BOERNE, Texas – A new Buc-ee’s is one step closer to being built in Boerne.
In a specially-called city council meeting on Monday, Boerne officials gave unanimous approval for an updated development agreement between Buc-ee’s and the City of Boerne.
The city first entered into an agreement with the popular convenience chain in 2016, according to a project briefing.
In Monday’s meeting, the city council approved City Manager Ben Thatcher to update the original development agreement, with added stipulations and the right to come to the table with any concerns later on.
This Buc-ee’s location has been a topic of debate in the city for nearly 10 years, due to public backlash and negotiations between Buc-ee’s and the city.
In the end, the agreement came with some stipulations and a reservation to return to the table with any concerns that may arise later.
Some of those stipulations include ensuring Buc-ee’s uses no more than 54,000 square feet for the building, has no more than 100 fueling stations and has an eight-foot security fence along the rear property line.
Other features will include enhanced landscaping, dark-sky-compliant fixtures, and the creation of 200 jobs for the Boerne area, Assistant City Manager Kristy Stark said.
However, some locals were not happy with the way this development agreement has been handled, especially because there was no time set aside for open discussion of this item on Monday before it was agreed upon.
They highlighted how, even under these conditions, the popular convenience chain would likely block traffic, consume high amounts of water and contribute to air and light pollution.
“Our letters to city staff and elected officials over the past couple of months have gone unanswered,” one concerned citizen said. “Many of our open records requests as well. One councilmember even dismissed us as emotional and uninformed in a council meeting. That doesn’t build trust in leadership.”
Councilmembers, however, disagreed. Right before the resolution was adopted, Mayor Frank Ritchie praised it.
“I think this is probably the most accessible Buc-ee’s that has ever been built, and the most dark-sky compliant,” he said. “Out of all the Buc-ee’s stores ever built, we have set the standard at this point for ‘Hey, this is what you can do.’”
One item that still needs to be finalized is a traffic impact analysis (TIA). Boerne officials said they gave Buc-ee’s some “minor modifications” and are waiting to hear back from the chain.
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