We should Zone 17 Herff R-E
- Emily Green
- Apr 24, 2017
- 2 min read
There has been significant public outcry about the proposal to zone 17 Herff Road MU-2 and R-4. We've seen protests, had over 1,200 people sign a petition, and nearly 100 people showed up at City Council to voice their opposition. These are some of the highest density zonings available and would have a major impact on this surrounding area. Many reasons have been brought up explaining why this is a bad idea.
Here are a few of our more recent articles:
Throughout all the controversy, few people have publicly proposed viable alternative zonings for this site. Some have suggested that those opposed to this development want a tightly packed subdivision on this site instead. While the traffic generated from an R-1 subdivision would be less than that from the currently proposed development, it is hardly more in keeping with the surrounding area and could have a heavy environmental impact.
17 Herff Road is surrounded on all sides by residential and City-owned property. There is also a small strip of commercial (B-2) on the other side of HWY 46 (see image).
We believe dense commercial uses at this site are inappropriate and will greatly change the residential and rural feel of this area. From the Heart of Boerne subdivision, to West Evergreen road, to "The Flats" area, developments along the creeks are overwhelmingly residential.
Given, the significant traffic concerns along Herff Road, and the environmental concerns about dense construction along the creek, we believe a lower density residential zoning is most appropriate. Just north of 17 Herff, on the east side of Esser Road, there are nice homes on large lots known as Residential Estates (R-E).
R-E zoning allows for single family homes with a minimum of 1/2 acre lots. This would allow a total of about 40-50 homes at 17 Herff and would generate much less traffic than other zoning options. R-E would maintain the residential and low-density feel of the surrounding area and would protect nearby residents from the noise and congestion of dense commercial developments.
Finally, there may be some viable commercial options on portions of this property. However, we need special protections to ensure this area is developed correctly. Boerne has River Corridor and River Road overlay districts that limit the building types and protect the creek. However, no such zoning options currently exists for this site.
If commercial options are truly sought for this site, we recommend we zone this site R-E in order to provide the city with the necessary time to develop an appropriate overlay district. The developer would then be able to petition P&Z to rezone the property.
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