From the
Herald-Zeitung;
"First phase of Town Creek to start this year
By Gerard MacCrossan
Published September 3, 2008
Site work on phase one of the Town Creek development should have progressed far enough by December to start building work.
Developers Trace Jurica and David Wolthers said Tuesday that the initial phase of the project has been slightly delayed by recent rain, but work on several types of buildings — both residential and mixed use — is slated to begin by December.
“Right now, we’re working on streets and utilities for phase one — mostly houses, town houses, and live-work arrangements,” Jurica said.
Utilizing new urbanism development principals, Town Creek is planning to mix different residential options and commercial development in the same neighborhood.
The initial 16 acres has space for 45 residential lots and a hike and bike trail along Dry Comal Creek.
According to Jurica, two builders — Plum Creek Homes of Kyle and Jurica builders, operated by Trace’s brother and father — will build in the first phase of Town Creek.
The developers envision building out Town Creek — located in an open tract bordered by Walnut Street, the Union Pacific train tracks and the Dry Comal Creek — and connecting it to downtown with a bridge to Academy Street. The bridge plan has drawn opposition, particularly from Academy residents who fear it would open up their street as a thoroughfare to Interstate 35. The City Council recently dropped Academy from the thoroughfare plan, and the Town Creek developers have said they want a narrow bridge that will provide access from their development but won’t be conducive to other traffic.
“What we keep hearing over and over is it’s all about the bridge,” Jurica said. “That’s something we feel strongly about as well as other people. We think there’s a way to proceed.”
Wolthers said the Town Creek development is planned for several phases that will take time to build and the project isn’t being rushed.
“The project will be developed in small increments over the next six to eight years. We are in it for the long haul,” he said.
The bridge and a connection to Town Creek across the railway tracks were rendered moot as part of a tax increment reinvestment zone for Town Creek and a large part of downtown New Braunfels. Currently, the TIRZ proposal is back with Town Creek for revision.
“There is some work to do based on some of the feedback we received a couple of months ago,” Jurica said. “There still are some loose ends we have to work out before bringing it back. We’d like to see it going again this month.”
New Braunfels City Manager Mike Morrison said Tuesday the TIRZ plan is back with the developers and the city has no active role at this time.
“We are waiting on them,” he said. “If they submit something, we’ll review it and make a recommendation to the City Council.”
Jurica said he hopes to see a decision on the TIRZ in the coming months.
“If it is not approved by Dec. 31 of the year you are working in, you start talking about the increment in next year’s tax base,” he said. “We definitely want to push for a decision by the end of this year.”
For more information, visit the Town Creek Web site at
www.towncreektexas.com.
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