Planning commission recommends rezoning 4.9-acre Caliterra site for local childcare campus

The Dripping Springs Planning & Zoning Commission on Sept. 16 voted unanimously to recommend that City Council rezone a roughly 4.9‑acre parcel at 126025 Ranch Road 12 from Agricultural (AG) to General Retail with a conditional overlay (GRCO), advancing a proposal for a Prep childcare and early‑education campus.

Angie Mendenhall, an applicant representative, described the project as a local, family‑run expansion: “Weare local to Dripping Springs now since 2013...weare excited to serve the community and partner with Dripping Springs ISD to do so,” she said, adding the facility would serve children from six weeks to 12 years and operate roughly 7 a.m.–6 p.m. Mendenhall also corrected a typo in her materials, saying the projectclose date is Nov. 4, 2025.

Sarah Barbrigos of the planning department presented the staff report and recommended approval. Barbrigos said the property at the Caliterra subdivision entrance is covered by the recorded Caliterra development agreement (2014) and is conceptually identified for commercial use on the citycomprehensive plan map. She told commissioners the GRCO reduces the full range of generic GR uses to 16 permitted uses tailored to neighborhood compatibility, and adds design protections including a minimum 30‑foot landscape buffer along the rear of the property abutting Caliterra residences, adjusted setbacks and separation requirements, and limitations on accessory structure heights.

Barbrigos also explained dimensional and coverage differences: under existing AG zoning the site allows about 30% impervious cover; the requested GRCO would allow up to 60% impervious cover, which staff said aligns with the recorded development agreement. She described conceptual access from Ranch Road 12 and Caliterra Parkway but emphasized the commission was deciding only the zoning request, not site development details.

A nearby resident, Donna Sheehan, who lives adjacent to the tract (Lot 147181), raised concerns about traffic, ingress/egress and property values: “My question...is property value point blank with the property backing up right up to, that location thatis gonna change the value of our property,” she said. The chair and staff acknowledged those concerns and noted that detailed site development review — including traffic, buffering and landscaping — would follow the zoning decision and that public comments would be considered in that later process.

After closing the public hearing, the commission took a motion to approve the rezoning per the staff recommendation. The chair recorded Evelyn Strong as the mover and an unnamed commissioner as the second; the motion carried unanimously. The commissionwill forward the recommendation to City Council; Barbrigos said the item is scheduled for the Oct. 21 City Council agenda. The chair encouraged members of the public to submit written comments to be included in the council packet and in staffanalysis for later site development review.

What happens next: If City Council approves the rezoning, the applicant will proceed to the site development review process, where traffic, access, landscaping, lighting and final site plans will be evaluated and where neighbors will have further opportunities to comment.