Cameron County Notice Mid Febraury 2019: POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT OF A BAYFRONT FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT RESORT LOCATED ON THE NORTH FLATS WITHIN ANDY BOWIE PARK-(South Padre Island) LAND LEASE.
The land known as the flats is adjacent to, and north, of the SPI Convention Centre. It is part of Andy Bowie Park and is the only public bayside beach. The area is a popular area for families with young children due to its shallower waters, kayaking, fishing, jet-skiing, kiteboarding, and windsurfing. It is the only publicly accessible area to the bay suitable for windsurfing and kiteboarding. Many travel agencies promote the water sports that this area provides.
The proposed area for development is immensely important for many bird species throughout the year. Over 50 bird species annually use this area. It is not unusual to count over 600 black skimmers resting on the flats. During spring and fall migration it is a critical stop-over site for feeding and resting shorebirds that travel 1000’s of miles to and from northern breeding grounds. It is the only site on SPI where this type of bird aggregation occurs. Piping plover and red knot are federally threatened species while reddish egret and peregrine falcon are state threatened species. Snowy plover and Wilson’s plover are in serious decline. Ecotourists from around the world come to the Rio Grande Valley and SPI to see our waterbirds and shorebirds, a significant economic benefit. Surveys of bird use and environmental impact studies should be conducted immediately before any development plans proceed.
The request for proposal (RFP) application can be viewed here: Request For Proposal Application
The Lower Rio Grande Valley Sierra Club requested information from Cameron County regarding the one business/developer that submitted an RFP on April 4. As of April 13th, the Lower Rio Grande Valley Sierra Club is still waiting for information.
TOOL KIT TO TAKE ACTION (petitions, post cards, commissioner information, maps, RFPs, etc.)