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BASTROP — Three developments cleared major hurdles at City Council last week, advancing plans that city leaders say will shape Bastrop’s growth for years to come.
The Valverde project received approval on its funding proposal, the retail-focused Burleson Crossing East secured road funding and the Ironwood Development—a master-planned community— got the green light for its infrastructure and partnership agreement with the city.
Ironwood
“This (Ironwood Development) agreement would be the first of its kind for our city,” City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino said. “In this agreement, our water, wastewater facilities, drainage, detention, roads and construction— these are all addressed. There is a lot we’ve worked into this agreement.”
The city approved the creation of a municipal utility district, a utility agreement and a development agreement with Ironwood Development for the property at Texas 304 and Lower Red Rock Road, owned by WB Bastrop Land LLC. Carrillo-Trevino said this agreement goes further than previous arrangements, with the developer committing to build all infrastructure and turn it over to the city.
The developer will also dedicate 1.5 acres for a public safety substation and preserve all existing trees at least 6 inches in diameter.
“Streets are important because those are typically transitioned and turned over to the city,” Carrillo-Trevino added. “But in the construction process, the streets go in first, and by the time all the concrete trucks come in to build houses, they’ve torn up the streets. We’ve agreed with the developer that when the subdivision reaches 80 percent buildout, they will come back and rebuild those roads as if they were new.”
The council also approved city wastewater service for the development and established Municipal Utility District No. 5, which allows the developer to incur debt for infrastructure and facility construction.
A separate utility agreement will further outline responsibilities for infrastructure costs, according to the council.
Reports said the 289acre community, located in Bastrop’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, will feature 74.5 acres of parkland and open space, 134 acres of single-family homes, 16 acres of mixed-use development and 44 acres of higher-density mixed-use space.
Valverde
In separate action, the council approved issuing $12.3 million in special assessment revenue bonds for the Valverde Public Improvement District.
Proceeds from the bonds will fund critical infrastructure, repaid through assessments on lots as they’re sold, according to the council.
The 410-acre Valverde project is located at FM 969 and Puerta Plata Drive, a newly created roadway that will eventually connect to FM 20.
At full buildout, plans show the development is expected to include 1,399 single-family homes and 250 townhomes.
Burleson
The council also approved a funding agreement with BEBD Frontage Road LLC for up to $600,000 in improvements to U.S. 71, supporting the new Burleson Crossing East retail development.
The funding will be provided through an interagency loan from the Bastrop Economic Development Corporation to the city, then granted to the development, according to the council.
Repayment is expected to come from additional tax revenue generated by the project, estimated to take about seven years, Carrillo-Trevino said.
According to city documents, the project is expected to create more than 300 jobs and generate more than $1.4 million in property and sales tax revenue once completed.
