Welcome to RockFire At The Lake! Live, Work Play

Construction came later than expected, but it is finally happening at RockFire at the Lake in southeast Topeka.

Developers have installed streets, sewers and walking trails and have started construction of the community clubhouse at RockFire at the Lake at S.E. 45th and Croco.

Buyers are snapping up lots. Of 110 lots, buyers have reserved or purchased 87. The lots average one-third of an acre and have been selling for $22,000 to $53,900, said developers Anthony Santaularia, Karl Capps and Jes Santaularia. They said 22 lots have closed and the rest are scheduled to close by year's end.

Developers think their site at the northwest corner of S.E. 45th and Croco gives occupants an ideal location only 20 minutes' drive from Lawrence and 10 minutes from downtown Topeka.

(Anthony Bush/The Capital-Journal Concrete Unlimited employees Trevor Bowers, top left, and Nate Wiley work on the foundation of the community clubhouse)

Tuesday at RockFire at the Lake at S.E. 45th and Croco Road. Click here to check for reprint availability. Billed as a lifestyle center, RockFire at the Lake has a clubhouse with an indoor pool, huge patio, fitness center, computer center, gathering room, reception area, basement and kitchen.

"I sat out there last night and I was excited to see how many joggers, bikers and walkers were out there," Capps said. "It was loaded."

The developers traveled a challenging political landscape to obtain construction permits for their development. The land was in Shawnee County but within three miles of the city limits, where Topeka was exercising zoning and plat control. The Topeka City Council expressed willingness to approve a plat for the RockFire subdivision if the Shawnee County Commission first agreed to the city's annexation of the development.

The county commission's endorsement last December cleared the way for the city to consider the plat. The city then was obligated to spend $1.5 million to extend utility services to the subdivision.

RockFire at the Lake includes 169 acres and 250 home sites at the northwest corner of S.E. 45th and Croco. Completion of the development is expected within three to seven years. Next, the 240 acres on the northeast corner of S.E. 45th and Croco will become part of the expanded RockFire community.

For more information about RockFire at the Lake, go to www.rockfireatthelake.com/. "We feel like we have a good relationship with the county commission and the city of Topeka," Capps said.

The developers, who have done projects in other communities, said it always takes longer than initially expected.

The developers aren't worried about a slowdown in the real estate market and say they expect the real estate cycle will change two or three times over the next 20 years as southeast Topeka develops. Their own plans call for a commercial development at S.E. 45th and Croco.

The location isn't far from the Thunderbird Shopping Center at S.E. 29th and Croco, which opened in 2006.

"Thunderbird is doing fantastic," Capps said. "We're very excited about their success. That is a good testament for the services needed in the area."

In RockFire at the Lake, the developers have installed conduit for fiber optic networking of homes and clubhouse to give residents extremely high Internet speeds. With so many people working from their homes these days, they think the fiber optic Internet connection is vital to the long-term future of the community.

(Anthony Bush/The Capital-Journal Rockfire at the Lake's clubhouse, under construction above, will have such amenities as an indoor pool, patio, fitness center, computer center, gathering room, reception area, basement and kitchen.)

Streets, sewers and walking trails have already been completed. After the initial phase, 240 more acres will be developed to expand the community.

"Technology is going to drive the future," Capps said. "We're ready. Our system will handle huge files."

He said Zoomy Communications, of Glenwood Springs, Colo., would be building the fiber optic system. The company is a national leader in providing fiber-to-the-home networks for real estate developments.

After building homes in Douglas County for 40 years, Ernie Butell decided to go west in search of more affordable land.

"It's the same dirt, but when you cross that county line, the price drops," Butell said Monday.

Ernie and Brad Butell, Jes Santaularia, and Bob and Delores Hughes are some of the Lawrence builders who have come to Topeka to build because land is cheaper in Shawnee County than in Douglas County.

"We were attracted to Topeka because we felt the economic opportunities were better because land costs were significantly less than in Lawrence," said Santaularia, a developer with RockFire at the Lake near Lake Shawnee in southeast Topeka. "Secondly, we had an opportunity to make a difference with a master plan development of 400 acres. We couldn't do that in Lawrence."

Bob and Delores Hughes, of Hughes Construction Co., of Lawrence, built homes for 33 years in Lawrence but came to Topeka three years ago to build. Home construction in Lawrence had slowed because of the scarcity of lots, they said. About three years ago, they bought 120 lots along Berkshire Golf Club in south Topeka and have constructed 14 homes, of which 12 have been sold. Their spec home, 4531 S.W. Crenshaw, is on the market for about $227,578.

Statistics on the Lawrence Multiple Listing Service show the housing market has cooled in Lawrence. A total of 401 units sold in the first four months of the year, down from 448 during the same time last year.

Mike Burley/The Capital-Journal Ernie Butell, of Lawrence-based Butell Construction, is building homes in Topeka because the land is more affordable than in Lawrence.

"It's the same dirt, but when you cross that county line, the price drops," Butell said.

The real estate market in Shawnee County has slowed down slightly, too. The number of homes sold in Shawnee County was 1,640 year to date, compared with 1,679 sold during the same period last year.

"The last five years were extremely good, but this year has been erratic," said Sam Carkhuff, a Topeka real estate broker.

Sales of homes priced between $200,000 to $300,000 have slowed down, Carkhuff said.

He built five spec homes in southeast Topeka in three years. All have sold, but one sat on the market for a year.

"About a year ago, it started to slow down in southeast Topeka," he said. "Everything runs in cycles."

Lori Meens Miller, a Topeka real estate agent, said there is more inventory on the market than there has been in years past.

David Bevens, spokesman for the city of Topeka, said the city has been working for several years to improve infrastructure. For example, he said, the city has a new $70 million sewer plant in Oakland that came on line in January.

"We can't come up with infrastructure overnight, that's why we've been working on this for the last five to 10 years," Bevens said.

Santaularia said RockFire's developers had worked for nearly three years getting their development ready for home construction. The sewers are in, water lines are in and streets will be complete within 30 days, he said.

