New state law helped Buda developer get project off the ground

BUDA, Texas (KXAN) – A new state law helped a developer get a project off the ground that has been in limbo for several years. 

The Buda City Council approved earlier this month the Persimmon Development, which will bring over 2,000 new residential units, shops, a new school and an emergency services department. The development will sit on 775 acres of land, according to city documents. 

“This process has been long and it's taken many years. We have done, I feel, the best we can to set the groundwork for what is going to happen on this 775 acres [of land],” said Lee Urbanovsky, the Buda Mayor, at the council meeting. 

“I believe that we have worked years on this project, working to make it the best we can. The state legislation has made the rules better and friendlier to developers,” he continued. 

SB 2023 was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2023. The new law gives landowners at the edges of cities, or Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) Zones, an opportunity to petition for annexation from a municipality to more freely execute developments. 

The Persimmon Development location is in a Buda ETJ. Garrett Martin, Milestone’s CEO, said had the Buda City Council not approved the development, he would have petitioned to go to Hays County or the City of Austin for annexation.

“In creating legislation, where the track can be removed from an ETJ of a city, it rebalances the power and draws both parties to the middle to try and get projects approved,” Martin said. “We believe [this] will result in and improve the affordability of housing across the region.”

Martin said he thinks the city was slow to approve the project because they wanted to ensure the nature and character of the community was maintained. 

“The challenge that I think exists is there is a tension between the growth needed for the affordability of housing in Austin and the less dense rural environment that I think some people want in Buda,” he added. 

Martin said his team has vowed to preserve more than three-quarters of the heritage trees, build trail systems and create park spaces within the plot. 

“Our goal is to produce a masterplan community that benefits the overall [Buda] community. And we believe we've achieved that with Persimmon,” Martin added.