A Texas couple missed out on over $100 million after they decided to make their home a nature preserve instead of expanding their property.
Ronnie and Terry Urbanczyk purchased their ranch and 245 acres of land in Hill Country 30 years ago, Texas Monthly reported. The land is just next to the Honey Creek State Natural Area, a 2,300-acre nature preserve in Comal County known for having one of the most pristine waterways in the state. The water provides for about 2 million people in Texas.
Eventually, the couple decided to propose plans to build more properties on the 515-acre ranch as the Hill Country population started expanding. The $125 million that would come from the development would leave their children a hefty inheritance.
Other residents were not fans of the idea, though, expressing concern that the water of the Honey Creek State Natural Area would be affected by the development. It has a delicate ecosystem that they feared would be disrupted in the midst of property development.
It is also believed to be one of the last wild places in Texas.
The plans for the development dragged on for years, according to Texas Monthly, until last week when Texas Parks and Wildlife announced it would purchase the Urbanczyks' ranch for $25 million in order to preserve the land.
"Together with the adjacent Guadalupe River State Park, these protected lands encompass nearly 5,000 acres of habitat that sustain plants and wildlife, benefit water quality and provide opportunities for people to spend time in nature," Rodney Franklin, Texas State Parks director, said in a statement.
The department eventually plans to open the land to the public.
Terry Urbanczyk told Texas Monthly that they had not been aware making the area a reserve was an option.
"We were not aware that making it a park would be a possibility unless you just donate the land, which we couldn't do," she said.
The land holds a lot of memories for the family, said Ronnie Urbanczyk.
"And now the people in Texas are gonna get to really enjoy it for the next thousand years," he said. "Right now we've got a great retirement place that sits on top of the hill that overlooks the state natural area. It's nice to look out there and know it's all I'm ever gonna see. That's a pretty big thing."
Their kids and grandchildren also loved the idea. When asked "What do you guys think about making Honey Creek a state park," they all expressed excitement, Ronnie said.
Newsweek reached out to Ronnie and Terry Urbanczyk for comment.
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Robyn White is a Newsweek Nature Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on wildlife, science and the ... Read more