Club house construction starts Labor Day, Santaularia said, and construction of about 12 homes is expected to begin in October.

"It's taken us a little time to get here," he said. "But we're excited about it."

Growth in southeast Topeka has prompted the Kansas Turnpike Authority to consider a study on adding a new turnpike interchange at California Avenue to serve the southeast area of the city, said Lisa Callahan, spokeswoman for the turnpike authority.

"We're not even studying it yet," she said, "We're just looking to see if there is enough traffic to look at doing a formal survey."

Developers for RockFire at the Lake broke ground on the community clubhouse which is deigned to serve the residents at RockFire at the Lake. The 3,500 SF clubhouse features an indoor swimming pool, fitness center, gathering rooms, outdoor patio and an expansive park. The clubhouse is expected for completion in early summer of 2007.

RockFire Development is proud to announce the completion of the internal road system at RockFire at the Lake. The road system will serve the first phase of 110 lots at RockFire at the Lake. The main entrance to the development will be off of 45th street and with later phases connecting onto Croco Road.

In other action, council members v voted 9-0 to approve a $5.855 million budget and an accompanying resolution authorizing a project to improve S.E. Croco Road between S.E. 39th and 44th streets and at its intersection with S.E. 45th. Financing is to involve $4.16 million in federal funding, with $1.017 million coming from landowners in a city-formed benefit district, $339,000 from city general obligation bonds and $339,000 from Shawnee County public works money.

Shawnee County in 2008 will widen Croco Road between S.E. 39th and 44th streets and improve its intersection with S.E. 45th.

County Commissioners Vic Miller, Ted Ensley and Marice Kane voted 3-0 Monday to approve a $5.85 million budget for the project, which will turn the two-lane road into a multi-lane urban arterial with sewers and sidewalks.

In that area, the western half of Croco is in the city and the eastern half is outside the city.

The federal government will pay $4.16 million for the project, with $1.017 million coming from residents of an improvement district and $339,000 each being paid by Shawnee County and the city of Topeka.

Money from the city and the improvement district are being provided as part of an agreement through which more than $1 million in federally provided county funds is going to the city for a $2.2 million project to improve the intersection of S.W. 29th and Fairlawn Road.

Shawnee County commissioners agreed Monday to commit more than $1 million in federally provided county funds to a $2.2 million city project to improve S.W. 29th and Fairlawn Road.

Commissioners Vic Miller and Ted Ensley voted 2-0 -- with Commissioner Marice Kane absent -- to approve an interlocal agreement authorizing the move after they heard acting city manager Neil Dobler describe the crossing as Topeka's "worst major intersection."

Topeka police records show S.W. 29th and Fairlawn finished third among city intersections in accidents last year, with 17. Ensley said he often drives through the intersection and considers it to be "especially challenging" on weekdays at about 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Monday's move was part of a trade in which the Shawnee County Commission and Topeka City Council recently approved interlocal agreements through which the city will accept money for the Fairlawn project while helping finance improvements on S.E. Croco Road between 39th and 45th streets, including the intersection of S.E. 45th and Croco. The western half of Croco Road in that stretch is city property and the eastern half is county property.

The Croco agreement calls for the city to commit $339,000 in general obligation bonds and to establish a benefit district to bring in $1.017 million for the project. The overall price tag of $5.855 million also will include $339,000 in county money and $4.16 million in federal funds.

County engineer Tom Flanagan said the agreement that commissioners approved Monday pledges the county's 2009 Federal Surface Transportation Fund obligation authority in the amount of $1.048 million toward the work at S.W. 29th and Fairlawn. The city will be the lead agency for the Fairlawn project, which comes at an estimated overall cost of $2.206 million. Dobler said plans call for the work to start and finish in 2008.

Anthony S. Bush/The Capital-Journal Cars exiting Interstate 470 have very few feet to maneuver into the north- or southbound lanes of S.W. Fairlawn Road at 29th Street.

Plans for a $2.2 million project in 2008 to improve S.W. 29th and Fairlawn Road call for these changes:

• Motorists going north on Fairlawn will receive two left turn lanes to enter westbound S.W. 29th instead of one, as they have now.

• Drivers going east on S.W. 29th will receive an exclusive right turn lane to go south on Fairlawn.

• Drivers going west on Interstate 470 will receive two right turn lanes to enter northbound Fairlawn instead of one, as they have now.

The City Council voted 9-0 to approve an ordinance initiating condemnation proceedings to acquire easements for water and sewer lines to serve the first of two RockFire at the Lake subdivisions, which are to become the site of homes and businesses on 409 acres northeast and northwest of S.E. 45th and Croco Road. Council members amended the ordinance Tuesday evening to require that city staff members be instructed to seek to minimize any negative effects the work might have on property of The House of the Lord Church, 2531 S.E. Wittenberg Road.

Topeka City Council votes 9-0 to initiate eminent domain for sewer and water easements to the RockFire at the Lake subdivisions, northwest and northeast of S.E. 45th and Croco Road.

Topeka City Council members on Tuesday night agreed 9-0 to rezone a 23-acre area in southeast Shawnee County's 169-acre RockFire at the Lake development for the Pebble Creek gated community for adults 55 and older.

The community would be just west of S.E. Croco Road and about 2,000 feet north of S.E. 45th Street.

Tuesday's decision gave the council's seal of approval to a July 18 move by the Topeka Planning Commission, which recommended that the city require RockFire to meet one of three requirements to resolve access problems, with one of those being to provide a second entrance.

Earlier this year, RockFire developers agreed to a plat calling for the Pebble Creek area to have two separate entrances. Developers subsequently were unable to acquire land to the north that would provide access to S.E. 41st Street, where one of the entrances would have been located.

Soon after the July 18 planning commission meeting, developers proposed a secondary, emergency exit road onto Croco. Topeka planning director David Thurbon said he thought that solution would suffice.

Developers of a proposed gated community in Topeka said Monday they believe they have come up with a solution to public-safety concerns raised by the Topeka Planning Commission.

