There Goes the Neighborhood?

Cypress Realty plans to build a 2,724-acre development on former Rutherford Ranch property in northern Hays County. The proposed subdivision of homes, commercial space, a school, and a 27-hole golf course has raised questions about how county and local officials are managing explosive growth over environmentally sensitive terrain.

Residents in nearby Goldenwood and Radiance subdivisions are spearheading the formation of an alliance along FM 1826 to closely monitor other developments in the planning stages. Some communities impacted by the growth include the 145-year-old Friendship Baptist Church and the much younger Barsana Dham, a Hindu temple. Radiance is a Transcendental Meditation colony, built in the early Eighties, which includes many fellow meditators in the neighboring Goldenwood community.

A fairly new landholder in the area includes the city of Austin, which purchased the property with bond money designated for land preservation acquisitions such as this one.