The City of Cibolo City Council on Wednesday denied preliminary acceptance of public infrastructure for Saddle Creek Unit 9A, a 10.7-acre subdivision that contains 46 residential lots, citing ongoing maintenance problems and unresolved construction issues in adjacent units.

City engineering staff had recommended preliminary acceptance after a punch walk and subsequent repairs, saying the infrastructure valuation totaled $689,323. But residents and several council members urged caution, saying the developer has repeatedly failed to maintain existing sections and that unresolved leaks and drainage problems would cause newly accepted work to fail.

An attendee who identified herself as a resident and HOA representative described recurring problems with trash, unmaintained lots, erosion and drainage, and said the developer’s promises — including a neighborhood recreation center — have not been kept. “The developer can build and get out and be done. But this becomes an issue for us where we have code, engineering, public works that have to keep intervening because things weren’t done right from the beginning,” she said.

City staff acknowledged ongoing issues in earlier sections (Units 7 and 8). Engineering said final acceptance for those sections has been withheld and the city is holding maintenance bonds that could be cashed if necessary. Staff also said a continuing leak under investigation — possibly from property irrigation or a utility line — has repeatedly undermined street repairs.

Council members said granting preliminary acceptance for Unit 9A would be equivalent to giving the developer the green light to continue building while unresolved problems remain in the established sections. Councilman (name not specified in transcript) moved to deny preliminary acceptance; the motion carried 6-0.

The denial is preliminary only: it removes the developer’s ability to proceed under the finding of preliminary acceptance. Staff suggested options including meeting with the developer to set a firm timetable for final acceptance, placing time limits on how long bonds can remain active before the city cashes them, or enforcing bond cash-out to make repairs itself.

Clarifying details from the staff presentation: Saddle Creek Unit 9A contains 17,79 linear feet of 8-inch sanitary sewer, 1,764 feet of streets, and miscellaneous drainage. The total estimated valuation of the public infrastructure was $689,323.

Council directed staff to continue monitoring and to pursue remedies available under the development code and bonding agreements. No additional action was taken at the meeting beyond the formal denial of preliminary acceptance.

The denial follows repeated resident outreach to the city and prior on-site inspections by staff and the developer’s representatives. Councilmembers and staff indicated they will consider putting time limits or additional enforcement “teeth” into acceptance procedures as part of future UDC and policy discussions.

Ending: The decision leaves the subdivision in a development limbo: the developer may return with corrective work to address the punch-list items and drainage cause, after which the council could reconsider preliminary or final acceptance. The city’s options include cashing maintenance bonds or negotiating a clear timeline for completion.