Stone Creek Development
New Braunteis, Texas
New Braunfels Local Residents
FM 1044 at 1-35
New Braunfels, Texas
August 3l, 2010
Ref: Proposed Zoning of 19 Acres on FM 1044 at 1-35
As you may know, I recently applied for and then withdrew a request for rezoning 18 acres on FM 1044 because of raised concerns with the proposed development. After the City sent out rezoning notices, I sent you a letter describing our development, stating our intentions and invited your input, comments and concerns but did not get a response. Then, just before the rezoning hearing, a couple of area residents scared and convinced property owners that this development was going to be bad for the neighborhood for multiple reasons.
Although legitimate concerns were raised, they were exaggerated and extorted. Accusations regarding traffic, drainage, and type of development were made that changed the context of this development and caused many, like you, to doubt the integrity of the development and those behind it. This is all wrong. First of all, this development will not noticeably affect the surrounding neighborhoods any more than any other development on these 19 acres. Whether this land is developed half commercial, half residential as the City's Future Land Use Plan suggest, or the whole parcel is developed into residential, there will be traffic, drainage and other issues that will need to be addressed.
We have addressed all these concerns and I would like to share them with you. Our group, including the original land owner of several generations, a respected local quality homebuilder, and myself, a design/build developer, want to design and build a high quality and integrated residential community that caters to smaller patio/garden homes, and apartment homes that require little or no home and yard maintenance.
After reviewing our plans and referring to the City's Future land Use Plan, City Planning recommended utilizing the City's "Mixed Use Development" rezoning classification. This is where residential, recreational, and even commercial/retail are mixed and planned in close proximity in a master-planned community modeled for convenience and comfort. Mixed-use development in itself is the "State of the Art" in community planning making this development special. The apartment homes component of this development will be the highest caliber of apartments available in New Braunfels.
Essentially all of our residential traffic will conveniently be coming from and going to 1-35 without having to go through or between anyones neighborhood south on FM 1044. The few area residents I referred to earlier were not one of the surrounding property owners that received the City's rezoning notice or my follow up letter divulging all our intentions. They took it upon themselves to go door to door scaring everyone into believing that we were going to put low income, government assisted, section 8 property apartments, and/or bring bad element to the neighborhood. They convinced many to object to the development based on that and other false information. This is simply not the case and I have to set the record straight with facts, not fiction.
Let me first simply describe what we actually are proposing in the context of a planned community. You can refer to the attached planned layout of our proposed development. A small commercial/retail strip is planned along FM 1044 logically just across from Interstate Plaza/Lowes at the north end of our property. At the other southern end of our property along Fm 1044 we have planned a small community of patio/garden homes. Between the commercial strip and the patio homes will be one building, the clubhouse/office and gated entrance for the exclusive apartment homes. There will be no apartment home buildings on FM 1044. The clubhouse/business office will be a beautifully landscaped and designed building representing the finest apartment home community between Austin and San Antonio. That is our aim and intention. I have designed, built, own, and operate a high-end "Class A" property now with the amenities I describe to you.
The patio/garden homes are for the high-end market. The upscale apartment homes are also aimed at a higher-end market of singles and professionals. Typically they are in transition and lease
temporarily for 6-24 months with all the amenities of home, and then some. The gated community of apartment homes will have real control of entry and exit from the community with security cameras on both. Amenities include all those that an upscale single-family home or neighborhood would have like a garden tub in the master bedroom suite, walk in closets, a patio with storage closet, a swimming pool and children's small water park, a walking /jogging trail around the inside of the complex, a club house with an exercise equipment room, a entertaining living area inside and outside, separate business office for tenants, a conference/media room, and more. Park, ponds, and pedestrian walkways and plenty of open green space will be integrated to create a first class and highly desirable community. Fiber optic will be integrated throughout the complex providing the very best Internet, satellite TV, and future technological integration. Honestly, does this sound like a bad element to you? It's not and it never will be because it is being designed to cater to an upper class market that demands this type of compact residence.
This development will not compromise or affect the value of homes in the surrounding neighborhoods but will compliment it. We help build these neighborhoods and homes around here and own lots and homes as well! We would not intentionally develop anything detrimental to your or our own property. The inflated concerns about traffic, drainage and even bringing "bad element" to the neighborhood are false. There is no bad element here and I can address the other important concerns with facts, not assumptions.
So please give us an opportunity to talk to you personally and show you our plans. I will share with you details including traffic assessments, drainage plans, and privacy fencing between our residential communities. I would also like to talk to you about your own personal concerns and questions but can only do so if you call me or e-mail me at At your convenience, I can either come by or, if you like, have you come by our offices with others to review our plans and answer your questions. My intention is to give you facts so that you can make an informed decision and I trnst that you will make a fair decision in whether to support or oppose this community development.
Sincerely,
Tim Marroquin/Project Manager
timarroquin@swbell.net
(409) 728-5516
Although legitimate concerns were raised, they were exaggerated and extorted. Accusations regarding traffic, drainage, and type of development were made that changed the context of this development and caused many, like you, to doubt the integrity of the development and those behind it. This is all wrong.
