Planning commission recommends neighborhood-commercial with conditions for proposed Burn Boot Camp site on Dobie Boulevard

The Cibolo Planning and Zoning Commission on March 12 recommended that City Council rezone a 5.205‑acre parcel south of the West Borgfeld Road–Dobie Boulevard intersection from low‑density single‑family residential (SF‑2) to neighborhood commercial (C‑1) with a conditional‑use permit allowing a fitness studio and small multi‑tenant commercial spaces.

The action came after residents and customers of Burn Boot Camp, led by applicant Tisha Hartman, addressed the commission during a public hearing and a lengthy discussion of parking, traffic and the city’s land‑use plans. The commission voted 4–3 to forward the C‑1/CUP recommendation to the mayor and City Council for final action.

The applicant, Tisha Hartman, told the commission she and her husband had walked the nearby neighborhood and distributed a project narrative to neighbors. “We love Cibolo,” Hartman said, and she described outreach to adjacent property owners. Several Burn Boot Camp members told commissioners the business provides childcare during classes and that the current location on FM 3096 has limited parking and conflicts with adjacent commercial uses there.

Leah Wyckoff, who described herself as an active member of the studio, said free childcare at classes was critical and that limited space at the current site forces some activities into parking areas. “This community is super special,” she said. Other supporters described the gym as a community hub and argued that a new building with on‑site parking would reduce safety conflicts at the current site.

Staff presented a revised report noting the requested zoning (community retail/service C‑2) did not align with the property’s designation as “estate residential” on the city’s recently adopted future‑land‑use map, but that a separate Strategic Economic Development Plan listed the parcel as an “opportunity site” for redevelopment and higher‑intensity uses. The staff summary said the requested use (fitness studio) is permitted in C‑2 and that the site fronts a collector/arterial roadway, factors that support commercial zoning. Staff also noted outstanding technical requirements that would be addressed during site‑plan and building permit reviews, including parking and traffic analysis.

Commissioners voiced two consistent concerns: (1) the risk of opening the site to a broader set of C‑2 uses if the specific tenant plan changed, and (2) the potential for added vehicle congestion on nearby Borgfeld and Dobie Boulevard, especially during school drop‑off and pick‑up times. Planning staff and the applicant told commissioners that parking requirements in the Unified Development Code would apply at site plan stage and that the applicant planned roughly 80 parking spaces to avoid spillover onto nearby streets.

A prior motion to recommend approval of C‑2 (community retail/service) failed. The subsequent motion that carried recommended C‑1 (neighborhood commercial) with a conditional‑use permit limited to a fitness studio/gym and small, compatible tenants; the commission recorded the recommendation for City Council consideration.

The recommendation is advisory; the final zoning decision rests with the mayor and City Council. If the council approves the C‑1/CUP, the applicant will still be required to submit site‑plan drawings, a traffic analysis as required by staff, and demonstrate that parking and circulation meet city standards before building permits are issued.

Commissioners and staff signaled that, if desired, the commission can pursue UDC changes to more tightly align permitted uses with neighborhood expectations and to require larger buffers where commercial abuts single‑family lots.

Votes and immediate next steps: the commission voted to recommend C‑1 with a conditional‑use permit for a fitness studio to City Council (recommendation carries; recorded vote 4–3). The council will consider the recommendation at its scheduled public meeting; the applicant and supporters were advised to be prepared to address parking, hours and site layout at the council hearing.