Why 17 Herff Road Should Have You Worried

Come this Tuesday, 4/25, to the City Council Meeting to share your voice!

The proposal to permanently zone 17 Herff Road as MU2 and R-4 has alarmed many in our community. The developer plans to build 250 apartments in 3-story buildings and 7-8 commercial businesses in strip-mall style buildings that back up to the Cibolo Creek. This development will dramatically change the face of our town. Here’s why this should concern you as well.

Click here to read our answers to some commonly repeated misconceptions about 17 Herff Road.

Zoning: First, R-4 is the highest density the city can approve and specifically allows apartment buildings. While the developer has released several versions of what the development will look like, this is a distraction from the real issue. At this point in the process, this is about the zoning, not the developer’s plan. Once this property is permanently zoned, the developer is under no obligation to abide by his stated plan. Anything allowed under the R-4 and MU-2 zonings would be perfectly legal once zoned. In the case of R-4, this designation allows 4-story tall apartment buildings and 350 units. MU-2 includes 46 permitted uses plus an additional 9 that require Council approval. It is dangerous and short-sighted for the city to permanently zone this property with the hope that the developer follows through on early stage concepts. Developers are understandably tasked with maximizing their profits. It is up to the town to set the parameters to ensure our quality of life isn’t harmed in the process.

Traffic: Even after the Herff Road expansion, the traffic at Herff and Hwy 46 is some of the most congested in all of Boerne. This expansion was partially funded by the Esperanza development in order to alleviate the anticipated large volume of traffic. Esperanza is just getting started and we are already facing traffic snarls along this route. Now add in the Woods of Boerne, Champion Heights, The Trails at Herff Ranch, The Ranches at Cibolo Creek, and the other developments as they are built out. This is not the time to add 250-apartment units right at the most congested intersection in town.

Other Locations: While our city staff and officials are working to determine the fate of 17 Herff Road, there are other locations in our town perfectly suited for this sort of development. The SoBo overlay district was specifically designated for these sorts of uses. Meanwhile, North Boerne is lined with vacant and run-down buildings. Why not focus our efforts on rejuvenating North Boerne before we develop the last remaining open spaces in our town?

At the public hearing on the zoning proposal, associates of the developer talked about how great it would be to create “multiple city centers” in Boerne. This could draw even more life out of North Boerne and may also have a deleterious effect on our historic downtown. Let’s talk about more city centers once North Boerne is thriving.

Parks: Imagine going for a walk at the Cibolo Park and seeing 3-story apartment buildings on the bluff across the creek. Over 100,000 visitors a year come from all over to enjoy the Cibolo Park and its secluded feel. These visitors shop and spend time in our town. The Cibolo Nature Center and surrounding parks are a revenue generator for the town. Parks like this are extremely rare. Apartment buildings are not. Imagine 500 people living in tightly packed apartments right up against the creek. Will this still be a place you want to bring your kids to play?

Here's a view of the Cibolo from the Creekside Apartments along River Road. Let's not do this again.

Entry Corridor: The Master Plan designates HWY 46 and Herff Road as an entry corridor to the town. Do we really want strip malls and apartment buildings to be the first thing people see when they drive into our town? Let’s slow down and do this right.

The Master Plan: In the current version of the master plan, 72% of respondents said “Texas Hill Country Character” was among the most assets our community could build upon. It also identifies the 17 Herff Road area as neighborhood residential. The city should respect the desires of the citizens captured in the master plan. Diverging from this plan just because a road widened, harms public trust in city officials and leads to public outcry.

The Process: The City is supposed to zone properties without developer influence. However, throughout this process, it has appeared as if the City Staff and the developer are in lock-step with each other. The citizens and the City are supposed to determine appropriate land uses, not developers. Additionally, Planning and Zoning is a body appointed by the Mayor and does not represent the citizens. They make zoning recommendations to City Council, who ultimately make the zoning decisions.

Careful planning is critical for a town facing such unprecedented growth. On Tuesday Night, City Council will meet to vote on this issue. I hope you will be there to request they vote against this zoning proposal.