The internet's most current and comprehensive guide to development activity in Horseshoe Bay, Texas

ABOUT LBJ LAKEFRONT INC

Last Updated: 02/24/2007

XVII.  WHO IS LBJ LAKEFRONT INC?  LBJ LAKEFRONT is a family-owned Development Company - designing and building primarily on a speculative basis, with an eye to the highly discriminating buyer (GOOGLE has about 125 entries on the company).  We operate solely on the HSB lakefront, where we limit ourselves to building fine, high-end custom homes - combining quality with TLC while restricting ourselves to no more than two projects at a time.  The company is a Registered Builder, as is our wholly-owned General Contracting entity - Karken Corporation.  Neither company is affiliated with the Resort.

The company's principals have lived on HSB's waterfront since 1992 and are convinced it is every bit as unique and special as portrayed.  They accumulated their extensive holdings after Steamboatin' up most of America's principal rivers where they learned first hand that Lake LBJ's constant level was unique.  The Corp of Engineers has authority over America's rivers and is mandated to see that the lakes, dams and locks located thereon are all operated for flood-control purposes.  Flood-control lakes lower their water levels significantly in the winter to make room for spring runoffs.  Back to Top
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XVIII.  LBJ LAKEFRONT INC's "DESIGN-BUILD PROGRAM."  LBJ Lakefront Inc, a purveyor of extraordinarily fine custom lakefront homes, is an exceptionally focused developer.  We operate solely on HSB's lakefront where, in addition to 415 Matern Island, we own 32 other full-size lakefront lots, which amounts to most of HSB's total available inventory of full-size lakefront lots.  

We intend to build out this inventory through both SPECULATIVE BUILDING, as in 415 Matern Island, or through our DESIGN-BUILD PROGRAM, which we are developing and hope to make available in the next few months.  It will be reserved exclusively for discriminating third parties desiring homes having the type of quality we put into 415 Matern Island.  Since we plan to build out our 32 undeveloped lots slowly over the next 10 to 12 years, the program will typically be sharply limited and involve no more than two or three projects at a time.  

Our 33 undeveloped lots represent at least 46 residential sites - namely 26 free-standing single-family sites and at least 20 townhouse/condo sites.  Thirty of these 46 sites have the eastern exposure, which attests to the quality of our lots.  Excluding Centex's "The Waters," our 30 sites with eastern exposures represent 94% of the undeveloped townhouse/condo and full-size single-family sites available with eastern exposures on HSB Proper's and HSB West's lakefront.  

The Program will be carried out on lakefront lots we own in four noted HSB lakefront neighborhoods:  Applehead Island and Annlies Landing, the latter being home to the Matern Island and Wennmohs Place subdivisions, all in HSB West, and HSB North Boulevard in HSB Proper.

A)  Horseshoe Bay West:  Twenty-seven of our 33 waterfront lots are zoned single-family.  Twenty-six of these 27 are located in the most upscale residential sections of HSB West.  Ten of these 26 have the preferred eastern exposure, amounting to all but two of the undeveloped full-sized lakefront lots with eastern exposures remaining in all of HSB 

1) Applehead Island:  Ten of the 26 are located in Applehead Island, where only four other full-size waterfront lots remain undeveloped and available for sale. 
2) Annlies Landing:

a)  Matern Island:  Nine of the 25 are located on Matern Island, where only two other undeveloped lots are available for sale.  All nine of our Matern lots have the preferred eastern exposure.
b)  Wennmohs Place Peninsula:  Six of the 25 are located on the Wennmohs Place Peninsula.
c)  Matern-Wennmohs Waterway:  Fourteen of the 25 are located on the 110' wide waterway between Matern Island and the Wennmohs Place peninsula.  Homes built on the waterway must be set back a distance of 25' from the shoreline, whereas those on Applehead Island's waterways can be built at the shoreline, which can readily block views.

B)  Horseshoe Bay Proper:  Our seven other lots are located near the Resort's main amenities in HSB Proper.

1)  HSB North Boulevard:  Six of the remaining seven are located off RR 2147 on HSB North Boulevard and zoned to accommodate multi-family developments - townhouses or condominiums.  The six can be subdivided into at least 20 townhouse/condo sites, 14 on the four adjoining lots at the corner of RR 2147 and HSB North Blvd and six on the two adjoining lots (N1008 & N1009) located on HSB North Blvd, five lots to the north.  All six have the preferred afternoon lakefront shade that eastern exposures provide.  Regarding the four lots at the RR 2147 and HSB North Blvd intersection (N1001, N1002, N1003 and lot "X"), the two that front on the Ranch Road (lots N1001& "X") are actually zoned C-2 and the entire lot located immediately north of these (N1002) two is approved for parking, affording the two best possible options for future development. Back to Top

XIX.  LBJ LAKEFRONT's ARCHITECT.  Our Architect, award-winning Marley Porter, President of LIVING ARCHITECTURE INC, is nationally recognized (GOOGLE has about 80 entries for Marley).  He has been designing nationally recognized projects for the past 27 years, beginning in Tempe and Sedona, Arizona.

