Dripping Springs wants to continue its growth model with a mixed-use property that will potentially be the home for new residential and retail facilities.
Blue Blazes, a 35-acre tract of land off of U.S. Highway 290, was annexed by the city on Jan. 17, 2017 and will potentially include a hotel, single-family homes and retail and commercial space.
At the development’s current state, roads and utility lines are paved, giving residents and business owners the opportunity to drive through the property.
Scott Deskins, an associate at Stream Realty Partners who is working on the project, said the company is currently speaking with prospects interested in developing in the area.
The appeal of the property is the ability to develop not only commercial spaces, but housing needs that will be assessed as the project grows, Deskins said.
“There is flexibility to develop how we want with the property,” Deskins said. “Dripping Springs is on fire with its growth and it’s a well timed project that will capitalize on these new trends.”
The city of Dripping Springs will require site development plans be submitted to the city for administrative approval before developers can start construction.
Once the plans are in, the city will assess the permitting needs of the property, specifically in regards to water and wastewater facilities.
If there is a need for 5,000 gallons of irrigation per day or less of water, the city can permit that for the development, said Ginger Faught, deputy city administrator for the City of Dripping Springs. If there were a need for more than 5,000 gallons of irrigation per day, that permit would have to come from the Texas Department of Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
For wastewater, the developers opted to install septic systems, so there is no connection to the city’s wastewater facilities.
“The property was annexed by the city and they’ve only developed the internal improvements and utilities,” Faught said. “This was an agreement made with the city and site development plans will have to be submitted before further development.”
A five-acre plot of land on the property will likely accommodate a hotel while the front lots facing Hwy. 290 will see retail businesses, Deskins said. The residential space could include condos or single-family lots, but that is still in preliminary discussion, he said.
“We’re extremely excited about what we’re going to be doing here,” Deskins said. “This is something that this market desperately needs and we are looking at what our potential users want to get out of this development.”
