A Mall to Bee?

There were no surprises in Bee Cave Tuesday night: Local residents packed the house to speak against a proposed $250 million shopping mall, and the village aldermen gave it their unanimous approval. But winning the board's vote on the Hill Country Galleria was only half the fun for developer Chris Milam. He's now under the gun to convince some stylish anchor stores to lay stakes on the 114-acre spread along Hwy. 71, RM 620, and Bee Cave Road -- west of Austin in the Barton Springs watershed. If Milam is able to lock in the anchors and meet a number of other requirements, he'll qualify for a $30 million incentive package.

Meanwhile, a growing coalition of residents, many of whom met for the first time Tuesday, will continue trying to thwart Milam's efforts, for a number of reasons: traffic, safety, and simply, they don't want a mall. Residents in nearby Lake Pointe are particularly opposed to a proposed four-lane bypass road that would connect Bee Cave Rd. to RM 620. Since large-scale developments typically act as a magnet for other developments, the Save Our Springs Alliance argues that the village would be within its legal rights to impose strict ordinances that would prevent the encroachment of more pavement in the Hill Country.

Lake Pointe resident Pat Sinnot, one of the mall's more outspoken opponents, says if there was one victory to come out of Tuesday's meeting, it was the crowd of residents (she estimated 250) that packed the small municipal building. A turnout like that can't be ignored, she said. "It was a very coalescing experience."