Anthony Santaularia, regional manager of the RockFire at the Lake development, said an exit-only road would be added to the project's site plan to ease apprehension among some commissioners about having only one road in or out of the Pebble Creek gated community for adults 55 and older at S.E. 45th and Croco Road.

Santaularia said the secondary road wouldn't carry routine traffic. It would allow for a right-turn only onto Croco.

"It's meant for emergency exits, in the very, very rare case when there is any type of emergency," he said.

David Thurbon, Topeka planning director, said addition of the second exit might satisfy commissioners worried about the safety of people residing in the Pebble Creek town homes and condominiums. The main entrance and exit would remain elsewhere on Croco.

"It looks like a solution to me," Thurbon said. "We'll have to see it and review it with the engineering department."

RockFire is a 169-acre development for which street and sewer construction is expected to begin in August.

The 23-acre Pebble Creek community would be part of the development's second phase.

Earlier this year, RockFire agreed to a plat calling for two separate entrances to the Pebble Creek area. RockFire subsequently was unable to acquire land to the north that would provide access to 41st Street, where a second entrance could have been located.

That placed the Pebble Creek project in jeopardy and led to debate at the July 18 planning commission meeting about alternatives. Commission members voted 5-1 to recommend the city council approve zoning the area for a gated community but stipulated access questions had to be resolved for the project to proceed.

Thurbon said he wasn't worried about how the issue would fare when city council next considers it.

Efforts to develop a gated community geared toward people 55 and older in the RockFire at the Lake development appeared stalled Monday after the new Topeka Planning Commission approved a rezoning but added requirements the developers didn't want.

"It's off the table for now, until we get something else worked out," said Jes Santaularia, a partner in RockFire.

The development was among items discussed in the first public hearing of the revamped planning commission, which conducts public hearings on planning and zoning issues before sending recommendations to the Topeka City Council.

The city council on May 24 dissolved the 12-member commission and replaced it with a nine-member body in which some members must have expertise in planning or land development.

The council on June 19 endorsed Mayor Bill Bunten's seven appointments to the commission: Mark Boyd, Joselito "Ping" Enriques, Michelle Hoferer, John McGivern, Fred Sanders, Kimberly Scott and Ralph Skoog. McGivern later chose not to serve, leaving three seats unfilled.

Planning commissioners during an orientation meeting last week elected Skoog chairman and Hoferer vice chairman.

The commission took up multiple planning issues Monday during their first public hearing session, which lasted more than three hours and 15 minutes.

Jes Santaularia, Karl Capps and Shane Hack are developers of the 169-acre RockFire at the Lake project, for which construction is expected to begin later this year at the northwest corner of S.E. 45th and Croco Road. Santaularia said the development's second phase is to include a 200-unit, gated active adult community encompassing 23.5 acres. City records indicate the center line for that property is about 2,000 feet north of S.E. 45th and Croco. The community would have one entrance on Croco on its east.

Mike Engler, architect for Bartlett and West Engineers, said Monday that RockFire agreed to a plat earlier this year calling for the community to have two separate entrances, but developers were unable to buy land to the north that would give them access to S.E. 41st Street.

City staff recommended the city consequently require RockFire developers to either:

• Or offer one entrance but not build any structure more than 500 feet from Croco Road;

• Or offer one entrance but limit the area more than 500 feet from Croco Road to 200 vehicle trips per day, as determined by the city engineer.

Boyd made a motion to rezone the area for the gated community while requiring RockFire to follow one of those conditions. Planning commissioners voted 5-1 to recommend the city council approve that move. Sanders cast the dissenting vote, saying RockFire was a "great subdivision."

The trials of the RockFire developers are an argument for city-county consolidation

Considering what they had to go through to get RockFire off the rocks, Jes Santaularia, Karl Capps and Shane Hack ought to be avid proponents of consolidation.

Actually, we don't know where they stand on the proposal to merge city and county governmental functions, but the men behind the RockFire at the Lake development, a modern housing subdivision charted for the Lake Shawnee area, had to maneuver through a confounding maze fraught with political debate and duplicative city and county regulations before they began to see the light from the other side of the jungle.

The initial stages of development were slowed by a controversy between the city and county as they worked through annexation of the site. Eventually, those negotiations came to an agreeable end. Now the trick is to keep the development on track.

"Every day someone's working on RockFire, either meeting with city council members or the mayor or public engineers on the status of RockFire, to keep it moving forward," says Anthony Santaularia, regional manager with RockFire.

The city has said sewer and water hookups will be completed by March. Construction will begin this fall on houses, a recreation center and streets within the subdivision.

The developers envision a subdivision that eventually will have lots for 287 home sites, as well as commercial areas for neighborhood shopping.

Sounds like it's going to be nice. We hope the developers won't have to face too many more bureaucratic headaches.

After surviving the many political and practical challenges that go along with creating a complex subdivision, the RockFire at the Lake development is again moving forward.

The first phase of the subdivision includes 169 acres southeast of Lake Shawnee and incorporates 110 lots for housing.

The initial stages of development were slowed by controversy between the city and county as they worked through annexation of the site. But now that part of the negotiation process is concluded, and it is time to think about construction.

"Every day someone's working with RockFire, either meeting with city council members or the mayor or public engineers on the status of RockFire, to keep it moving forward," said Anthony Santaularia, regional manager with RockFire.

His father, Jes Santaularia, and Karl Capps and Shane Hack are the developers of the project through RockFire Development LLC.

(Ann Williamson/The Capital-Journal From left, Jes Santaularia, Karl Capps and Shane Hack are the developers of the RockFire at the Lake development, shown here at the RockFire scale model.)

The subdivision includes 169 acres southeast of Lake Shawnee. Lot prices start at $18,900. The city has said sewer and water hookups will be completed by March 1, 2006, Anthony Santaularia said. Construction will begin this fall on streets within the subdivision, the recreation center and houses.

"We've started selling lots," he said. "We have 90 of them sold. We haven't done a lot of heavy marketing yet, a lot of word-of-mouth advertising right now. A lot of people don't get too excited about a new development until they start seeing the streets and sewers."

