
Bee Cave Residents Sue to Protect Brown Property Nature Preserve
The Brown Property, located in the City of Bee Cave, contains 45 acres of largely undisturbed habitat for native species, along with a long stretch of Little Barton Creek. The City of Bee Cave purchased this property in 2017 to protect the land as open space and counter the forces of rapid urbanization. Mayor Kara King and others on the City Council touted the purchase and approved a capital improvement project to improve the property as a nature preserve, but City Manager Clint Gaza had other ideas. Earlier this year, the City Manager convinced the Bee Cave City Council to use 4+ acres of this land for a new bypass route for SH 71 traffic.
Bee Cave residents reached out to the Save Our Springs Alliance for help in filing a lawsuit that could help force the City to keep its promise to Bee Cave residents, to preserve the property and to mitigate the damage that the new roadway will have on Little Barton Creek and neighboring properties.
Mary Smith and Walter Stewart, featured in this Fox News Austin Story, have spent thousands protecting land that adjoins the Brown Property. They have identified 380 species native to Travis County on their land, all of which are threatened from the invasive species, light pollution, and contaminated stormwater that will result from the SH 71 bypass.
If you’re interested in helping fight back, visit preservethebrownproperty.org.