The Bee Cave Bee

The City of Lakeway has announced its involvement in the replacement for the Bee Cave LTYA Field of Dreams - embroiled for some time in a fight over housing development density.

The City announced: "A new 70-acre multi-sport, multi-field venture could turn families’ dreams into reality as the City of Lakeway, Lake Travis Youth Association and Travis County address the growing demand for youth sports facilities.

The multimillion dollar site under consideration is on Bee Creek Road near the new Lake Travis Middle School in Lakeway.

Because the proposal is in its preliminary stages, the exact number of fields and courts is to be determined. Based upon fund-raising, the facility could feature 12 ball fields, six soccer fields, a football field and two indoor basketball courts, according to LTYA Vice President Glenn Smith.

Lakeway Mayor Dave DeOme said the public-private partnership could be finalized within the next 30 days to meet a need expressed by young families and grandparents alike.

“This first-class venue would clearly meet Lakeway’s objective of continuing to improve the quality of life for its residents,” DeOme said. “There’s a sizeable number of kids from Lakeway who are participating in LTYA’s athletic programs, and it’s important for the city to be able to support that activity.”

To fund the project, the City of Lakeway would put a bond before voters in a special election this November for the purchase of the land, which the city would own. Precinct 3 Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty said he would lobby to include $3 million to $4 million for the complex in the county’s next bond package that could finance improvements such as ball fields, courts, concession stands, restrooms and parking lots.

“I am totally supportive of promoting Travis County to help find money to assist — along with other entities — LTYA’s efforts in building additional facilities,” Daugherty said. “This money would most likely come from funds that would have to be voter approved. It is my opinion that Travis County will have our next bond election in the fall of 2014 or the spring of 2015.”

LTYA, a privately funded, not-for-profit organization that serves more than 4,500 youth, would manage and maintain the facilities and have first rights to field use.

“We at LTYA are very proud and honored to work with the City of Lakeway and Travis County in building a new sports complex for the children of the Lake Travis area,” Smith said. “We are growing at a rapid rate, and LTYA does not have the space for the additional kids we expect in our program in the next year, much less the next 10 years. This new complex will enable us to satisfy our commitment to create great memories for all the kids and families of our Lake Travis community.”

In the next few months, LTYA will start a $4 million to $5 million capital campaign that would go toward the complex’ infrastructure, Smith said.

“We will need help from the entire Lake Travis community to make this new ‘Field of Dream’ come true, but we now see the light at the end of the tunnel with a plan to get this accomplished,” Smith said.

Proceeds from the sale of LTYA’s Field of Dreams in Bee Cave would go toward the proposed Lakeway complex, but DeOme said the new facility is not contingent upon that transaction.

“The membership of LTYA has grown so much that it has put such a demand on that much smaller facility in Bee Cave that the quality of the experience there has diminished,” he explained. “The size of this property in Lakeway and the number of new fields will be a significant improvement over what is available in the area today.”"