A new, 318-acre development for Bunton Lane was brought before the Kyle City Council on Sep. 21. Hunter Floyd, director of design and development for Rastegar Property Management, and Rebecca Leonard, CEO and founder of Lionheart Places LLC, presented their plans and renderings for the plot of land they hope will provide better walkability, access to outdoor trails and parks, and different types of housing.
The plot of land sits north of Waterleaf Park at 700 and 800 Bunton Lane. Floyd said they purchased the land in 2019 and have been working slowly to ensure it is planned out right.
“We set out to really create kind of a new identity and a point of pride in east Kyle that respects the past but has a nod to the future,” he said.
The majority of the acreage will go toward building new housing for current and future residents. From traditional single-family homes to townhouses to apartments, the team said it wants to ensure there is a diverse demographic within the community.
“No matter whether you are young and just starting out, you’re a senior and you need to downsize, or you’re in the thick of raising your family, there’s a housing product here for you,” Leonard said.
A smaller portion of the land will go toward a town center development that will feature retail shops, restaurants, communal outdoor spaces, an event pavilion and more.
Additionally, an 11-acre portion of the land has been set aside for a new elementary school. Leonard mentioned the team has been working with an area school district for months to ensure the proposed site is the right size and in an appropriate location for the area.
While the council expressed appreciation and excitement for the project—from preserving some of the city’s history to providing some much needed resources to the residents in the area—they also expressed concerns over what effects it will have.
Council Member Yvonne Flores-Cale raised her concerns regarding how the new elementary school will be funded given that the city held a bond election in November 2020 for land acquisition for parks. According to Floyd, there will be another bond election in the next year to provide the funding for the school.
Additionally, council members Robert Rizo and Michael Tobias raised concerns regarding the roads and traffic in that part of the city. Rizo mentioned potential flooding could pose a problem if residents need to evacuate. Tobias, who said he lives in the area, attested to the amount of traffic that backs up on the nearby roads daily.
However, Mayor Travis Mitchell tried to ease their concerns with the chicken and the egg argument, saying that while many do not want developments in a new area until roads have been built to accommodate it, funding is needed to build said roads.
“I’ve always been of the opinion that when it comes to infrastructure projects and road projects, in particular, that when a development is coming, it needs to provide a pretty significant contribution toward helping with that road,” Mitchell said.
The council will continue to provide feedback to the team and will hold another reading and public hearing for this project in the coming weeks.
