Proposed 10-acre rezoning on Barbarosa Road in New Braunfels postponed following resident opposition

Approval for a proposed rezoning of approximately 10.57 acres located near the intersection of Barbarosa Road and Alves Lane in New Braunfels was postponed by New Braunfels City Council on March 28 after residents surrounding the property voiced concerns.

The property is currently zoned as an R-2 district, which allows for the construction of single- and two-family dwellings. The property owners are seeking to rezone the land to C-1A, which is a neighborhood business district that allows commercial properties to be built, according to city documents.

Ahead of the council meeting, notices were sent to all property owners within 200 feet of the property in question, and the city received one response in favor, two responses in opposition, and six owners did not submit responses.

During the March 28 council meeting, a number of individuals spoke in opposition of the proposal, including some residents within the notification zone who had not submitted their response to the city.

Following the discussion, council members voted unanimously to postpone the item until the April 25 meeting to give residents more time to submit their responses and to voice concerns to the developer and property owner.

“[Tabling the item] gives everybody else a time to evaluate their opposition and/or favor, get their questions answered, talk to their council person, talk to the property owner, talk to the owner and come to a reasonable solution together, rather than us having to make that decision,” District 2 Council Member Justin Meadows said.

Should 20% or more of property owners within the 200-foot notification zone submit formal opposition to the rezoning, a supermajority vote from the City Council would be required to pass the change, according to the city.