Lago Vista tables Luna Ridge bid to hold water capacity to 2031

The Lago Vista City Council voted unanimously on Oct. 15, 2026, to table, or set aside, a proposed amendment to the Luna Ridge development agreement.¹ The amendment would reserve 350 water and wastewater units for the project through Oct. 21, 2031.² The 2021 agreement it would change says that if not all 350 units are used in five years, the developer forfeits 50% of the remaining unused units.³ The agenda item report says, "Financial and utility capacity effects have not been quantified in the submittal materials."²

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A two-host briefing. The voices are AI generated. Read the transcript.

A large industrial water meter gauge is bolted to a wooden fence post in a cleared, empty lot, its two needles pointing to very different spots on a blank dial, with pink survey tape tied nearby and Hill Country hills and a lake at sunset behind. — AI illustration. Image credits.

A review in the council's packet said the city's fee schedule counts an 8-inch meter as 160 service units. It said this "creates a significant difference between the meter-based calculation and the capacity reserved under the Development Agreement."⁴

What this is about

Luna Ridge's development agreement sets the rules for building there, including utilities, reviews, and how long the deal lasts.² Lago Vista has an established capital impact fee per living unit equivalent (LUE), charged for each lot or building site. Another city deal says the fee helps pay the costs of growth on the water and wastewater system.⁵ Plats, the land filings the developer must make before building, go to the Planning and Zoning Commission under the city's standard procedures.⁶ The City Council may approve, approve with conditions, or deny the amendment.² It matters now because the units' five-year period ends in late 2026.³

Luna Ridge covers about 109 acres. It is southwest of the intersection of Lohman Ford Road and Boggy Ford Road. The city's agreement with its developer, W Land Development Management, LLC, is dated Oct. 21, 2021.²

How it got here

The 2021 agreement set a first term of 15 years, with a possible 15-year extension if the developer shows progress.²

In that agreement, the city agreed to make 350 water and wastewater living unit equivalents (LUEs) available to the project for five years. If not all were used, the developer would forfeit 50% of the remaining unused LUEs. Any LUEs not used by year 10 of the agreement would be fully forfeited. The city may temporarily divert unused LUE capacity to other developments under contract with the city.³ The agreement allows no more than 350 residential units on the property.⁶ The developer must design, construct, and install the project's water and wastewater facilities at its sole cost and expense.³

The property's Luna Ridge Planned Development District was adopted on July 6, 2023. Our story on the city's planned development districts covered that zoning and the water capacity such districts hold.²

An August 2024 traffic study for the land estimated about $560,000 for all road work tied to the development. That work included turn lanes on Lohman Ford Road. Trimming trees so drivers can see from the driveways was put at $10,000. The study put a 305-foot southbound right-turn lane at the first residential driveway at $150,000. It put a 465-foot and a 305-foot northbound left-turn lane at two retail driveways at $200,000 each.⁷

The city conditionally approved the project's minor plat on Oct. 24, 2025.²

A letter dated Aug. 28, 2026, presents the Luna Ridge Development Agreement Amendment to the city. It describes Luna Ridge as single-family homesites, townhomes, a commercial site, and open space. It says the project is planned as a condominium regime and that 350 LUEs "remain reserved for the Project." The letter says the amendment would "provide additional time" for the development "while maintaining the existing overall project deadline."⁸

The amendment would reserve 350 water and wastewater LUEs. Any LUEs not used by Oct. 21, 2031, would be forfeited. The amendment says its purpose is more time for the project to start, while keeping the same end date.²

The LUEs would be purchased by paying the city's impact fee. The fee would be the one assessed as of the date the project's plat is recorded. The amendment would keep the project's minor plat from lapsing until Sept. 1, 2027.²

What the utility review asks

The review said the project "appears to be moving toward service through one large master meter." It said the agreement does not "establish a project-specific impact fee calculation."⁴

It said Finance should confirm how the fees would be assessed and collected.⁴

The Oct. 15 meeting

The agenda set the regular meeting for Oct. 15, 2026, in the City Council Chambers at 5803 Thunderbird. The agenda lists Adam Benefield, Amanda Chavarria, and Paul Prince among the council members.⁹

When the item came up, the council was told "the developer has asked us to table this item."¹⁰

