Fairfield Lake park could have been saved, but state scuttled deal | Opinion
Fairfield Lake State Park was sold to a developer this month.State officials passed up an offer to save Fairfield Lake State Park this month, just days before the Texas parks department celebrated its centennial, according to newly uncovered text messages.
Screenshots we obtained of a text conversation between Texas Parks and Wildlife Commissioner Arch “Beaver” Aplin, Todd Interests founder Shawn Todd and Vistra CEO Jim Burke show that, even as state officials publicly treated the park’s sale as a triumph of developer interests over the common good, they inexplicably failed to take serious steps to buy most of the parkland. Todd, Aplin and a Vistra spokesperson all verified the authenticity of the messages.
The carve-out would have closed hiking trails but would not have disrupted campsites, picnic areas or boat ramps, Todd said. The precise size of the carve-out was never agreed upon. But apparently, it was still a deal-breaker for the state. In response to Todd’s offer, Aplin texted, “I just spoke with the Lt Gov and he reminded me I asked him and the leadership for the ok to buy it all, not the park minus.
The texts also reveal that the state has never made a competitive offer to buy the land. The agreement under contract is for approximately $110 million, the texts say. The state’s best offer, which Aplin texted Feb. 2, was $60 million plus a tax incentive in the form of a conservation easement to Vistra. The offer to Todd was simply for him to walk away, expenses paid, out of “altruism.” Aplin said he later offered Todd a fee in the amount of 3% to 6% of the value of the deal.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Yosemite National Park closed till March 1 due to severe stormPark officials say travel on all park roads is restricted to administrative traffic only.
Read more »
Fierce winter storm forces Yosemite to close until MarchYosemite National Park is closed due to severe winter conditions, the National Park Service announced Saturday.
Read more »
Live Bay Area weather updates: Yosemite National Park closed due to severe winter conditionsYosemite National Park is closed due to severe winter conditions, the National Park Service announced Saturday.
Read more »
Clairemont community hosts 'Take Back the Park' event after park shootingAbout 50 people gathered for an informal meeting to discuss their concerns and how to make sure a shooting at the park never happens again.
Read more »
Ohio State Hockey Tabbed a 3-Seed in Conference Tournament, Set to Host Penn StateAfter dropping a pair of games at Minnesota this weekend, Ohio State's men's ice hockey team will be a No. 3 seed in the conference tournament set to begin next weekend.
Read more »
Kane County sheriff and state legislators clash in letters over state assault weapons banFive Democratic Kane County lawmakers responded to Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain’s recent criticism over the state’s new assault weapons ban after he spoke out during a Kane County Board committee meeting and said he was embarrassed to be a Democrat.
Read more »