Lake Travis at a Glance: Sweetwater Build-Out, LTISD Welcomes 10k+ Students & Covert Cometh

The Hill Country has been buzzing this summer from Dripping Springs to Lakeway to Steiner Ranch and Spicewood. We’ve got new businesses moving in, new neighborhoods being built and more growth on the horizon.

We’re taking a look at three of the most buzz-worthy topics in Lake Travis related to real estate, both residential and commercial: Sweetwater, LTISD, Covert and H-E-B’s land. Let’s dig in!

Real Estate

Over the years we’ve introduced you to a lot of great neighborhoods in the Lake Travis area. A big, can’t-miss neighborhood tucked in the rolling hills off Highway 71 is Sweetwater. When all is said and done, it should have around 1,550 homes.

This master-planned community is located off Pedernales Summit Parkway and features four neighborhoods: Davenport Summit, Hillcrest, Stone Creek and Highland Lakes.

Sweetwater boasts 700 acres of ‘open spaces’ and a resort-style social center (10-acre Sweetwater Club) with plenty of wilderness trails, so residents can walk, hike or bike throughout the development. In fact, they’ve partnered with Lady Bird Johnson Wilderflower center at UT to promote native grasses and flowers.

What’s got people buzzing about Sweetwater?

Kiddos attend West Cypress Elementary School, Lake Travis Middle School, and Lake Travis High School. LTISD schools that are already bursting at the seams, which leads us to our next topic …

Lake Travis ISD

This year, Lake Travis Independent School District opened its doors to 10,388 students in the district. Last year that number was 9,825 students.

Crunching the numbers — Lake Travis High School: 3,000+ students, Lake Travis Middle School: 1,400 students, Hudson Bend Middle School: 1,200 students. And remember, Lake Travis Middle School (LTMS) just opened in 2014 and it’s already at 1,400 students. The six elementary schools in LTISD are full too with West Cypress (Sweetwater’s elementary school) welcoming 100 new families this year.

The district will continue to see huge growth in the coming years, especially in the elementary schools. Over the next 10 years, LTISD expects to see an additional 6,000 students enroll. With an estimated 15,000 more housing units being built in the next decade (in LTISD alone), the district could see 15,000-17,000 students in 2027. Obviously, this makes the discussion about new schools a hot topic.

A $258 million dollar bond will be on the ballot in November that would fund a third middle school, a seventh elementary school, new buses, upgrades to technology and renovations to current buildings. Stay tuned …

Covert

Not sure if you remember, but in December 2015, Bee Cave City Council did come to an agreement with Covert for a new car dealership located in Lake Travis. An excerpt from December 26, 2015 Statesman article:

The Eastland Tract, a 393-acre tract between the existing Sweetwater subdivision and the Lake Travis school district bus yard on Texas 71, is destined to become the eastern arm of Sweetwater, according to the development agreement. The tract will feature multifamily housing, retail, office and open space, with a road envisioned as a continuation of Serene Hills Drive on the south side of Texas 71. Within the Eastland Tract, Covert will design a new car dealership on 32 acres that meets the development standards set in the agreement. The Covert portion is not next to the residential portion.

Yes, that’s the same Covert dealership residents lost their minds about a few years ago when it was proposed for Falconhead West. The current development agreement means Covert will build an auto sales and service center in Sweetwater Crossing located on the south side of Highway 71.

Remember, the land at the northwest corner of Serene Hills and Highway 71 is owned by H-E-B and they don’t plan on selling it. If Costco comes to Lake Travis, it won’t be there.

What’s your take on the development boom at Serene Hills and Highway 71? Let us know in the comments section on our Facebook page.