Huge Development Approved Just Outside of Round Top

Fayette County Commissioners approved a preliminary plat for a huge new residential development in Precinct 2 just outside the Town of Round Top.

Commissioners Court reviewed the preliminary plat at their meeting last Thursday, June 13.

The Townsend Reserves at Round Top is a planned subdivision from developer Terry Ward of approximately 100 acres. According to the preliminary plat, there would be 27 residential lots in the subdivision. The lots would range in size from just over two acres, the minimum size allowed by County regulations, to 7.319 acres.

The subdivision would include two new roads built to County specifications. The subdivision lies adjacent to the Round Top town limits along Kneip Rd. Rocky Creek borders the southeastern side of the development. All of the lots would be served by individual water wells and individual septic systems.

“It’s huge,” said Pct. 2 Commissioner Luke Sternadel.

County Inspector Clint Sternadel said the plat meets all meets all County specifications with one exception. One of the lots did not meet the County’s new rule regarding minimum road frontage of 170 feet.

Commissioners implemented that rule back in April following some public opposition to the Schwenke Acres subdivision in Precinct 4 near High Hill. The rule was intended to limit the density of residential lots in newlydeveloped subdivisions in the rural areas of the County.

Clint Sternadel said the Townsend Reserve lot in question has only 145.56 feet of road frontage.

“But that’s almost a threeacre lot that expands to the rear,” he said. “It’s under the 170 foot minimum that we approved. But if you would like to see that addressed, this is the time we would let them know to tweak that lot size. The conversation when we talked about the 170 foot (minimum) was to allow adequate installation of utilities, water well and septic. Even though the frontage of this lot doesn’t meet that, the way it expands back, I think it’s appropriate. If you want to see 170 feet of frontage, at this time I can let them know that.”

County Judge Dan Mueller asked for Clint Sternadel’s recommendation.

“The lot is almost three acres, so a little over our bare minimum of two,” he said. “The discussion of that was to facilitate utilities. The rear boundaries of the lot are 262 and 210 feet. There’s no floodplain on the lot. I wouldn’t see any installation of a well or septic.”

Commissioners unanimously approved the preliminary plat.

Coincidentally, Commissioners also granted final approval for the SchwenkeAcres subdivision at their meeting last Thursday. The property is located at the northeast corner of Falke Heinrich Rd. and FM 956.

Originally, developer Ryan Pope wanted to split the 44.3 acre property into 15 new tracts ranging in size from 2.5 to three acres. After the County implemented the 170 foot rule, Pope redesigned the lot sizes to conform with the new regulation. The development now includes 13 lots ranging in size from 2.86 acres to 3.62 acres. Commissioners unanimously approved it.

Also on Thursday, Commissioners approved the final plat for the Round Top Reserve subdivision, another large development just outside the Round Top town limits. The 44.75 acre development includes 20 tracts of approximately two acres each. The property is located to the north of Round Top-Carmine Elementary School. It will include one new public road to be built to County specifications. Commissioners unanimously approved the final plat.