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Bob Dorsett’s Vision for Building Community in Bee Cave

admin — Wed, 27 May 2009 06:16:38 +0000

The 1985 Lake Travis High School yearbook, Excalibur featured the slogan “Out of the Ordinary” on the cover. Prominently featured inside was Senior Bob Dorsett…defensive end on the first winning Lake Travis football team, a baseball player and a member of the track team. Judging from his ruffled shirt in his Senior picture, Bob had style.

Meeting Bob and his family I would have said he did not qualify as ‘out of the ordinary’…well dressed in an iconic casual Lakeway style…pretty wife and two adorable children. A practicing attorney and founding partner in his own law firm, Bob is running for City Council in Bee Cave. His slogan, “Bringing Back Old-Fashioned Community” seems rather ordinary as well.

What makes Bob Dorsett “out of the ordinary” is well, Bob Dorsett…his story and his vision for the small community he calls home.

“I moved to the Lake Travis area in 1981. We lived on a ranch 9 miles up Hamilton Pool Road. I was a member of the second graduating class of Lake Travis High School. Things were completely different out here. Lakeway was a burgeoning resort community centered on the WCT with two golf courses, Yaupon and Live Oak. In the summers I worked as a ski boat driver at the Lakeway Marina. If you can imagine, the land where the Randall’s on 620 is now was once a rodeo arena. That is where we used to hang out. There was nothing out here. Even the resort back then was mostly undeveloped dirt roads. I had an YZ125 Enduro motorcycle I used to ride all over Lakeway. Now it is all houses and condos.”

After graduation, Bob went to college and eventually to law school, returning each time to the community that was never far from his thoughts. Enter a pretty corporate recruiter who would become his bride and Bob’s thoughts once again turned to returning to the Lake Travis area to raise his family. Raised in Plano, Tanya, a self-proclaimed “city girl” resisted. “Living in Plano I was used to easy access to restaurants, shopping and grocery stores. I never intended to come here, but in my heart I knew we would end up here. I knew it was Bob’s dream to live at the lake.” Eventually two things would change her mind. “The big draw was the school system. We knew that we wanted to raise our children in an area with excellent public schools. About 5 years ago this area really began to develop and I had access to the things a working mother needs to balance her time and make family life easier. I own a window covering business and have flexibility, but it was important for me to have convenient access to the things a mom needs. When they broke ground for the Hill Country Galleria I was very happy.”

Living in Falconhead for the past 5 years the Dorsetts have experienced the ups and downs of rapid growth of the area. Both Bob and Tanya have become totally involved in the community. They are active members of LakeHills Church. Bob now teaches mock trial to the Lake Travis High School Debate class…

a class he observes that has more students than his entire graduating class of 89 members. Their children Hannah, age 9, and Trey, age 5 attend elementary school and preschool in Lakeway. They take advantage of the active Lake Travis Youth Organization participating in soccer, tennis, and t-ball as well as Tex Arts for jazz dance. Bob has coached both children in soccer and was a founder of the local Indian Princesses group. Living what seemed to be a fruitful and satisfying family life, it was Bob’s commitment to building community that became the impetus for running for city council.

“Bee Cave is unusual in many ways. We have 3,000 residents, yet 50,000 people pass through here on a daily basis. Our Town Center forms the heart of a multi-use shopping, business and residential area. With the explosive growth we have to be grateful to Carolyn Murphy for her vision for Bee Cave. We were one blink away from the intersection of 620 and 71 being the location for 3 car dealerships so I give credit to Robert Baldwin, the long time owner of the land and Carolyn, our mayor, for helping create the vision for the Galleria as a town center. Look at it…it is built on some of the most beautiful land in Central Texas. This is more than a shopping center. It is a gathering place. Mothers meet here for play dates. The children love playing in the fountains. We have concerts, dance performances and ceremonies in the amphitheater. It draws from all of the Lake Travis area as well as Westlake and Dripping Springs.”

