Developers Plan Acreage Community North of Houston

Two Tyler-based developers are betting big on rural living outside Houston, with plans for an acreage community in San Jacinto County.

Christopher Boone and Branson Parker acquired 1,500 acres near the town of Willis for a development dubbed Foster Creek Ranch, the Houston Business Journal reported. They are targeting fall for the first round of homesite sales, with road construction already underway and lot development set to begin this month.

Foster Creek Ranch’s initial phase includes 108 lots, part of a master plan that will ultimately bring more than 600 homesites ranging from 1.5 to 5 acres. Buyers can bring their own builders and are subject to restrictions, including a 2,000-square-foot minimum home size and tree-preservation requirements in designated buffer zones. Paved roads, underground utilities, fiber internet, ponds and forested walking trails are also planned.

Pricing hasn’t been finalized, but lots are expected to start north of $100,000 per acre.

The site is roughly 15 miles east of Interstate 45 and 30 miles south of Lake Livingston State Park, positioned to offer a mix of seclusion and access. It sits on former Foster Lumber Co. timberland, part of a historic 130,000-acre holding across several counties, according to the developers.

Foster Creek Ranch follows the team’s previous project, Ridge Lake Estates in Polk County. They cited inspiration from Republic Grand Ranch, a 5,000-acre acreage community launched in 2021 by Naples, Florida-based Patten Properties. That project, near Conroe, has sold 138 lots, with about 1,800 still available, according to Zonda.

The field of master-planned communities in the greater Willis area is growing, including Howard Hughes Holdings’ 2,000-acre Woodlands Hills, Caldwell Companies’ 1,200-acre Chambers Creek and Satya’s 510-acre Moran Ranch.

— Judah Duke