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Developers seek feedback from Boerne P&Z on drive‑through at Menger Commons; propose Starbucks and pocket park
Summary
Developers presented a conceptual special‑use plan for a drive‑through Starbucks and adjacent retail at the Commons at Menger (Herff Road) and sought the commission’s feedback; no formal application was filed and commissioners were generally supportive.
Developers presented a conceptual site plan for the Commons at Menger (along Herff Road) that would include a drive‑through Starbucks, additional retail, a pocket park and heavily landscaped screening. The Planning and Zoning Commission provided preliminary feedback; the developers said they have not yet submitted a formal special‑use permit application.
City planning staff said the site is zoned C‑2 (transitional commercial) and lies in the SoBo overlay district; a drive‑through is not permitted by right in that zone and would require a special‑use permit. LJA Engineering told the commission it is working on a CLOMAR (Conditional Letter of Map Revision) with FEMA to restrict the floodplain south of Herff Road so that the parcel itself will not be in the floodplain.
Presenters included Justin Hobson (developer), Mark Santos (LJA Engineering) and Ben Plett (traffic engineer). The developer showed 3‑D renderings, a site plan that places the drive‑through lane to the rear of the building, and a proposed pocket park with bench seating and landscaping behind the building. The team proposed shifting the primary driveway to a mid‑lot location to maximize usable retail frontage and pedestrian‑oriented space. The developers also proposed dedicating employee parking behind connecting cul‑de‑sacs to free up customer parking in the front.
Mark Santos said the team would screen the drive‑through "with medium to large trees" and extensive shrubbery so the drive lane would be out of view from Herff Road. The traffic consultant described the prevalence of mobile pickup orders and pointed to a set of front‑of‑store parking spaces intended for app orders.
Commissioners spoke favorably about the design and compatibility with SoBo goals. Commissioner Cates praised the stacking location: "I love it. You guys have done an outstanding job. I think you have, come forth with a vision that, we've tried to... state that the community wants for this." Commissioners noted the site’s TIA (traffic impact analysis) coverage for the broader development, confirmed a sidewalk exists on Herff Road and reminded the applicants that any sidewalk damage during construction must be repaired. Several commissioners encouraged the applicant to return with a formal SUP application for the Starbucks user and to identify specific users for the adjacent lot before asking for formal approval of that second site.
No vote was taken; staff and commissioners welcomed the developer to return with a formal application when ready.
