HSB elder facility clears council hurdle

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

A new $40 million planned development that would include independent living and assisted living units is another step closer to becoming a reality after the Horseshoe Bay City Council voted Tuesday afternoon to grant rezoning and variance requests to the project developer, Mike Walsh of Lavaca Financial Corporation.

The Villages of Sienna Grove will be built on a 13.96-acre tract in The Parks at Horseshoe Bay off Ranch to Market Road 2147, not far from Texas 71 and across from Bay Country subdivision.

It will be comprised of three buildings — a three-story building of 71 independent living units, a two-story building of 46 assisted living units and a one-story building of 38 memory care units — in addition to up to 16 duplex “casitas.”

There is room for a future three-story building housing an additional 30 independent living units, bringing the total living area up to 170,829 square feet with 10,603 square feet of office and support space.

The building plans include several bistros and hair salons for residents, a restaurant, two wellness centers, a multipurpose theater room, gift shops, two pharmacies, a library, a pool with covered deck and other amenities.

The project is expected to take up to 18 months to complete after financing is in place, Walsh told the council at Tuesday's meeting, adding he hopes to raise capital from local investors.

The ordinance approved by the council allows the property to be rezoned from C2 Commercial to MU-C2-RPD, or Mixed Use Commercial Residential Planned Development. It also grants variances to the sizes of the buildings from the maximum allowed by city ordinance of 30,000 square feet. All three of the buildings proposed will be larger than 36,000 square feet with the biggest being 102,474 square feet.

Another variance allows for a 45-foot building height, instead of 35 feet, to accommodate a sloped roof and a third permits mixing residential uses and commercial uses on the property.

City of Horseshoe Bay development services director Eric Winter said the city's Planning & Zoning Commission held two public hearings on the project on May 2 and June 27 and recommended approval with some changes the developer has made in the proposal. He also said city staff was recommending approval of the project.

There have been objections to the project by Bay Country resident Becky Collins, whose property across RM 2147 includes a barn, horse paddocks and a riding arena. In an email to city officials, Collins expressed concerns over the size of the buildings in the development as well as its proximity to her arena entrance. However, Collins did not speak up at Tuesday's meeting.

Another Bay Country resident, Diane Akers, said Tuesday she believes the project is “a great idea and it looks like something that would be great for this community,” but she questioned what would be done to provide a sound buffer. She was told a raised berm would be installed along Ranch to Market Road 2147, similar to one at Cimarron Hills subdivision in Georgetown.

Horseshoe Bay Mayor Steve Jordan said comments he has received show “residents seem to be very eager to have this project on board and I know that Mike and his group will do what is conscientious to protect the residents in Bay Country.”

Council members voted 4-0 to approve the project with Mayor Pro Tem Craig Haydon and council members Cynthia Clinesmith, Kent Graham and Reagan Lambert voting in favor of it. Council member Jerry Gray was absent due to personal business.

In other action Tuesday, the council voted 4-0 to:

* Approve an ordinance allowing the use of stucco patterned cement board in addition to masonry and stone for skirting of manufactured homes in Zone 3;

* Approve an emergency backup water interconnection and supply agreement with the city of Cottonwood Shores.

* Approve a tower rental lease agreement with the City of Cottonwood Shores for placement of the City of Horseshoe Bay's automated meter reading data collector.