New Braunfels Councilman D. Lee Edwards Discusses Development, Zoning, and Conflict of Interest with Residents

Community Meeting Overview

• 🤝 Residents from Mission Hills Ranch, Champions Village, and Manor Creek met with New Braunfels City Councilman D. Lee Edwards to discuss concerns about a proposed development.
• 🏡 The primary focus was a KB Homes proposal to rezone 38 acres for 158 homes on 5500 sqft lots on the west side of New Braunfels.
• 🗣️ The meeting aimed to unify residents' voices for the City Council to address specific issues with the development.

Councilman's Conflict of Interest

• ⚠️ Councilman Edwards disclosed a conflict of interest, stating he represents the landowner selling the property and has a legal contract.
• 🚫 Due to this, he will recuse himself from voting on the matter during city council meetings.
• 🎤 The Mayor, Neal Linnartz, will therefore be the representative for District 3's voice on this particular issue.

Development & Zoning Challenges

• 📏 Residents expressed a desire for larger lot sizes, comparable to existing R1 residential areas, suggesting 60x120 ft or 7200 sqft.
• ⚖️ State law limits the city's ability to deny development outright, with a "three strikes" rule before developers can sue the city.
• 🚫 Outright denial based on builder preference or high density is considered a prejudicial interruption of business and could lead to lawsuits.

Infrastructure & Utilities

• 💧 New Braunfels possesses sufficient water capacity, owning over 52,000 acre-feet annually with a 50-year plan compliant with Senate Bill 2.
• 🚧 A past sewer bottleneck behind Oakrun School, costing $1.5 million to fix, is now being addressed with contributions from new developments.
• 🚦 Traffic concerns include the need for second exits for safety and potential traffic lights at Waco Springs and Mission Hills, which are part of the city's thoroughfare plan.

Resident Strategy & Influence

• 🎯 The most effective strategy for residents is to request larger lot sizes (e.g., 60x120 ft) and specific mitigations for traffic and drainage.
• 📢 Residents can force a supermajority vote (6 out of 7 council members) if over 20% of adjacent property owners formally object to the application.
• 📝 Submitting a letter of objection before the second reading of the proposal is crucial for adjacent property owners to trigger the supermajority requirement.

Legal & Procedural Insights

• 📜 The city's legal department advises against moratoriums due to their ineffectiveness and strict rules; Letter of Capacity (LOC) is a more legal and controlled tool.
• 🌳 Zoning primarily deals with land use, not specific details like traffic or drainage, which are handled in the master plan phase.
• 🚫 State law prohibits the city from dictating specific architectural styles or building materials to developers.