By Sahar Chmais
As Buda continues to be a high-demand destination for people to move into, it has been attracting more developers. The newest addition could be The Reserve, an extension to the undeveloped Colony at Cole Springs.
In the original proposal, the builders for Colony at Cole Springs said they would bring 501 homes to the development and were not planning to expand. That changed. On Tuesday night, Meritage Homes sent a representative to present an adjacent development of 300 homes, to Buda City Council. The Reserve homes will sit on 109 acres of land with 55-foot lots, to the west of the Colony at Cole Springs.
Council members were skeptical and had many questions during the workshop; most importantly, they raised eyebrows at how this subdivision will affect traffic.
A new Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) is on its way to give a better idea than the last TIA from the Colony at Cole Springs proposal.
The developers said they will do more road improvements in addition to the bridge, which would connect to Jack C Hays Road. They will also add 29 acres of parkland, expand the amenities center and the pool space.
The proposed improvements include re-aligning Cole Springs Road for safety and efficiency and adding two new north-south connectors to Old Black Colony Road and to the beginning of the Collector Road.
Members worry that creating more connectors to Old Black Colony Road will not improve traffic, but only adds more choke points.
Another concern that Councilman Paul Daugereau and Mayor Pro-Tem Evan Ture shared is the size of the lots. They said it would be better for Buda to have bigger lots that sit on half-acres of land, as the city has a need for that size.
Plans for The Reserve are still at their preliminary stages as the developer seeks more guidance from the city. More workshops and ideas will be brought in front of the city council before they can choose to annex the project.