In this first phase, the development includes lots for 91 single-family homes, 18 duplexes and one triplex. Lot prices start at $18,900. Santaularia stressed that homes won't be cookie-cutter in appearance, although there are certain covenants that residents must follow.

"Everyone will have to have a certain amount of stone, stucco or brick on the front of their homes," he said.

One cul de sac incorporates an 1880s stone home that was already on the property, and that native stone will be required on the homes built there.

As lots are sold, RockFire developers can turn toward future phases of construction. When completed, the total project will encompass 287 home sites and commercial areas for neighborhood shopping. A 12-acre active adult community will focus on attracting adults 55 and older, Santaularia said.

Rife with biking and walking trails, the RockFire development takes full advantage of its proximity to Lake Shawnee, he added.

"All hiking, walking, biking trails connect into the main community, into the shopping and the offices, and can be taken to the golf course," he said. "That's one thing I'm really trying to promote -- live, work and play. Be outdoors, exercise, get out to the clubhouse, get out to Lake Shawnee, play golf. The county is spending a lot of money to improve that lake, and we want to be part of that."

The recreation center, which will break ground this fall, includes an indoor in-ground pool, a business center, meeting rooms, a fitness center, playground equipment, fire pits and areas for outdoor grilling, Santaularia said.

Lori Meens Miller, a Realtor at RockFire Realty, said the indoor pool will be quite an attraction.

"In summers, it'll have glass doors that will open, so it's like an outdoor pool with big patios," she said. "There is not an indoor pool in all of Shawnee Heights."

The neighborhood shopping area will be built in approximately three years and include space for an anchor grocery store and seven to 10 retail shops, Santaularia said. There also will be four or five pad sites available for businesses like banks, fast food and full-service restaurants, and a convenience store.

"We have spoken to and have been contacted by various regional and national tenants for many aspects of the commercial center, but our focus has been on the residential development and bringing the required infrastructure to the area," Santaularia said.

Morgan Chilson is a freelance writer living in Shawnee County. She may be reached at morgan@exactlywrite.net.

Homes built at RockFire at the Lake will let new residents get a jump on technology, creating a digital community.

Although the trend in recent years for digital connectivity has been cable or DSL connections, RockFire regional manager Anthony Santaularia said the future is in fiber-optic connections.

"We're actually going to provide something that's 100 times faster -- we'll provide fiber to the homes," he said. "This will provide 100 megabyte download speed. It's tons faster than what you can normally find anywhere."

At this time, there are no developments in Topeka or Lawrence that incorporated fiber optics into the construction, Santaularia said, although some communities in Kansas City have been wired with it.

"What it does is provide you a high-speed Internet and more cable channels, more music channels, bundled services and a lot more options," Santaularia said. "We're trying to stay ahead of the game. Fiber is the future, and that's going to be the future for the next 10, 15, 20 years."

The services provided to RockFire at the Lake will come through Zoomyco, a company that specializes in delivering fiber-to-the-home services for real estate developers.

A Shawnee County request for help from Topeka on the Croco Road project is ironic

At a time when city debt has become a significant issue, both at the voting booth and in considering potential consolidation, there seems to be a bit of irony in a recent Shawnee County request to the city.

On Monday, county officials proposed that city taxpayers help pay for a major upgrade of Croco Road, on the east side of Lake Shawnee, between S.E. 29th and S.E. 45th Streets.

The upgrade is expected to help accommodate business development at S.E. 29th and Croco and residential development at S.E. 45th and Croco, where the 409-acre RockFire at the Lake development is slated to become the site of homes and non industrial businesses during the next 10 years.

We understand that it makes sense for the county and city to work together on this project. Those living in the city and outside the city would benefit from it.

Thus you could extend that thinking to consolidation on the whole. It's just that the timing seemed ironic.

At a time when the city council seems to be taking a beating for the perception of excessive spending, the county turns around and asks those same city council members for help on one of "their" projects.

Which, once again, tells us we need desperately to eliminate the "us" against "them" mentality in Shawnee County.

If we will benefit from the improvement, we'll benefit from the improvement. It's that simple.

Without a doubt, it would be easy for the city to rise up and tell the county, this is your deal, you pay for it -- especially after the relentless pummeling the city has taken for recent spending commitments.

That type of reaction, however, isn't in the best interest of all Shawnee Counties.

Rather than say, "No. Do it yourself," city officials need to work with county officials to determine the better good for the community.

Development to the east and southeast indicates that Croco needs to be upgraded to carry more traffic. And the timing is important because of the availability of some $9.7 million in federal funds to help with the $13.9 million project.

The $9.7 million from the federal government means that $4.2 million would need to be raised from local taxpayers. The county hasn't specified how much of that $4.2 million it would like to see contributed by the city.

But the county's request to city taxpayers indicates the county's recognition for wise and prudent improvements -- and that we're all better off working together, not in opposition.

This also sounds like a solid vote toward consolidation on the part of our county leaders.

Now we'll see if they hold enough sway to overcome the dual vote provision they navigated into the recent consolidation bill.

Shawnee County commissioners hope Topeka will help finance a project to upgrade a narrow stretch of S.E. Croco Road in a growing area near Lake Shawnee.

The improvements on Croco between S.E. 29th and S.E. 45th should carry an overall price tag of about $13.9 million, deputy public works director Tom Flanagan told commissioners Monday.

Commissioners Vic Miller, Ted Ensley and Marice Kane voted 3-0 to approve forms necessary to get federal funds to help finance the work. Commissioners in December had agreed unanimously to put plans in motion to make the improvements, which include widening the two-mile stretch of Croco from two lanes into a multilane urban street.

The upgrade is expected to help accommodate business development at S.E. 29th and Croco and anticipated changes at S.E. 45th and Croco, where the 409-acre RockFire at the Lake development is slated to become the site of homes and non industrial businesses during the next 10 years.

The upgrade isn't among numerous road improvements that are to be financed by a half-cent sales tax Shawnee County voters approved last year, though that tax will finance work on Croco between S.E. 6th and S.E. 29th.

