Once a quiet town away from San Antonio's frantic pace, the City of Boerne is starting to attract more commercial development.
The $40 million project at 17 Herff Road is slated to include apartments, retail stores and office space, but could become an environmental concern for crucial aquifer recharge zones in the area.
Is Herff Road indicative of a larger conversation about growth and development in Boerne? How are citizens and local leaders addressing the issue?
Guests:
- Laura Talley, planning and community development director for the City of Boerne
- Bob Vollmer, retired architect and property owner
- Charlie Riddle, assistant vice president of the Weitzman Group
The Cibolo Nature Center, a longtime steward of the Cibolo Conservation Corridor, provided "The Source" with the following statement:
The mission of the Cibolo Nature Center and Farm is the conservation of natural resources through education and stewardship. We work to protect the native flora and fauna and cultural heritage unique to our region for thousands of children, and families to enjoy. In our thirty years, we have been able to protect, with partners, close to five miles, and over 800 acres of the Cibolo Creek, which feeds over a million gallons a day into the Edwards and Trinity Aquifers. We call this the Cibolo Conservation Corridor.
The work we do includes research, education, land stewardship, and advocacy. The Cibolo Creek is an important waterway. As a result, we are concerned about the impact the proposed development at 17 Herff , which is at the beginning of this protected region, will have on the water quality of the Cibolo Creek.
With open and green space increasingly precious in our growing community, (the second fastest growing county in the nation) it is more important than ever to have a current master plan, and protections in place that prevent water contamination and the degradation of native plants and animal habitat.
While we are saddened to have a high-density commercial and apartment development adjacent to our historic Herff Farm, and on the banks of the Cibolo Creek, we are preparing for development in this area. We hope we can have growth that is responsible, and will allow for clean water and a nature preserve to remain unspoiled. We have entered into an agreement to work on environmental concerns with the developer and are now working on creating a legally binding agreement to insure low impact development practices and other restrictions.
We are urging that all future creek-side development within Boerne’s jurisdiction are models of riparian sensitivity and utilize best practices and low impact development, for storm water and pollutant runoff in order for the creeks, and nature center to maintain its current integrity.
