Williamson County takes step to OK proposed neighborhood that would include 14,000 homes

Williamson County has approved a municipal utility district for a proposed 7,000 acre residential development that would be partially in the county on the site of the Solana Ranch hunting propert.
Williamson County

Austin American-Statesman
Claire Osborn, Austin American-Statesman
April 14, 2023

A new residential development that aims to also include entertainment, shopping and dining is a step closer to happening in Williamson County. Commissioners this week approved the creation of the Solana municipal utility district for a community that would include an estimated 14,000 homes in Williamson and Bell counties.

The 7,000-acre community would be on part of the site of the Solana Ranch, a 9,000-acre property used for hunting deer, dove, turkey, feral hogs and exotic game, according to its website.

About one-third of the development will be in Williamson County northwest of Jarrell, officials said. Bell County commissioners have not yet considered the creation of a MUD for the proposed development, said James Stafford, a Bell County spokesman.

A municipal utility district is outside of city limits so it must pay for its own infrastructure. The creation of a MUD provides a developer with an alternative way to pay for water, sewer, drainage and road facilities.

The developer is DMB Development, a luxury development company based in Arizona. The development company also is working with Disney on a master-planned community called Cotina in the Palm Springs area.

Rumors about the proposed development on Solana Ranch being linked to Disney aren't true, said Brent Herrington, the president of DMB.

"I think the speculation got started because of our project with Disney in California," said Herrington. "At this point there are no plans for them to be at Solana Ranch."

Herrington said it was too early to offer an estimate of the costs since the development is still in the planning stages. "It's a very large project, and the land development costs alone will be well over a billion dollars," he said.

"For many years, our DMB team has wanted to create a community in the greater Austin area," said Herrington. "I’m a fourth-generation Texan and spent a lot of time in the Hill Country as a kid, so it’s personal for me. We looked at many different opportunities over the years and never found a site that had all three ingredients we were looking for, meaning it had to be very large, very beautiful and in the path of growth."

The development company found what it was looking for at Solana Ranch, Herrington said.

"As a hunting ranch, most of the land has never been cleared for pastureland. There are gorgeous streams, rolling hills and dramatic karst features. For every member of our team, it was love at first sight. Williamson and Bell counties are benefiting from the staggering employment growth in North Austin and the dynamic I-35 corridor is certain to attract even more economic development."

The initial plan is to build an estimated 14,000 homes beginning in 2026, Herrington said. "Our goal is to create what we refer to as a ‘new town community,’ meaning it should have many of the characteristics of a traditional Texas town," he said.

"This would include a wide variety of housing types and sizes, shopping, dining, offices, parks, entertainment, schools, churches and other civic and cultural uses. We love to create pedestrian-friendly environments where you can do a lot without ever taking the car out of the garage."

County Judge Bill Gravell said the proposed development is "another example of Williamson County being sought after nationally and internationally.”