By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
County commissioners court members recently voted to move forward with a plan to use a portion of a large county property for recreational purposes.
The court discussed using a portion of the county’s 2,500-acre SE Ranch property between Del Rio and Laughlin Air Force Base for all-terrain vehicle (ATV) use, hiking, biking, bird watching and nature viewing. The discussion was held during the court’s April 24 meeting.
County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. introduced the topic.
“We had talked a while back about doing a walking trail, bird watching, some other projects there at the SE Ranch. On this (agenda item), an ATV area, we’d also talked about that, and there were some concerns about liability, but there is going to be liability for just about anything that we do,” Owens told the court.
He asked County Engineer Carlos Velarde to display a graphic that showed the SE Ranch boundaries in red over a Google maps screenshot of the area.
“I don’t know if the court would want to move forward with this. I know the city is looking to apply for funds to build something, to build an ATV park. My understanding is they’ll be looking for land if they get the money,” the county judge added.
County Commissioner Pct. 4 Gustavo “Gus” Flores said, “Judge, I think this would be a great idea as long as we consider using the (SE Ranch) land on the east side of Loop 79.”
State Loop 79 bisects the SE Ranch property, with the eastern portion of the property taking up nearly all of the land between State Loop 79 and the western boundary of Laughlin Air Force Base.
The southeastern portion of the property is bounded roughly by U.S. Highway 277 to the south, State Loop 79 to the west and Spur 317 between Loop 79 and the base to the north and Spur 317 between the base and U.S. 277 to the east.
About 40 acres in the southeastern portion of the property has been fenced off to be used as the new Precinct 1 yard, and there is another area in the southeastern portion of the property where Customs and Border Protection has set up a surveillance tower and other equipment, Owens said.
About 400 acres in the southeastern portion of the property remain where trails for ATVs could be developed, Owens said.
He told the court he envisioned a bird- and wildlife viewing area, as well as a series of walking and biking trails in the northeastern section of the property in an area north of Spur 317.
“I’d like to make a motion that we use that property for an ATV trail (area) and for the judge and (County Engineer) Carlos (Velarde) to put together a plan for some trails and bring it back, and that the upper (northeastern) portion of the property be used for walking trails, bird watching and other recreational areas and for us to design something to bring back before the court,” County Commissioner Pct. 3 Beau Nettleton said.
County Commissioner Pct. 2 Juan Carlos Vazquez gave the second.
Flores asked if the property would be fenced or left open.
“Judge, if we decide to do something like this, we have to have some sort of control as to the hours (of access), 8 to 5, locked gates, or is it going to be open 24/7,” Flores added.
“What we can do, and I know you’ve made some comments that they have areas where you have to sign a document to be able to go in,” Owens replied.
“I say we set it up similar to the way the National Park Service has (set up access), where you show up, sign a document or lease and you put it in a box and you can do what you do,” Nettleton said.
“What we’ll do is, we’ll go in there and design some trails and go in there and measure what is not fenced and bring it back to the court for approval. What I needed was permission to move forward,” Owens said.
“You got it, judge,” Flores said.
The court unanimously passed Nettleton’s motion to move forward with the plan.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com.
