(Seguin) — A developer known for building high-quality neighborhoods is set to build a new large-scale subdivision in Seguin. The Walnut Springs Subdivision will include more than 1,100 new homes, and will also include a number of new amenities that will benefit the entire community.
The subdivision is being developed by Bitterblue, which worked with the city of Seguin to create a Planned Unit Development (PUD) for the subdivision. Seguin Economic Development Director Josh Schneuker says this is a first-of-its-kind development in Seguin.
“As Mayor Dodgen often says, Seguin deserves great things, and the Walnut Springs project is a shining example of that vision. This 415-acre master plan community will bring more than 1,100 hundred homes to Seguin at full buildout. However, Walnut Springs is not your typical residential development. This project aims to be the Gold Standard for residential communities in Seguin with larger lots, enhanced aesthetics, new parks, open spaces and other public amenities,” said Schneuker.
Walnut Springs won’t only be a new neighborhood in Seguin, it will also be a place that offers park and trail space that will be open to the public.
“The benefits from this development extend far beyond its future residents.
Many of the amenities and infrastructure improvements planned for Walnut Springs will be accessible to all Seguin residents creating a positive impact throughout our community,” said Schneuker.
While it improves the available housing and community living spaces in Seguin, Schneuker says it will also enhance the city’s overall economic development activities. He says that’s one of the reasons why the city is so excited about Bitterblue and its Walnut Springs community.
“The Walnut Springs project will play a vital role in advancing our economic development goals. By growing our housing inventory and diversifying our existing housing stock, this project introduces new housing products that are currently unavailable in the Seguin market. This diversification is critical as we continue to recruit new commercial and retail developments and which are particularly focused on the northside of Seguin where we are seeing so much of this growth take place,” said Schneuker.
This is the city’s first PUD project. Schneuker says it shows that these kind of partnerships can improve the quality of life of all people who live in Seguin.
“Bringing a project of this scale and quality to fruition requires strong collaboration between the city and the developer. For the Walnut Springs project to formalize public/private partnership will be essential and will highlight our shared commitment to enhancing Seguin’s future,” said Schneuker.
Much like city officials, representatives from Bitterblue say they are also excited about this project. Bitterblue Managing Director Scott Teeter says it’s taken a long time to get to this point, but he says it’s been well worth the effort.
“We’ve been at this for a while, I think going on close to six years and it’s been unique for us in terms of the cooperation that we have had just from water issues to alignment of Rudeloff, things like that – I mean, it’s rare that we get this kind of cooperation with a city and this kind of true partnership,” said Teeter.
There are subdivisions going up all over Seguin. So, more housing isn’t something new for the city. However, Walnut Springs is supposed to be different. Teeter says they have put together a plan that goes well beyond building tract homes, with may a few amenities sprinkled inside the neighborhood. He says their development will benefit their residents and the rest of the community as well.
“We are really trying to bring the first master plan community to the Seguin community on the northside. This is what Bitterblue does, and we have a 70-year history of doing this. We are bringing the weight of all of our landscapers, community developers, land planners – everything – to bring a community of this quality here,” said Teeter.
Bitterblue’s plan includes park and trail space, but it also includes space for a much-needed fire station on the north side of the city. The fire station has been identified as a major priority for the city as it works to meet the emergency service needs in the fast-growing areas north of Interstate 10. Teeter says they knew this would be an important part of their overall development.
“This really will be a catalyst for some $34 million in regional – kind of infrastructure, parks, recreation facilities, public safety — so this will really be the catalyst to a lot on the north side,” said Teeter.
There will be other public safety improvements that go along with the subdivision. The city is being given the land for the fire station, but Teeter says they’ll also work to improve the traffic flow in that area.
“The public safety features that we are adding here are we are going to work in partnership to dedicate the land for the fire station and provide a contribution to that as well as a significant traffic light at the intersection at Huber and Rudeloff. It’s going to be an extensive traffic light there,” said Teeter.
Teeter says their master planned community will offer a number of price points for people looking to live there. He says it will also have the look and feel that people have come to expect when they hear the words “master planned community.”
“It is 1,140 units at buildout. We are going to be providing a level of community monumentation and landscaping that I think will be new to the community here.
We are providing a range of product types and multiple lot sizes. We are bringing are stable of masterplan builders that have built with us in our communities throughout San Antonio and surrounding areas for years and high high caliber builders,” said Teeter.
The concept for the neighborhood doesn’t call for the overbuilding of homes. Teeter says greenspace and park space will be important elements within the subdivision.
“We are going to have over 80 acres of open space just within the community itself. With that, we are going to have just an extensive trail system. It’s almost nine miles of pedestrian trails that we are going to put in. It’s really the first significant network of north side trails in the city. There is a potential to bring this through properties to the south and connect to the southern portions of your existing trail system. Again, with the new parks and recreational areas, this will provide a 30-acre regional park and it’s really the first I think the public park north of I-10 in this community,” said Teeter.
City Manager Doug Parker says the PUD agreement with Bitterblue is a major step forward for the city of Seguin. He says that Bitterblue has a stellar reputation, and he knows they are bringing something special to Seguin.
“We are excited about this. It’s a financial tool and we really wanted to do our first public improvement district with a quality developer and anybody you talk to in the San Antonio region knows that these gentlemen put their money where their mouth is,” said Parker.
Parker says this is so much more than 1,140 new homes. He says that the Walnut Springs subdivision will represent a long-term investment in this community. He says it will also help to bring more of these kinds of quality projects to the community.
“I think we all agree. We have a lot of cookie cutter neighborhoods. We are looking for that next dimension and setting the new standard and then from that, the new standard will come and then I think all those new subdivisions whether you give them an incentive or not will be trying to match what this subdivision is doing and so they’ve got to up their game. So, you really start to try to increase the developmental experience in the community. We are very excited to have these gentlemen as our team members and partners because it is a partnership and they’ve been very good to work with and we are excited to bring this,” said Parker.
A detailed presentation on the neighborhood was made during a recent meeting of the Seguin City Council.