Huge neighborhood possible for Solana Ranch, long source of development rumors
Social media speculation once tied Disney to this project but there's no sign of entertainment behemoth's involvement
By Justin Sayers – Staff Writer, Austin Business Journal
Apr 10, 2023
https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/...x_testVariant=cx_21&cx_artPos=0#cxrecs_s
A massive hunting ranch north of Austin that for years has been the source of development rumors appears to finally be headed toward transformation into a large neighborhood.
The Williamson County Commissioners Court on April 11 will consider a consent and development agreement with Arizona-based DMB Development LLC for more than 7,000 acres straddling the line with Bell County, according to meeting documents.
The proposed agreement between the county and DMB notes that it's under contract to buy roughly 7,088 acres and "intends that the land will be developed in phases as a master-planned residential community that will include park and residential communities."
A preliminary map attached to the documents ties the parcels to Solana Ranch, described online as a 9,000-acre "cattle and wildlife ranch that stretches more than 13 miles over the Central Texas Hill Country." It's located near Salado, which is along the I-35 corridor between Georgetown and Temple.
Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell said the community — which would be about one-third in his county and two-thirds in Bell County — could have 12,000 to 14,000 homes but that he could not share any additional details about the project.
"We are always interested in a great corporate partner coming here to build," Gravell said. "I'm pretty excited about it. It's putting another really good product on the ground in the northern part of the county. Perhaps in another part of the county that would never be built or developed."
The agreement also notes that DMB has proposed creating Solana Municipal Utility District No. 1 — a district that would need approval from the state legislature and could be used to finance infrastructure and facilities on the land. Austin Business Journal could not immediately find a proposal for the district in the 88th Texas Legislature.
Not much else is known about the project at this time. No deed transactions regarding the Solana Ranch land are listed in either Bell or Williamson counties. But the developer earlier this year incorporated in Texas a company called "DMB/SWVP SOLANA LLC," online records show.
The owners of Solana Ranch, who have held the land for more than half a century, did not reply to requests for comment. Neither did DMB nor Williamson County officials.
Grace Matlock, interim city manager of Jarrell, told ABJ that the development is in her city's extraterritorial jurisdiction and that its only involvement has been signing a non-conflict letter in support of the creation of the MUD.
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