SEPT 7th PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING

According to Holly Mullins at the New Braunfels City Planning Department, Tim Marroquin, representing the "Stone Creek Development" is not on the Planning Commission Meeting Agenda for September 7th. 

Check back for future updates.  The earliest that this can now be heard by the planning commission will be in October.  Notifications will be sent out to those with property 200 feet or less from the development and must be posted along FM1044.  But for now, enjoy your Labor Day Weekend!!! 

Stop the Stone Creek Apartments

(FM 1044 @ Loma Verde Dr)

Meeting Held with Developer

Today at 3:15 there was a meeting with Tim Marroquin in the City Planner's Office regarding the proposed Stone Creek Development.

Marroquin advised us that the plans call for 192 apartment units, one, two, and three stories in height situated on 10 acres of the 18.8 acre parcel. The remaining 8.8 acres would be developed into the commercial strip with loft apartments on the northern end of the property and townhomes located on the southern edge of the property, south of the Loma Verde Drive intersection. He advised that there would be ample walks and greenbelts throughout the property.

We brought up several issues that such a development would have on us. Discussed were the impact on property values; increased traffic concerns; potential increase in crime; as well as drainage concerns. The high-density of the proposed total number of units was also discussed.

We advised him that we do not want apartments or apartment homes as a part of the development and that we would continue to oppose and challenge any change in the zoning if that were the case.

City should call public meeting to discuss flooding issues

Doug Toney is editor and publisher of the Herald-Zeitung.

Posted: Sunday, August 8, 2010 12:00 am | Updated: 9:18 am, Sun Aug 8, 2010.

By Doug Toney Herald-Zeitung Publisher | 0 comments

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Why is such a meeting needed? For starters, to get answers to these four questions:

Are the city's standards for ensuring that new construction does not contribute to the flooding of adjacent and downstream properties inadequate?

Is the city's ability to inspect projects to ensure that city standards are met inadequate or inept?

Is it a combination of these problems?

And if not, then what is the problem?

Let's consider Landa Park.

During the June 9 flood, Panther Canyon lost all five bridges.

The wading pool, one of the most popular and historic features of Landa Park, remains closed and a date when it might reopen, if ever, seems to be un

Preliminary inspections indicate that about seven feet of rock underneath the bridge and road washed out.

The channel between the bridge and wading pool is at least six feet deep.

That's a heck of washout, considering that channel was probably no more than 24 inches deep before the flood.

The damage and debris seems worse than during the 1998 or 2002 floods. Yes, those of us who have been here for these floods

Drive to the new HEB's parking lot at Loop 337 and Highway 46. Stand in the parking lot and look east toward New Braunfels High School. You will see the detention pond at the end of the parking lot. Look at the pond's drainpipe. The drainpipe from that detention pond goes under Highway 46 and goes into that concrete structure between the access road and Loop 337.

From that drain structure, the water appears to go under Loop 337 and open up into what eventually becomes Panther Canyon. If you drive over there you can see where the drainpipe comes out.

Did this development's drainage system contribute to the velocity and volume of the water that extensively damaged Landa Par

If so, what can be done?

Also consider what's occurred on the bace development.

Residents who live along the back part of the long-established neighborhood of Hunters Creek, especially those closest to the WestPointe development, say they have suddenly developed extensive flooding issues.

These residents say the first flooding began this past September when a rain that previously would not have caused severe flooding, resulted in their neighborhood being inundated with high velocity flooding.

In June, the run off from the WestPointe development, which is behind where HEB leases, turned into virtual raging streams, with water reaching way beyond what had been previously adequate drainage easements in the neighborhood.

Across town, residents in some of the neighborhoods near I-35 apparently also are complaining about floodwaters on streets and in yards and homes where they said they had never seen it flood before.

Have the acres and acres of new motels, parking lots and other construction along the interstate contributed to these new flooding issues in nearby neighborhoods?

Four of the seven councilors have some sort of connection to either residential or commercial construction or development. The mayor has a title company. Councilors Sandy Nolte and Mike Ybarra sell real estate and councilor Steven Digges has a plumbing business. Mentioning this fact should not be construed as an insinuation that some sort of chicanery is involved.

What this fact does provide, however, is another reason why allowing citizens to question the city manager and city engineer and others directly could go a long way to clear the air for residents who are frustrated with what they say has been very little information and/or ambiguous answers.

City manager Morrison apparently has told some councilors he would conduct some neighborhood meetings sometime in the future to address these concerns. That's not enough now.

A citywide meeting would ensure that residents from all the affected neighborhoods could hear the same answers from the same officials at the same time.

And, finally, a citywide meeting also would allow the public to determine whether "I don't

Let's find out the real problem or problems and who or what is responsible and then let's get it fixed.

Update: The city will be having a meeting regarding drainage on August 30th at 6:00 pm at the New Braunfels Civic Center.

Planning Commission Meeting - Project Withdrawn

Thanks everyone for the large turnout at the Planning Commission meeting tonight. After Tim Marroquin, project sponsor made his brief presentation, several local property owner's from both Loma Verde and Mockingbird Heights subdivisions made our case before the planning commissioners. Even before all homeowner's were able to speak - Tim Marroquin withdrew the project from consideration from the board tonight.

As a side note, we must stay informed and united in keeping abreast of this issue. Jay Patrick, a resident of Mockingbird Heights will be a co-contributor to this blog in matters concerning this issue in the future.

It would be nice to keep this blog active as a community message board concerning issues that might arise or even as a way we might make our subdivision(s) safer for all.

Your Comments

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Meeting is Tonight

Hope to see all residents of the Loma Verde Subdivision at the Planning Commission meeting tonight at 6:00 pm. This item is #2 on the published meeting agenda. There will be an update to the blog with information presented and or obtained from the meeting. So please check back.

Also, if you are opposed to this action - please leave a comment on the blog. This blog can also used as a public record of opposition to this project.

Thanks.

Loma Verde Homeowner