The Hill Country Galleria and Bee Cave Town Center figure prominently into Bob’s out of the ordinary vision for community building in the area. “This is an area of separate self-contained communities…Lakeway, the Hills, Falconhead all connected through the school system. I wanted to find a way to bring them together and the Galleria seemed to be the vehicle.” In 2007 after the Lake Travis Cavaliers won the State Championship in football, Bob spearheaded a parade down the main street of the Galleria ending at the amphitheater with a presentation by Governor Perry. “People were standing 5 deep along the street. I saw the community come together. Young kids who were playing Pop Warner football and cheerleading were watching and wanting to be those Cavalier players and cheerleaders 10 years later. I know it is old fashioned but that is the kind of event that builds a community’s identity. We decided to make it an annual event and it grew to include the volleyball team and a cross-country runner this year. The Galleria is our town center and I want to utilize it to bring the community together.”

Revenues from the Galleria have also allowed the City of Bee Cave to build a new city park, which will adjoin the new Backyard concert facility. Bob envisions music and art festivals in the new park as well as artisan events and concerts in the Galleria as tools to build community connections and develop a sense of belonging that will be passed along through generations. In a time where most families in the United States are scattered far from their roots, Bob Dorsett has an out of the ordinary vision for embracing the “exploding development “ in the place he calls home…creating an old fashioned small town community on the main street of a mall and hoping to give Hannah and Trey the same feeling he has for “life on the lake.”

Be Cool – Letter From The Editor

admin — Wed, 27 May 2009 01:59:13 +0000

Whenever I travel and people learn that I am from Austin, inevitably the response I get is, “I hear that place is really cool.” My stock answer is, “Austin is the coolest city in the United States.” For this issue, I began to contemplate what defines “cool” and specifically what makes Austin cool.
Accolades from a wide variety of sources abound:

MSN Travel named Austin one of the 15 coolest cities in the U.S. citing the “eclectic music scene and laid-back atmosphere.”
Austin is the 6th best walking city (ranked by the American Podiatric Medical Association) and the 5th most educated city in the U.S. with 45.15% of the population having a college degree or higher, according to the United States Census Bureau.
In 2008, Kiplinger named Austin the #6 “Best City to Work and Play” featuring the natural beauty, University of Texas, State Capitol, live music scene, digital media, and green building and energy as things that keep Austin ‘cool.’
Austin frequently tops the lists of Forbes, Fortune and Money magazines best cities for business and best places to live. Entrepreneur Magazine names Austin the #1 most entrepreneurial city in the U.S.
According to the National Endowment For the Arts, Austin is the most artsy city in Texas and the Wall Street Journal named Austin the #3 most innovative city.
Travel and Leisure Magazine cited the quality of life, interesting neighborhoods, climate, and people in their choice of Austin as 5th best city for both couples and singles.

In this issue, we encourage you to experience all that makes Austin cool. A drink that is so hot that it had to be cool… the Brushfire…Austin’s Coolest Cocktail, (Lifestyle p. 36) dreamed up at Ranch 616. Contemplate a cool Moroccan Bath (Lifestyle p. 42). Make a play date for your kids to cool off running through the interactive fountain at the Hill Country Galleria (Lifestyle p. 28). Go inside the coolest casa on Congress Avenue (address p. 24), which can be yours for a cool $6.5 million. Discover Austin’s Mid-Century modern architecture (address p. 22). Living in one of the most wired cities in the U.S., check out our cool new column – Wired – on both the Lifestyle (p. 34) and address (p. 39) sides of the magazine.
So exactly what is it that makes Austin cool? I say it is the total package – the people, the lifestyle, the music, the food, the climate, and the natural beauty. It is the accepting and welcoming attitude of the people. It is the laid-back yet innovative atmosphere that encourages contemplation and creativity in entrepreneurs and artists alike. Summer is here and there is plenty to do. Be Cool.
Deborah Hamilton-Lynne

In The Hills of Westlake

Tyler — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:41:57 +0000

Westlake is an area located in the rolling hills on the west bank of Lake Austin whose boundaries are defined by the Eanes Independent School District. Situated on the Edwards plateau, this close-knit, family oriented community is naturally beautiful with many homes having spectacular views of the downtown skyline and the rolling hills of Travis County.

Golf, cycling, hiking, boating and waterskiing are popular past times as the area includes the Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve, the Barton Creek Greenbelt, and Lake Austin as well as three private golf clubs. An easy downtown commute and excellent schools make this area a popular residence for professionals and families with school-aged children.

