Government
BY SIERRA MARTIN & ERIC WEILBACHER
$9.4 million approved for economic development Three economic development projects totaling approximately $9.4 million will be funded by the New Braunfels Economic Development Corpo- ration. City Council approved the expenditure during a Feb. 26 meeting. “As the bond development process was coming to an end, the staff brought nine projects to the EDC that they were eligible to fund to pull [from] the 2023 bond list. ... Over the last year, we’ve moved forward with all nine of those projects getting approval,” said Scott McClelland, assistant transportation and capital improvements director. The details The Castell Avenue Phase 1 Coll Street Drainage Improvement Project has received $7.2 million in funding from the EDC. The drainage project will make improvements to the storm drain system on Coll Street between Castell Avenue and the Comal River, according to a news release. The design of the project is anticipated to be completed in late 2025, and construction will take about 18 months, according to McClelland. “This is an area that definitely has flooding issues City seeks downtown parking solutions In an effort to expand parking availability and clarity on parking rules downtown, city officials are proposing a number of solutions for council to consider in the near future. Diving in deeper New Braunfels’ downtown area has a mix of free public lots, private paid lots and free 2-hour parking along the streets. The New Braunfels Parking Committee submitted several proposals that include eliminating the free 2-hour street parking Mon.-Fri. from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and expanding hours to 10 a.m.- 10 p.m., seven days a week paid parking. Next steps The city will request proposals for a com- pany that can assist with establishing the program and provide parking enforcement.
City alters Tube Chute Park operating hours To address safety concerns, the City Tube Chute Park on the Comal River in New Braunfels will continue to close at 7 p.m. during peak river season. Diving in deeper River and Watershed Manager Amy Niles said beginning in 2022 there were multiple instances of the police responding to calls at the park after hours, prompting the call for not extending park hours in the summer. “Just to be clear, staff isn’t proposing an ordinance that will close the Comal River in any way,” Niles said. “We’re just proposing an ordinance that will close the city-owned property around the tube chute.”
Economic Development Corporation projects
Mill Street Youth Collaborative gym: $1,500,000 Common Street Improvement Project: $700,000 Castell Avenue Phase 1 Coll Street Drainage Improvement Project: $7,200,000
$9.4M total
SOURCE: CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS/COMMUNITY IMPACT
that need to be addressed, and we’ve been talking about the South Castell Master Plan for years,” New Braunfels Mayor Neal Linnartz said. “Hopefully we’re getting very close to the point we’ll be able to develop that property, but we won’t be able to do that without the drainage improvements.” Zooming in The Common Street Improvement Project received $700,000 from the EDC. The project will improve pedestrian connectivity between neigh- borhoods, city parks, the New Braunfels Public Library, Lamar Elementary School and the Comal County Fairgrounds. More information about the ongoing projects can be found at www.newbranfels.gov.
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GILBERT AVE.
Parking $20 for nonresidents at some river parks
Members of the community with a Resident River Parking Pass will have better parking access at city parks along the Guadalupe River following revisions made to two city ordinances. Zooming in On March 18, the New Braunfels City Council approved a revised ordinance that adds paid parking for non-residents on Fair Lane at River Acres Park along the Guadalupe River. There will now be a $20 charge for non-residents to park in the area on weekends and holidays between May 1 and Labor Day, according to a news release. “The city hopes to create more opportunities for New Braunfels residents to access the park,” city officials said in a news release. “The funds that are generated by parking fees are placed in the River Activities Fund, which pays for the city’s contin- ued costs for river operations.” Along the river on Fair Lane at River Acres Park, a reserved zone for emergency response vehicles
Public parking
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and over a dozen parallel parking spaces will be striped. The city will use ParkMobile to collect the parking fees, according to a news release. Council also approved alterations to the existing shuttle zone at Cypress Bend Park, which will lead to an increase in 25 public parking spaces while still maintaining a dedicated shuttle loading and unloading zone.
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NEW BRAUNFELS EDITION
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