More approvals for Thomas Ranch
The finger of Thomas Ranch Managing Director Joe Rentfro points to a portion of his massive development project that just received final plat approval from the Burnet County Commissioners Court. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
Three more parcels of Thomas Ranch, a 3,500-home Spicewood development, were given final plat approval by the Burnet County Commissioners Court on Tuesday, May 12. The new approvals add 399 lots and 137 acres of platted land to the subdivision.
Thomas Ranch lies on the Burnet County-Travis County line along Texas 71, with 700-800 homes planned for the Burnet County side and the remaining 2,700-2,800 homes falling in Travis County. These recent approvals are just the latest in the development’s plans, which include a host of amenities and projects meant to serve thousands of expected residents.
The approved parcels are all part of a subsection of the greater 2,200-acre Thomas Ranch development, called Thomas Ranch Northwest. According to Thomas Ranch Managing Director Joe Rentfro, construction should begin on these lots by June.
“We’re working to bring the three phases that were platted today to life as soon as possible,” he told DailyTrib.
Rentfro went on to share the overall vision for the Thomas Ranch development, which includes over 500,000 square feet of retail space.
“In what we’re trying to do here, this will be destination retail,” he said. “This will be kind of a regional hub that will catch the traffic emanating out of Travis County and all the way south of the (Colorado River), South of Marble Falls.”
Plans also include at least one school. If a school was brought to the development, it would fall within the Marble Falls Independent School District, but he said that it has not yet been determined whether it would be a public or private institution.
Beyond half-a-million square feet of retail space and a new school, the development could have its own downtown district, miles of hiking trails, a resort, medical centers, a sports complex, and more.
The entire development will get its water from a 1,603 acre-foot firm water contract with the Lower Colorado River Authority. One water treatment plant and two wastewater treatment plants will serve the entirety of Thomas Ranch.
The Areté Collective project is described as a luxury, master-planned community with preservation in mind. Along with thousands of homes, it will also have over 40 miles of trails, 2 miles of river frontage, and 1,200 acres of “preserved and improved open space.”