Marley played a lead role in the early planning and development of Tempe and Sedona.  His work there ranks as some of his most important.  He was involved in Tempe's Downtown Redevelopment Master Plan and was architect for the Tempe Performing Arts Center.  He was even more involved in Sedona, where he did the conceptual master plan for Talaqapaque, a Sedona landmark since the late 1970s.  Talaqapaque comprises an exceptional collection of Sedona's finest galleries, shops and restaurants.  And he was the actual project architect for Sedona's world renown resorts, L'umberge and The Orchards.

HSB investors - all of us who live here fall into this category in one way or another - will find it particularly noteworthy knowing that an expert of Marley's rank believes HSB's development potential today resembles that found in Sedona 27 years ago.  This observation, along with his appreciation for our area's wonderful, laid-back lifestyle, is what brought Marley to HSB in late 2002.

Austin's One World Theatre, which has become one of the premiere performance venues in Texas, was his creation - being built of straw bales and Rastra, which provides excellent sound proofing and insulation.  In spite of its stature today, it remains a work in progress - continually expanding, but on a carefully planned basis.  A new 800 person theater and domed plaza is soon to begin construction.  His Design-Build Company, ironically named Sedona, will be the contractor-architect.

One World began seven years ago on a site the City of Austin considered too environmentally sensitive and "not developable."  It stands today as a Poster Child for sustainable development in an environmentally sensitive area.  

However, Marley also continues to move on and he is now the lead architect for five of the most exciting commercial projects underway in the HSB-Marble Falls area:  the huge La Ventana project, located at US 281 and RR 2147;  the Bella Vista (Thanksgiving Mountain) project, overlooking HSB and Lake LBJ; the Castle Rock project, overlooking the Lake LBJ Marina, Marble Falls' Riverwalk Project and Smithwick's new lakeside golf course development.  All of these projects (see Section IX) contain exciting elements that connect in one way or another with the successful lessons he learned in Tempe, Sedona and Austin.

Marley is known for being Green-oriented and for designing sustainable, healthy environments.  His award-winning home designs continue to be discussed regularly in national print magazines, on HGTV, and on PBS for their unique design qualities and attention to livability.  Being of seemingly unlimited creativity, his work has been featured in "Architectural Digest," "Better Homes & Gardens," "Natural Home," "Smithsonian," "Architectural Record" and "Mirabella," among others (www.livingarchitecture.com).  More recently, his eco-minded work was featured as the cover article for "Green Magazine's" January/February 2004 issue, in two cover articles for "Austin Magazine" during the summer of 2004, and in a four-page article in the July/August 2005 issue of "Austin Wide Open," Austin's entertainment, arts and leisure magazine.   

In 2005, Marley was voted one of America's Top-10 Green Architects - the only one in Texas - by the "Natural Home and Garden" magazine.  Marley is often featured at Green Building conferences around the world and is active as a collegiate and professional lecturer (www.wizardacademy.com/academydescription.asp?ID=25).

During a four and one half -year mission as Chief Architect for the Navajo Nation, for whom he still regularly consults, Marley uncovered a desire to find true meaning in architecture.  Starting with an annual budget of 2 million dollars and 7 Navajo, he and his friend Tommy Yazzie, director, built The Navajo Nation Design and Engineering Department into a 20 million dollar franchise employing over 200 Navajo.  He also taught at Arizona State University's School of Architecture for 12 years, becoming a devoted practitioner of Meaningful Design and the Intuitive School of Feng Shui, the art of making a house feel like a home.  His devoted students numbering in the hundreds have become meaningful designers, planners and architects around the world.

Feng Shui is about making magic through the joining and aligning  of pieces and parts.  It is a complimentary, holistic approach to design that connects and unifies energies into a harmonious, synergistic whole.  There  are certain things - proportion and scale and rhythm, massing and action and intersection - that are not subject to opinion, but are eternal principles according to Marley.  This is the language of basic design, understood by all people.  Good design weighs the physical and metaphysical equally, producing a balanced "living architecture" that transcends the box - enriching the soul, feeding the spirit, comforting, inspirational, alive . . . 

Marley, who is available for customizing your personal dream home, moved to our area from Austin in 2002, drawn by its compelling beauty.  He was taken in by "the magic of this place; the enchantment of its starlit nights; of its clear, sparkling, freely flowing waters; of its massive granite outcroppings; of its presence, its permanence, it peacefulness."  Back to Top
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XX.  LBJ LAKEFRONT's INTERIOR DESIGNER.  For advice on Interior Design matters. we look to award-winning designer, Susie Johnson, ASID.  Susie is a Registered Interior Designer and her firm, Susie Johnson Interior Design, offers the full spectrum of interior design services, with special focus on interpreting the client's style and personality. 

She is "dedicated to creating personal environments that are aesthetically pleasing, as well as practical and functional."   Susie's philosophy for dealing with clients is similar to Marley's.  The versatile Austin-based Designer finds that "personal gratification comes from the successful interpretation of my clients' style and personality rather that leaving a trademark identifying my presence."  

During 2004, Susie won three ASID Design Excellence awards and two ASID Texas Legacy of Design awards.  Her work was also recently featured on the covers of "Austin Design Guide 2005" and "Spectacular Homes of Texas."  

Go to www.susiejohnson.com to learn more about Susie.  Back to Top

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