Davenport High School is located in Garden Ridge at 23255 FM 3009. (Amira Van Leeuwen/Community Impact)
A Comal County court gave an energy company the green light to take an existing easement from Comal ISD for a multi-county electricity pipeline the week of July 6.
The decision was made upon deposit of the court-determined appraised compensation, Meggan Morrison, a spokesperson for the Outer Loop Utility, said in an email to Community Impact.
The easement is for a 60-mile intrastate natural gas pipeline spanning Bexar, Comal and Guadalupe counties. The project is designed to connect local gas supply to existing energy infrastructure in San Antonio and surrounding areas, according to the project’s website.
Courtesy Howard Energy Partners
District officials said they have safety and environmental concerns associated with the now-granted easement, according to a district news release. CISD board Secretary David Krawczynski said the project is in his feeder pattern and he was concerned about student safety.
“I think as we move forward here, we definitely need to raise awareness around this particular issue,” Krawczynski said during a June 25 board meeting before the court ruling.
How we got here
The San Antonio gas company filed condemnation proceedings for the project, named Outer Loop Pipeline Project, through its affiliated entity Outer Loop Utility LLC. The legal dispute was filed in the Comal County Court at Law No. 3, according to a district news release. HEP sought to acquire the easement through eminent domain, according to the news release.
Morrison said they have worked with the district over several months, hoping to reach a mutually acceptable agreement for the easement they need. However, they were unable to reach terms that would allow the project to move forward on schedule.
“As a public utility, we have a responsibility to develop and operate critical infrastructure that serves the broader community interest,” Morrison said in a statement to Community Impact. “While every effort was made to negotiate, we were ultimately unable to reach terms that would allow the project to move forward on schedule.”
“We respect the judicial process and will continue to work with Comal ISD as the project moves forward. We value our relationship with the district and appreciate its role in serving the community,” Morrison said.
Area resident David Germann started a Change.org petition in 2025 to stop the project.
"As someone who tills the same soil of my ancestors since 1883 and has a genuine stake in our area, I hope this petition helps protect the children and families of Davenport High School," Germann said in a statement to Community Impact.
He also said Howard Energy has "unprofessionally handled this project south of the location" and mistreated citizens and stakeholders.
"Eminent domain is ruining our area. Agriculture is disappearing," Germann said. "People that have lived here are being forced to suffer under the auspices of 'progress.'"
The petition has 865 signatures as of press time.
Community Impact followed up with Morrison to see what the next steps are for the project and how far the easement is from the school, but did not hear back as of press time. This is a developing story and Community Impact will provide updates when they become available.