ReplyDeleteNothing that was said was exaggerated. Nothing was extorted. The concerns are legitimate. The "NEW" plan is no different from the "OLD" plan. We are still talking about a 192-unit apartment complex on 10 of the 18.6 acres. We are still talking about a retail development in a R1/R2 zoned area. The developer changed nothing in the density or use to accommodate our concerns. This is about money and greed...at the expense of our home value.
Now, Mr. Marraquin has chosen the route of personally attacking your neighbors(myself included) that have kept you informed and educated on the proposed development. Whom would you believe...your neighbors with a vested interest in the community, or an out-of-town developer who strolls into town like a snake-oil salesman?
This fight is about preserving home values.
This fight is about preserving neighborhoods.
This fight is about true traffic concerns.
This fight is about true drainage concerns.
This fight is about increased traffic on FM-1044 & Schmidt Rd, as well as traffic cutting through Loma Verde.
Show me one thing the developer, Mr. Marroquin, has done to address any of these concerns.
I agree with you Jay. I also feel he's being inconsiderate to the concerned residents that weren't part of the properties within the rezoning notice. I was notified and have let him and the City of NB know that I oppose this change. Anybody in the surrounding subdivsions has a right to voice their concerns and I thank them for the added help. We need as many people that are able to appear at the rezoning meeting as possible.
ReplyDeleteMr. Marroquin,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the fact that you are aware of this blog and are willing to address our concerns. I hope that it means that you are willing to work with us on this. Unfortunately, I am unable to meet with you in New Braunfels at this time and must use this forum. Your description of the proposed development sounds very positive, but I feel that you have failed to address our more important concerns.
“First of all, this development will not noticeably affect the surrounding neighborhoods any more than any other development on these 19 acres.”
I think that this property could support 30-40 single homes and some commercial property. This would generate much less traffic and problems than your 200+ apartments and garden houses. I noticed that you avoided mentioning the number of apartments or garden homes in your statement. You merely referred to the apartments and “a small community of patio/garden homes.”
“Although legitimate concerns were raised, they were exaggerated and extorted. Accusations regarding traffic, drainage, and type of development were made that changed the context of this development and caused many, like you, to doubt the integrity of the development and those behind it.” “We have addressed all these concerns “
Your statement did not address our concerns regarding traffic or drainage. I do not think that they were exaggerated - quantities were not given, concerns were merely voiced.
Will your “upper class market” tenants want to exit a busy service road to enter their property?
Your 200+ units will generate quite a bit of traffic on 1044. Are you willing to pay for the widening and improvements of the road?
I am concerned that your proposed clientele are “in transition and lease temporarily for 6-24 months “. I would be more inclined to support your project if you were attracting long term or even permanent resident.
You also list a very impressive complement of amenities that may draw quality transients. However it does nothing for my house or my neighbors. Will you give us access to the pool, clubhouse or green areas? Will you provide fiber optic internet/TV for me? Why do you think satellite TV a good thing?
If you are truly planning to build high-end, quality housing in New Braunfels, I appreciate your efforts. However, this blog entry took too much from your sales brochures. It did not address our concerns.
M
I spoke with Tanya Perez(Planning Commission Member) today about the rezoning concerns and she did inform me that making a big appearance at the meetings does impact their decision. We need to show up October 12th as we did for the first meeting. Also, she was telling me about a simular project that had passed in New Braunfels some years ago and the "proposed luxury appartments" started with limiting their residents to 1-2person dwelling and ended up being sued for discrimination. Now the appartments are allowing anyone to lease! This is exactly what will happen to these appartments. Please, please plan on attending the meeting on October 12th or a least return your letter letting them know you oppose this rezoning change.
ReplyDeleteMr Marroquin repeatedly emphasizes that these apartments will be 'higher class' with ritzy shops and a hip rich clientele. Seriously how many people like that are going to come to NB when Austin is 40 min further up the road? What will happen is that this project, if approved, will tank in the current economy and when the apartments and shops are all built and no one will rent, Mr Marroquin will sell the whole project to a less discriminating person/group of people/corporation for a healthy profit, wash his hands and be gone. Then anyone can set up shop and anyone can rent...so we as the Loma Verde community can experience fine living in close proximity with transient low income folks with their fine automobiles, possible criminal records + six dozen 'friends and relatives' that come schmoozing thru at all hours of the day. That's exactly the kind of safe and perfect neighborhood I envision want my kids growing up around! I also will enjoy the fine used jean, smoke shops, and tatoo parlors that will no doubt come and go in the 'fashionable ritzy high end' shops that are going to be built there as well. Again the perfect sort of people I want my kids to be around!!
ReplyDeleteMr Marroquin, go away - let decent responsible hard working folks BUY and BUILD HOMES as the property is ZONED for!! Homeowners have a stake in the community and it's well being, not transient dwellers. If you even think that your high end shops and apartments will make it, take a look across the highway at the Walnut Square which is drying up and blowing away after Target moved up to North NB. Take your corporate greed and profit mongering elsewhere!