Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I didn't want to say anything till the past issue of the Alpine Alvalance hit me and the south county news flyer. The article coincides exactly what we heard while down on this last trip and the July trip. For those that don't get these newspapers: the road work from Terlingua and Lajitas is planned to be done by next july and at that time or even before the revamping of 170 will start. It is a 90% go at this time. The road will go north of Lajitas and match back up at the big rock cut after Lajitas. But this road will have to be started well before the old air craft runway about a 1/2 to 3/4 mile east of Lajitas. Now get this: either the 170 that use to go into Lajitas will have a ONE way in and way out ( back the way one gets into ) scenario. In other words, there will be no connecting road to the west in the town proper. There will be either a loop drive or a cul-de-sac type of turn around. In some peoples opinion, Lajitas will ( and really is now ) be a private community. Some one even said GATED community ! I don't know about this on merchants though. One thought was that the loop drive would be around the west end over by the old Trading post. How rich is this guy Smith ? He wants to buy access to the Mexican village across from Lajitas ?

Sombody said he was going to spend 80 million down there, but that may be heresay. But he doesn't have much trouble coming up with gas money for a night on the River Road. For awhile, they were flying Lear Jets down, but the locals apparently got it stopped. They don't seem to like him much either. Apparently most of the employess are outsiders. One of the most bizarre and at the same time sad things I have ever seen. Some development was inevitable, but this will speed things up 50 years.Hope he can't buy the park.

Mike,

Its sad that Lajitas is being developed so fast & that there seems to be no end in sight to its "upper-class" status as a top-notch resort for above "middle-class" clientals. From what I heard they are charging for rooms at the Badlands Motel there, its no wonder few to no herpers stay there anymore.

As far as your question to how rich the actual owner Steve Smith is, I do know this, hes VERY VERY Rich. A few years ago he was the number 2 top executive for Excel Tele-communications Company, he either stepped down from that position or possibly sold-out his interest in that company, but I do remember reading that he left Excel a VERY wealthy man.

To me its Sad & disturbing about the unknown effects of the massive ground waters that are being pumping everyday at the 18 hole Lajitas Golf Course he built. I read where some of the locals are upset & disturbed about all that water being pumped, as the long term affects on that aquifer were never fully studied before they started pumping the water out, maybe some other people reading this can post some comments about the status of the aquifer in the bend region there? On a final note, though I rarely frequent the bend, I will relish the thought of how Lajitas was when I used to stay there, rather than how it is changing these days.........JF

go view the price range. Now call the Hyatt or Regency or the Crown Center of KC Mo. And might I add the cosmetic and characture plus ambience of the place. I don't view these prices at Lajitas anymore different than eating at the overprice resturant of Applebees or someplace like that. Are you not paying elated prices for that particular resturant for atmosphere and the above as well ? I think so ! You as well as myself know that a lot of us herpers are on the tight-a## or cheap-a## end when it comes to lodging. Heck no I couldn't, wouldn't afford or want to afford a night or two in Lajitas , but.....On the aquifer, better do some more reading on this,. There is a new duct someplace out there in the area. Plans are under way to study it now or soon. Lajitas says that they haven't relyed on the aquifer that much in the pst few. There are some new rain water holding lagoons already bult in back of Lajitas as well as over by the trading post. I was there, remember, and saw these. How much of the Rio is being pumped off to water golf courses ? I don't know but the " OTHER " golf course in back of Study Butte will be opened soon. How many of you knew about this ? No. Fraser , you know that i am not PRO Lajitas ! So either Lajitas will make it as they hope to do, go completely bankrupted, or become a ghost town down the road like Redford is now. It has been X amount of years since I went to Redfors and I was SHOCKED to see, no gas, no place to eat. I remeber like 2 cafes and 2 gas places way back.

The first time I collected the Bend area, the only thing in Lajitas was the trading post. Then came the Calvery post and then the Boardwalk and then the condos, now this. Not one, but two golf courses. They were worried about the water when they put in a swimming pool. As humans usally do, they will use up the resources and then move on. I hope I live to see the end of Lajitas, not the resources.
As for the road, I was told it would go north of town and come back to meet 170 at the county line or first rock cut as you said. When they widened 118 they wiped out two populations of Big Bend Geckos that were part of my study sites. When they put the rock wall over the Big Hill they altered another of my study sites. When they started the road construction of 170 over Peppers Hill they totally removed one of the road cuts where one of the few populations that I studied still remained. I wonder if they have done anything to determine what affect this new road will have on the wild population?

the widening of RR as well ? Now don't some of you say they can't because it being through a state park. How many remember how ALL roads was in the federal park of Big Bend some years ago ! Rick, you surely remember thin and narrow roads in the park. Now did i hear at one time the plan of RR being looked at for the same reason and either some scenic highway agency ( i even heard national georaphic ) blocked it from happening. I would assume ( boy, do i hate to ASSUME things ) that would be a looonnnggg way off if they ever did the wide thing to the river road. My questions are : is Terligua heading the same way but at a much slower pace. There is that NEW hotel/motel now at the entrance of Terlingua Ghost Town and a new cafe opened. Is Study Butte heading for a remodeling with their golf course. Are both places wanting to compete with Lajitas on a smaller scale ? Man, this is mind boggling ! LOL ! My first trip to the Bend and what was in Lajitas : a liqour store, a land office, the trading post owned by one of the Iveys ( boy, did the last Ivey sell out ). Several years later went back and there was the Calvery Post and rest. where you had to sign in and decide what you wanted for dinner in order to have a meal later that night. Remember that !

the road construction and "resurfacing" of FM 170 could have been stopped. the DOT approached Dr James Mueller here at Sul Ross and inquired about any species and habitat that should be taken into concern. i was in his office at the time and he flat told them that there was nothing in the area to be concerned with. however, after many meetings with the head of the DOT construction and biological head, i was informed that it could have been stopped. there was a crew that went out and identified cactaceae of concern and helped in relocation efforts, but there was nothing done for vertebrate species. in fact, there was even money for a project to research the impacts of construction but Dr Mueller turned down the project.

as for lajitas, it is sickening. not only to see such a waste of money going into development, but also covering up impressive archeological sites. i have already witnessed two sites covered up by "condos." but what do you expect, its a business for Steve Smith. just like everything else going on out here in the Big Bend region. build a house and drill a well, cover up and plow the dirt to make room for a parking lot. subdivide and destroy...here comes the NAFTA highway....

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