New Lake Waxahachie development will have 2,600 residential lots

Waxahachie Sun
By CHARITY FITCH charity@waxahachiesun.com
November 14, 2023

During its Nov. 6 meeting, the Waxahachie City Council unanimously approved a development agreement for the Haven Ranch subdivision, which would bring 2,600 residential lots of various sizes.

Located off Hunter Pass on the south side of Lake Waxahachie, the Haven Ranch development sits on 1,229.53 acres, with 1,179.651 acres in the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction and 49.879 acres within the city limits.

“We think we’ve done a good job working with staff to create a well-thought-out master plan community,” Bobby Samuel, vice president of GRBK Edgewood LLC, said.

Michael Scott, city manager, noted that the project was first introduced and presented to the council several months ago over a series of meetings.

“Essentially, the development agreement that is before you tonight is that same concept that we laid out to you at those meetings,” Scott said. “It’s taken a lot of back and forth with buttoning up some of the details and having legal work with their legal and some of those items. So, the agreement before you now is the culmination of those efforts.”

With approval of the agreement, the project will be funded by a public improvement district. PIDs establish a geographical area to provide specific improvements or maintenance, including the extension of roadways and waterlines and the connection to the city’s sewer system. PIDs are funded by “an additional property owner assessment from within the district and is not a cost to the city,” according to the city staff report.

The Haven Ranch development will include a mix of commercial, residential, and school sites and the dedication of a minimum 100-acre park, the city staff report notes.

Haven Park, approximately 120 acres, will include bird-watching stations, a fishing dock, playgrounds, shade structures, a mountain bike trail, a pedestrian trail, a pavilion, and an amenity center. Following the completion of improvements and construction of these amenities, the park will be dedicated to the city, which will then oversee future improvements and maintenance.

Along with 2,600 homes and Haven Park, the development will include a 6-acre commercial town center, two 15-acre school sites, two amenity centers, and about nine community amenities.

The development’s amenity centers will be maintained by an HOA. Located on four acres, the primary center will include an air-conditioned clubhouse, a minimum 3,000-square-foot swimming pool, a recreational fire feature, a sports court, a grilling station with a dining area, a shade structure, and a playground. Located on two acres, the secondary center will include an open-air cabana, a minimum 1,500-square-foot swimming pool or splash pad with bathrooms, a shade structure, and a playground.

Spread throughout the development are nine community amenities or pocket parks, which could include a playground, shade structure, sports court, benches, an open play field area, or sidewalks/trails.

A trail connectivity plan is also included in the development agreement, which shows how each portion of the development will be connected and walkable. The development’s main roadway will be a four-lane divided road and connect to Farm-to-Market Road 55.

Samuel said with the city’s approval, they can finalize design elements and engineering plans and begin building infrastructure. He believes the first phase could be delivered in aboutt 24 months. The entire development will be constructed over eight to 10 phases in a 10- to 15-year window, he said.

As phases are completed, they will be annexed to the city per the development agreement, section 8.2.

“As soon as a plat is approved, the city accepts the infrastructure, as well as the PID bond sale occurs, the closing of those bonds, that’s when the annexation step kicks in,” Samuel explained to the council. “There’s assurance on our side that the city council at that time would approve the sale of those bonds, and, of course, the assessments related to the PID, and you get the assurance that we annex that section or that phase into the city, given your taking over all the infrastructure. We are also releasing that section, that acreage of that platted phase, out of the freshwater supply district that currently exists, so it’s kind of a two- or three-step process there that’s all going to happen simultaneously.”

“The timing works out well because then we would be the ones issuing the permits, doing the inspections on the homes and, of course, as soon as residents are there, we’ll be serving them in the way of police and fire service,” Scott said. “It works out from a tax standpoint as well as service standpoint.”