DECEMBER 7, 2022 TEXANS MAINTAIN PERFECT RECORD
DSHS CHOIR HEADS TO AREA PAGE 3
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News-Dispatch © Barton Publications, Inc.
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HaysNewsDispatch.com
Vol. 43 • No. 11
Serving Hays County, TX
Wimberley approves transportation projects BY MEGAN WEHRING
the 2010 plan. In the project list, these items are labeled as collectors. • Item 14 would have constructed a new location roadway from Wayside Drive to Ranch Road 2325 • Item 19 would have constructed a new location roadway from Cypress Creek Lane to Winters Mill Parkway • Item 20 would have constructed a new location roadway from Flite Acres Rd to RM 3237 Mayor Gina Fulkerson said that after listening to several comments during the public hearing, many were concerned about the environmental impact of roads 14, 19 and 20 if they were constructed. “We have amazing resources here in this room and they are telling us that they think the best protection for our resources and our watershed is to not put these roads on. I, for
WIMBERLEY – After not seeing an update for 12 years, the Wimberley City Council unanimously approved some components of the proposed Transportation Master Plan last week. Earlier this year, the city of Wimberley engaged transportation consultants to study roadway safety, traffic flow, roads and pedestrian issues throughout the city limits. The city is continuing to work with CP&Y Inc., which is a consulting firm with expertise in transportation issues including ADA accessibility, route and feasibility studies along with design and schematics. On Dec. 1, the Wimberley City Council voted to remove items 14, 19 and 20 – these were among some of the projects that were carried forward from EEK
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down to the studs. It was an 18-month process,” Bruce said. “Rather than just completely demolish it, we knew that it had such a history with the town because of all of the folks that used to volunteer their time in it, and we wanted to honor that. We tried to keep the footprint the same.” The Bell House has received overwhelming amounts of community support, including being recognized as a recipient of the Keep Wimberley Beautiful Beautification Award. “I think [the award] was based on what Tracy was able to accomplish with her interior design mind to create this wonderful welcoming storefront when you walk up,” Bruce said. “It feels like a home where you can operate a business and that’s exactly what our goal was.”
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WIMBERLEY – Just steps away from the heart of downtown Wimberley sits the Bell House – a renovation project that has become a hub for memorable experiences. Located at 300 River Road in Wimberley, the property has worn many hats including a drive-thru snow cone shop, flower shop and the Wimberley
Village Thrift Store. The well-known location is now under the ownership of Tracy and Bruce Levinson, who started dreaming of searching for a Texas Hill Country design project in 2018. Later in 2019, the property went under a long construction to become the Levinson’s home and a gathering place for special events, cooking classes and rentals. “We decided to take it
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BY MEGAN WEHRING
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Tracy and Bruce Levinson set out to make the Bell House a gathering place for everyone, including the renovated front porch area with a fire pit.
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one, highly respect their opinion,” Fulkerson said. “They have been involved in developments enough to know where leverage can be and where it can’t be. We can put things in our subdivision ordinance and that’s something that the Hill Country Alliance and Wimberley Valley Watershed Association have talked about with the city to put a lot of those things, like the easements and roads having a certain width … You don’t have to put it on the map with the fear of being these are in the ETJ and under the control of the county. If they have constituents that want to develop, they may come along with a road bond and there they are.” Mayor pro tem Rebecca Minnick said that the city council needed to pass some type of transporta-
Christmas on Mercer
PHOTOS BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN
Above, Hadley Cohen, 8, writes to Santa. Below, Melanie Rose, a Deer Park, Texas resident smiles with the Grinch.
PHOTO BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN
A Dripping Springs tradition, Christmas on Mercer, welcomed vendors and members of the community to start celebrating the holidays on Saturday, Dec. 3. The Little Longhorn housed freshly cut Christmas trees in a variety of shapes and sizes for eventgoers to purchase.
WHERE TO GO TO RECEIVE CARE – PAGE 2
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