 Finding Hill Country Beauty
within the City Limits
By BONNY OSTERHAGE
Photography by ROBERT FRENCH
San Antonians are spoiled.
We can drive an hour in almost
any direction and find ourselves
floating down a peaceful river, taking in the majestic view of a Hill Country sunset, picking wildflowers in
a vast field or shopping and dining in a bustling metropolis.
The problem is that we usually can’t enjoy everything at once.
City life and country life, although easily accessible, have until recently
been mutually exclusive. Many families who crave the privacy and quality
of life that Hill Country living affords have been relegated to the outskirts of
town, while those who thrive on dwelling in an urban city atmosphere have
had to sacrifice large tree-filled lots. But the times they are a’changing,
and the lines between city and country life are becoming
blurred these days.
With the Alamo City growing so fast, it was only a matter of
time before homebuyers and builders called for communities that
combined the best of both worlds, simultaneously satisfying the
needs of the most die-hard cowboys and the devoted urbanites.
 Anaqua Springs Ranch
“Large lots and city conveniences are a niche that people
want,” says developer Tom Dreiss, whose Anaqua Springs Ranch
community provides just that.
Just west of Leon Springs, this 928-acre development features
one- to five-acre lots and boasts all of the amenities that draw people
to Hill Country living, such as large trees, natural spring-fed
water features and walking trails.
All of the homes are custom built and feature Tuscan, French
and Spanish styles, a look Dreiss refers to as “Euro Texan.”
“It combines the best aspects of European countries with Texas
materials, such as stucco, rock and tile roofs,” says Dreiss.
Gated and extremely private, the luxurious Anaqua Springs
Ranch is popular among people from all walks of life, including
physicians, corporate executives and even a well-known San
Antonio Spur and his “Desperate Housewife.”
“This is the perfect community for professionals
who are around people all day and want to
get away from it all,” says Dreiss. “They are not
commuters; they don’t want to live outside of
the county.”
Being inside the county is a big draw for families with young
children who want to enjoy a rural day-to-day feeling but still
enjoy modern amenities such as municipal water and a good
school district.
“This community is part of the Northside Independent School
District,” says Dreiss. “It is Hill Country living with the closeness of
high-end shopping and other conveniences.”
Those conveniences are easily accessible by the IH10 corridor,
one of the few freeways, Dreiss points out, that isn’t yet gridlocked.
A trip to the airport takes approximately half an hour while
a jaunt downtown is closer to a mere 25 minutes.
Then there is the fabulous dining and shopping available at
such prestigious locations as The Shops at La Cantera and The
Rim, where you will find Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and more.
Anaqua Springs Ranch currently boasts 40 homes with 12 more
under construction and an additional 10 currently in the architectural
design phase. It is being built in 10 phases and, by its completion
in approximately five to seven years, the community will host
350 to 400 homes with an average price tag of $1.2 million.
Huntington Shavano Park
For those who want to live even closer to the urban sprawl,
the large one-or-more-acre lots of Huntington Shavano Park are
under development.
“We are going back to the way that Shavano Park was originally
founded,” says developer Todd Helmer, an associate with
Denton Communities, a division of Bitter Blue Inc.
Helmer explains that Shavano Park was originally zoned as
one-or-more-acre lots, but in the 1990s it was rezoned to allow for
smaller areas.
“This the last development within the city of Shavano Park to
offer one-acre and larger lots for sale,” says Helmer.
Conveniently located just inside Loop 1604 near the new
Paesano’s restaurant, defined by a large clock tower, this oasis in
the middle of the city has a second entrance point planned for
Northwest Military Drive Currently under construction, this
upscale community boasts nearly 188 acres and will be home to
approximately 142 residential lots that will feature homes in the
low to moderate $1 million range built by Davis Custom Homes,
Burdick Custom Homes and Image Homes, Ltd.
While the large lots lend themselves to plenty of privacy and
natural landscaping, unlike Anaqua Springs, this is not a Hill
Country setting.
“It is more upscale than that,” says Helmer. “The buyers want a
more manicured look in this part of town.”
But while it may not be a Hill Country style, Huntington maintains an open feeling with plenty of greenbelt areas and many lots
that back to Salado Creek. The developers plan to design the community
in such a way as to prevent any lots from fronting major
road infrastructures within the neighborhood. Furthermore, there
are restrictions in place that will be reviewed on a case-by-case
basis in terms of what people are allowed to build.
“It is not necessarily a restriction of the type of architecture, but
it does prevent anything too outlandish,” Helmer explains. “We just
want a uniformity and upscale look.”
As for the people who will inhabit the community, Helmer
expects them to be people who want to work and play close to
home. He says he has noticed a trend emerging where people who
once moved farther out are beginning to migrate closer to town.
“They don’t want to commute anymore,” he says of the shift.
Helmer, whose company has developed such upscale areas as
Lincoln Heights, Oakwell Farms and Rogers Ranch, says that this
new development provides the perfect middle ground for work
and entertainment.
“We are convenient to many of the larger employers in that
part of town, including the Medical Center and USAA,” he says.
In addition, Huntington is part of the Northside Independent
School District and is conveniently located behind Blattman
Elementary School. Developers are hoping to discuss plans for an
access to the school from directly within the community.
Add to all that the fact that Huntington is a stone’s throw from
Paesano’s and nearby excellent shopping and a large multiplex
movie theater, and this community captures city living within a
peaceful setting.
Acadia Heights
In the ever-expanding Helotes area lies something unique: a
luxury gated community that can only be accessed by traveling
through a more moderately priced gated community.
“It’s a community behind a community,” describes John
McNair, owner of McNair Custom Homes. “You have lots of privacy
and seclusion because you have to go through the first one
to get here.”
For those unfamiliar with the area, Helotes may seem as if it is
on the outskirts of town. On the contrary, it is actually located only
one mile north of Loop 1604. Buyers can select from one of 41
two-to-three-acre lots and, with McNair’s help, design the home of
their dreams.
“This is one of the last acreage sites so close to the city,” says
McNair. “It is right in the middle of everything. You don’t have to
pack a lunch just to go to the grocery,” he laughs.
McNair and his team can build a spec home in the $500-to-
$900-thousand range from the more than 20 plans available, customize
a standard plan or start from scratch. There are a few set
restrictions in place to maintain the quality and overall appearance
of the neighborhood. These include the use of 100-percent masonry,
a tile or metal roof and a minimum of 3,500 square feet. There
is also a minimum setback of 50 feet in order to maintain an
undisturbed natural terrain, which consists of heavily wooded
areas and a topography that is not unlike Hill Country living.
“This is the place for people who want the amenities of the city
along with beautiful Hill Country views,” says McNair.
Sounds like an urban cowboy’s dream!
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