By Kim Hilsenbeck
A new business just outside Buda is drawing some attention. Just under seven acres of land located at 762 Old Black Colony Rd. is the proposed site of the Floating Fields subdivision.
Owned by Cliff Creek, Ltd., the final plat was approved at a recent Buda City Council meeting. The Buda Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval at its July 14 meeting.
Floating Fields Farm is an aquaponics farm that will grow produce to sell locally. The property is located just outside the city limits and within the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), therefore the property is not subject to zoning regulations.
Floating Fields Farm is preparing to construct six aquaponic greenhouses along with associated parking and other site improvements. A water line will be extended from the intersection of Middle Creek and Old Black Colony Road to the property.
Water quality and drainage facilities will be constructed within the lot at the time of site development. Buda’s planning officials said this is normal and acceptable under the Unified Development Code. The right-of-way is being dedicated along Old Black Colony Road in accordance with the city and county thoroughfare plans.
City Planning Director Chance Sparks presented the final plan for the subdivision to council.
At that meeting, several Buda residents spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting. One pointed out that Buda wasn’t supposed to be providing water to properties outside of the city limits. Others voiced concerns over the increased water expenditure.
Sparks attempted to assuage those fears, noting that a pipeline would be extended minimally to the subdivision. He said it would be a closed piping system, allowing the farm to recycle the same water, minimizing the water usage of the entire subdivision to that of the average Buda household.
According to Buda officials, a project of this size would usually be processed as an administrative plat, but because there are infrastructure extensions, the plat must be approved by the Buda Planning and Zoning Commission and by Buda City Council. The extension of infrastructure cost is borne by the developer.
What is aquaponics?
It’s a method of farming that is a hybrid of aquaculture and hydroponics. Aquaculture involves raising aquatic animals like fish and crustaceans, and hydroponics has plants growing with their roots fully submerged in nutrient-rich water. The waste and excess food in aquaculture culture systems creates a toxic environment on its own, but cycling that water through a hydroponics system feeds the plants with vital nutrients. That water in turn is placed back into the aquaculture system, as the plants have removed what is essential for their own growth but toxic to the fish. Aquaponics creates a symbiotic environment between the two systems, using less water and resulting in an increased yield as compared to other traditional farming methods.
Kiana Poorfard contributed to this story.