The resident first asked that new subdivisions put in "purple pipe," because "eventually we're going to need those neighborhoods to dispose of effluent." He said there "seems to be a gross, predominant pattern of getting entitlements from the city council and then trying to flip them for profit." He said, "I'm a little hesitant to give them out to 2031." He said, "We need to cut these things shorter," and "we need to make them either put up or we take those back." He said the city "can't keep a ledger" of promised units because it "may prevent an actual viable subdivision from being built." He said Luna Ridge "hasn't gone anywhere," and "it's just got to stop somewhere." After the first resident spoke, the chair asked if anyone else wished to speak, heard none, and said there was one written comment.¹¹

A written comment read into the record said, "Unless the city is legally obligated to approve this amendment, please decline it." It said a request for more time "does not by itself establish a public benefit for residents." It asked that, if the item was postponed, the council "make no substantive concessions." It asked the council to "hold the existing agreement."¹²

Council Member Benefield said he liked the agreement and said, "It does exactly what it was intended to do." He said he had pushed for time limits on such agreements before, and said, "I think this is great that council did five years and ten years." He said the developer "did ask for a table" and was not there to speak for itself. He said his understanding was that the developer does not believe its units expire until the end of November, and "I think they just want a little bit more time." Benefield said he would make a motion, then said, "I move to table this discussion."¹³ The chair called it a motion from Benefield, and Council Member Chavarria seconded it.¹⁴

City Council meeting, Oct. 15, 2026, from 29:15 to 30:20 in the city's video. Trimmed only at the start and end. Watch the full meeting from this moment. Video credits.

Council Member Prince said the decision is whether to "give them a pass on the five year, 50% reduction." He said, "Is council going to give them a pass on the requirement to lose 50% of their 350?" He suggested the council "get to that quickly" rather than spend hours on "a lot of sales pitch."¹⁵ After Prince spoke, the chair asked for any other discussion and heard none. The council approved the motion to table unanimously.¹

City Council meeting, Oct. 15, 2026, from 30:14 to 31:37 in the city's video. Trimmed only at the start and end. Watch the full meeting from this moment. Video credits.

What it could mean for you

The agenda report says approval "would commit water and wastewater capacity through October 21, 2031."² Under the 2021 terms, the developer would forfeit 50% of the remaining unused units after five years.³

Among its "questions that must be resolved," the review asked whether impact fees should be based on the 8-inch meter, the number of homes, the reserved LUEs, or another method. The review gave no dollar figure for any of these methods.⁴

What we could not find

How many of the reserved units, if any, the project has used so far.
How much water and wastewater capacity the city has left to promise to other projects.
A fee estimate for Luna Ridge. We also could not find what each way of counting would cost.
Who would pay for the road work in the traffic study.
Who wrote the utility review. It is not signed.
When the council will take it up again.
The minutes. They would show who was there for the vote. They were not posted yet.

What you can do

Read the fully executed 2021 development agreement, listed as an attachment to the agenda report in the Oct. 15 packet.²
Ask for any impact fee estimate or written legal determination on Luna Ridge, which the utility review recommended before an estimate.⁴
Watch for the item on a future council agenda and speak during citizen comments.¹⁰
If you have records on this, share them with us at /share-records.

Podcast transcript

Read the transcript

Host 1. This is the Lago Vista Watchdog briefing. The two voices you are hearing are AI generated. Every fact in this episode is sourced in the full story on our website, and a person validates each story before it is published.

Host 2. Here is the bottom line. On October 15, 2026, the Lago Vista City Council voted unanimously to table, or set aside, a proposed amendment to the Luna Ridge development agreement, according to the city's meeting video.

Host 1. The amendment would reserve 350 water and wastewater units for the project through October 21, 2031. The 2021 agreement it would change says that if not all 350 units are used in five years, the developer forfeits 50 percent of the remaining unused units. The agenda item report says, "Financial and utility capacity effects have not been quantified in the submittal materials."

Host 2. And a utility review in the council's packet said the city's fee schedule counts an 8-inch meter as 160 service units. It said this creates a significant difference from the capacity the agreement reserves.

