Planning continues for proposed Mayfair mixed-use development
SouthStar Communities has been in talks with the city of New Braunfels since early 2020 to negotiate a development agreement.
The agreement would pave the way for work to begin on a proposed 1,880-acre project called Mayfair located north of Kohlenberg Road and bisected by I-35. SouthStar anticipates developing the land over the next 15-20 years and will incorporate residential, commercial and public space into the community.
“It’s really just been a partnership with the city of New Braunfels and working with them to understand not only their goals for the Envision [New Braunfels] Comprehensive Plan, but what are the issues in the city, what are they tackling today versus tomorrow?” SouthStar Communities CEO Thad Rutherford said.
Through the development agreement, the city would be able to impose development standards, ensure housing diversity, and implement walkability and connectivity standards in the community.
If council approves the development agreement, Rutherford said his team will work to establish a water improvement district, or WID. The WID would give officials the ability to enter the agreement to outline permitting and planning reviews.
On June 21, the planning commission recommended the city approve the establishment of the WID and development agreement.
Developers have entered into a cost-sharing agreement with New Braunfels Utilities to gain access to the utility services, Rutherford said, and NBU is expected to consider a utility agreement with the developer in August.
Rutherford said the first phase of the project will focus on the east side of I-35, and it will include commercial projects, several types of residential options and public outdoor space.
Developer kicks off Solms Landing project with 60 new homes
On April 1, Chupik Properties and Design broke ground on Farmhaus New Braunfels, the first of several housing projects planned for the 98-acre development called Solms Landing.
The Austin-based company has been developing communities in Central Texas for 20 years and is slated to bring 60 high-end, single-family homes to Solms Landing in the next three years.
Buyers will be able to choose among four layout options, said Randy Chupik, president and owner of Chupik Properties. The homes will not be custom builds, and Chupik estimates the properties will be priced in the mid- to high $400,000 range.
“You don’t have to pick all the little things that you might normally pick in a custom home,” Chupik said. “But they are a lot higher-end and more design-heavy than a production home, so we kind of fall in a niche in the middle.”
Ten homes are under construction, and Chupik estimates 15 will be completed by the end of 2021.
Due to fluctuating building costs, Chupik anticipates the company will not begin signing contracts with buyers until later this summer and will likely only release a few homes for bids as they are built.
“We are seeing pretty much all suppliers and contractors having to charge more,” Chupik said. “We are trying to keep our costs down to a range that we can deliver these houses in the range ... roughly where we thought they could be.”
