The Cornerstone Wellness Village proposal remains at an early stage: Dickinson officials say they have not received a formal plan for the 40-acre property on the city’s west side. Property owner Danielle Saunders is exploring the concept for the former Chaparral Golf Course, but its scope has not been set.
The proposed site sits off Holland Road near Avenue J, according to The Daily News, on land that once hosted the Chaparral course before it closed. Saunders owns the property and has been working through preliminary ideas for the wellness village, the newspaper reports, though no specific services, amenities or activities have been publicly outlined yet.
Travis Magliolo has discussed the early-stage proposal with Saunders and connected her with the local water district and city officials, according to The Daily News. He was expected to introduce it at a Dickinson City Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, October 27, but Saunders’s more detailed presentation was postponed until November because of a family emergency. Magliolo said he wants Saunders to present the full concept herself before city discussions move further.
What the Early Drawings Show
The Daily News reviewed conceptual drawings that show a man-made pond and landscaping, including trees around the property perimeter for appearance and privacy screening. The sketches do not establish what the development would include. Overnight accommodations, wellness services, recreation facilities and other commercial uses have not been publicly specified, and Saunders and Magliolo are still exploring the requirements for moving the concept forward.
Dickinson officials are awaiting formal plans that detail the project’s scope, potential uses and infrastructure needs before weighing in further. Chaise Cary has not yet reviewed any formal development plans but said he expects a clearer understanding once Saunders presents to the city council. No construction schedule or estimated cost has been announced for the project.
Permits, Drainage and the Road to City Review
Any project on this scale would eventually need to clear the city’s standard development process. Dickinson requires a permit for all development under Chapter 14 of its Code of Ordinances, according to the City of Dickinson, which also notes that development in the floodplain without a permit is illegal. The city’s comprehensive plan is the official document guiding decisions about future growth, and it serves as the basis for any subsequent zoning amendments, per the City of Dickinson’s comprehensive plan materials.
Future review of the wellness village could include water and sewer capacity, drainage, traffic and required development approvals, officials indicated, according to the Daily News report. Zoning decisions in Dickinson weigh the type and amount of activity proposed, how goods or services would be delivered, and the likely impact on surrounding properties and site conditions, per the city’s zoning materials. The city boundary is drained entirely by Dickinson Bayou, according to drainage criteria published by the Municode Library, meaning any major site work would need to account for that single drainage artery.
What City Review Can Establish
Dickinson says its Dickinson by Design comprehensive plan guides decisions about future growth and development through 2045. The city’s comprehensive plan provides land-use context for future development, but the proposal’s specific uses and infrastructure needs have not yet been formally presented. The city says its Drainage Operations staff clean roadside and off-road ditches and maintain culverts, according to the City of Dickinson. Those responsibilities describe city operations; officials have not yet identified what drainage work, if any, this particular proposal would require.
Without a formal plan, officials say they cannot assess possible effects on nearby properties, infrastructure or municipal services. The October 27 council discussion was expected to be introductory, not a formal development review. Saunders’s presentation, anticipated at a November council meeting, is expected to give officials more information about the proposed facilities, timeline and potential requirements.
A Familiar Pattern for Former Golf Courses
Dickinson’s situation echoes a broader trend of shuttered golf courses being reimagined elsewhere in Texas. In the Fort Worth area, a developer won approval for preliminary plans on a former country club, with developer Will Northern telling commissioners that bringing new life to an empty course would help buoy property values in a neighborhood that hadn’t seen new development in decades, according to the Fort Worth Report. In the Hill Country, a $121 million wellness resort was planned, as reported by Club + Resort Business. A former North Texas ranch, meanwhile, is being converted into a 500-home development with a water park and golf courses, according to WFAA.
A photograph taken October 23 shows the fenced entrance to the former Chaparral course. The next step for the proposal is Saunders’s anticipated presentation to the city council; what follows will depend on the concept she brings forward and the city’s review.
