By Camelia Juarez
Dripping Springs city leaders are contemplating proposals from a handful of developers who could provide for a trail, turn a private park into a public park and provide cash for future parks improvements. On Tuesday, the Dripping Springs City Council was slated to take up agreements with the Driftwood Golf and Ranch Club, the Grotto and Bunker Ranch housing developments.
Jason Lutz, Dripping Springs Planning Director, said developers could surpass a city requirement of contributing an acre of parkland for every 25 single family homes built for public use by offering cash-in-lieu to keep property private.
Developers could surpass a city requirement of contributing an acre of parkland for every 25 single family homes built for public use by offering cash-in-lieu to keep property private.
The Driftwood Golf and Ranch Club, located along FM 967 in Dripping Springs’ Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) will provide a $49,152.41 cash-in-lieu payment because they are planning a private golf course.
“We will use those funds for improvements at Ranch Sports park, Sportsplex park or Founders park. Just a way of ensuring we have enough parkland for the community,” Lutz said.
Bunker Ranch, located on the northwest side of Dripping Springs off of US 290, will provide a walking trail for students to get to school.
The city made a deal with developers to use their required parkland as a trail, instead of contributing it as a public park.
“We have a trail on an adjacent property that helps kids get to school. The city decided connecting the adjacent trail to Bunker Ranch would be more beneficial to students’ safety,” Lutz said.
The Grotto, also located on the northwest side of Dripping Springs, has a private drive off US 290.
Developers chose to make their private park into a public park, which will include an open space, dog park and trails for pedestrians. The existing private drive will undergo improvements to allow emergency officials to access the park.
“Since their property is hidden and behind commercial property, they needed to provide an easement for folks to walk down that private drive and visit that park,” Lutz said.
City leaders planned to take the item up for a vote Aug. 20.
