Circle C resident Gary Rice prepares to hike the River Place Nature Trail Jan. 4. Photo by Leslee Bassman

River Place Nature Trail Some voice concerns of additional traffic  

By LESLEE BASSMAN, Four Points News

Although no time frame has been established for the city of Austin to dismantle the River Place water treatment plant owned by the subdivision’s former municipal utility district, area leaders are considering turning the tract into a parking lot that could host about 100 vehicles. The lot would be accessible to the neighborhood’s renowned hiking and running trail.

“I had preliminary conversations with some of the (Austin) staff members if they would be amenable to us being able to take over that location after they decommission the facility,” said Patrick Reilly, president of the River Place Limited District, the group that assumed management of the neighborhood’s parks, trails and solid waste collection after River Place was fully annexed by the city of Austin Dec. 15. “If we did, my idea…was to be able to utilize that space for potential parking.”

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Vandegrift has 69 senior students who were awarded by the National Merit Recognition program in three categories based on PSAT/NMSQT results from last school year. The annual National Merit Scholarship Program is in its 63rd year.

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Family Emergency Room at Lake Travis is planning to open in a couple of weeks to offer 24-hour service 365 days of the year.

By MADISON PHARIS, Four Points News

Family Emergency Room will soon have six locations opened in Austin, with one opening soon in Four Points.

Construction has been going on for several months at the 5012 RM 620 site, across from Randalls supermarket and the Quinlan Crossing shopping center. As of Friday, plans were to open Family ER at Lake Travis by mid-January pending results from the site inspection, which is to take place next week.  

“As it stands right now, our goal is to open in two weeks,” said Margaret Sedlar, chief marketing officer.

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Randy Schmaltz’s last day was Friday as executive director of Steiner Ranch

By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

The Steiner Ranch Homeowners’ Association is without Randy Schmaltz as its executive director as of Friday. The move comes in the midst of an indecisive time for the Steiner Ranch Master Association Board of Directors as the board members are split on how the community should be managed.

Neither the board nor the HOA attorney returned requests for comment about Schmaltz’s notice and who will run the community in the interim.

Mackal Taylor, community manager for eight years, left the community mid last month. Heather Hood, was hired to replace Taylor as community manager. Hood is from Austin and has worked in association management for more than five years.

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