Affordable Housing Resolution adopted

Dripping Springs City Council passed a resolution of support for a proposed low-income housing concept property on Ranch Road 12 at its Feb. 19 meeting. All city council members were in attendance, and the resolution was passed unanimously.

The proposed development, called Ranch Court Apartments, would go up just south of the intersection of Ranch Road 12 and Highway 290, near the Dripping Springs Presbyterian Church.

The resolution supports the application of low-income housing tax credits from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs by the developer, JMZ Land Co. If the tax credits are awarded, the developer would still have to return to the city to obtain proper zoning. 

Mayor Pro Tem Bill Foulds expressed concern about the council being able to control the development, should changes be made later not to the city’s liking. “Our zoning is our big hammer. If we don’t give the zoning, we can stop it. We’re not forced to approve it later,” Foulds said at the meeting.

The concept applied to the rentals would be that 24 apartments would be rented at market rate, while 36 units would be rented at below market rates based on the household income of the renters. The estimated lowered rents were projected at between $470 to $1200 depending on number of bedrooms. Market rate rentals were estimated at between $1426 and $1600.

A tentative time table would have construction beginning in early 2020.