Build the Road (620/2222) (Marble Falls: power lines, legally, store)

[CarnivalGal]

Originally Posted by Novacek

In which case, nobody would be "cut off" and a alternate road isn't needed.


And that evacuation was a different kind. That was the evacuation of private citizens, who were then on their own (nobody had to account for you afterwards).

If you're a school who has legal responsibility over minors, you can't just send them off on their merry way to wherever they want to go.




It is when there's spots at the school campus a quarter mile from the treeline.

Seriously, can you not tell the difference between evacuating houses 20 feet from trees and a major clear-cut campus 1/2 mile wide(which again, hopefully has the sprinkler systems that individual houses probably should but don't)?

My house was 1/2 mile from the fire, and we had lit embers being blown into our back yard. I still am amazed more houses weren't burned. I get what you are saying about a sort of natural fire stop, but that's not really how it works.

Sprinkler systems are triggered by heat, not by smoke. If it's hot enough for sprinkler systems to be triggered, it's not safe. Smoke is also a concern.

We got "lucky" because it happened on a weekend. If it happened 2 days later, kids would have been in school, including Steiner Ranch Elementary, which was right in the path until the wind shifted. There are plans for evacuations. Students will be bused to a safer location (most likely another school). My daughter was attending Steiner Ranch Elementary when it had to be evacuated due to a gas leak. I was amazed at how quickly they got them bused to another school. They would do the same in a fire situation, and I would assume they would evacuate them first.

I am amazed at how you know more about a meeting you didn't attend than someone who was there, and how you know more about a fire and evacuation than someone who was there.

You are against the road. Fine. I get that, I really do. But you really don't know more than everyone else on this issue.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by CarnivalGal

Sprinkler systems are triggered by heat, not by smoke. If it's hot enough for sprinkler systems to be triggered, it's not safe.

Uh, I'm talking about roof sprinkler systems.

Originally Posted by CarnivalGal

Smoke is also a concern.

So of course, you then take people out of the controlled environment of the school and put them outside and in vehicles.

Originally Posted by CarnivalGal

We got "lucky" because it happened on a weekend. If it happened 2 days later, kids would have been in school, including Steiner Ranch Elementary, which was right in the path until the wind shifted. There are plans for evacuations. Students will be bused to a safer location (most likely another school).

We're not talking about Steiner Ranch Elementary. We're talking about VHS and the other associated buildings on the campus complex + commercial which is 10X the size.

Originally Posted by CarnivalGal

My daughter was attending Steiner Ranch Elementary when it had to be evacuated due to a gas leak. I was amazed at how quickly they got them bused to another school. They would do the same in a fire situation, and I would assume they would evacuate them first.

Gas leak is one case where an evacuation would probably be called for, that's a good point. Of course, no worries about being "cut off" or needing an alternative route in that case either.

Who is "them first"?

Originally Posted by CarnivalGal

I am amazed at how you know more about a meeting you didn't attend than someone who was there, and how you know more about a fire and evacuation than someone who was there.

Was there? We're talking about the (hypothetical) evacuation of VHS (which has never occurred) and the case of that evacuation route being "cut off" (which has never occurred).

Originally Posted by CarnivalGal

You are against the road. Fine. I get that, I really do. But you really don't know more than everyone else on this issue.

Apparently just more than you.

[CarnivalGal]

Originally Posted by Novacek

Uh, I'm talking about roof sprinkler systems.



So of course, you then take people out of the controlled environment of the school and put them outside and in vehicles.



We're not talking about Steiner Ranch Elementary. We're talking about VHS and the other associated buildings on the campus complex + commercial which is 10X the size.



Gas leak is one case where an evacuation would probably be called for, that's a good point. Of course, no worries about being "cut off" or needing an alternative route in that case either.

Who is "them first"?





Was there? We're talking about the (hypothetical) evacuation of VHS (which has never occurred) and the case of that evacuation route being "cut off" (which has never occurred).



Apparently just more than you.

You're right. There's only 30 homes out here. Traffic isn't a problem. Don't know what anyone was thinking.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by Novacek

Because that "small road" (1 mile by >100 feet wide) permanently cuts off a large tract of the nature preserve from the rest of the preserve. It permanently destroys the tree canopy connection (which, granted, is barely there now, but still is) which means that the cut off section is no longer effectively part of the same preserve, which makes it useless for maintaining a stable species population.

This right here. Now, those of you who know how often Novacek and I agree on anything, take note of this.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by Novacek

And if you look at the article, you will find out the real reason for the bridge isn't the wildlife, it's because "We would need to build a bridge over Bull Creek"


So it fails on two counts:

1) The wildlife won't know that they need to divert east 1/4 mile, go under a bridge, and then divert back. What, you expect them to read a sign?


2) A bridge will still interrupt the tree canopy (trees won't grow well under a bridge), which means the tract is cut off for the canopy-dwelling birds. Especially since the one spot where the break narrows from 100 feet to ~50 feet, is where there's less canopy naturally because there's a creek.

And again we agree! This has to be a sign of something!

[cBach]

Originally Posted by Novacek

And if you look at the article, you will find out the real reason for the bridge isn't the wildlife, it's because "We would need to build a bridge over Bull Creek"


So it fails on two counts:

1) The wildlife won't know that they need to divert east 1/4 mile, go under a bridge, and then divert back. What, you expect them to read a sign?


2) A bridge will still interrupt the tree canopy (trees won't grow well under a bridge), which means the tract is cut off for the canopy-dwelling birds. Especially since the one spot where the break narrows from 100 feet to ~50 feet, is where there's less canopy naturally because there's a creek.

In Europe they have "tunnels" and "bridges" for animals along autobahns and autoroutes all the time and the animals manage to find a way to get to the other side. I doubt that animals in Europe are any smarter than here in America (although the people may be).

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by cBach

In Europe they have "tunnels" and "bridges" for animals along autobahns and autoroutes all the time and the animals manage to find a way to get to the other side. I doubt that animals in Europe are any smarter than here in America (although the people may be).

And those "tunnels" and "bridges" are used by birds? You know, the type of animal under discussion here.

[cBach]

Originally Posted by Novacek

And those "tunnels" and "bridges" are used by birds? You know, the type of animal under discussion here.

Can't a bird simply fly across a road?

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by cBach

Can't a bird simply fly across a road?

Not when they're canopy-dwelling species that don't venture that far out from the trees.

The position of Travis County is that if such a road is built, it would have to be mitigated by sufficient land to replace the entire cut off section "which will no longer be useful parts of the preserve".

https://www.austinmonitor.com/storie...-road-project/

[cBach]

Originally Posted by Novacek

Not when they're canopy-dwelling species that don't venture that far out from the trees.

The position of Travis County is that if such a road is built, it would have to be mitigated by sufficient land to replace the entire cut off section "which will no longer be useful parts of the preserve".

https://www.austinmonitor.com/storie...-road-project/

I wonder if they could build a tunnel under instead of a bridge over the creek and have the canopy extend on the grass above the tunnel. We're probably talking major $$ though.