Highlands at Mayfield Ranch Development
Whitetail Neighborhood Meeting with Developer of "The Highlands at Mayfield Ranch"
Tuesday, 12/9/03 at 6:00 p.m.
Attendees:
Approximately 15 residents of Whitetail
Two representatives from Blake McGee Co. (Developer)
One representative from Lennar Homes
The meeting lasted approximately 2 hours and topics of discussion are summarized below:
Roads / Traffic:
The developer indicated that opening up Whitetail is the best logical choice (most cost effective) they have at this time. They also indicated that they do not have sole responsibility to improve the roads through Whitetail to accommodate the extra traffic. The roads belong to the county. The developer also said that Whitetail Dr. would not be used as a construction entrance in the early stages; however, as the subdivision nears Whitetail Dr. they probably could not keep it from happening. Other concerns voiced by Whitetail residents included increased school bus and truck traffic. The subdivision is in the Georgetown School District and the bus routes will more than likely come through the roads of Whitetail.
Water:
No decision has been made at this time regarding the water source or the route the water lines will go. The developer indicated they could bring the water line through their own property rather than going through Whitetail. This would be a more cost effective solution for the developer; however they are working with the city of Georgetown to discuss all possibilities. It was also interesting to hear that the developer had not heard about any of the cost obligations they have if the water lines are routed through Whitetail. At the last neighborhood meeting in November, the Assistant City Manager for Utilities Jim Briggs outlined 3 cost scenarios to bring in water through Whitetail. The developer was not aware of any of this. The water issue seems to be a long way from resolution.
Buffer / Greenbelt :
A buffer or greenbelt for land directly adjoining Whitetail property lines was encouraged by several residents of Whitetail (as well as the RR Planning Commission during a public hearing held 10/29/03 ), however the developer discourages the buffer because of upkeep, or lack of upkeep. They indicated that a buffer or greenbelt will only encourage an un-kept "dumping ground" and would probably not maintain the natural setting that we have envisioned. The developer's solution to this was to add 5' of depth to the lots directly adjoining Whitetail property. Some residents of Whitetail think a greenbelt or buffer is necessary to maintain our country setting.
Single Story Homes vs. 2 Story Homes :
This discussion was in relation to the lot's / property directly adjoining Whitetail properties. We asked the developer to consider building only 1 story homes on the property adjoining Whitetail in order to minimize the impact of a "subdivision atmosphere" and hopefully preserve some of the privacy and "country setting" that we currently enjoy. The developer was receptive to this suggestion.
Fencing Material:
This subject was brought up by the developer. They asked for our input on the type of fence / fence material that we would like them to consider using on the property lines that divide Whitetail from the subdivision. The representative from Lennar Homes indicated that most fences will be 6' wood privacy fences. The question is who will be responsible for upkeep of the adjoining privacy fences when they start to deteriorate? This is where we need input from the residents of Whitetail.
Larger Lot Sizes:
The current concept plan includes lot sizes that are 63' wide. Some Whitetail residents asked the developer to consider larger lot sizes for land adjoining Whitetail properties.
Timeline for Development:
The developer indicated that once the plan has been approved, it will probably be 4 5 years before the subdivision reaches Whitetail property lines. Currently, the developer has a contract on the ranch with an option period through Q3 of next year.
Misc.:
The development plan for the subdivision includes amenities such as a swimming pool and play area for the residents of Mayfield Ranch.
There is discussion around the possibility of building a school within the development however, it is too premature to know the type of school or the location.
The developer plans to go before the Round Rock Planning Commission at the next public hearing in mid-January for "Concept Plan Approval". Residents of Whitetail are encouraged to attend.