Flanagan told commissioners the Croco project between S.E. 29th and S.E. 45th was expected to take five years, between 2008 and 2012. He asked the commission to sign paperwork to get federal funds to improve its first three phases.

The phases include the improvement in 2008 of the intersection of S.E. 45th and Croco Road; the upgrade in 2009 of Croco between S.E. 39th and S.E. 44th; and the improvement in 2010 of Croco between S.E. 36th and S.E. 39th.

Commissioners also encouraged Flanagan to talk with city officials to see if the city would help finance the improvements. After the meeting, Miller noted that efforts are under way that could lead to the eventual consolidation of Topeka and Shawnee County.

"In terms of discussions with the city, we may end up talking with ourselves," he said.

Kane asked at Monday's meeting whether the county could create benefit districts along Croco to require landowners to help pay improvement costs.

"We have no ability to create benefit districts in the county," Flanagan replied.

But Miller said that during recent hearings in which the county agreed to let Topeka annex 169 acres encompassing the first phase of the RockFire project, RockFire developers said they would help pay for infrastructure improvements. He suggested the county ask the city to form a benefit district involving RockFire.

Commissioners questioned Monday whether the Croco project really needed to be completed over five years between 2008 and 2012.

"It's so disruptive to traffic for such a long period of time that there should just be another way to do this," Ensley said.

Miller said the project's reliance on federal money "locks us into a time frame" in which the county can't get that funding until the specific year for which it is approved.

He asked Flanagan whether it would make more sense to complete the Croco project in "bigger chunks," and Flanagan responded that it would.

Miller said the county consequently should seek a "temporary funding mechanism" to help finance the project until federal funding kicks in.

RockFire at the Lake in conjunction with RockFire Realty will be at the Topeka Home Show at the Topeka Expocentre between March 4th - 6th. Stop by the RockFire at the Lake booth to learn more about this exciting new development. For more information please call 785.235.6900 or email info@rockfirerealty.com

1.18.2005
Topeka City Council Agreed 9-0 to annex the Rockfire at the Lake development, a residential and commercial subdivision at the northwest corner of S.E. 45th and Croco Road, with permission from the developers and the Shawnee County Commission.

1.11.2005
Shawnee County Commissioners agreed 3-0 to approve a zoning change that allows for development of a pedestrian-oriented neighborhood shopping center as part of the RockFire at the Lake East development, which is to be established on a 240-acre parcel at the northeast corner of S.E. 45th Street and Croco Road. The measure passed Monday was the last of several zoning changes that were proposed and approved for the area.

Shawnee County commissioners took steps Thursday to widen a narrow stretch of S.E. Croco Road in a growing area near Lake Shawnee, even though the city of Topeka hopes to annex it

Commissioners asked Tom Flanagan, the county's deputy director of public works, whether he thought they should wait to let the city annex and pay costs to improve the two-mile stretch of S.E. Croco between 29th and 45th streets. Flanagan said that from an engineering standpoint, he thought the county should be proactive to meet the area's future traffic needs.

Commissioners then voted 3-0 to pass three measures to improve the stretch of street.

Commissioner Vic Miller called the improvements "overdue," saying they would make the road safer for the many joggers who use it.

• Revise their 2005 capital improvement plan for roads to include the planning of improvements on S.E. Croco between 29th and 45th streets.

• Approve a design budget of $200,000 to conduct a corridor study and develop preliminary engineering plans and cost estimates to turn the stretch of Croco into a multilane urban street.

• Give the county public works department authority to seek bids to conduct the corridor study and develop preliminary plans.

Flanagan said the moves don't commit the county to making the improvements on Croco. He said that if the city annexed the area, he would seek to work with the city to arrange payment of the costs.

The improvements would help accommodate current business development at S.E. 29th Street and Croco Road and anticipated changes at S.E. 45th Street and Croco Road, where the 409-acre RockFire at the Lake development is slated to become the site of homes and non industrial businesses. Last week, commissioners agreed to allow the city to annex 169 acres that will be developed as part of the project's first phase. On Tuesday, the Topeka City Council approved a plat to allow that land to be developed.

The Topeka City Council approves the RockFire at the Lake final plat with a unanimous 9 - 0 vote.

Topeka will annex 169 acres southeast of the city under a plan approved Thursday by the Shawnee County Commission.

Lawrence-based developer Jes Santaularia won the commission's unanimous approval of a plan whereby Topeka would annex land southeast of Lake Shawnee that is earmarked for the first phase of a $100 million commercial and residential development.

No negative comments about the RockFire at the Lake development were offered by commissioners during the 10 minutes the issue was discussed Thursday morning.

"The city has really given the county an opportunity to make a difference," beamed commissioner Marice Kane.

The initial phase of RockFire covers 169 acres on the northwest corner of S.E. 45th Street and Croco Road. Plans include retail and office space and apartment, condominium and single-family homes.

"We're excited by the approval," said Santaularia, who is a partner in the development with Shane Hack and Karl Capps. "We felt we had the right project at the right time." Santaularia said construction of roads in the new subdivision could start in the spring. The first phase includes 250 single-family homes, 80 housing units for elderly people and a condominium complex.

About 35 acres would be set aside for retail and office space, he said. He suggested that if restaurant, grocery and banking businesses located there, they would help keep consumers in Shawnee County.

He also estimated that in the fourth year of the development, the city and county might take in more than $1 million annually from utility services and property taxes tied to RockFire.

"The economics here are significantly better than you might see in an annexation of this type," Santaularia said.

A second phase of the development would consume 240 acres to the east at S.E. 45th Street and Croco Road, Santaularia said. Construction of an elementary school -- public or private -- is being contemplated, he said.

While the commission's vote went smoothly Thursday, reaching this step in the development process has been complicated by friction that arose over planning matters since the city and county abandoned a joint planning commission and formed their own entities last year.

Santaularia, who has worked on developments in numerous cities, said grappling with two government entities in Shawnee County was an unusual challenge.

A woodworking accident at Topeka High School on Monday prompted the Shawnee County Commission to postpone a decision on whether to let Topeka annex the RockFire at the Lake subdivision southeast of the city.