Host 1. Some background. Luna Ridge covers about 109 acres, southwest of the intersection of Lohman Ford Road and Boggy Ford Road. The city's agreement with its developer, W Land Development Management, LLC, is dated October 21, 2021. The agreement sets the rules for building there. Lago Vista charges a capital impact fee per living unit equivalent, or LUE, for each lot or building site, to help pay the costs of growth on the water and wastewater system. Plats, the land filings the developer must make before building, go to the Planning and Zoning Commission. The City Council decides whether to change the agreement, and it matters now because the units' five-year period ends in late 2026.

Host 2. Now, how it got here. The report says the 2021 agreement set a first term of 15 years, with a possible 15-year extension if the developer shows progress. In that agreement, the city agreed to make 350 water and wastewater LUEs available for five years. If not all were used, the developer would forfeit 50 percent of the remaining unused LUEs, and any not used by year 10 would be fully forfeited. Meanwhile, the city may temporarily divert unused capacity to other developments. The developer must build the project's water and wastewater facilities at its own cost.

Host 1. We covered Luna Ridge's zoning before, in our story on the city's planned development districts. According to the agenda item report, the property is subject to the Luna Ridge Planned Development District, adopted July 6, 2023.

Host 2. An August 2024 traffic study for the land estimated about 560,000 dollars for all road work tied to the development. That included 10,000 dollars for trimming trees so drivers can see from the driveways, a 150,000 dollar right-turn lane, and two left-turn lanes at 200,000 dollars each.

Host 1. The city conditionally approved the project's minor plat on October 24, 2025. A letter to the city dated August 28, 2026, described Luna Ridge as single-family homesites, townhomes, a commercial site, and open space, planned as a condominium regime.

Host 2. The amendment's stated purpose is to give the project more time to start while keeping the original completion date. The amendment would reserve 350 LUEs. Any LUEs not used by October 21, 2031, would be forfeited.

Host 1. The LUEs would be purchased by paying the city's impact fee, the one assessed as of the date the project's plat is recorded. The amendment would also keep the project's minor plat from lapsing until September 1, 2027.

Host 2. The utility review said the project appears to be moving toward service through one large master meter. It said the agreement does not establish a project-specific impact fee calculation, and that Finance should confirm how the fees would be assessed and collected.

Host 1. Then came the October 15 meeting, a regular meeting in the City Council Chambers at 5803 Thunderbird, according to the agenda.

Host 2. When the item came up, the council was told the developer had asked to table it. One resident spoke. He asked that new subdivisions put in purple pipe. He said there seems to be a, quote, gross, predominant pattern of getting entitlements from the city council and then trying to flip them for profit. And he said, "I'm a little hesitant to give them out to 2031." He said, quote, we need to cut these things shorter. A written comment read into the record said, "Unless the city is legally obligated to approve this amendment, please decline it." It said a request for more time does not by itself establish a public benefit for residents, and asked the council to hold the existing agreement.

Host 1. Council Member Adam Benefield said he liked the agreement, and said, "It does exactly what it was intended to do." He said he had pushed for time limits on such agreements before, and said, "I think this is great that council did five years and ten years." He noted the developer asked for the delay and was not there to speak for itself. Then he said, "I move to table this discussion." Council Member Amanda Chavarria seconded the motion.

Host 2. Council Member Paul Prince said the decision is whether to give them a pass on the five year, 50 percent reduction. He asked, "Is council going to give them a pass on the requirement to lose 50 percent of their 350?" He suggested the council get to that quickly, rather than spend hours on a lot of sales pitch.

Host 1. No one else spoke, and the council approved the motion to table unanimously.

Host 2. What could it mean for you? Among its questions that must be resolved, the review asked whether impact fees should be based on the 8-inch meter, the number of homes, the reserved LUEs, or another method. It gave no dollar figure for either way of counting.

Host 1. We could not find how many of the reserved units the project has used, how much capacity the city has left to promise, an impact fee estimate, who would pay for the road work, who wrote the utility review, or when the item returns. The minutes were not posted when we wrote this.

Host 2. To weigh in, ask the city for any impact fee estimate or legal review on Luna Ridge. Watch for the item on a future council agenda, and speak during citizen comments.

Sources and documents

Every fact in this story comes from the records below. The small numbers in the story point to them. Links go to the exact moment in the meeting video or the page in the document.

See something wrong? Request a correction. Have records on this? Share them with us.