Plum Creek Kyle Texas
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Plum Creek Kyle, Texas Project Type: Residential Case No: C036013 Year: 2006 SUMMARY Plum Creek is a master-planned community located in Kyle, Texas, approximately 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Austin. Developed by Benchmark Land Development, it is the first large-scale community in the Austin metropolitan area built according to the principles of new urbanism. At buildout, the 2,200-acre (890-hectare) development will contain up to 8,700 homes, a mixed-use town center, employment districts, and a commuter rail station. FEATURES Master-Planned Community—Large Scale Transit-Oriented Development Pedestrian-Friendly Design Traditional Neighborhood Development Plum Creek Kyle, Texas Project Type: Residential Subcategory: Planned Communities Volume 36 Number 13 July–September 2006 Case Number: C036013 PROJECT TYPE Plum Creek is a master-planned community located in Kyle, Texas, approximately 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Austin. Developed by Benchmark Land Development, it is the first large-scale community in the Austin metropolitan area built according to the principles of new urbanism. At buildout, the 2,200-acre (890-hectare) development will contain up to 8,700 homes, a mixed-use town center, employment districts, and a commuter rail station. LOCATION Outer Suburban SITE SIZE 2,200 acres/890 hectares LAND USES Single-Family Detached Residential, Townhouses, Condominiums, Apartments, Neighborhood Retail Center, Schools, Golf Course, Open Space KEYWORDS/SPECIAL FEATURES Master-Planned Community—Large Scale Transit-Oriented Development Pedestrian-Friendly Design Traditional Neighborhood Development PROJECT WEB SITE www.plumcreektx.com DEVELOPER Benchmark Land Development, Inc. Austin, Texas 512-472-7455 www.benchmarktx.net LAND PLANNER TBG Partners, Inc. Austin, Texas 512-327-1011 www.tbg-inc.com ENGINEER Loomis Austin, Inc. Austin, Texas 512-327-1180 www.loomisaustin.com GENERAL DESCRIPTION Developed by Benchmark Land Development, Inc., Plum Creek is a 2,200-acre (890-hectare) master-planned community that will include 8,700 residential units, a mixed-use town center, and a commuter rail station when complete. Constructed according to the principles of new urbanism, it includes homes sited on narrow lots, garages accessed by rear alleys, sidewalks that emphasize pedestrian connectivity, a mix of uses, and strict design standards. The first residences at Plum Creek were built and sold in 1999. By the end of 2005, 1,200 of 2,000 dwellings in Phase I were sold, and that phase is expected to sell out by 2007 or 2008. The project features a variety of single-family houses and duplexes that range in price from $90,000 to $300,000. Phase I also includes two small villages with retail and various service uses, an 800-student elementary school, a daycare facility, and 300 acres (121 hectares) of open space, containing trails, a 30-acre (12.1-hectare) lake, and a 27-hole golf course. A commuter rail station is planned to open sometime between 2010 and 2012, which will be surrounded by an additional 1,000 multifamily housing units after it opens, for a total of 3,000 units in the first phase. Continuing the new urbanist precedent established in the first phase, the second phase will include 5,700 additional residences, with a much broader range of housing types: condominiums, apartments, and seniors’ housing, in addition to single-family homes. A mixed-use town center is proposed to occupy a 70-acre (28.3-hectare) site, to be anchored by the existing performing arts center, which opened in 2004 and is operated by the local school district. Full buildout of Plum Creek is scheduled to take 15 to 20 years. Benchmark Land Development has created a range of real estate products, predominantly in the Austin area. Property types include single-family homes, townhouses, and commercial development, as well as a planned high-rise condominium project in downtown Austin. SITE AND SURROUNDINGS The Plum Creek site is located at the northern end of the city of Kyle, a longtime ranching community that is experiencing rapid suburban growth. With around 5,000 residents in the 2000 census, Kyle has grown to nearly 25,000 in just six years, a result of its location along Interstate 35 between Austin and San Antonio, which is convenient for commuters. Kyle is located 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Austin and 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of San Antonio. The Plum Creek site lies approximately one mile (1.6 kilometers) west of Interstate 35, the main transportation corridor for the greater area. Despite its rapid growth, Kyle remains primarily a bedroom suburb of Austin and, to a lesser extent, of San Antonio. Plum Creek is bordered by several residential developments that have been built or are under construction to the east and south of the site, closer to the core of Kyle. FM (Farm to Market road) 2770 forms