Commissioner Vic Miller left the 9 a.m. meeting during a presentation by developer Jes Santaularia to go to Topeka High to take his son, Riley Miller, to a physician's office. Miller said that Riley, a sophomore, needed treatment for a scratched cornea he suffered in a woodworking class when he got something in an eye, then rubbed the eye.

"I'm not going to do that," Ensley responded. "He needs to be part of the process."

Ensley and Kane agreed to wait and consider the measure when Miller returned to the meeting. He was still absent when they acted on the final agenda item and adjourned the meeting slightly more than an hour after it began.

A few minutes later, Miller returned to commission chambers to learn that action on RockFire had been postponed until Thursday's meeting.

The developers: RockFire at the Lake is owned by RockFire Capital, for which principal developers are Jes Santaularia, Karl Capps and Shane Hack.

The services: A document provided by the city of Topeka indicates that all urban services have been determined available to the area without undue expense to the city.

The second phase: The second phase of the development, RockFire at the Lake East, will go in at the northeast corner of S.E. 45th and Croco.

RockFire at the Lake is to be built in an undeveloped area in unincorporated Shawnee County at the northwest corner of S.E. 45th and Croco Road. The city and county often have disagreed over planning matters since they abandoned a joint planning commission and formed their own such entities last year. Because the land in question lies within three miles of city limits, the city currently has authority through its subdivision regulations, said assistant city attorney Braxton Copley.

The Topeka City Council on Nov. 9 voted to ask county commissioners to approve an "island" annexation of the RockFire land, which doesn't adjoin city limits, but postponed until December a decision on whether to approve a plat to allow the subdivision's development. The city council on Nov. 9 also made a non binding statement of intent to approve the plat if annexation is approved. If the county won't consent to annexation, RockFire's developer would be responsible for the cost of extending the city sewer main to the land, Copley said.

Santaularia and Vern Jarboe, an attorney representing RockFire, on Monday asked the county to approve annexation.

"I ask you, for a moment, to set aside your personal differences with the city council and the political process to approve a project that fuels the engine that supports this city and provides jobs for this community," Santaularia said. "That engine is economic development."

The RockFire Development Group presented the final plat and annexation request for RockFire at the Lake to the City Council meeting on Tuesday night. The developers of RockFire at the Lake would like to thank all of our supporters that attended last night’s meeting.

The City Council approved the annexation request with a 5 – 4 vote. The City Council also approved a resolution that if the Shawnee County Commissioners approve the annexation request then the City Council will approve the final plat. We believe the 4 dissenting council members would have voted in favor if the final plat and annexation resolution were proposed as one agenda item. The city will make a request to the Shawnee County Commissioners for annexation; Shawnee County Commissioners will then have 30 days to act on this request.

Once the developers receive an approved plat from the city they expect to begin construction of the streets and sewers in the Spring of 2005 and look forward to residents enjoying their new homes in late 2005 and early 2006. Interested home buyers may contact a representative from RockFire Realty at 785.235.6900 to learn more about lot availability. Phase 1 of RockFire at the Lake consists of 108 estate, single family and town home sites.

Again, we would like to thank those who have supported RockFire at the Lake since its inception and appreciate those who have been committed to bringing a new and progressive community to Southeast Topeka.

As you know the developers of RockFire at the Lake are bringing a new community to Southeast Topeka - - - one that will make a positive impact and provide a unique place for everyone to enjoy.

RockFire at the Lake is a comprehensive master-planned community that is unique in Topeka’s recent history. Providing a gateway to Southeast Topeka, RockFire at the Lake will offer a variety of housing choices as well as neighborhood shopping, walking, biking and hiking trails that will connect to the Lake Shawnee County Park system. RockFire at the Lake will continue to enhance the image of Topeka and Shawnee County as being one of the most desirable places to live in Kansas.

On November 9th the developers will appear before the City Council to present the final plat and annexation request. At this time we ask our supporters throughout the community to attend this meeting. If you are interested in speaking on our behalf, we have a very specific message we would like to deliver to the City Council. Please call our office and we would be happy to share it with you.

This meeting will take place on November 9th at 7:00 pm in the City Council Chambers, Room 255 in City Hall, which is located at 215 S.E. 7th Street. City Hall is connected to the Topeka Performing Arts Center.

The developers of RockFire at the Lake continue to work extensively with the city and county planning staff, commissioners and council members as we finalize the plats that will ensure the future smart growth of Topeka and Shawnee County. While this process has been extensive and time consuming, we are on the verge of acquiring all approvals on every aspect of our master plan.

We plan to fill the room with supporters of RockFire to show the City Council that our development is a progressive step forward for both the city and the county. A successful vote for this high quality, master-planned community will make a difference in Southeast Topeka and provide a place to LIVE…WORK…and…PLAY.

Please show your support by attending the City Council meeting on Tuesday November 9th 2004. We will notify you if the meeting date or time changes. We appreciate your continued support and look forward to seeing you at the meeting.

Over the course of the past few weeks there have been numerous print and television articles concerning RockFire at the Lake. We felt it is necessary to clarify a few points that may have been misinterpreted in the local media.

The news and print media have referenced RockFire Realty as the developers of RockFire at the Lake. RockFire Realty does not own the land and is not developing RockFire at the Lake. RockFire Realty is a full service Topeka based real estate company that assists home buyers and sellers in Topeka and Shawnee County with the purchase and sale of their homes and land. RockFire Realty will play an important role in assisting future RockFire at the Lake home owners in the transition to their new homes in RockFire at the Lake and they will also continue to serve home buyers and sellers throughout Topeka and Shawnee County. If you have any questions about the services RockFire Realty can provide for you we encourage you to call the RockFire Realty office at 785.235.6900 and speak to one of the knowledgeable real estate professionals on how they can assist you.

