CITY & COUNTY
News from New Braunfels
New Braunfels City Council will meet April 24 and May 8 at 6 p.m. at 550 Landa St., New Braunfels. 830-221-4000 www.newbraunfels.gov Comal County Commissioners Court will meet April 20 and 27 May 4, 11 at 8:30 a.m. at 100 Main Plaza, New Braunfels. 830-221-1100 www.co.comal.tx.us MEETINGS WE COVER HIGHLIGHTS NEW BRAUNFELS Customers of New Braunfels Utilities are expected to see a decrease in the second- quarter cost of power compared to the rst quarter of 2023. According to NBU, the decrease equates to $7.20 in monthly savings April and May as well as $10.80 in June. NEW BRAUNFELS Riding golf carts and similar recreational vehicles within city limits may be safer in New Braunfels following action from City Council to approve the rst reading of the item March 27. An operational horn and Texas license plate would be required. The minimum ne for a second o ense would be $500. Riding with passengers under the age of four would also lead to a minimum ne of $250 instead of $100.
Headwaters at the Comal breaks ground on second phase additions
Amendments made to public speaking time
REZONING FOR DEVELOPMENT
BY SIERRA MARTIN AND AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN
There is still a working water plant on the prop- erty, which takes water from the Edwards Aquifer and sends it into New Braunfels. The headwaters house the rst springs that make up the Comal River, according to Pappas. The main building will be restored in Phase 2 of the master plan to allow for a variety of programs, events, eld trips and meetings. Innovative and ecologically friendly technologies featuring spe- cialty-designed natural lighting and ventilation will be utilized, according to the organization. The Headwaters at the Comal master plan has faced challenges throughout construction due to building near a working water plant, archeological ndings, ooding and the pandemic, Pappas said. Community spaces will be located in a screened, fresh-air exhibit and classroom. Flex space, administrative o ces and a large meeting space will also be included in the nal design. NBU CEO Ian Taylor said the new public access aspect is key. “I think it is tting that there’s a water plant here on this side because when you look at [the NBU’s] approach to water, especially as we’ve been growing as fast as we have, how we man- age that water resource is absolutely critical,” Taylor said.
Council denied a request to rezone around 8 acres of land on East County Line Road to construct a single-family development.
NEW BRAUNFELS TheHeadwaters at the Comal held a groundbreaking ceremony to begin Phase 2 of transforming a retired New Braunfels Utilities warehouse on the Comal River into a conservation, education and research center March 21. “We have a tagline on the Headwaters at the Comal—‘Where it begins’—because this is the beginning of many things,” said Judith Dykes-Ho mann, board president of the Headwa- ters at the Comal. A master plan was created for the site in 2014 and broken into two phases. Phase 1, the Foundation Builders Campaign, was completed in November 2017. Once completed, the site will have a restored main building, a picnic-area entrance and multiple community spaces. “As we found out as we worked on Phase 1, it is an incredible archaeological site,” said Nancy Pap- pas, managing director of the Headwaters at the Comal. “It is an amazing environmental location, and it is a historic site. And all those participants in that visualization of what we would do with this property realized the importance of it and how we could transform this into being some- thing that the whole community could enjoy.”
BY SIERRA MARTIN
NEW BRAUNFELS Citizens will no longer need to provide their addresses during council meetings but will have their comments limited to three minutes down from ve, according to changes made to a city ordinance. According to the city, the New Braunfels City Charter stipulates the City Council is authorized to establish its own rules and order. Multiple speakers spoke in favor of no longer having to share addresses before speaking publicly but did not want speaking time to be cut. “If my math is correct, if this passes, it’ll be a 67% increase in citizen participation because we’re going from six speakers to 10 in three minutes apiece,” said Harry Bowers, City Council member for District 3. The rst reading of the agenda item was approved unanimously March 27.
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SOURCE: CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS COMMUNITY IMPACT
Zero-lot home district zoning denied
The groundbreaking ceremony for Phase 2 of the Headwaters at the Comal took place March 21.
BY SIERRA MARTIN
homes could t on the property once developed. He plans to keep the existing home on the property. “Sta is recommending this pro- posed zoning because it is consistent with Envision New Braunfels and is also consistent with the develop- ment of the adjacent neighborhood,” said Jean Drew, planning and devel- opment services assistant director for the city. Over 20% of property owners within 200 feet of the zoning request were in opposition to the development.
NEW BRAUNFELS A zoning request to allow a new dense single-family housing development located at 254 E. County Line Road was halted for the time being. The New Braunfels City Council denied the rezoning request for 8.4 acres of agricultural land to be changed to a zero-lot line home district during a regular meeting March 13. The same item was initially approved during a Feb. 27 meeting. Tyler Epstein, the owner of the property, said he estimates 46 to 50
REIMAGINING THE HEADWATERS
New community space, including exhibit areas and classrooms, are part of the nal design. • Total cost of Phase 2: $10 million • Completion: summer 2024 • Total square footage of new facility: 6,400
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SOURCE: HEADWATERS AT THE COMAL COMMUNITY IMPACT
CREEKSIDE TOWN CENTER 263 Creekside Crossing (830) 608-1969
NEW BRAUNFELS 1671 IH-35 S (830) 629-0434
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