the western boundary of the site, and Kyle Crossing and the Union Pacific freight railroad tracks form the eastern edge. Currently a two-lane road, Kohler’s Crossing bisects the site from east to west and forms the approximate boundary between phases I and II of Plum Creek. A middle school and high school are located west of the site, near the intersection of FM 2770 and Kohler’s Crossing. The original city of Kyle has a small downtown area that lies approximately one mile (1.6 kilometers) to the south and can be accessed via FM 150. Land to the north and west of the site is primarily undeveloped. Plum Creek is being developed from south to north, following the annexation plan and availability of infrastructure as Kyle grows northward. The site, which has gently rolling topography, was primarily used for cattle grazing prior to development. Vegetation consisted mostly of grassland, with scattered stands of trees, particularly live oaks, many of which have been preserved as part of the site plan. An artificial lake created during the 1960s for flood control purposes (the site is the headwaters of Plum Creek) is used today as an open-space amenity for residents. The northern portion of the site is still used for ranching as it awaits development. Two original buildings on the site have been preserved and are now being reused. The house where the original property owner lived is the present-day golf course clubhouse, and a Sears and Roebuck kit home that was previously the ranch foreman’s residence was used as the original sales office and is now an insurance office. The main entrance to the site is on the southwestern side, along FM 2770 near the intersection of FM 150. Until 2006, accessing the site from southbound Interstate 35 from Austin was somewhat circuitous, involving backtracking along a two-lane road, then following two additional two-lane roads before reaching the main entrance to Plum Creek. Access to the site was greatly enhanced with the 2006 completion of FM 1626, a four-lane divided road that connects Plum Creek to an Interstate 35 interchange in a much more direct fashion. Benchmark contributed $2 million to the FM 1626 improvements, including a major separated grade overpass above the Union Pacific tracks, in order to speed its completion. The company has contributed over 20 acres (8.1 hectares) of right-of-way for the expansion of two former county roads that bisect and border the project, and it paid outright to widen FM 2770 to accommodate a center turn lane that improved direct access to Plum Creek. These improvements had been scheduled by either the city or the Texas Department of Transportation, but were completed much more quickly with financial assistance from Benchmark, which felt they were worth the expense. DEVELOPMENT, PLANNING, AND DESIGN The site has been owned continuously by the same ranching family for roughly 100 years. Because it was close to the growth corridor of Interstate 35 and to Austin, the family began searching for a development partner in the early 1990s. In 1997, a deal was negotiated wherein the land to be developed was purchased by the partnership (Plum Creek Development Partners, Ltd.), with the remainder of the land residing in family trust. During that same year, Benchmark also signed a development agreement with the city of Kyle. Under the partnership agreement, Benchmark Land Development is the general partner and the family acts as the limited partner. Benchmark buys parcels of land, as needed, from the family in 200-acre (81-hectare) increments, based on a formula that escalates the land price over time. The land is purchased with notes, which are held in the partnership. A revolving line of credit is used to finance infrastructure improvements related to each phase. The developer then sells lots to builders according to separately negotiated schedules, which pay back the infrastructure costs. Plum Creek’s community design and architecture are based on the principles of new urbanism. However, there were no major examples from which to draw inspiration in the Austin area. Therefore, after the development agreement was signed in 1997, Benchmark Land Development and the land planner (originally Bosse Compton and currently TBG-Partners, Inc.) made several trips to various new urbanist communities around the country looking for design ideas. Harbor Town in Memphis and, to a lesser extent, Kentlands in Gaithersburg, Maryland, influenced the design of Plum Creek. Key new urbanist principles employed at Plum Creek include the following: Sidewalks to provide pedestrian connections within the community. Rear alley access garages to avoid front-loaded garages, thereby creating a more pedestrian-friendly streetscape. Narrow streets to slow traffic and improve the pedestrian environment. Home designs that, due to strict guidelines, are intended to evoke the appearance of traditional homes found in central Austin. A variety of home styles, prices, and types to serve homebuyers of different incomes.