RockFire at the Lake is developed and owned by RockFire Capital whose principal developers are Jes Santaularia, Karl Capps and Shane Hack. Jes, Karl and Shane have over 60 years of combined development experience in residential, commercial, multi-family and office/warehouse projects. To learn more about each of the developers personal experiences in the local, regional and national areas of development please visit the RockFire at the Lake web site at www.RockFireAtTheLake.com

A recent article mentioned a local resident was concerned about the traffic on 45th and specifically the intersection of 45th and Croco. We have long recognized that significant improvements need to be made to the intersection of 45th and Croco and the various ingress/egress points to our development. Trans Systems on our behalf conducted a TIA (Traffic Impact Analysis) that indicates these improvements shall be made in conjunction with various phases of RockFire at the Lake. The recommended improvements will provide significant benefits to all residents who live in the area. We continue to work with the planning departments and others on this issue to provide safety on our streets and the opportunity for future growth of quality developments such as RockFire on the southeast side of Topeka and Shawnee County.

The developers of RockFire at the Lake are working extensively with the city and county planning staff, commissioners and council members to finalize the preliminary and final plats that will ensure the future smart growth of Topeka and Shawnee County. While this process has been extensive and time consuming, we are very close to acquiring all approvals on all aspects of our master plan. We expect to begin construction of streets and sewers in the spring of 2005.

RockFire at the Lake is a comprehensive master planned community that is unique in Topeka’s recent history. RockFire at the Lake’s 409 acres borders east and west sides of Croco Road as well as the north side of 45th street; both major arterials and provide a gateway to southeastern Topeka. The master planned community will continue to enhance the image of Shawnee County as being one of the most desirable places to live in Kansas.

We appreciate your continued support and look forward to providing the gateway to southeast Topeka.

Shawnee County commissioners today approved rezoning to allow construction of a large development at the northeast corner of S.E. 45th Street and Croco Road.

Commissioners Ted Ensley, Marice Kane and Vic Miller voted 3-0 to enable 77.83 acres of land currently zoned "residential reserve" in the RockFire at the Lake East development to be used for homes and businesses.

RockFire at the Lake East -- the second phase of a 409-acre development, RockFire at the Lake -- would encompass 240 acres at the northeast corner of S.E. 45th Street and Croco Road. Commissioners previously approved the first phase of the project, which covers 169 acres at the intersection's northwest corner.

RockFire at the Lake is developed and owned by RockFire Capital, for which principal developers are Jes Santaularia, Karl Capps and Shane Hack.

A Shawnee County Planning Department report indicated about 215 acres of RockFire at the Lake East is to be used for homes. Developers plan for it to include single-family homes, duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, offices and non-industrial businesses, including a restaurant and a grocery store. Costs of the single-family homes should range from about $150,000 to about $500,000.

In anticipation of the future growth of Shawnee County and the City of Topeka the RockFire Development Group took another step forward with their efforts to promote smart growth when they met with the Shawnee County Planning Commission to hear the re-zoning case of 240 acres at the northeast intersection of 45th & Croco Road. The 240 acres is located directly east of the 169 acre mixed use development known as RockFire at the Lake.

Many local residents attended the Shawnee County Planning meeting expressing concerns over traffic, aesthetics of the planned development, and landscape buffers. The RockFire development team was able to respond and reassure all residents and the Planning Commission that the RockFire group is able to handle these concerns through smart growth planning and meticulous engineering. Shawnee County Planning Commissioners unanimously approved the re-zoning cases except for one with a 7-0 vote. The commissioners requested the 9 acre commercial development at the corner of 45th and Croco to be resubmitted as a PUD instead of the requested classification of C-2. The RockFire development team will work with the Shawnee County attorney and the planning director on the requested 9 acre PUD zoning case and the development agreement for the 240 acre multi-use development.

The 240 acres will comprise of approximately 400 estate and single family home sites, 100 town home sites, restaurants, retail, offices, and an apartment or condominium site. In addition to the homes and neighborhood shopping, RockFire Development has set aside 9 acres of centrally located land for the potential development of an elementary school as well as common green space located throughout the development tied together with walking, hiking and biking trails. The developers will also create a 7 acre lake which will be viewable from Croco Road and will be the centerpiece attraction of the neighborhood shopping and will be surrounded with walking, hiking and biking trails.

Subject to the approval of the zoning cases by the Shawnee County Commissioners, the developers expect to start on the 240 acre development after they have completed a substantial portion of the original 169 acre RockFire at the Lake development or negotiate a agreement with the Shawnee Heights School Board where they agree to expand their school system with a new elementary school that will enhance learning opportunities for the local youth on the 9 acre dedicated site. Jes Santaularia of RockFire Development stated “I anticipate the continued growth of Shawnee County and the City of Topeka to continue over the next 5 – 10 years and we look forward to bringing a quality project that incorporates smart growth to the area that we can all be proud to call home.”

RockFire Realty is proud to announce the release of available lots in Phase 1 of RockFire at the Lake development. To reserve your lot today please contact any RockFire Realty representative and receive your reservation packet today.

The unoccupied land southeast of Lake Shawnee consists of barren dirt patches, massive trees and grassy clearings. But that will all change in the next several months.

Karl Capps, Shane Hack and Jes Santaularia, three developers with more than 60 combined years of experience, are working on a project that will bring a new look to 409 acres northwest and northeast of the intersection at S.E. 45th and Croco Road.

"This is going to be something Topeka doesn't have right now on the southeast side of the city," Santaularia said. "You'll be connected to Lake Shawnee -- and its golf course and hiking, walking and biking trails. Residents will also be able to shop without ever getting on a public street."

Construction on the project, called RockFire at The Lake, is scheduled to begin in late fall. The Shawnee County planning commission gave approval to the developers' final plat on Jan. 5, and the developers are meeting with the Topeka City Council in three weeks.

RockFire Realty LLC closed on the first 169 acres it purchased from the John R. Hines Trust on Oct. 27, 2003, and finalized the purchase of the remaining 240 acres from the Hines Trust on April 8. The development group has contracted Bartlett & West Engineers Inc., of Topeka to work on project plans.

Phase one of the project will involve the sale of 287 housing lots northwest of S.E. 45th and Croco Road at from $17,900 to $49,900. Home prices will range from $150,000 up to $500,000, with the bulk of homes going for about $200,000 to $250,000. Capps said construction on the homes should begin early next year, and residents could start moving in the summer or fall of 2005.

