Dozens of residents and conservation advocates addressed the Hays County Commissioners Court on April 8 to ask the county to oppose a proposed Milestone development called Hays Commons and to contest a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) TLAP permit tied to the site.

Speakers asked the court to use its authority to protect recharge lands that feed the Edwards Aquifer and Barton Springs, to contest any permit that would allow spray-irrigation of treated effluent on the recharge zone, and to consider using county purchase or conservation dollars to protect the land permanently.

Jennifer Lindsey told the court the project site at 2955 Francis Harris Lane totals roughly 95.69 acres of farmland and includes century-old oak trees and York Creek; she said much of the lower half of the parcel falls in the floodplain and recharge areas. “We enjoy living in the country for the quiet mornings, the dark skies and the wildlife,” Lindsey said. “We are devastated by the prospect of industrial growth within our neighborhood.”

Carol Pennington read a letter from neighbors arguing the site lies on a very sensitive recharge area that feeds the Edwards Aquifer and ultimately Barton Springs. The letter said some water that falls on the land reaches Barton Springs in “3 to 5 days,” and warned that changes to surface cover and wastewater disposal could quickly affect groundwater quantity and quality in a much larger region of Central Texas.

Alana Beatty and others described potential contaminants from spray irrigation systems used with TLAP permits, noting spray-applied effluent can contain volatile organic compounds and pharmaceuticals; they argued the Karst limestone in the recharge area affords little natural filtration before water reaches the aquifer.

Speakers asked commissioners to:

- Contest any TCEQ TLAP permit on recharge lands;
- Work with conservation groups to acquire the land and place it into permanent protection, possibly via a bond like the 2020 Hays Park bond;
- Convene a citizen advisory panel as the county updates development regulations that affect critical recharge zones.

Pennington said she collected nearly 200 signatures from neighbors opposing the project and offered copies of the petition to the clerk.

Commissioners did not take formal action on the development at the April 8 meeting. Several members acknowledged the environmental concerns and said county staff would review the issues and potential options to contest permits or coordinate with neighboring jurisdictions. Commissioner Smith noted groundwater management and inter-jurisdictional coordination remain priorities as the county updates development rules.

Proper names cited during public comment included Milestone (developer), the Edwards Aquifer/Barton Springs recharge area, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and local water providers including Aqua. Speakers said roughly 17 Aqua-operated community wells serve nearby neighborhoods and that over 100 private wells also serve local households; they emphasized the potential regional consequences if recharge lands are developed or used for spray irrigation of effluent.