Cibolo council approves rezoning for Burn Boot Camp after heavy public support

CIBOLO, Texas — The Cibolo City Council voted to rezone a 5.205-acre parcel south of the intersection of West Borgfeld Road and Dobie Boulevard to Community Retail/Service — Restrictive (C-2R), clearing the way for a proposed Burn Boot Camp facility and associated wellness/office tenants.

The vote came after more than two dozen residents and business owners addressed the council during the public comment period and the public hearing for the agenda item. Supporters described Burn Boot Camp as a community-focused business that provides child care, outreach events and health programming. The council approved the ordinance 6–0.

Council adopted the applicants’ requested C-2R designation after the Planning & Zoning Commission had recommended a different approach at its March 12 meeting. P&Z asked for neighborhood commercial (C-1) with a conditional use permit for a fitness studio; the applicants amended their request to C-2R to limit alcohol-related uses while allowing the gym and multi‑tenant office uses the owners want.

City planning staff told council the applicants envision a 12,000–15,000 square-foot building with roughly 8,000 square feet devoted to the gym and the remainder for up to several small businesses. Staff noted the parcel has a substantial drainage easement and vegetation buffer along the back that separates it from the adjacent Adobe Heights homes. That existing easement, the applicants said, provides a de facto buffer and creates constraints that make residential development less feasible for the site.

Applicants Alex and Tisha Hartman described efforts to contact nearby residents, said the easement serves as a buffer, and told council the project could include a trail connection and pocket parks in the easement area. Multiple residents and Burn members also testified about the gym’s role in the community. ‘‘Burn Boot Camp is more than a gym — it’s a community,’’ trainer Tammy Boyd told the council. Member Caitlin Tanki described the gym as part of her recovery after cancer treatment: ‘‘Burn boot camp…helped to continue to save [my life] every day,’’ she said.

Council members asked planning staff about traffic, buffers and permitted uses; staff noted Dobie Boulevard is a multilane roadway and that site access and traffic flow would be reviewed during development permitting. The council approved the rezoning with no identified conditions beyond the city’s usual plan‑review and permitting processes.

The city’s rezoning approval does not itself authorize construction; the applicants must submit development plans, a site plan and building permits. Planning staff said certain uses were restricted in the C-2R designation to remove alcohol-related uses from the allowed list.

Votes at a glance: the rezoning ordinance (agenda item 10B) was approved by the council by a recorded vote of 6–0 (yes–no; no abstentions reported for that vote). The Planning & Zoning Commission had been split at its March meeting and recommended C-1 with a conditional use permit before the applicant amended to C-2R.

The council did not set a construction schedule; the Hartmans said they have selected engineers and an architect and will proceed with plan submittals if the rezoning is final.

Sources: City staff presentation and public hearing testimony recorded at the Cibolo City Council meeting on April 2025. Evidence excerpts: public comments (Kelsey Popham), applicant remarks (Alex and Tisha Hartman), staff presentation (Mr. Spencer), council vote tally (official roll call).

Ending: The rezoning clears the path for the Burn Boot Camp owners to pursue building permits and site plans; the site will still require separate permitting and plan review before construction can begin.