Dripping Springs council hears larger Ranch Court PDD proposal; members press developer on wastewater, traffic and road connections

Developers seeking to annex and rezone roughly 20 acres near 26700 Ranch Road 12 presented a revised Planned Development District (PDD) concept to the Dripping Springs City Council on Nov. 18 that would add commercial space and about 300–312 multifamily units and dedicate right of way for future road expansion.

Abby Gilfillan of Lionheart Places, representing the developer ATX Capital, outlined the concept and said the team has limited building heights near Village Grove Road, proposed tree‑preservation areas and intends to use reclaimed water for irrigation. "We are on the reclaimed waterline," Gilfillan said, highlighting that irrigation would use that supply. The plan shows two commercial buildings along Village Grove and a cluster of residential buildings—three four‑story structures in the middle of the site tapering to three stories to the south.

The presentation included traffic and connectivity proposals. Jorge Kanavati of ATX Capital said the developer is not rushing construction but hopes to begin as early as 2027 with first deliveries in 2028 if approvals and infrastructure align. "We're not necessarily in a big rush," Kanavati said, adding the team acquired additional acreage since an earlier submittal and has incorporated staff feedback.

Council members pressed for clarity on utilities and access. Several council members and staff said the city does not have the wastewater capacity committed to support the project’s full build‑out now; city staff said an amendment and expansion to the existing TLAP permit would be required. Councilmember (speaker who asked) asked directly whether the current expansion would serve the development, and staff responded it would require an additional permit and expansion.

Traffic concerns drew sustained attention. Mayor (speaking as council lead) warned that the project’s benefits hinged on extending Rob Shelton Road south to Butler Ranch Road. "Rob Shelton Road is going to need to go to Butler Ranch Road, or I'll never be able to get on board with it," a council member said, offering to help facilitate right‑of‑way acquisition from a nearby church.

Staff and the applicant said a traffic impact analysis (TIA) has been submitted and that further modeling and staff comments will frame the next steps. Planning staff noted that the draft comp plan currently shows low‑density residential for part of the area and that a concurrent future land‑use map amendment would be necessary if the PDD moves forward.

Council members also compared the proposal’s density to nearby PDD 11 (the "local" PDD), noting PDD 11 allowed about 200 units (roughly 23.3 units per acre including right‑of‑way), while staff estimated the Ranch Court gross units per acre at about 15.6 when commercial and right‑of‑way are included. Several council members said they remained unconvinced about the scale or appropriateness until staff comments, TIA findings and wastewater permitting are clearer.

Next steps described by staff include a resubmittal that addresses staff comments, further coordination on the TIA and potential review by a development agreement working group. No formal vote or appointments related to the PDD were taken at this meeting; council members signaled they would review the applicant’s next submittal before appointing working group members or assigning negotiation authority.

The developer team and city staff identified areas for follow‑up: clarification of wastewater capacity and permit path, a completed traffic impact analysis and more precise building height/massing details. Council members asked the applicant to engage nearby property owners and neighborhood stakeholders before returning to council.