The San Felipe Town Council is moving forward with plans for the East Lake recreational area project in conjunction with Webber Construction.

Alderman Larry Gentry has been spearheading the plans and informed the council of changes and timelines during the meeting June 14. The lake will end up being slightly smaller than planned, due to restrictions by the Army Corps of Engineers, so foot bridges and a privacy fence included in the initial design will not be needed. A walkway, solar lights, benches, and trees will begin to be installed in the near future. The contract with Webber, which went into effect in 2018, ends on July 18, but within the contract there is a provision allowing for up to six additional months for the project to be completed. According to Gentry, Webber’s goal is to finish the project around the end of August.

Red Oak trees are proposed to be the type planted, because they grow quickly, and 25 trees will be planted to provide shade. It was also discussed that extra lights and benches will be purchased, to make sure the same lights and benches will be available if needed by the town in the future. It was decided the council would hold a special meeting on Tuesday, June 21, to delve into the specifics for the East Lake project in more detail.

In other action, Council approved an emergency order prohibiting outdoor burning and discharging fireworks of any kind in San Felipe, and authorized Mayor Bobby Byars to execute the order. This order is in line with the burn bans being passed by other cities in the area, as well as in the unincorporated county, due to the current drought conditions. The purpose is to mitigate the potential for dangerous brush fires.

Two building permit applications were also reviewed by council for Jeffrey Davidson and Anastasia Ermuraki. Both passed, however, council requested that Ermuraki fill out a new building permit application form to clarify that a bedroom, bathroom, and patio were being added to the property, not just a patio. The septic for the project had already been approved by the city’s inspector.

At a previous council meeting, subdividing a property located at 2691 Stockold Road had been discussed, but was not an action item. Council evaluated the proposal again at the June 14 meeting and approved subdividing the property into a 2-acre tract and a 3-acre tract to be sold. Council made note that any new construction on the property will be subject to building permit reviews and will need septic and water wells to be approved as well.

On the topic of a request from Richard Mosley to subdivide a property located off Baron de Bastrop Street into two 1-acre tracts, council was ready to grant approval, however, on the agenda the item was only listed for discussion, so it will be formally acted upon at the next meeting. The subdivision plans allow for the existing house on the property to be on a 1-acre tract, as required.