City shouldn’t encroach on peaceful neighborhood

I have resided at 205 Roosevelt Ave. since August 1975. First, Second and Thirds streets were still unpaved when I moved to this location. So I have watched Boerne grow from a little town with only one traffic light to a bustling little city. This neighborhood is lovely with mostly older homes, mature trees and friendly people and families. This is an exclusively residential area and is rightly zoned as just that “ R-1, Medium Density Single Family Residential”.

The Boerne City Council has already seen fit to encroach into this neighborhood by a full block on Bandera Road and half a block on Oak Park Drive. Council chose to open First Street into the Walmart parking lot, creating an overload of traffic on First Street. The general public detours through our neighborhood to avoid the lights on Main Street.

Now the Boerne City Council is looking favorably upon bringing a business, a commercial building with two parking areas for 18 plus staff and employees, known as the Pregnancy Care Center, into this residential neighborhood.

My neighbors and I want to keep the integrity of our neighborhood. Allowing the Pregnancy Care Center to build a 6,000-plus square foot building on Frey Street does not meet zoning criteria. I can’t imagine the circumstances whereby the zoning board recommended this project to council. Could there be some “special interest” within the zoning board or City Council for the Pregnancy Care Center?

The city of Boerne has, not a few, but many business and professional areas to the south, west and north sides of town. The Pregnancy Care Center belongs in an appropriate setting to the nature of the business and services it provides. It does not belong in a residential neighborhood.

I ask the citizens of Boerne, for myself and my family as well as the vast majority of my neighbors and their families, to make it known to City Council that we expect them to stand by our city zoning codes.

We want to maintain the residential, family-oriented atmosphere of this neighborhood and all residential neighborhoods in Boerne. If the Boerne City Council truly represents the citizens of Boerne they cannot, with good conscience, approve bringing a commercial building, parking lot and business into this neighborhood.

Jan Alexander
Boerne

Pregnancy center doesn’t meet zoning

My wife and I moved to Boerne seven years ago to the Oak Park subdivision.  We had looked at many homes in the area from some of the historic homes to some of the newer homes outside of Boerne. But we chose a house in Oak Park because it brought back memories of the neighborhood we grew up in 40 years ago. The houses did not look the same. The ages of the residents ranged from families just getting started to the elderly. Just like the neighborhood we grew up in.
 
Last year the property at 507 Frey was purchased by the Hill Country Pregnancy Care Center.  Recently we found out that they intend to build a 6000 sq/ft medical center at this site. 
 
I want to be clear that this is not a fight against the Hill Country Pregnancy Care Center. It is a good ministry and my wife and I have contributed to it in the past.  This is strictly a fight to preserve our existing neighborhoods. Residential areas need to stay residential.
 
With the modification of an ordinance that allows 501(c)(3) organization to move into and operate in a residential neighborhood, we are concerned that the property at 507 Frey St. will open a Pandora's box for other 501(c)(3)'s to move into other residential areas.
 
Currently there are properties for sale on Fabra Street, Bandera Road, School Street, Yoalana Street and Adler. How would the residents on Fabra Street feel about a branch of the H.O.W. Foundation moving into a house on their street?  Or perhaps Planned Parenthood moving into a house on Yoalana Street?  How about the Salvation Army on Bandera Road?
 
Where would it stop?
 
The residents of Oak Park have asked the City Council to stop this medical center from being built at 507 Frey, not because of who owns it, but because it is not a single family dwelling. We would also ask the City Council to revise the ordinance to prevent other neighborhoods from going through the same pain we have in regards to this.  
 
Boerne is growing whether we like it or not.  But that does not mean we can't make a few common sense choices to protect what has made Boerne such a charming community to live in over the years. 
  
Scott Evans
Boerne

Councilman shouldn’t vote on center’s zoning

Dear Editor, 
  
On Feb. 12, the night of the historic vote on Esperanza, The City Council had a hearing at 7 p.m. to listen to arguments both for and against the change in zoning use at 507 Frey St., which is an R-1 residential neighborhood. The request was made by the Hill Country Pregnancy Care Center. The Pregnancy Care Center is a good organization and provides needed services for our community . It is not what they do , but how they want to do it.
 
An ordinance was past last year by the Boerne City Council to allow 501c(3), nonprofit corporations to be located in an R-1 residential neighborhood by using the existing housing stock so that the neighborhood would not be negatively impacted. Just as important, it is clear in the ordinance that when the building is vacated it must revert back to it’s original use, R-1 residential.
 
The Pregnancy Center bought the property at 507 Frey with a 900-square-foot home on it. They knew this house would not meet their needs and they plan to demolish it and build a 6,000-square-foot medical facility, a paved parking lot and erect a 15-square-foot sign.
 
In an article in the Boerne Star, they claimed that “they have been given a favorable reception by the Frey Street residents.” This gave the erroneous impression that the neighbors had been consulted and were supportive. I can honestly say there was not a favorable reception . We submitted 81 signatures from 65 residences in the Frey Street neighborhood who were against the ordinance.
 
Additionally, Councilman Jacques Dubose sits on the board of the directors of the Hill Country Pregnancy Care Center.
The city attorney said that Jacque Dubose legally did not have a conflict of interest in this matter.  Dubose said he could vote objectively for the interests of the citizens of Boerne. Yet as a director of the HCCPC he is charged with the responsibility to do everything  to further the mission of the organization. He has taken a personal interest in the pregnancy care center and he cannot act with independence and impartiality, legally or not. The citizens of Boerne are entitled to have a fair, ethical and accountable local government.
 
In closing, it is not over yet. This item was tabled until the next council meeting on Feb. 26.   
The way ordinance was written, a 501c(3) can go into any neighborhood in Boerne , next door or across the street from your house with City Council approval.
 
Ted Maxymof
Boerne