Austin Real Estate Blog

Growth and development comes with a price and long time residents of the Hill Country are finding out how high a price they are willing to pay. As more people discover the charms of rural living, paradoxically, that rural living is fast disappearing. A higher population puts more stain on the infrastructure and resources and local governments have to accommodate the demand somehow. The trouble begins when the people of the counties absorbing this growth and development are not given a say in how the development is controlled.

On the edge of Bexar County simmers increasing resentment over the burgeoning population growth and inevitable development that follows such growth. While growth can be healthy for a region, unchecked and unregulated, it can destroy the land and character. The Hill Country folks are becoming increasingly concerned over land and water as developers are given carte blanche on where and how their construction is done.

Ranchers are battling developers and power companies as well as their own government representatives to protect their property and peace of mind. Blasting and land leveling equipment is a constant disruption and residents’ complaints and attempts at legislating the development have been largely ignored.

One concern is the state of Edwards Aquifer, the source of water for Bexar County. Edwards receives run off from just about everywhere in the county and natural filtering through the limestone that covers the area insures that the water is fairly pure and, after chlorination, is fit for use in homes and businesses. The worry is that run off would become contaminated with construction pollution and chemicals. Indeed, five wells in Leon Valley have been contaminated with industrial-strength solvents.

The residents of Bexar County aim to do something before it’s too late.