Boerne council tables decision on SoBo drive‑through special‑use permit after traffic, walkability debate

The Boerne City Council on June 10 voted 4‑0 to table for two weeks a decision on a special‑use permit request to allow a drive‑through at a planned retail building in the South Boerne (SoBo) overlay district, after extended debate about traffic, precedent and the walkable vision for the area.

Planning staff presented the application for a roughly 1‑acre site at the northeast corner of Gallant Fox and Herff Road, describing an approximately 6,300‑square‑foot building with two tenants — a coffee tenant identified as Starbucks and another retail tenant. Nathan Crane of city planning told council the Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval June 2, 4‑2, subject to four stipulations: completion of a future connection (either to Gallant Fox or to a new cul‑de‑sac) prior to certificate of occupancy, a third‑party traffic analysis to evaluate a required deceleration lane on Herff Road, directional signage and UDC‑compliant landscaping.

The application…