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Lampasas council discusses north-side hike-and-bike trail; south-side easement unresolved
Summary
City staff described plans for a new 6-foot crushed‑granite trail on the north side of Lampasas, said crews have removed invasive plants and planned construction before the end of October; ownership of a south‑side segment remains unresolved and staff said they will seek a landowner agreement.
City staff presented plans for a new hike-and-bike trail on Lampasas’s north side and described construction materials, a tentative schedule and an unresolved easement on the south side.
The presentation, introduced during the Oct. 13 council workshop, said the north-side route has been staked and crews have removed large stands of invasive plants, including giant cane (Arundo), Chinese tallow trees and Chinese privet. Staff said crews also removed Johnson grass and expect multiple herbicide applications will be required to fully control regrowth.
Joe Abel, who led the presentation, said the trail surface will be about 1 inch crushed granite — “big 1 inch, not the small stuff” — rolled to improve durability, and the city is planning for a 6-foot-wide path. Abel said the city intends to begin work before the end of the month and that “it’d be nice to get it down by Halloween,” though he did not give a firm completion date.
Abel said the north-side alignment is largely on city property and that the city “staked out” the trail. He said the south-side alignment faces an ownership question: staff are still determining whether an individual property owner or the city holds title to the parcel where the path would cross. Abel said staff hope to negotiate access with the landowner if needed.
Council members and staff noted project supports — including drone photography taken by a staff member named Sean — and discussed construction details and limitations. One council member asked whether landscaping would be possible; staff said drought conditions make new plantings infeasible at this time.
No formal action or vote occurred on the trail during the workshop. Council members said they expect to proceed with preparatory work and to continue resolving the south-side easement before construction beyond the north side begins.
