The 2,568.38 acres that make up the master-planned community along Sam Rayburn Tollway and its 18,000-plus residents are now a part of Lewisville.
The land was originally purchased by former Dallas Cowboys owner H.R. “Bum” Bright in 1952 as a family farm. His sons, Chris and Clay, began planning the community in 1982, according to a news release. The partnership between the city of Lewisville and developer Bright Realty was approved in 1996. The first residents of Castle Hills moved in two years later.
Officials gathered for a private ceremony on Nov. 15 at the Clay Bright Memorial Plaza at The Realm at Castle Hills. A family-friendly annexation celebration for the public is scheduled for noon-2 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Queen Margaret Community Center Park at 2501 Queen Margaret Drive in Lewisville.
During the Nov. 15 City Council meeting, members voted 5-0 to update the city’s boundaries to include Castle Hills.
Council members also approved the issuance of up to $140 million in general obligation refunding bonds. The sale of those bonds will allow the city to take over the remaining debt from the Denton County Fresh Water Supply Districts. Those districts paid for the infrastructure improvements in Castle Hills as it developed.
The city of Lewisville will repay that debt using revenue from the additional $3 billion in property tax value that Castle Hills brings to the city with its annexation.
As part of the annexation, Lewisville will also add a sixth City Council member and create residential districts for its council members to improve representation, according to the city. The new council seat will be on the May 2022 ballot.
Lewisville City Manager Donna Barron said completing the annexation was a monumental task that took a lot of teamwork.
“It will have huge impacts on the city of Lewisville for many years to come,” Barron said.
