In the Texas Hill Country between San Antonio and Leon Springs, a 68-acre residential community within a larger country club community is being united by comprehensive landscape planning concepts. The Landscape Master Plan developed by Fernandez, Fraser, White and Associates -- a San Antonio firm -- takes advantage of the natural terrain and utilizes native materials for the plant palette and in the hardscape. In doing so, the plan establishes community identity and visual order without losing the "feel" of the Hill Country.

The majority of a flood plain, which divides the site in half, is preserved as open space. Maintaining this flood plain as open space not only preserves the beauty and atmosphere that characterizes the Hill Country, but conserves a haven for several species of water fowl, birds, turtles, Axis and white-tailed deer, as well as other varieties of wildlife that have access to their habitat via the flood plain corridor.

In the development of the planting plan, retaining the native trees was a paramount criteria. To incorporate standing trees into the plan required thorough pre-design walkthroughs and precision land surveying. In fact, land surveyors mapped all trees exceeding two-inch caliper to assist Landscape Architects to include existing trees and avoid inadvertant loss of standing trees during construction. Site trees are augmented by mature trees -- Bald Cypress, Texas Red Oak and Texas Red Buds, all of which grow well in this area of the state.

Water meanders through the site. The lakes which provide the focal points of this part of the development are accented by pools and water features. Water falling over large limestone boulders - many of them excavated on the site! - culminate at the main entry adjacent to the green belt.

This green belt is also crossed by several walkways large enough to accommodate pedestrians, bicycles, and an occasional golf cart. Designed to provide resident access to the country club and golf course, these walkways radiate out into the development. Decorative materials, such as those used in the works of the Neo-Classical designer, John Soane, were utilized. The carved cantera limestone, stucco with distressed paint finishes, copper roofs and flagstone pavers which establish the Neo-Classical character of The Dominion entry and clubhouse architecture, are also utilized for Cottage Estate entry columns, signage, vehicular bridge pavers, and other features.

While strict landscape development guidelines were developed for both the hardscape and softscapes of the residences, the plan provides for an area where the individual residence became 'blurred' into the landscape as a whole. For instance, the plan calls for the lawns of the individual residences to be maintained by the homeowners association and monitored by an Architectural Review Board as long as they remain unfenced.

As the area continues to develop, as the Hill Country "calls" residents to the quiet and scenic way of life -- and as San Antonio grows in that direction, the green belt community is designed and planned to grow appropriately. LASN