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Golf club development near Salt Lick approved

Reclaimed water agreement part of deal

The Dripping Springs City Council approved a development agreement between the City of Dripping Springs and Driftwood 522, LLC, Driftwood Golf Club Development, Inc., at their Jan. 8 meeting.

The name of the project is Driftwood Golf and Ranch Club. The property is comprised of 522.636 acres of land located southeast of intersection FM1826 and FM 967, and west of Brangus Rd.

It is part of the “Driftwood Development” entity, which is comprised of two parcels amounting to over 1000 acres: the “Creek Tract” and the “Ranch Tract.” City Council approved water agreements for both tracts at the same meeting.

“Scott Roberts [owner of the Salt Lick] and the Discovery team approached the City early on about the proposed development and the use of the City’s treated effluent for irrigation,” Dripping Springs Mayor Pro Temp Bill Foulds said. “The irrigation of the golf course component of this project could have easily been accomplished through the use of ground water or potable water.  Mr. Roberts knew the issues the city was facing with future expansion of our wastewater treatment plant and immediately saw a ‘win-win’ for all parties involved.  This project will help the City achieve our goal 100% beneficial reuse of our treated effluent and conservation of water resources.”

Specifically, a Reclaimed Water Agreement was approved between the City of Dripping Springs, Driftwood Conservation District, and Driftwood Austin, LLC, and in regard to reclaimed water use for the Driftwood Development.

A Retail Water and Wastewater Services Agreement was also approved between the City of Dripping Springs, Driftwood Conservation District, Driftwood DLC Austin I, LLC, Driftwood Austin II, LLC, Scott Roberts, Driftwood Equities, LTD, Maile Development Company, Inc., and Driftwood 522, LLC. This agreement includes the construction and installation of water and wastewater improvements.

Centralized water service for the residential portion of the Project and for potable use in the commercial portions of the Project is to be provided on a retail basis by the City through its wholesale water agreement with West Travis County Public Utility Agency (WTCPUA). Groundwater may be used for irrigation of Open Space areas (including the golf course) prior to the availability of Reclaimed Water, and for makeup water for water quality wet ponds. Reclaimed Water from the City shall, upon availability, can be used for any purpose.

“The golf course will be irrigated by treated effluent from the City’s South Regional Waste Water Plant. This Agreement also states that the developer is responsible for building (or reimbursing the City) for a 15 million gallon treated effluent holding pond. The location of the pond is TBD [to be determined],” Deputy City Administrator Ginger Faught said.

There are 228 acres of Open Space in the conceptual plan for the Driftwood Golf and Ranch Club, which includes a private golf course, greenbelts, and agricultural/landscaped areas with irrigation. The owner (developer) may use potable water and/or groundwater for golf course construction and irrigation purposes in addition to other Open Space areas and landscaped areas.

No new wells will be drilled for the project.

The property is intended for a master-planned mixed-use community that will provide 150 residential lots, multi-family units, and commercial and recreational amenities.

Allowable commercial uses shall include resort, lodge, spa, restaurant, food processing, entertainment, dinner theater, convenience store, small grocery, gas sales, helipad, offices, salon, bakery, clothing, art galleries, antique sales, artisan studios, winery, microbrewery and distillery, on-site sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages, liquor store, garden center, nursery, compost production and any other use included in the City's General Retail (GR) zoning category.

The Impervious Cover agreement is to a maximum of 15% of the property. It is subject to the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) components of City land use regulations including lighting, building, signs, and landscaping.

Vice President of Development for the Driftwood Golf and Ranch Club Don Bosse told the council, “Sports fields will be part of the club amenities, but we plan to follow the designated city Dark Skies regulations, without lighted fields at night.”

Bosse also told City Council that the project will be “turning dirt” on the golf course component between February and April 2019. The course received its permit in July 2018.

However, a preliminary Plat and Construction Plan has yet to be approved by the DS City Council. This step must be taken, along with public hearings, prior to the construction of internal infrastructure and streets.  

As background on the development, Faught said that Roberts and Bosse have been friends for over 30 years and that Bosse prepared the master plan for Roberts’ Onion Creek property development in 2007.

In February 2018, the Driftwood Golf Club Development, Inc. purchased approximately 300 acres from Roberts to develop single family homesites and amenities. Roberts retained the 50 acres of vineyards and commercial frontage along FM 1826 located around the now-famous BBQ pit, The Salt Lick, his father and mother built in 1967. His father, Thurman Roberts, Sr. who was born on this family-owned ranch land, died in 1981, and then his Hawaiian mother, Hisako Roberts, passed control of the business on to their son, Scott Roberts, in 1985. She died in 2018 at age 104. In the early days, it was a very long drive out into the country to find this lonesome eatery.

Dripping Springs Century-News

P.O. Box 732
Dripping Springs, Texas 78620

Phone: (512) 858-4163
Fax: (512) 847-9054