New senior living apartments planned

A new attempt at an independent senior living facility has been proposed in Wimberley.

The property is located at 700 FM 2325 across from Market Days. Specifically, it is located between Wimberley Stitch Studio and the Lions Club Market Days parking lot.

The plan is for a two-story apartment complex with 80 units on the six-acre property.

“This is completely independent living, there will be no medical staff like assisted living,” Britt Benton, a consultant with Oryx Development, which is working on the proposal, said. “Half the units will be market rate. The other half will be affordable housing. Those affordable units will be based on average income for Austin MSA. Some units will be for residents that make 30 percent of average medium income, 50 percent and 60 percent, so there will be a mix of units for people that qualify for those rates that are capped and units available for the market rate.”

Federal funding is necessary to allow for a portion of the units to have a capped price for rent. Oryx Development has tried to get this funding before for a project in Wimberley, but lost out in a tiebreaker to a project in Hutto.

“These things are always highly competitive,” Benton said. “We choose these sites after studying the rules, and they are always changing. We select the site based on the rules. We feel we have a very good chance of getting funding. We think we are well positioned.”

While Benton is working on getting the funding, the project developer is Merritt Communities, which owns a similar facility in Dripping Springs called Merritt Hill Country Senior Living.

The Wimberley City Council will be asked for a letter of support for the project during the February 21 council meeting. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs will determine if the project gets the additional funding by the end of July. If approved, the land would need a zoning change from the city of Wimberley.