Construction is underway at Cole Ranch, the massive 3,100-acre development in southwest Denton, as plans move forward for thousands of homes and the infrastructure needed to support future growth.
The development, located west of I-35W, was approved by the Denton City Council in April 2020 and is planned to include homes of all types, commercial development, a business park, schools, parks, trails and preserved green space.
Six builders have been contracted to construct 634 single-family homes in the first phase: Perry Homes, Highland Homes, David Weekley Homes, Mattamy Homes, Chesmar Homes and Olivia Clarke Homes. The first homes are expected within the next couple of years, according to Michael Bradshaw, the city’s appointed member of the Cole Ranch Improvement District board.
Several major infrastructure projects are also progressing as the development begins to take shape.
Water and wastewater
In May, the city approved a cost-sharing agreement for a wastewater project estimated at $14.6 million to serve Cole Ranch, Hunter Ranch and future development in southwest Denton.
The infrastructure is being designed with more capacity than Cole Ranch and Hunter Ranch currently need because the city anticipates additional development in the area. Denton will cover approximately 59% of the project’s cost, with the remainder funded by the developments that will benefit from it.
Bradshaw said the additional capacity represents an investment in infrastructure the city expects to need in the future. The Denton Enterprise Airport Master Plan, adopted in January, also outlines a 20-year roadmap that includes development on the airport’s western side.
FM 2449 and Loop 288
Cole Ranch, the city, Denton Municipal Electric and the Texas Department of Transportation are also discussing the relocation of overhead electrical lines along FM 2449/Ponder Rd. in connection with the western Loop 288 expansion.
The project would eventually extend Loop 288 around the west side of Denton and provide another major connection between I-35 and I-35W. The expansion is intended to divert traffic from central Denton and relieve congestion along I-35 and U.S. 380.
Bradshaw said the Cole Ranch board was recently informed that some work is on hold because of funding. TxDOT’s fiscal year ends Aug. 31, and Bradshaw said he hopes the project will receive priority when additional funding becomes available.
“This is probably the biggest matter on my radar right now,” Bradshaw said. “It isn’t just a Cole Ranch issue, it’s a citywide issue.”
Bradshaw said he has discussed the project with at-large Denton City Councilman George Ferrie, who agreed the project is important and is looking at what the city can do to help.
Gas wells
The Cole Ranch development agreement also requires the developer to make its best efforts to close as many existing gas wells as possible.
Cole Ranch has reached an agreement with BKV Barnett to plug and abandon Gas Well Pad No. 11, located within the first phase of development.
Bradshaw said plugging existing gas wells can be complicated and expensive and requires cooperation from the operator. He said he has been told some closures can cost approximately $1.7 million.
Electrical infrastructure
Cole Ranch also plans to sell approximately 11 acres to CoServ for a future electric substation.
The substation would provide additional electrical capacity as thousands of homes and businesses are developed in the area.
Future schools
Planning is also underway with Denton ISD for future school sites within Cole Ranch.
Identifying school sites early will allow the district to prepare for enrollment growth as families begin moving into the development.
Bradshaw said numerous other components of the project are moving forward, including infrastructure construction, financing and agreements involving the city, TxDOT, Denton Municipal Electric, Denton ISD and other entities.
With construction underway and hundreds of homes planned in its first phase, the long-planned Cole Ranch development is beginning to take shape in southwest Denton.
