March 11, 2007, 11:49PM
Silver Oak subdivision planned for FM 1463
By KIMBERLY PIÑA
A proposed master-planned community in the southwest part of Katy will add more than 300 new homes, a retail center and recreational amenities to the area.
Silver Oak subdivision, a project of Houston-based firm Moody Simmons 1463 Ltd., is planned to be developed on FM 1463 about one mile south of the Katy Freeway. Approximately 215 acres located south of WoodCreek Reserve have been annexed into the city of Katy for the development.
Katy’s Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved the project, including the detention basin and preliminary plats for the first phase of the subdivision. Representatives from Moody Simmons presented the planned development to commissioners last Tuesday.
The project is well-designed, David Frishman, commission chairman, said, adding that the firm considered necessary elements such as easements and drainage. A homeowners association and Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District 161 have also been created, he said.
Most importantly, Frishman said, are the subdivision’s two entrances that will provide access for emergency vehicles and residents in case of an emergency.
“When looking at these projects, I look at public safety,” Frishman said. “Two access points are important to me as a citizen.”
Silver Oak subdivision will include about 14 acres for parks, 30 acres for a retail center, 15 acres for a detention pond, 11 acres for pipeline easements and 145 acres for 343 single-family residences. The neighborhood will be developed in four phases over the next eight years.
The detention basin and first phase, which includes 166 residential lots, will be constructed first at an estimated cost of almost $17 million, said project manager Thomas Simmons.
The increase in new home and business development in Katy made the location at FM 1463 a good spot for the planned community, Simmons said.
“Katy is one of the fastest growing areas in the state of Texas and as things are building, we’re moving out west,” he said.
The minimum residential lot size will be 9,660 square feet and starting home prices will be $225,000. The retail center will be at the intersection of FM 1463 and Spring Green Road, which will be developed into a four-way stop with a traffic light.
Parks, landscaping and greenbelts are planned for the community as well as a pool, playground and potentially soccer and baseball fields, Simmons said.
“We feel it’s going to be great enhancement not only for the city of Katy but for the surrounding area,” Simmons said.
Moody Simmons will receive bids for the construction work once the project has received final approval from the city, Simmons said. Construction will be regulated according to city guidelines.
In the home development business for 35 years, Moody Simmons has worked on projects in other Katy-area neighborhoods including Westfield and Eagle Ranch West at Fry Road and West Little York.
Moody Simmons will seek final plat approval at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting this month and will present the project before Katy City Council in April, Simmons said.
