County Leaders Talk About Trail Ride That Sparked the Mass Gathering Permit Rule

Organizers of the Real Deal Family Reunion met with the Fayette County Commissioners Court last Thursday to discuss their upcoming event that will likely draw thousands of visitors to Fayette County.

This year’s event, a trail ride and campout with live music, will take place Sept. 25-27.

The County implemented a new mass gathering permit process after hearing from residents who live around the property near Nechanitz where the Real Deal Family Reunion took place last year. They complained of traffic congestion, loud noise and littering. Under the new policy, organizers of large events must obtain a permit from the County, which requires a public hearing, and they must coordinate with local officials regarding traffic, health and safety plans.

“This is for the Commissioners to have an opportunity to voice your concerns or anything you might want us to discuss when we set a hearing,” said Fayette County Emergency Management Co- ordinator Angela Hahn.

Hahn said the organizers submitted their application for a mass gathering permit, and they paid the application fee.

Pct. 1 Commissioner Jason McBroom said his biggest concern involved traffic. After last year’s trail ride, several residents complained that they could not leave their property due to heavy traffic congestion from horses, wagons and other vehicles.

“I just want to make sure people can get home,” McBroom said.

Ronald Addison, who heads up the event, said organizers will strictly enforce start times, so that trail riders stay in one group. In addition, he said organizers will hire deputies from the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office to escort the trail ride and assist with traffic control.

The route will go from the event grounds on FM 3011 to FM 2145. The trail ride will head south and turn west onto Bear Creek Rd. From there it will go north on Owl Creek Rd. and then back to the grounds on FM 3011.

Last year, Addison said, many horses in the trail ride did not want to cross one of the bridges along the route, which caused a major traffic backup. That bridge has a metal grate deck, which allowed the horses to see the creek underneath. This year, Addison said organizers plan to roll some astroturf across the bridge, which should ease the crossing.

McBroom suggested that organizers should contact Texas Department of Transportation to see if they would place some message boards along FM 2145 to warn motorists about the trail ride.

“The other issue last year was the trash,” McBroom said.

Addison said organizers will have workers and a trailer following the trail ride to pick up any litter along the right-ofway.

County Judge Dan Mueller asked EMS Director Josh Vandever if he had any concerns about the event. Vandever said organizers worked closely with his department last year.

“After the event last year, we communicated with them and said we’d probably ask for a few more resources to be out there,” Vandever said. “No one balked at it. From the emergency medical services standpoint, I’m not very concerned that they won’t meet our needs.”

John Saunders, one of the residents who lives near the property, said he spent the entire Sunday after last year’s event picking up garbage and fixing two holes in his fence that had been run through. He also complained of loud music.

Lori Lehmann, another neighbor, said the most disturbing music came mostly from the RVs that stayed overnight on the property. Addison and DeVaughn said they would work to alleviate concerns about loud music.

Pct. 2 Constable Roger Wunderlich raised a concern about road construction between La Grange and Rutersville on SH 159. Many motorists avoid the construction zone by traveling on FM 2145 through Nechanitz. McBroom advised the organizers to contact TxDOT about their construction schedule.

According to the mass gathering rules the County set last year, the public hearing must take place no later than 10 days before the event. The public hearing date has not yet been scheduled, but when it does, a public notice will appear in the Fayette County Record.

Commissioners took no action on the item at last Thursday’s meeting, other than accepting all comments.