100-acre property to be used for light manufacturing, apartment development
Schertz City Council on Dec. 3 approved an ordinance to rezone approximately 100 acres of land at Schwab Road to be used as a light manufacturing district and multifamily residential district.
The overview
According to the meeting agenda, the majority of the property is planned to be used for industrial development.
With the property being across Schwab Road from Sysco, it matches the city comprehensive plan, which highlights sections of northern Schertz as areas for commercial development.
The multifamily residential development would take up about 19 acres of the property to allow for an estimated 350-unit apartment complex, according to the agenda.
During the meeting, the applicant for the rezoning stated that the property owner has 120 acres, and the plan is to leave 20 acres as general business, which would allow for retail opportunities along I-35.
Moving forward
City Council approved the resolution in a 5-1 vote, with council member Paul Macaluso voting against the rezoning due to the lack of general business opportunity in the area.
“I think we have limited real estate, and that is core general business area for future retail growth,” he said.
With the approval of the rezoning, the applicant can begin the development process for the proposed project.
Roberts wins Cibolo election, Schertz to have possible runoff
Results from the Cibolo City Council runoff election and the Schertz City Council special election are in, showing one new city council member in Cibolo and an upcoming runoff election in Schertz.
Breaking it down
In the Cibolo race, Donetta Roberts ran against Charles Ruppert. The Place 6 council seat is a newly created at-large seat meant to represent all Cibolo residents.
According to totals from Guadalupe County, Roberts received 66.5% of votes while Ruppert received 33.5%. In total, 412 ballots were cast during the election period.
For the Schertz race, the Place 4 special election was called after Tiffany Gibson resigned from the seat in September. The candidate filling the vacancy would serve on City Council for the remainder of the term, which will end in 2026.
Five candidates applied for the City Council Place 4 seat: Benjamin Guerrero, Tyrone Taylor, Timothy Dusek, Heather Stamper and Paula Del Toro.
The top two vote-getters were Tim Dusek with 29.1% of votes and Benjamin Guerrero with 22.34% of votes. A total of 981 votes were cast.
Schertz City Council will have a special meeting Dec. 26 to do a final canvassing of the votes, and determine if a runoff race is needed.
Live Oak parks plan approved
Live Oak City Council on Dec. 10 approved a resolution to adopt the 2024 Parks, Trails and Open Spaces Master Plan.
This plan highlights park improvements, serving as a guide for city leaders to determine future parks and recreation needs.
Breaking it down
While the plan serves as a tool to apply for grant funding and account for future budget expenses, it does not allocate any funding to listed projects. Funding for projects will have to be brought back to the appropriate commissions before being approved by City Council.
Despite not providing funding, the plan lists potential expenses related to improvement projects at city parks.
According to the plan, the improvements of city parks and the potential costs for each park is as follows:
- Main City Park: $8.79 million
- Live Oak city pool complex: $1.26 million
- Woodcrest Nature Park: $1.92 million
- Montanio Park: $245,563
- Trail system additions (not within parks): $820,649
Rick Vaquez takes role as Cibolo Director of Economic Development and Planning
Rick Vaquez has been announced as the new director of economic development and planning for the city of Cibolo beginning Jan. 2.
The overview
According to a Dec. 13 news release, Vasquez brings over 25 years of experience in executive leadership in fast-growing and diverse communities, municipal and utility management, economic development, special purpose districts, transportation system planning and urban redevelopment.
Prior to his role in Cibolo, Vasquez worked as the director of planning and redevelopment services for the city of Brownsville.
“I am thrilled to join the team at the city of Cibolo as the economic development and planning director,” Vasquez said in the release. “I look forward to collaborating with citizens, board members and elected officials on transformative projects like the Old Town Master Plan and economic development initiatives like the upcoming rewrite of the 2025 Unified Development Code.”