The group of 287 lots will be divided into four areas, and the houses in each area will mimic one another in some way. For example, houses in the southwest corner of the project will have stone features to reflect the image of an original stone house that stands on the property. Condos and duplexes also will be constructed and sold in RockFire at The Lake.

"We're trying to maintain a theme," Capps said. "Each cul-de-sac will have a name for itself, and each group of houses will have some kind of feature that is extremely unique."

Plans for a neighborhood shopping center and office plaza also have been formulated. Capps said he would like to see 15 to 18 businesses in a 20-acre space just northwest of S.E. 45th and Croco Road. The development group has been contacted by several businesses, including grocery stores, restaurants, banks, dry cleaners, hair salons, liquor stores and coffee shops.

A 13-acre "active adult community" -- with park space, patio homes, a courtyard and a splash park -- is in the plans for phase two. The developers said they were unsure when phase two would begin and that the status of phase one would determine the timeline.

Phase two will include the construction of more homes, to the northeast of S.E. 45th and Croco Road. Developers have talked with Unified School District 450 ab

Easy access to Lake Shawnee, scenic views and a 25-minute drive to Lawrence are selling points for the developers, who were not shy in admitting they purposely created a long-term vision.

Developers of RockFire at The Lake say they plan to add 287 housing lots and 15 to 18 businesses on the 169-acre site at the northwest corner of S.E. 45th and Croco Road.

"We like to think of ourselves as very technologically progressive, and that's why we used a master-plan approach," Capps said. "By using long-term planning, we've been able to take a large piece of property and show its potential for growth. We've worked really hard with the county and city planning commissions, and we're excited to get it going."

April 26 2004
City Attorney meets with City Planning Commission in study session and advises them that condition to require annexation may not be consistent with powers granted to the Commission. He also advised that the City Planning Commission could make recommendations for annexation, but not requirements. At this meeting the City Planning Commission agrees to re-hear the RockFire at the Lake development Final Plat removing the condition for requirement of annexation.

April 19 2004
City Planning Commission - Preliminary Plat

RockFire developers and David Thurbon, the Planning Director and Dean Diediker, the Assistant Planning Director for the City of Topeka, made a presentation to the City Planning Commission of a plat that mirrors the Plat previously approved by the Shawnee County Planning Commissioners. With much discussion about annexation, the City Planning Commission approved the Plat adding a condition that required annexation by the City prior to development and issuance of any building permits.

April 17 2004
RockFire Development LLC files plan with County for re-zoning and Preliminary Plat of the 240 acres at the northeast corner of 45th and Croco. County Planning Commission scheduled to hear these cases in July 2004.

April 08 2004
RockFire Development LLC closes on the 240 acres at the northeast corner of 45th and Croco.

March 30 2004
City Planning Commission – Final Plat

RockFire developers made an attempt during the Final Plat hearing to remove the condition that required annexation of the property. It was the developer’s intent to request annexation at a later date so that in time as services became available, RockFire at the Lake would eventually be annexed into the City.

February 23 2004
USD 450 Site Council Meeting

In an effort to acquire information about potential developments in southeast Topeka, USD 450 conducted a Site Council Meeting. The Site Council included a number of USD 450 Board Members. At the meeting all the developers in southeast Topeka were invited to participate and advise the Council about their activities and the potential impact on the school system. During this meeting the RockFire developers presented the same information it had presented earlier to the USD 450 School Board regarding the development of an elementary school on a parcel on the 240 acres it owns on the northeast corner of 45th and Croco.

January 05 2004
Shawnee County Commission Meeting

Shawnee County planning director, Barry Beagle, presents the final plat of RockFire at the Lake development to the County Planning Commissioners. After a brief discussion, the County Commissioners approve the Plat as presented.

December 15 2003
USD 450 School Board Presentation

RockFire developers make presentation to USD 450 School Board Members indicating their interest in offering an 8 – 10 acre tract of land in the northeast section of 45th and Croco for the construction of a new elementary school. In this presentation, the developers presented evidence to the School Board wherein the research gathered indicated that at least 12 developments are underway or planned in southeast Topeka that will have an impact on the USD 450 system. These developments include 1,550 residential lots, on which approximately 100 homes were constructed in 2003 Developers indicated to the School Board that the RockFire at the Lake development as well as other smaller developments in southeast Topeka would create a need for a new elementary school. The proposed ground in the RockFire subdivision is centrally located and would provide a suitable site for such a school.

December 10 2003
RockFire Development LLC contracts for additional 240 acres at the northeast corner of 45th and Croco with the John R. Hines Trust.

December 08 2003
Shawnee County Planning Commission – Preliminary Plat & Final Plat

Shawnee County staff planner, Barry Beagle presents both Plats to the County Planning Commissioners. The Preliminary Plat was unanimously approved by the County Planning Commission. The Final Plat was approved in a subsequent meeting with a minor change in the notes.

October 27 2003
RockFire Development LLC closes on the original rock homestead plus 169 acres purchased from the John R. Hines Trust. This land had been in the Hines family name for at least two generations. Plans to enhance the natural beauty of this land with an exciting new concept of land development in Topeka, Kansas is initiated by the developer. Developer engages the firm of the Bartlett & West, the preeminent engineering firm in Topeka, Kansas to assist in development of this site.

October 21 2003
Neighborhood Meeting

RockFire developers introduce their master plan at a neighborhood meeting at the Reynolds Lodge on Shawnee Lake. More than 150 local residents, realtors and other interested parties attended this event. The exchange of information was engaging, sometimes controversial, and yet important in the process of encouraging the neighbors to express their opinions about the project as a whole. The developers incorporated many of the ideas and concerns presented in the subsequent plans. Subsequent to the neighborhood meeting, numerous discussions with many of those in attendance allowed the developers to refine the plan incorporating a more neighborhood sensitive project.

July 07 2003
RockFire Development LLC enters into a Contract to Purchase 169 acres on the northwest corner of 45th and Croco, Topeka, Kansas.