T
he city of Bee Cave has intensified its fight against the construction of a large industrial development near the affluent Austin suburb. In an updated lawsuit, Bee Cave alleges that Velocis, the Dallas-based developer behind the 270,000-square-foot West Austin Business Park, deliberately withheld crucial information about the project's scope and intentions. The city claims this lack of transparency has caused "irreparable harm" to the community.

    Bee Cave contends that Velocis provided incomplete and misleading information to local officials for over a year, leaving them in the dark about the development's true nature. The lawsuit states that Velocis used a "drip-by-drip" approach to release information, creating a false narrative of good intentions while hoping to avoid scrutiny.

    The dispute centers around a 2015 agreement between Bee Cave and WS-COS Investments, which outlined plans for a residential and commercial project on the 23-acre site. However, Bee Cave claims that industrial use violates this agreement. The city also accuses its Design and Review Committee of rubber-stamping the plans without proper scrutiny.

    Velocis maintains that it is not subject to Bee Cave's zoning ordinances since the site lies outside the city limits in the extraterritorial jurisdiction. Despite this, Velocis has expressed a desire to find an amicable solution through mediation with Bee Cave and neighboring suburb Lakeway.

    The controversy has drawn criticism from nearby property developers, including Eppright Homes, which claims it was similarly misled about the project's scope. The company believes Velocis intentionally kept information vague to push the project through quickly, concealing it from the public and the community. Home sales in Madrone Canyon have stalled since construction began.

    Bee Cave is seeking an injunction to halt construction immediately, citing the industrial development as a significant threat to the area.