The Bee Cave Bee

In an e-mail exchange last week I asked Ray Sullivan - an LTYA parent board member - what the news of the ending of the attempted sale of the Field of Dreams in Bee Cave means to their strategy for growth...

Does this move suggest some distancing from LTYA from the Lakeway City led drive for the new larger facility?

"Just the opposite!  LTYA remains enthusiastically supportive of Commissioner Gerald Daugherty, the Travis County Parks Department and regional efforts to create a Southwest Travis County Youth Sports Fields complex in our area.  LTYA applauds the leaders and citizens of Lakeway for purchasing needed land for such a complex.

At the rate our region and LTYA is growing, we will need to utilize our Field of Dreams, LTISD’s fields and gyms, and Travis County’s sports fields complex if it is eventually approved and funded."

What do you think the chances are of the County coming up with any real money?

"Commissioner Daugherty is working hard for area families and the Travis County Parks recommended the sports fields project in their most recent master plan.  The City of Lakeway strongly supported area children and families by approving and funding the acquisition of needed property along Bee Creek Road.  

Travis County noted last summer in its new parks master plan that "the single-most commented upon topic is the need for youth sports fields near the cities of Bee Cave and Lakeway. They cite the increasing number of young families moving to the area as driving demand for more facilities; the difficulty of scheduling time for practice and games (which often forces them to travel to other communities that have facilities). They also note that eastern Travis County has County sports complexes but western Travis County does not.”

LTYA board members, coaches and parents testified in support of the park plan at a public meeting of the Travis County Commissioners Court last year and continue to strongly support the funding and completion of a regional sports field complex."

Do you believe the City of Bee Cave will contribute to the new facility?

"The incumbent Bee Cave City Council has thus far refused to support area children and families, and refused to support Travis County’s request to join them and Lakeway in contributing to the construction of the new regional sports facility.  LTYA knows that regional sports fields are important to the children and families of Bee Cave and that such support is consistent with the City of Bee Cave’s economic diversification, parks and quality of life priorities.  We are optimistic the City of Bee Cave will take the interests of its growing population of young people to heart and use a small portion of the city’s budget surplus to help build the new Travis County sports field complex in our area."

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