The Bee Cave Bee

There appear to be two diametrically opposed views of what happened at the May 9th City Council meeting in Bee Cave. Only one item was on the agenda - Revival's application to extend the Planned Development agreement first granted five years ago.

At issue is whether the City needs to approve a new PDD now the original plans to reconstruct an old church on the site have been replaced with an alternative using the bricks themselves...

The first comment came on Council Member Kara King's Facebook page HERE - Revival was before us seeking an extension to their PDD that was first approved 5 years ago. They have a PDD (planned development agreement) to build the church retail shopping center, but it expires in June. We approved their extension request- they have 3 months to submit a new PDD concept application and 6 months to submit a technical PDD application. I can't legally speak for the rest of the opinions of my co-council members, even though several expressed support for Revival, but I can say that I am a fan of this concept and I'm hopeful that his new changes will come through and be before us on council for a vote soon.

The counter came from Revival owner David Camp and his new partner Taylor McElwee who then posted the following on their Facebook page HERE - accusing Mayor Caroline Murphy, the City and the Council of overstepping their authority under the heading "Bee Cave Mayor chases out Revivial Square.

"The Bad News... It is with heavy hearts that we reach out to our patrons today and inform you of the decisions made by the City of Bee Cave at last night's council meeting. We showed the legal reasons as to why our building changes to our currently active permits ought to require a simpler process than what we were being told by city staff- we were promptly shutdown by Mayor Murphy without logical explanation or legal rational. The city will tell you that they are requiring us to "simply" submit a new "PDD"- a type of permit.

What they won't tell you is that we already have a PDD and that due to the processes dictated by Bee Cave City the first PDD cost us over $1million dollars and well over a year to get. By the time we got through 3 years of Bee Cave permits, construction costs had soared, making the re-construction of the original church impossible. Last night the city demanded that we re-start this million dollar process! When questioned by council, the City Manager and staff were unable to give us proper timelines/deadlines for their end of the work- and we were left with ambiguous non-answers and no trustworthy guidance. It was clear that for whatever their reasons, Mayor Murphy and her staff just don't want this project to proceed.
The city is well aware that making these demands on us, a small business, will kill any opportunities to complete this project in Bee Cave. The process decided upon and dictated by Bee Cave City Mayor and Staff is extremely costly and risky- and with no real end in sight. This is not an environment where small businesses can survive. While some council members are supportive of Revival Square, it was painfully clear that City Mayor Carolynn Murphy, as well as her friends, City Attorney Patty Akers and City Manager Travis Askey, had already decided what they wanted and how the night would proceed- regardless of law, logic, reason, or the voice of the people. It was never a 'council meeting' but rather a battle we had no chance of winning. We've spoken with other businesses and developers in Bee Cave and it's become clear to us that Mayor Murphy and her staff have created a culture of government overreach and control to serve an agenda that is strictly their own- not for the people of Bee Cave. Their processes are so costly in time and money that ingenuity cannot survive. Bee Cave City has such a terrible reputation that many businesses are unable to find engineers, architects, and the like to work in Bee Cave. Or if they do their prices are outrageous due to a premium they feel they're due for "dealing with this city." This is a serious systemic institutional problem. We are genuinely worried for the people of Bee Cave as the city is not being run on the morals our country was founded upon and this overreach of power from local politicians is causing a deterioration of the quality of growth in Bee Cave- only big corporations with deep pockets can afford to be in this city. Is that really what you want?

The Good News Is... We've heard the voices of the people, all of you. Our friends, patrons, neighbors, business associates, and family. If the people want Revival Square, we will not stop trying to bring this to life. If the Mayor of Bee Cave won't allow a creative and inspiring space for the people and families of our area to gather and enjoy one another's company, then we simply won't build in Bee Cave. With the support of all of you, we will push forward! We are actively searching for land nearby- outside the reach and stranglehold of Bee Cave City. If you know of any property over 6 acres on/near 71 West please let us know!

If You Vote in Bee Cave... consider that your mayor, Carolynn Murphy, is up for re-election next year. She has had a Very long run and in our opinion has lost heart for the voice of the people. She confirmed last night when we asked her what her purpose was- her answer was to uphold ordinances. She never once mentioned a duty to the people. We need someone who hears the people, and council members who aren't just yes sayers to their mayor. Encourage your community to step up and contest the re-election next year so Bee Cave can evolve. We'd love to see Kara King or Marie Lowman take this on. Or at least someone like them, who has a heart and voice for the people and aren't just running their own personal agenda.

As we regroup, we invite your thoughts, suggestions, support, and especially your prayers. If the people want Revival Square, we will find a way to bring it to life!
Thank you and God Bless,
The Camp and McElwee Family"

Ms McElwee went on the say on her own FaceBook page HERE - "It's bad but not all bad- really a blessing in disguise! We'll be able to find land in an area that promotes ingenuity, creativity, and gatherings of like minded and good hearted people! Onward and upward"

To comment on this story, please go to BeeCaveBee on FaceBook HERE