By Jonathan Nolte
Staff Writer

Boerne City Council tabled an ordinance on April 8 to rezone a 4.8-acre tract at Highway 46 and Sharon Drive for the construction of a nursing home.

The tract was annexed into the city earlier this year as a single family residential-agricultural district. The landowner will need it to be rezoned in order to build the intended nursing home.

Council chambers were packed with neighbors of the Sharon Drive area, leaving many people standing in the hallway. Most of those who spoke during the public hearing expressed opposition to the rezoning ordinance. Twelve individuals addressed council: seven against the rezone, four in favor and one neutral.

Opponents said that they represented a majority of the residents on Sharon Drive. Their specific concerns included traffic, flooding, the loss of ambiance in the neighborhood, and whether the rezoning would be consistent with the Boerne master plan. Neighbor Patrick Allen said he and his allies oppose the rezoning in an effort to “maintain our neighborhood.”

Supporters of the rezoning said that commercial growth on Highway 46 is inevitable and a nursing home is preferable to alternatives that would be built there. They also said that current nursing homes in Boerne are nearing full capacity, prompting the need for more of such facilities.

Kendall County Economic Development Corporation President Dan Rogers said that a new nursing home would broaden the tax base in Boerne.

“We are trying to bring in quality businesses and quality jobs,” he said.

Opponents also delivered to council a petition stating: “We are strongly against any rezoning that will allow or introduce high density housing or commercial activities in our neighborhood.”

Signatories included 49 individual residents and homeowners on Sharon Road.

Planning and Community Services Director Chris Turk presented a letter from the owner of the proposed nursing home property that requested that the council table the ordinance until the June 6 council meeting so that the property owner would have time to meet with the neighbors.

The ordinance was tabled by a four-to-one vote, with Councilman Rob Ziegler voting “nay.”