Years-long Buc-ee’s development moves forward From the cover
How we got here
What’s happening?
Boerne officials initially began discussing the proposed Buc-ee’s location in 2016. July 2016: City Council holds first Buc-ee’s executive session 2016
Another residential concern was regarding vested rights, which freeze a property’s development regulations. The Buc-ee’s project was vested in 2019 upon submission of the preliminary plat. Residents argued that the rights should not be vested due to language in the development agreement forgoing those rights. City Attorney Mick McKamie said the specific language in the development agreement is language that the city consistently includes to indicate that the agreement itself does not constitute a permit under Chapter 245 of the Texas Local Government Code. “In the case of the Buc-ee’s development, and the applicable preliminary plat which was filed in 2019, is when the project was vested, not in 2016 when the agreement was approved by City Council,” McKamie said. That vesting date means the development is subject to the regulations that were in place in 2019. The additional 5 acres were not part of the original plat and therefore are vested at a later date. In the development agreement, the city of Boerne agreed to provide Buc-ee’s a sales tax rebate equal to 50% of the city’s 1.5% sales tax collected from the travel center for 20 years. Over the course of the development agreement, the development dropped the inclusion of retail space for the additional parking lot, leading residents to suggest the project has significantly changed since the agreement approval.
Despite tabling the Sept. 8 agenda item, city staff said Buc-ee’s can still move forward with its project, since the property was previously zoned for commercial use before the update of the city’s Unified Development Code, or UDC, in 2021. The proposed use of the property is for an accessory parking lot for Buc-ee’s employees. On Sept. 8, the agenda item was changed from a rezoning to a zoning designation ratification, and the acreage was increased from around 3 acres to 5.16 acres, raising concern from residents and committee members. Planning and Zoning Director Nathan Crane explained that upon adoption of the UDC, the previous commercial zoning for the property was retired, and no new zoning was assigned. Since a property cannot exist without zoning, city staff submitted the ratification to zone the property as high-density commercial, or C-3, the zoning that Crane said most aligns with the previous B-2 commercial zoning. “This does not impact the decision on whether or not Buc-ee’s is coming,” Crane said. “It does not have any effect on site planning, on design, on lighting, on signage or on anything like this.” One of the primary questions from residents focused on the approval of the sign for the development, which was denied by the sitting City Council before being approved by a sign committee, allowing a 75-foot sign rather than the 40-foot sign required by the UDC. Staff documents indicate that the Buc-ee’s sign will be required to meet applicable DarkSky provisions as codified in the 2019 ordinances.
August 2016: City Council approves economic development agreement
2017
May 2017: Initial transportation impact analysis submitted
2018
October 2017: Buc-ee’s sign variance denied by City Council
May 2018: Sign permit issued to Buc-ee’s
2019
October 2019: Buc-ee’s submits a preliminary plat and initial infrastructure plans
April 2020: City proposes that Buc-ee’s front the costs of utility extensions and Buc-ee’s Way construction, with reimbursement distributed over five years
2020
June 2020: Buc-ee’s and the Texas
2021
Department of Transportation jointly request land rezoning
December 2021: City’s design review committee approves a revised site plan
2022
June 2023: Building permit filed
Average annual daily traffic counts on US-87
10
May 2024: Site development permit submitted, deemed incomplete January 2025: City issues a mass grading permit for Buc-ee’s Way and utilities August 2025: City issues comments on Submittal No. 4 of a traffic impact analysis
2023
15,742
2024 2020
Boerne Buc-ee’s development
15,360
87
Key:
Buc-ee's Buc-ee's planned parking expansion
2024
90+ fueling stations
Oct. 27, 2025: City Council holds executive session to discuss Buc-ee’s development agreement
.
2025
170+ full-time positions
10
$25+ million annual taxable sales
BUC-EE'S WAY
Nov. 3, 2025: Planning and zoning to hold public hearing
N
2026
SOURCES: CITY OF BOERNE, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION/COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: CITY OF BOERNE/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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