Boerne officials, developer present plan to annex and rezone Johns Road parcel; neighbors raise traffic and privacy concerns

Boerne planning staff and a developer presented a proposal on Jan. 21 to annex and rezone a parcel at 727 A Johns Road for duplex residential development, and nearby residents raised questions about access, traffic and privacy.

Francesca Linder, assistant director of the City of Boerne planning department, opened the neighborhood discussion and said the application would move next to a Planning & Zoning public hearing on Feb. 3 and an anticipated City Council public hearing on Feb. 25. The meetings are part of an informational “BND” process intended to give residents early opportunity to weigh in before formal hearings.

Daniel Woods of Centerline Engineering, representing the property owner identified in the presentation as Mr. Spinelli, described plans for roughly 31 lots across a tract he repeatedly called about 6 acres (he also referred to a “6 and a half acre tract” during the presentation). “We’re looking at 31 lots, on the 6 acres, that meet that R3 zoning with a minimum lot square footage of 3,500 square feet,” Woods said. The team said the layout would produce about 15 duplex structures because one lot would be reserved for an on-site historic home that they plan to relocate within the development to preserve it.

Resident Keith Watson, who identified himself as a Hampton Way neighbor, asked whether the units would be sold to private owners or operated as rentals and whether '31' referred to houses or lots. “With that, you said 31 total houses. Is that correct, or is it 31 total buildings that you're trying to achieve on there?” Watson asked. Woods replied that the intention is to sell lots to builders to construct duplexes for sale, though “possibly maintain 1 or 2 as rentals.”

Watson and other attendees pressed the developer on access and traffic. The site is a ‘donut hole’ within existing city limits with limited right-of-way. Woods said there is a public ingress/egress easement that runs from Johns Road along the west side of the property that the team intends to use as the primary access and that emergency access would be provided through the nearby school property via a gated Knox-box arrangement. He also said a third connection to Hampton Way exists at the cul-de-sac right-of-way. Woods told attendees the team contacted a private landowner identified as the Weitzman Group about modifying an agreement to allow additional access points, but “they were not interested in modifying that agreement to give us 2 points of access.”

Woods emphasized the team’s plan to route most traffic to the Johns Road access rather than through Hampton Way, saying the easement out to Johns Road is less congested and 'much more efficient.' He added the development team could make design concessions to address privacy concerns raised by adjacent homeowners, including additional setbacks and reducing or frosting windows on units that face existing backyards.

Linder told attendees the meeting recording would be posted on the city’s website and invited further written comments to the planning office. Woods clarified that the sign announcing the application is posted on the property’s west fence line.

Next steps: the Planning & Zoning Commission public hearing is scheduled for Feb. 3 at City Hall; the annexation petition is expected to go before City Council to set a public hearing on or around Feb. 25. The project will return to formal public hearings where the commission and council will take evidence and make recommendations and decisions.

There were no formal votes or actions taken at the session; the meeting served to gather community feedback and clarify project details ahead of regulatory hearings.