Georgetown City Council considered proposals for two new in-city Municipal Utility Districts, or MUDs, at a meeting March 24. Rock Bluff Ranch and Yearwood are both currently located in the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction and developer Freehold Capital Management is seeking annexation for both projects.

The purpose of a MUD is to help a development pay for amenities and infrastructure improvements that exceed the minimum city standards, according to city documents. By annexing the site within city limits, officials can help guide development according to city standards.

Diving deeper: Rock Bluff Ranch plans to build 2,375 homes on 855 acres east of County Road 245 and north of Ronald Reagan Boulevard, according to city documents.

South of the proposed Rock Bluff Ranch sits the Yearwood MUD, located at the intersection of Rattlesnake Road and Ronald Reagan Boulevard. In response to density concerns, the developers removed the two smallest lot options, which reduced the house count to 1,728.

The developer proposed a maximum MUD tax rate of $0.65 per $100 of assessed value.

Cedar Park officials are planning the next phase of Lakeline Park with a focus on nature-based education and ecological preservation.

The details: Backed by voter-approved 2022 bond funding, Phase 2 design is expected to conclude this spring after community input reshaped priorities. Parks Director Mike DeVito said the updated vision emphasizes trails, signage and programming that highlight the park’s natural environment.

“My vision is that everything we’re doing out there has some educational purpose to it,” Parks and Recreation Director Mike DeVito said. 

What else? Additional improvements are also underway nearby. A planned pedestrian bridge over South Bell Boulevard will link the park to regional trails and the YMCA, with completion anticipated by 2027. Meanwhile, new YMCA amenities—including a pavilion and adventure course—are expected to open in May, further expanding recreational opportunities in the area.

From high school sports amenities to more parks and stores, here are five of the most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Titan NorthPark IX in Georgetown ($18 million): A 281,213-square-foot warehouse shell building will be built.

2. West Bastrop Village Pond Park ($2.6 million): The 106,000-square-foot park will offer sidewalks, athletic courts, playgrounds and open green space.

3. Gattis Retail Center Bldg 2 and 3 in Round Rock ($2.4 million): Developers will build two shell buildings on a roughly nine-acre tract of land as part of a future retail center.

4. Hendrickson HS Turf Field & Pond Design in Pflugerville ($2 million): Hendrickson High School will replace its existing baseball and softball fields with artificial turf fields. The project will feature a new drainage system and modification of the existing detention pond.

5. Eldorado Expansion in Austin ($1.5 million): Eldorado Cafe will add 4,402 square feet in restaurant space after becoming the tenant of an adjacent suite.
 

Funding for Texas’ education savings account program is expected to dry up before it reaches all low-income applicants, the state comptroller’s office announced April 2.

The overview: More than a quarter of a million students applied for the first year of Texas Education Freedom Accounts, which will give participating families access to state funds to send their children to private school or homeschool them.

The details: Most eligible students will be placed on a waitlist for the 2026-27 school year, as the $1 billion program is expected to serve between 90,000 and 100,000 students. State officials said all funds are expected to go to students with disabilities, their siblings and children from low-income families.

The state will use a four-tier, randomized lottery system to determine who is accepted. Once funding runs out, the remaining students will be placed on a waitlist.

How it works: Students with disabilities can receive up to $30,000 each in ESA funding, depending on their individual needs. Other accepted students will receive $10,474 for private education or $2,000 for homeschooling.