Posted on Sep 28, 2018 in
COVER STORY
Sienna Plantation residents find plenty to do at the Club Sienna recreation complex, including attending concerts held on the amphitheater stage suspended over Waters Lake, tennis, swimming, catch-and-release fishing and more.
COVER STORY –
Home sales are booming in Sienna Plantation this year, so much so, in fact, that the Fort Bend development is the greater Houston area’s top-selling master-planned community.
And that’s not all – Sienna Plantation is ranked No. 15 in the nation, according to the annual mid-year report by housing researcher Robert Charles Lesser & Co. (RCLCO). Nearly 300 new homes sold in Sienna during the first six months in 2018.
Now in its 21st year of development, there’s apparently no slowing down for Sienna Plantation, which is not only welcoming more residents but also more amenities, more schools and more retail. Here’s a deeper look into why this community is so popular.
Where Do You Need to Go?
Sienna Plantation’s newest recreation center, Sawmill Lake Club, provides elegant surroundings where residents can comfortably gather. The facility also offers a fitness center, pool, splash pad, playground, hammock park and other features.
Sienna Plantation is located in the heart of Fort Bend County, with its main entrance found along Highway 6 about halfway between Highway 69 and Highway 288. The Fort Bend Parkway, which provides easy access to Beltway 8 and Loop 610, actually starts in Sienna Plantation where it intersects Sienna Parkway.
Further enhancing accessibility, a new entrance to the community opened this year along FM 521, with Sienna Parkway now extending from Highway 6 to FM 521.
“Commuting is now even easier for our residents, particularly those in our newest neighborhoods in the Village of Sawmill Lake,” said Alvin San Miguel, general manager of Sienna Plantation. “This FM 521 connection means faster access to Highway 6 and Highway 288 so travel times to the medical center, downtown and Lake Jackson are quicker than ever.”
K-12 Education On-Site
Walking and biking to school within Sienna Plantation is commonplace with seven campuses of the Fort Bend Independent School District now located on-site.
The newest school – Thornton Middle School — opened just this year. The 228,556-square-foot campus is located in the Village of Sawmill Lake and can accommodate up to 1,200 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders. It is named after Ronald Thornton, a beloved former high school band director and fine arts department chair.
Thornton Middle School sits adjacent to Leonetti Elementary, which opened in 2017. The 123,079-square-foot campus is one of the first schools in Texas to be funded by “green bonds” that support environmentally responsible construction. The school was built to initially accommodate 850 students and was named after Sienna resident and philanthropist Donald Leonetti.
Both Thornton Middle and Leonetti Elementary schools were too new to be included in the annual Children at Risk ratings released earlier this year, but the five other schools within Sienna Plantation — Scanlan Oaks Elementary, Schiff Elementary, Sienna Crossing Elementary, Baines Middle School and Ridge Point High School — all performed admirably, ranking well over their peers across the state, San Miguel said.
“Parents like the fact their students attend neighborhood schools,” he said. “It allows for them to develop deeper relationships with children who live on the same street or the next block over — relationships that become more and more important as the children grow up and are more independent.”
Amenities – Sienna has More
Acres of parks in the 10,800-acre Sienna Plantation are measured in triple digits. Miles of trails number in the dozens. And water parks? Sienna has three. It even takes a team of people to manage the many activities hosted by the Sienna Plantation Associations.
The newest amenity complex in Sienna Plantation is Sawmill Lake Club. Situated along Sawmill Lake, the club is Sienna’s fourth recreation center. It offers beautifully appointed space showcasing a “social kitchen” where residents can gather for planned or informal get-togethers, a second community fitness center, an event lawn and a playground with a zip line that, San Miguel says, even adults can’t resist. When the temperatures soar, an expansive splash pad and lush swimming pool keep things cool.
Pools can be found throughout the Sienna landscape. Club Sienna boasts the “big bucket” pool with its signature in-the-water play structure that tips its gallons of water every five to six minutes. Adventurous swimmers can race down twisting slides or swan-dive from boards suspended high in the air. A heated lap pool allows for swimming year-round.
