Fair Oaks Ranch City Council will act soon on approving a $16 million road construction bond to put before voters on the May ballot.
During his “State of the City” speech Feb. 7, Mayor Greg Maxton outlined the four roadways that will be rebuilt should voters approve the measure.
Roads and transportation were just two of the many topics Maxton touched on during his speech at the Fair oaks Ranch Golf and Country Club, including plans for updated stormwater projects and a desire to buy land for construction of an elevated water tower.
Nearly all topics, however, revolved around growth and development within the area.
“We do have an exceptional city, and many are looking for the opportunity to move here,” he said. “Managing the future growth of our city is going to be a challenge. There is no doubt we have a unique atmosphere to our city and some developers want to capitalize on that, by building close to, or in, our area.” Maxton detailed progress on several subdivisions which are approaching build-out.
“In the past year we’ve seen several housing developments continue construction within our city,” the mayor said. “Currently there is only one future housing development, Oak Bend Estates, that has not been initiated.”
This housing area was approved for development about 10 years ago but has never been acted upon. “As of today, there are no plans to begin construction on this site, they are still working through the details for this subdivision,” he added.
The city covers 7,000 acres, with close to 2,000 still undeveloped. “Over the past year we’ve seen a slight increase in new home construction. We have 178 vacant lots throughout the city which are available for homes to be built on,” he added.
Transportation remains key for the city’s residents. He said a bond advisory committee was established and recommended the bond of $16 million to complete four road reconstruction projects: Reconstruction of the eastern portion of Dietz Elkhorn Road, a portion of Ammann Road, Rolling Acres Trail and a portion of Battle Intense.
“All these roads are damaged beyond repair. Any efforts to provide maintenance to these roads would not be a good use of the funds we have in the city,” he said.
An April 19 town hall meeting is set to discuss details of the bond and the construction projects.
New residences and new businesses mean more responsibility for the city’s essential services: sewer, water and emergency services.
“We are in the process of completing an extensive year-long survey of our current and predicted fire and emergency services capabilities,” he said, expecting a report to City Council this summer.
The study, he said, will evaluate the city’s current contract “and relate this to future requirements while providing a cost analysis of the options we can consider.”
He said the security of Fair Oaks Ranch residents and property remains his number one priority.
“This year we ranked as the fourth safest city in Texas out of 1,900 cities. We also were the safest city in the San Antonio area,” he said. “That says a lot about our city, its community, its residents, and the services provided by our police department.”
Before launching into his speech, Maxton introduced city staff. In introducing the Fair Oaks Ranch council members, Maxton asked that “all of you trust and have confidence in these individuals, because they truly serve ... this city and represent its residents.”
Maxton said TxDOT several years ago conducted a feasibility study to look at the expansion of Ralph Fair Road.
“It’s one of the biggest questions I normally get in relation to Ralph Fair Road,” he said. “Currently, that study is suspended, with no plans to re-establish it. I believe it will be at least 10 years before we see any expansion of this road through our city.”
Maxton said he remains amazed that the city continues to function as well as it does.
“It's amazing to me how it has all worked out, that over the 50 years of developing a ranch into a city ... we have ended up with the exceptional city we have today.”
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