Mayor Bruce Boyer asked those crammed in a packed council chamber Monday to raise their hands if they thought Landa Lake and the spring-fed pool should be designated as historic landmarks.
The response was nearly unanimous, with more than 60 people putting arms in the air to support the historic protection of the two local waterways.
“New Braunfels is a community that used to appreciate its history and its resources,” said resident Dolores Schumann. “Please do this for future generations.”
The council listened, passing the designation of the spring-fed pool on first reading, and voted to revisit designating Landa Lake as a historic landmark after giving staff 60 days to determine its official boundaries.
The move would add an extra layer of protection from any possible changes to either the lake or pool by requiring they be reviewed and approved by the city’s historic landmark commission.
The designation was recommended by the landmark commission and the city’s planning commission.
Landa Park itself is not eligible to become a historic landmark because a number of its structures have been built recently, but the pool and lake are two of five structures that could earn the official designation.
Property owners bordering the lake had voiced concerns this week about the designation’s potential impact on their property rights, particularly because the boundary drawn by city staff was “arbitrary,” according to Dean Word, who owns property near the park.
Also needing to be studied are what impact the lake’s designation would have from a jurisdictional standpoint, with a water conservation district and the Edwards Aquifer Authority both holding certain powers over the water in the lake.
Given those questions, the council voted to come back in 60 days after having time to figure out how far the lake and the city’s authority truly reach.
“I expect that we’ll come back with something that’s reasonable and acceptable,” Boyer told the crowd in council chambers.
