking of Bread/Lunch (12:15 p.m.); and Event officially ends (1 p.m.).

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

Marble Falls police have readied resources and contacted several area agencies to stage at key points around the city in preparation of a Black Lives Matters (BLM) protest planned for Saturday, June 13 in Johnson Park, officials said.

Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

Marble Falls city staff unveiled a timeline Sept. 17 for the completion of the remaining parks phase 1A projects underway – part of a multi-million dollar parks improvement program.

Either completed or remaining work involves the Hays Addition/Lakeshore Drive boat ramp, the Johnson Park boat ramp and Lakeside Park landscaping and electrical work, restroom and sidewalk work and Lakeside Pavilion parking and street upgrades.

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

Marble Falls city officials announced they will work out a deal with two property owners who accused the municipality of failing to offer “bonafide” offers for their land, as the city continued steps to transition the area near Lake Marble Falls into expanded park space.

Connie Swinney/The Highlander

A new sidewalk began to take shape July 25 in the south end of Johnson Park in Marble Falls. The work is adjacent to a new restroom facility at the venue. When completed, the sidewalk will farther extend the hiking and biking trail system which connects to Westside Park.

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

You may call me Ahab or Galahad, because I defied the odds and hunted down my white whale and Holy Grail. However, unlike them, I have lived to tell the tasty tale myself.

Special to The Highlander

When the Highland Lakes flooded in October, the Marble Falls Girl Scout Huber House was rendered unusable. Thanks to local citizens who stepped up in a time of need, however, the building was renovated and is ready to reopen just three months later.

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

In the aftermath of the October flood event, Marble Falls resident Nancy Dunnam, who has a home on Buena Vista Drive, believes her family has faced a tough climb towards recovery.

“I can't get any information on how to get back in my home. I have a fence that was literally put around my house, no communication,” she said. “How many of you guys that had this happen to you had a fence put around your home? Anybody? Or is it just Buena Vista.”

Dunnam shared her concerns during the Marble Falls Town Hall meeting on Jan. 29, which assessed and gathered citizen input about response and recovery since the flood event.

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

City officials debated the possible merits Jan. 15 of passing proposed fees for the public using two city-maintained boat launch locations to access Lake Marble Falls.

Within the city limits, boaters can access Lake Marble Falls using a ramp on Lakeshore Drive in the Hays Addition and a boat ramp in Johnson Park on Backbone Creek.

The city, opting to expand the two existing ramps, has closed a third ramp in Lakeside Park, to help clear the way for a planned hotel/conference center on Marble Falls Economic Development Corporation property adjacent to the park at Buena Vista Drive and Yett Street.

Councilman Dave Rhodes said the city's parks improvements efforts which are underway and the potential for “user wear and tear” of the amenities prompted him to request consideration of fees.

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

Marble Falls-based developer and lawyer Steve Hurst says he has witnessed a few missteps by city governments in planning and preparing for development in flood prone areas.

“I've watched this for years, representing clients in and around Austin and this area. I've lived on Lake Travis, Inks Lake, and I've had property on Lake Marble Falls,” Hurst said. “Shoal Creek and Waller Creek in Austin – the millions of dollars the city of Austin is having to spend right now in those flood plains.

“Development continued, but the cost of remediation and the damage to properties when those flood events occurred was stunning, and they're still spending money trying to address it,” he added. “We're not learning those lessons.”

From staff reports •

Storm runoff caused a scare among some Pecan Valley and Meadowlakes residents Sept.8 and 9, as motorists were temporarily blocked from leaving their neighborhoods to avoid a flooded low-water crossing on Avenue N and a rain-swollen Backbone Creek crossing in Johnson Park in Marble Falls.

Residents reported the rise of the creek starting Saturday and subsiding throughout the day until another round of of storms swept through the area on Sunday.

“Avenue N on Saturday and Sunday was closed for some time because of water over the road,” Marble Falls Fire Rescue Chief Russell Sander said. “Johnson Park did have water over the bridge on Sunday.

Everything was temporary,” he added.

From more than 5 inches of rain in Marble Falls to nearly 4 inches in Spicewood were reported due to torrential thunderstorms and steady rain.