Council approves three‑story self‑storage at Old Wiederstein amid neighborhood objections

The Cibolo City Council voted 5–2 on Feb. 11 to approve a conditional use permit allowing a three‑story, climate‑controlled self‑storage building at 21105 Old Wiederstein Road.

The proposed project would occupy 3.93 acres of a 12.763‑acre tract owned by David Marbach. The applicant and on‑site representatives presented architectural renderings and engineering documents, and staff included 13 recommended conditions requiring compliance with landscaping, lighting and architectural standards, a recorded emergency access easement extending to the rear of the property, and plat notes addressing maintenance of a master detention pond.

Nut graf: The permit clears a path for a 29,600‑square‑foot, multilevel storage building that developers and nearby commercial property owners say will fund infrastructure and open remaining acreage for future commercial development; nearby residents and conservation advocates opposed the project, citing traffic, lighting, noise and impacts to the Warbur Woods bird sanctuary.

Proponents and developer case Developer representative Jeff Echols told the council the project would finance major infrastructure — master detention, driveways and an emergency fire access lane — that enables development of the remainder of the Marbach property. Echols and partners argued the building’s design was similar to office or retail architecture and functioned as a buffer between higher‑traffic commercial uses and quieter neighbors. Several letters of support were read into the record from OV Development (Olympus Ventures), QT South LLC (Kwik Trip), 11 03 Ventures LLC, the architect Kaufman Design Group and the civil engineer Mattkin Hoover; those letters committed to shared access coordination and said the storage portion would make other improvements feasible.

Opposition and public‑comment concerns Multiple residents and community advocates opposed the CUP during public comment. Susan Scheffler, who said she represents Warbur Woods bird sanctuary, said the proposed three‑story building, lighting and construction debris would threaten nesting painted buntings. Nearby resident Sherry McDaniel urged the council to reject the storage permit because of traffic congestion in front of Schlather Intermediate and Old Wiederstein Road’s poor pavement condition; she also said the site sits near a preschool and elementary school. Another signer of public comments raised fiscal and resource concerns about city purchases and contracting generally.

Staff findings and conditions Planning staff (Spencer) noted the property is zoned C3 and that modern, multilevel, climate‑controlled storage is allowed in C3 with a CUP. Staff documented public notice and letters received and recommended that council find the proposal consistent with CUP criteria if the applicant met the listed conditions. The council’s conditions require the development to substantially match the architectural drawings submitted, to meet landscaping and lighting codes, to extend emergency access through the 14‑acre site with a recorded easement and to include maintenance obligations for the detention facility in plat notes.

Council action and vote Councilwoman Katie Sanchez Stevens moved approval; Councilman Joel Mahoney seconded. The motion carried 5–2. The council did not provide a roll‑call tally by name in the public record; the clerk recorded the result as 5 to 2 in favor.

Ending: With the CUP approved, the applicant will proceed with surveying, geotechnical work, and construction drawings; staff said platting and recorded easements will be prerequisites for the storage building to proceed.