Commissioners back Pilot Point TIRZ participation for 600-acre Hillwood community

Denton County Commissioners Court on Jan. 27 approved participation in the City of Pilot Point Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 15 to facilitate a large-scale Hillwood Communities master planned development.

Hillwood's Senior Vice President Bridal Carlock told the court the project, currently in the Pilot Point extraterritorial jurisdiction, encompasses about 600 acres southeast of Denton and envisions roughly 2,000 homes. Carlock said Hillwood and Pilot Point reached an agreement to guide property into city limits through annexation steps that make the economics work for developers while moving tax contributions into municipal rather than county revenue streams.

Commissioner Williams said the project represents a roughly $270,000,000 investment and stressed the county's interest in encouraging development within city limits so new residents receive municipal services. Representatives from Pilot Point and the county praised prior cooperation and asked commissioners to approve participation in the TIRZ; commissioners moved and unanimously approved the item.

County staff and commissioners framed the action as an economic-development tool to balance developer costs and public services. No public opposition was recorded during the hearing; details about future annexation steps and contractual terms were not specified during the meeting.

The approval clears a procedural county-level step; further city-level approvals and annexation processes are required before the project would be fully within Pilot Point corporate limits.