SPEAK UP AGAINST THE HAYS COMMONS DEVELOPMENT
Meeting: June 9, 2026 at 9:00 am*
Location: Hays County Courthouse
111 E. San Antonio St., San Marcos, TX 78666
*Sign up to speak before meeting starts
** Can't speak? Email [email protected] by 11:59pm June 8. Include name, address, phone, & item #
Location: Hays County Courthouse
111 E. San Antonio St., San Marcos, TX 78666
*Sign up to speak before meeting starts
** Can't speak? Email [email protected] by 11:59pm June 8. Include name, address, phone, & item #
What is Hays Commons?
A proposed development called Hays Commons would cover nearly 500 acres stretching across Hays and Travis Counties, almost entirely over the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone and Little Bear Creek watershed.
The proposal includes:
To make this high-density development possible, the developer is asking Hays County to waive longstanding groundwater protection rules that were specifically created to limit overdevelopment on and prevent treated wastewater from entering the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. Sound terrible? It is. And it gets worse.
The proposal includes:
- 557 single-family homes
- 10 acres of commercial development
- Massive groundwater pumping from the Lower Trinity Aquifer
- Sewage disposal by spray irrigation over sensitive recharge lands
To make this high-density development possible, the developer is asking Hays County to waive longstanding groundwater protection rules that were specifically created to limit overdevelopment on and prevent treated wastewater from entering the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. Sound terrible? It is. And it gets worse.
Smaller Lots, Bigger Risks
Milestone removed the property from City of Hays and City of Austin jurisdictions to avoid enforcement of environmental regulations; now, it wants Hays County to grant it a variance and lock in development regulations so that it can maximize the development potential of its property.
The preliminary site plan places 348 homes on roughly 72 acres. Current Hays County regulations require minimum lot sizes of 0.75 acres over this sensitive recharge zone area. The developer is asking to reduce lot sizes to approximately 0.16–0.20 acres... an 80% reduction.
The overall development, including the proposed irrigation areas, will result in an enormous loss of trees, which help stabilize soils and mitigate flooding risks.
The preliminary site plan places 348 homes on roughly 72 acres. Current Hays County regulations require minimum lot sizes of 0.75 acres over this sensitive recharge zone area. The developer is asking to reduce lot sizes to approximately 0.16–0.20 acres... an 80% reduction.
The overall development, including the proposed irrigation areas, will result in an enormous loss of trees, which help stabilize soils and mitigate flooding risks.
Too Much Development, Not Enough Water
Hays County is experiencing frequent and persistent severe droughts. The proposed development would be reliant on groundwater from the Lower Trinity, and as of this date, Milestone has no permit from the BSEACD to pump groundwater and no pumping permit will be issued while we are in a drought.
The development proposes pumping more than 128 million gallons of groundwater annually from the Lower Trinity Aquifer (which refills very slowly in comparison to the Edwards Aquifer), despite not currently holding a groundwater permit from the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD).
The development proposes pumping more than 128 million gallons of groundwater annually from the Lower Trinity Aquifer (which refills very slowly in comparison to the Edwards Aquifer), despite not currently holding a groundwater permit from the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD).
Wastewater in the Recharge Zone?!
Water and pollutants that enter the aquifer from this area flows underground and into our local groundwater wells and Barton Springs. Land in a recharge zone is extremely vulnerable to contamination from urban development. It has porous karst geology which allows water and pollutants to enter the aquifer rapidly with little to no filtration.
The project seeks to dispose of treated sewage through a Texas Land Application Permit (TLAP), which would spray treated effluent over recharge zone lands adjacent to Little Bear Creek and its tributaries. SOS, The City of Hays, BSEACD, and nearby residents are currently challenging the wastewater permit in a contested case hearing.
The project seeks to dispose of treated sewage through a Texas Land Application Permit (TLAP), which would spray treated effluent over recharge zone lands adjacent to Little Bear Creek and its tributaries. SOS, The City of Hays, BSEACD, and nearby residents are currently challenging the wastewater permit in a contested case hearing.
How to Help Stop Hays Commons
Attend the Hays County Commissioners Court Meeting
June 9, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Hays County Historic Courthouse
111 E. San Antonio St.
San Marcos, TX 78666
Sign up to speak before the meeting begins.Public opposition matters. County officials need to hear directly from residents who care about protecting groundwater, Barton Springs, and the Hill Country.
Can’t Attend?
Email public comments before 11:59 PM on June 8 to: [email protected]
Please include:
https://www.hayscountytx.gov/county-commissioners
June 9, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Hays County Historic Courthouse
111 E. San Antonio St.
San Marcos, TX 78666
Sign up to speak before the meeting begins.Public opposition matters. County officials need to hear directly from residents who care about protecting groundwater, Barton Springs, and the Hill Country.
Can’t Attend?
Email public comments before 11:59 PM on June 8 to: [email protected]
Please include:
- Your name
- Address
- Phone number
- Agenda item number
https://www.hayscountytx.gov/county-commissioners
