Developer Frank Bonilla will develop a 15.2-acre tract of land off Solana Boulevard, between Cortes Drive and Campus Circle. The property was formerly known as the CoreLogic property.
The development is within the Entrada area of Westlake, but the proposed houses will look more like The Knolls at Solana, according to Bonilla.
What to expect
The minimum house size will be 3,600 square feet with an estimated pricing between $2.4 million and $4.5 million, according to city documents. Houses will be one or two stories and will have two-to-four-car garages and a security system at the gate that is unique, according to council member Tim Shiner.
"My background is security, and this thing is a unicorn; it's Coca-Cola, and there is no Pepsi," he said. "It has real security. It's like the Bellagio neighborhood. When someone comes to see you, they're going to have to present an ID, and then with the ID, you have ABC 123 license plate. I think it's real security versus a code that can be passed around."
Other parts of the development mentioned include:
- Residents with children can choose between Carroll ISD or Westlake Academy.
- There will be a dog park in the development.
- A water feature will also be constructed.
- Guest parking will need to be resolved before a final plan is approved.
Bonilla says he owns 15.2 acres of land, and CoreLogic is the owner of the remaining 6 acres near this development. He said he expects to get a final plat presented to the council by May and would like to release 17 of the 51 lots to start the building process as soon as possible.
Bonilla voiced frustration in the process since he submitted the plans in March 2023 and it took more than a year to be approved. He also asked why he had to put down a $500,000 bond for the project and said he learned other developers didn't have to do that.
City Manager Wade Carroll said that the bond was to return the ground to the original state if required, and it was a protection measure for the town in case the property isn't developed.
What else?
Bonilla provided information on the economic impact of the development. At an average price of $3.2 million, that would generate $293,000 in property taxes for the city, and then each of the houses will have a $10,000 fee for Westlake Academy—which would be more than $500,000 for the town-run school.
What they're saying
"We have Entrada that has taken over a decade," Shiner said. "Some people say it's because of the town and bureaucracy. Some people say it's building standards. Some people say it's a poor plan. I'm just simply saying that we can do better. You've got to be more builder-friendly. This it's not like we're building entry-level stuff. We're building quality stuff, and you can't get a CO [certificate of occupancy] unless things are done right."
