If Aster Park's Streets Are Private, Who's Actually Responsible for Repaving Them - the HOA or the City - and Could I Get Hit With a Special Assessment Later?

If Aster Park's streets are private, who's actually responsible for repaving them - the HOA or the city - and could I get hit with a special assessment later? In McKinney's Aster Park community, private streets mean the HOA - not the City of McKinney - owns the repaving responsibility, which means a future special assessment is possible if reserves fall short.

That distinction matters more than most buyers realize when they're touring a pretty model home and picturing move-in day. Public streets in Collin County are maintained through city or county tax revenue and get repaved on a predictable municipal schedule. Private streets work completely differently - they're a shared asset owned collectively by the homeowners in the neighborhood, maintained through HOA dues, and repaved whenever the HOA's reserve fund (or a special assessment) can cover the cost. If you buy into a community like Aster Park without understanding which category its streets fall into, you could be signing up for a multi-thousand-dollar bill somewhere down the road that has nothing to do with your mortgage payment. This post walks through how private street ownership typically works in McKinney-area communities, what questions you should be asking before you write an offer, and how to protect yourself from an unpleasant surprise years into ownership. It's a conversation worth having before you fall in love with a floor plan, not after you've already moved the furniture in.

Private Streets vs. Public Streets: What's the Actual Difference?

In most McKinney neighborhoods, the streets you drive on are dedicated to the city and maintained with public funds. But a growing number of newer communities in Collin County - including gated or amenity-rich developments like Aster Park - use private streets instead. That often lets a builder design tighter lot layouts or add gates, but it also shifts long-term maintenance costs away from the city and onto the homeowners who live there.

Private streets are technically owned by the HOA (or sometimes a separate street-maintenance association), not by the City of McKinney or Collin County. That means potholes, resurfacing, base repairs, and eventual full repaving are the HOA's job - funded through your monthly or annual dues, not your property tax bill.

So Who Repaves Aster Park's Streets - the HOA or the City?

If Aster Park's streets are designated private in its plat and HOA governing documents, the HOA is responsible for repaving, not the City of McKinney. The city typically has no obligation to plow, patch, or resurface a private street, even though it may still provide police and fire response on it.

This is worth confirming directly rather than assuming, because:

• Some communities have a mix of public and private streets within the same development.
• Street ownership can occasionally transfer to the city years after construction, depending on how the development agreement was written.
• HOA documents spell out exactly who's on the hook - and buyers rarely read that section closely before closing.

Where the Special Assessment Risk Comes In

Repaving a private street is expensive, and it's not an annual expense - it might happen once every 15-25 years depending on construction quality, traffic, and Texas weather swings. HOAs are supposed to plan for this through a reserve study that sets aside money gradually so the cost doesn't land all at once.

The risk is simple: if an HOA underfunds its street-maintenance reserve, or if repaving costs come in higher than projected, the association can levy a special assessment - a one-time additional charge to every homeowner to cover the shortfall. That's the scenario you want to rule out before you buy, not discover after you've lived in Aster Park for a decade.

If you want a deeper dive into how reserve studies work and what happens when they're underfunded, this related post breaks it down in detail: Does my Craig Ranch or Stonebridge Ranch HOA have to show me its reserve study before I buy, and what happens if the reserves are underfunded?

Questions to Ask Before You Tour or Offer in Aster Park

• Are the streets in this section of Aster Park officially private, and is that documented in the HOA's governing documents?
• What is the current street-maintenance reserve balance, and when was the last reserve study completed?
• Has the HOA levied a special assessment in the past, for streets or anything else?
• What's the projected timeline for the next major repaving or resurfacing project?

These aren't rude questions - they're standard due diligence for any buyer looking at a private-street community anywhere in McKinney or greater Collin County. A builder's sales team or listing agent should be able to point you to the HOA budget and reserve documentation without hesitation.

Why This Matters More in Growing Collin County Communities

Newer master-planned and boutique communities across McKinney - including Aster Park - are increasingly built with private street networks as part of the overall site design. That's not a red flag by itself, but it does mean the financial responsibility structure is different from what buyers moving from older, city-maintained McKinney neighborhoods might expect. Understanding this upfront helps you budget accurately and avoid confusing a well-run HOA with one that's quietly falling behind on long-term infrastructure planning.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are all the streets in Aster Park private?

That depends on the specific section and phase of the community - you should confirm this directly with the HOA or builder rather than assuming it's uniform across the whole neighborhood.

Can an HOA force homeowners to pay a special assessment for street repairs?

Yes, if the HOA's governing documents allow it, which most Texas HOA declarations do. The amount and approval process vary by community, so it's worth reading the declaration's assessment provisions before you buy.

Does the City of McKinney ever take over maintenance of private streets?

It's uncommon, but not impossible depending on how the original development agreement was structured. Don't assume this will happen - plan as if the HOA will remain responsible indefinitely.

Before you tour a model home in Aster Park, ask for the community's current HOA budget and street-maintenance reserve numbers in writing. Jane Clark with Keller Williams McKinney helps buyers across McKinney and Collin County dig into exactly these details so you know what you're really signing up for - reach out before your next tour.