There is a heavy emphasis on education with strong community involvement and support for the Eanes Independent School District. The district serves approximately 7,100 students in grades K-12 in six elementary schools, two middle schools and Westlake High School. All schools in the district have earned an exemplary rating—the state’s highest academic designation. Westlake High School has been recognized as a United States Blue Ribbon School, having the best AP physics program in the world by the College Board in 2005, and was #37 on Newsweek magazine’s list of the nation’s top schools. There is also a heavy emphasis on sports and extracurricular activities. The chaps have won 26 state titles in nine different sports since opening in 1969. The Westlake football team holds the national record of 72 consecutive district victories, including this year’s district championship win.

Families typically move to the Westlake area for the excellent schools, the welcoming social climate and strong community spirit.

The family of Westlake Chaparrals’ senior kicker, Kolton Lye, have been Westlake residents for 28 years. Making their home at Rob Roy on the Creek, the Lye children—Travis now 25, Whitney, 22, Kolton, 18 and Rogan, 15—have all attended Eanes schools from Forest Trail Elementary through Westridge Middle School and Westlake High School.

Karen and Tom Lye are owners of Touchless carwash systems. Of life in Westlake, Karen says, “As far as living in Westlake, there are so many things we love about it. The schools are what first attracted us to this area but it goes so much further than that. What keeps people here long after their last child has graduated from Westlake High School are the people. Everyone is so supportive of each other. It is truly a caring community.”

Shopping in Westlake is convenient with most shops located in three retail areas—along Bee Caves Road, in Davenport Village and Barton Creek Mall.

One of the latest and most unique shopping hot spots is Sanctuary, the creation of Westlake entrepreneur, Hanna Curran. A former science teacher, Hanna felt the need to express the ‘artsy shopkeeper’ side of her. “I wanted to fill a niche that I thought was missing in Westlake. I had a vision for a shop with unique items for home décor so I set out to buy things that I wanted for myself. Gradually I have responded to the needs and wants of my clients and added gift items, jewelry, some clothing, linens, stationery and cosmetics. I have a lot of independent artisans and jewelry makers, mostly local as well as national lines that you don’t find at other places in Austin. I think of Sanctuary as high-end and luxurious, but I think people are surprised to find many items under $50.”

Curran has recently added a partner, Westlake mom, Jennifer Mazuelos. Mazuelos’ shop, Izzy and Ash, (named for her children), is located within Sanctuary and features unique designs for children from infant to size 12. Special emphasis is on fashion forward clothing for boys and girls in the 7- to 14-year-old age range. “I have lived in Westlake for over 20 years and I love this area. I have been online for three years and my clients have been begging me to have a retail presence. This location is a natural for me.”

Westlake offers a wide variety of dining choices from the bar-b-que of County Line to the upscale Mexican food of Maudie’s Milagro and Las Palomas to Asian favorites the Thai Kitchen, Chinatown and Bistro 88.

After moving to Westlake two years ago, contractor Beth Lesita recognized a need for a neighborhood bar, so she partnered with Reed Clemons (formerly of Mezaluna, Reed’s Supper Club and the Granite Café) to create The Grove. Westlake’s upscale version of Cheers, this wine bar and restaurant quickly became the hot spot to meet after work, a round of golf, a concert at One World Theatre or a girl’s night out.

Owner Beth Lesita says, “From the get-go our goal was to provide a comfortable, casual place to hang-out and experience some first-class wines. Our wine list starts at $5.50 a glass, and featues over 250 bottles with 50 available by the glass and 10 wine flights. We also have a full kitchen with food that complements the wines or vice versa. In any case, we wanted The Grove to be a place where you could come relax and laugh with your friends and loved ones.”

Judging by the menu—pastas, panini, pizza, bruschetta, mussels—and the crowded bar, patio and restaurant, The Grove is set to celebrate mission accomplished after their first year in operation.

Bound by tradition, social ties and schools, Westlake residents have an intense pride in their beautiful natural surroundings. Close in proximity to downtown Austin, Westlake has a small town feel with a big city attitude. Most residents love the area and
say they wouldn’t live in any other part of the city; a sentiment echoed by a long time resident, “Its a few square miles of heaven.”