 This 4.8-acre tract on Texas 46 at Sharon Drive has been approved as the site of a future nursing home in Boerne after neighbors told City Council members they agreed to the concept. Photo by Linda Byrne
Staff Writer Sharon Drive residents withdrew their protests against a nursing home and Boerne City Council gave property owners the green light June 10 to build a nursing home at the corner of Texas 46 East and East Sharon Drive. Motions to enter into a binding development agreement with Kendall County NH Ltd. and to re-zone the property passed unanimously. The development agreement includes concessions made to assuage the neighbors’ concerns about traffic, privacy and stormwater drainage. Representatives of the developer met with Sharon Drive residents in mid-May at the urging of the Kendall County Economic Development Corporation after angry neighbors attended previous planning and zoning commission and City Council meetings to protest the nursing home. Ron Haney of Cascade Health Services, the network to which the new nursing home will belong, said that the facility will be very different from a traditional “old folks’ home.” He said the “upscale assisted living” facility will feature “skilled nursing” and rehabilitation clinics. Sharon Drive resident Patrick Allen said that about half of the residents on Sharon Drive attended the meeting at the KCEDC office and that he is pleased with the outcome. “They were ready to meet our desires and requests,” Allen said. “Everybody wins with this.” City Council was also pleased. “It could have been open war,” said Councilman Bob Manning, noting that developers avoided further conflict by meeting with their new neighbors. “This is the way the system is supposed to work,” Councilman Rob Ziegler said. “We ought to have the neighbors involved up front.” During the citizens comments’ time, Sharon Drive resident Mike Malone expressed concern over “secrecy” by the KCEDC and warned city officials that the EDC should be more forthcoming. KCEDC President Dan Rogers said that a majority of the organization’s dealings with prospects are pursued under non-disclosure agreements, which make it illegal for the EDC to share the kind of information that Malone wanted. “It’s a very quiet time when we are first working with prospects,” he said. To protect their interests, Rogers said projects are sometimes discussed using code words. Other times, the EDC does not even know the identity of the prospect with whom they are working. City Planning Director Chris Turk said that the city recommends, but does not require, that developers visit with neighbors before requesting rezoning to avoid the kind of tension created among Sharon Drive residents. He said that the zoning process is easier when landowners are up-front about the intended use of the property after zoning and pen a development agreement prior to a request. Mayor Dan Heckler said he hopes future conflicts over development are anticipated and dealt with in a similar way. “I think this will stand as a model,” he said. |
