Megan Navarro
DRIPPING SPRINGS — After approval by Dripping Springs City Council at its Oct. 21 meeting, a new location of The PREP Schools is scheduled to be constructed in front of the Caliterra subdivision, making it the third location serving the Dripping Springs area, with the others at Nutty Brown Road and Headwaters.
“This would be our third location for the Dripping Springs area and one that would be designated to service this particular side of Dripping Springs, west of Canyonwood Drive,” said applicant Angie Mendenhall of MBARR Holdings LLC.
The PREP Schools’ — a private daycare and preschool serving ages 6-12 — mission is to educate each child as a unique individual, while providing them with a safe and secure learning environment that allows them to grow socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually for the next chapter in their lives, whether it’s private or public elementary school, stated its website.
According to Mendenhall, they have had meetings with the homeowners association and residents in Caliterra to answer questions that they have for the proposed location in the subdivision. The number one concern that has been brought to light is traffic; Mendenhall explained that there are two entrances and exits for parents to choose from.
“Coordinating with the developer of Caliterra, Mr. Greg Rich, we did address all those concerns with the residents to their liking with regards to Caliterra and will now have an additional opening in their back portion called The Ranch at Caliterra,” she said. “That, too, will open up, I believe, to Creek Road, is my understanding, so that gives an additional ingress and egress to the property within Caliterra.”
Other compliance measures that the applicants have taken include: 17.3% impervious cover; Dark Sky ordinance compliance; water retention and water quality pond on back of property for 80-foot buffer of privacy for residents; and drainage and stormwater conveyance per Caliterra Development Agreement (DA).
The currently vacant property — approximately 4.98 acres — is located within the Caliterra DA at 26025 Ranch Road 12 and was annexed into the city limits in May 2015 and automatically zoned as Agricultural (AG). The applicant requested council’s approval of a zoning map amendment to rezone the land from AG to General Retail with a Conditional Overlay (GR-CO).
As stated in Dripping Springs’ planning department staff report, the applicant intends to subdivide this parcel into two lots to construct The PREP School daycare on the southern half of the site. The zoning amendment would be consistent with the DA’s planned future land use for this site and a GR-CO would limit the land uses allowed on this site, prioritizing compatibility with neighboring residences and land uses.
The uses that the GR-CO are limited to include only the following:
Insurance agency offices
Offices, general/professional
Offices, health services
Offices, professional
Bakery or confectionery (retail)
Dance/drama/music studio or school
Financial services
Pet shop/supplies pharmacy
Veterinarian clinic (indoor kennels)
Day camp for children
Health club
Child daycare facility
Emergency care clinic
Medical clinic or office
School (public or private, including tutoring center)
The conditional overlay also includes a requirement of a minimum of 30-foot landscape buffer at the property line that backs up to the residential properties, explained senior planner Sarah Varvarigos.
“It looks like they have gone above and beyond what is required and what is proposed by this conditional use overlay, but it is something of added value as part of the zoning amendment request,” she said.
Council unanimously approved the ordinance to rezone the property from AG to GR-CO as recommended by city staff.
The applicants are expected to close on the property approximately Nov. 4. Construction for the school will take 12-15 months, Mendenhall said, with the goal to open for the 2027 school year.
Learn more about The PREP Schools at www.theprepschools.com.
