Copperas Cove approves annexation deal for Sweetwater Hills project

Copperas Cove leaders approved an annexation agreement that could turn 84.45 acres along F.M. 1113, west of Grimes Crossing Road, into Sweetwater Hills, a three-phase neighborhood planned for about 390 lots and a commercial frontage on the highway corridor.

The project, backed by Jimmy Clark and Fieldstone Commercial, LLC, calls for a mix of medium- and high-density housing, including single-family detached homes, duplexes and townhouse-style units. It also lays out greenspace, bike and walking paths, fitness stations and park amenities, making Sweetwater Hills more than a standard subdivision proposal.

Road access and utility control are at the center of the deal. The plan includes a proposed arterial road through the property that would eventually connect with F.M. 1113, Lutheran Church Road and the recently annexed Church Mountain Subdivision. It also calls for water certificates of convenience and necessity to be conveyed from Kempner Water to the City of Copperas Cove, with the developer covering the upfront costs of the transfer and acquisition.

Traffic on the west side of town is another immediate issue. The agreement requires a traffic study because the development could affect the Texas Department of Transportation intersection at F.M. 1113, Summers Road and Grimes Crossing Road, and the developer will pay for that study. Those early infrastructure costs matter because the agreement allows the developer to terminate if expenses rise above a set threshold.

The Sweetwater Hills vote fits into Copperas Cove’s broader growth strategy. The city’s 2020 Comprehensive Plan is meant to guide zoning, land subdivision, transportation construction and growth management, and the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction covers 47,127.52 acres, or 73.64 square miles. Copperas Cove’s population estimate reached 37,947 in 2024, underscoring the pressure on roads, utilities and land-use decisions as the city spreads outward.

The city is already managing a busy residential pipeline. Active projects listed by the city include The Quarry at Deorsam Point, The Valley at Great Hills, Village at Walker Place, Mashburn Place, Northern Hills and Perkins Mountain Addition. Jimmy Clark Homes says it has been building in Copperas Cove for more than 50 years, and Heritage Place, another Clark project, has 480 homes in the approvals and construction phase.

The council’s approval also follows a more cautious move in November 2025, when it rejected a separate voluntary annexation agreement for a little more than 310 acres. Annexations can affect tax collection, franchise agreements and service areas, so Sweetwater Hills now stands as another test of how Copperas Cove wants to grow, who pays for the infrastructure, and how quickly the city can absorb the next wave of development.