A second lap pool can be found at the Brushy Lake complex, which also includes a beach-entry play pool with slides and play features designed for young swimmers. The fun continues at the Resort at Sienna Springs, which offers tower slides, a beach-entry lagoon and an array of in-the-water features. The Steep Bank pool hosts a summer swim lesson program.
Beyond swimming, Sienna residents can perfect their tennis game at one of eight lighted courts. Sienna’s tennis facility recently received an overhaul with new bathrooms, a revamped patio area, an indoor lounge area and offices for the community tennis pro. The 160-acre Camp Sienna has lighted fields for softball, baseball, soccer, football and lacrosse, as well as courts for sand volleyball and basketball. Miles of hiking trails wind through the complex, which also includes a large playground and Brazos River boardwalk. The park hosts organized league play for thousands of participants annually.
Residents also enjoy proximity to Sienna Golf Club and Sienna Stables, a privately owned facility located on-site offering boarding, horseback riding lessons and more.
Approximately 40 events are held annually for residents.
“Because so many people live here, we try to offer a mix of activities that appeal to varying ages,” said Cyndi Hernandez, community relations manager for the Sienna Plantation Associations. “Some of our most popular events are the July 4th extravaganza and the fall camp-out at Camp Sienna.”
A Home for Everyone
Builders in Sienna Plantation offer homes priced from the $250,000s to more than $1 million. Models and move-in ready homes will be open daily during the fall Friends & Family Home Tour.
Part of Sienna’s success can be found in the carefully cultivated mix of home designs found in the community. Traditional two-story brick, Craftsman-inspired bungalows, modern exteriors, luxury homes and a wide selection of one-story designs are available with prices that start in the $250,000s and range to more than $1 million.
Sixteen nationally recognized builders offer dozens of floor plans in Sienna Plantation, with more than 20 professionally decorated model homes open in the community. It’s there that people can see the latest open-living concepts, décor trends and learn about energy efficiencies found behind the walls.
Because Sienna Plantation has such a range of available floor plans, families entering different stages of life – growing family, career advancements, empty nester, etc. – are able to move up or move down in home size without moving from their community. And, it feeds the “friends and family” effect, San Miguel says.
“When we ask new residents who first told them of Sienna Plantation, 50 percent mention friends and family members already living here,” he said. “Because of our vast selection of home designs, we can accommodate all ages and price ranges, allowing loved ones to live near each other.”
To celebrate the grassroots growth of Sienna Plantation, the community is continuing its Friends & Family Home Tour launched last month through October. During the tour, move-in ready and model homes will be open daily 10 am to 6 pm, Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 5 pm, Sundays. Maps to the models are available at the Sienna Homefinder Center, located at 5777 Sienna Parkway, and on the website, www.siennaplantation.com.
Fall Events Evoke the Sienna Lifestyle –
Experience the magic of Paris, the good eats of Fort Bend County and life as a Sienna Plantation resident during a pair of events hosted by the top-selling master-planned community this fall.
Cirque La Vie will combine high-flying circus fun and street fair ambiance 4:30-9:30 pm, Saturday, October 6th, at the Sawmill Lake model home park, 9803 Cameron Way. This open-air event features Houston’s premier circus group Cirque La Vie in a free performance that promises magic and mystery for the entire family. Activities also include Moulin performers, mimes, jugglers, roving magicians, fire performers, ribbon dancers and stilt walkers. Children can embrace the evening’s theme with glitter face painting. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.
Sienna Sip & Stroll happens 5-9 pm, Thursday, November 15th, at the Sawmill Lake Club, 10323 Mount Logan. A number of local restaurants will be participating, and samples of wine will complement the featured bites. Tickets are on sale now for $50 each before October 31st after which prices climb to $65 a piece. Plus, $20 of each ticket sold benefits A Shelter for Cancer Families, an organization founded by Sienna resident Missy Amschwand Bellinger. The organization provides free, tangible support for families affected by cancer. The event is for ages 21 and older.
Learn more about each event, purchase tickets to Sienna Sip & Stroll and see the many public resident-only events on tap this fall in Sienna Plantation by visiting
www.siennaplantation.com/events/s-29-1542261600/sienna-sip–stroll.
