LH Press Library
Movin' On Up (Part 3 - Urban Reserve)
New developments look to put Lake Highlands on the map as Dallas’
premier
place to put down roots
The Advocate, by Kris Scott
April 2005
Urban Reserve
Urban Edge Developers
Just east of Central off Royal
“There are some very magical things about the piece of property” this development will be built on, says Catherine Horsey of Urban Edge Developers.
“It’s got some enormous trees on the northern part of it, and the southern part is more grassy, but it still has a lot of trees – I’m talking trees that are four feet in diameter or larger.”
Also, Horsey says, its topography is typical of many areas in Lake Highlands.
“There’s 45 feet of drop between its high and low elevations, and that makes it kind of interesting.”
Finally, she says, it’s about “five feet away from White Rock Creek Trail,” which links up with the Cottonwood and Preston Ridge trails up north and the KATY Trail down south.
“That’s very attractive to a lot of people,” Horsey says.
Add to all that the concept for Urban Reserve – a low-impact development with modernist design guidelines for the homes that will be built there – and you’ve got one of Dallas’ most unique residential developments landing in Lake Highlands’ back yard.
But just what does “low impact” mean?
“We mean houses that will use as few natural resources – in their development and their ongoing operation – as possible,” Horsey says. “It’s been done in a lot of other places, but it’s never been done here in Dallas.
So paved areas will be limited to avoid excessive runoff and erosion, front yards will be landscaped with native Texas plants that require little watering, and houses must be 30 percent more efficient than code requires. They’re also hoping to use 100 percent wind-generated electricity and planning to promote trail and DART rail usage among their residents.
Also, the streets will be bordered by what Urban Edge is calling “rain gardens.”
“The idea is to take runoff from the street and from yards to some extent, and channel it into these rain gardens, which will filter the water and then route it to some ponds that will then be used to irrigate the front yards and common areas of the neighborhood,” says Horsey, who adds that such systems are more common in places such as Seattle.
And that modernist design?
“We want architecture that is current and cutting edge,” she says. “We think that folks ought to be able to live in architect-designed houses at a reasonable price,” Horsey says.
When ready, lots in Urban Reserve will range from just under $100,000 to around $300,000.
“And prices of the houses will vary from less than $300,000 up to we don’t know what,” Horsey says.
Lots of folks have already shown interest, she says, but there are only 53 lots available, ranging in size from 5,000-14,000 square feet.
And the neighborhood has been supportive, she says.
“Lake Highlands is a great area. It has great schools, and people will naturally want to live there,” she says.
“I’m telling you,” she says of the development, “It’s cool – there’s no doubt about it.”
For information, visit urbanedgeusa.com or call Urban Edge Developers at 214-741-1600.
Courtesy of The Advocate
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