Georgetown City Council considered proposals for two new in-city municipal utility districts, or MUDs, at a meeting March 24. Rock Bluff Ranch and Yearwood are both currently located in the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction and developer Freehold Capital Management is seeking annexation for both projects.
The purpose of a MUD is to help a development pay for amenities and infrastructure improvements that exceed the minimum city standards, according to city documents. By annexing the site within city limits, Georgetown officials can help guide development according to city standards.
Diving deeper
Rock Bluff Ranch plans to build 2,375 homes on 855 acres east of CR 245 and north of Ronald Reagan Boulevard, according to city documents.
Plans include:
17.2 acres of private amenitiesNeighborhood trailsAn extension of the Berry Creek Regional Trail5 acres for a future Georgetown ISD elementary school
Developer Freehold Capital Management requested that about 700 homes, or about 32% of the lots, be age-restricted. Because this is higher than the city’s development standards policy maximum of 10%, council members must grant special approval for it to move forward.
Rock Bluff Ranch proposed a maximum MUD tax rate of $0.65 per $100 of assessed value, higher than the city’s MUD policy requirement of $0.55 per $100.
What else?
South of the proposed Rock Bluff Ranch sits the Yearwood MUD, located at the intersection of Rattlesnake Road and Ronald Reagan Boulevard. The location is currently an active quarry site designated for mining.
Following an initial proposal to council members in February, Freehold Capital Management reduced the maximum MUD tax rate from $0.75 per $100 down to $0.65 per $100, and withdrew a request to phase in wastewater impact fees.
In response to density concerns, the developers removed the two smallest lot options, which reduced the house count to 1,728. Freehold Capital Management also removed a request to increase the number of age-restricted homes.
Plans for the Yearwood development include:
7 acres of natural lakes12.2 acres of public parklandTrails running along Berry Creek7-acre parcel dedicated to the city for public safety response needsImprovements to Rattlesnake Road and Ronald Reagan BoulevardAssistant City Manager Nick Woolery noted that building residential homes adjacent to an existing concrete plant and redeveloping a quarry site remain potential issues that will require ongoing monitoring.
“This isn’t anything that they could have resolved today,” Woolery said. “We don’t foresee any safety issues at all.”
What they’re saying
“By us working with [the developer], they will annex into the city, pay property and sales tax, pay impact fees, and be served efficiently by our city police service,” Mayor Josh Schroeder said in a Facebook post March 27. “They will also develop at a very high standard with quality homes that will be an asset to our community.”
What’s next
City staff will bring the proposals back to council for approval of annexation and development agreements at a future meeting.