The proposed Granite Springs Ranch development in Granite Shoals would be built on 912 acres and could include 400 estate-style home lots. The property, at 3501 CR 120 off Fairland Road, is now entirely within the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) after a boundary expansion approved on Oct. 17. It was previously partly inside and partly outside the ETJ.
City Attorney Joshua Katz said that being in the ETJ would be required for the city to annex the property or enter a development agreement governing how it is developed. The change also places the property under the city's subdivision ordinance. An ETJ is an unincorporated area outside city limits where a city has limited regulatory authority. Residents there cannot vote in city elections, do not pay city property taxes and generally do not receive direct city services.
City Manager Sarah Novo said developer Lone Star Land Partners has asked for an assessment of the city's ability to provide water to the project. Connecting to city water would require the developer to meet utility service requirements, which may include an agreement to extend water infrastructure. Novo said related items will go before the City Council for public input and consideration as the proposal advances.