The Austin Chapter of the Community Associations Institute awarded Crystal Falls in Leander the Neighborhood Beautification Award for mid-size communities.

The CAI presented awards in eight areas of excellence at the Dec. 9 gala. The award recognizes Crystal Falls as the best of the best in local communities for commitment to the beautification and aesthetic appearance.

Bill Hinckley, president of The Lookout Group, Inc. and developer of Crystal Falls, said he was pleased to receive the award.

"It is the culmination of years of striving to artfully employ native Texas Hill Country plants and natural limestone monuments from our abandoned quarry to enhance the magnificent natural beauty of this community," he said. "Using these materials not only creates a sense of place but recognizes the toil of those who worked for decades in the Whitestone Quarry."

Crystal Falls is the largest master planned community in northwest Austin with over 5,000 acres in five sections: The Boulders, Cap Rock, Grand Mesa, The Highlands and The Fairways. Properties range from 60-foot lots to 5 acres with houses anywhere from 2,000 square feet to 10,000 square feet.