SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio’s Planning Commission tabled discussions around a financing model for the Guajolote Ranch development in northwestern Bexar County, despite suggestions from opponents that the issue would be heard this week.
Several news releases from the Scenic Loop-Helotes Creek Alliance, which largely oppose the project, said the commission would address it during a morning meeting on Dec. 17.
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The alliance planned a protest in opposition to the project ahead of the Wednesday meeting, a news release said.
However, city staff told KSAT the Guajolote Ranch issue would receive a special session hearing at 9 a.m. on Jan. 16.
No public comment on the issue happened on Wednesday. KSAT has reached out to the Scenic Loop-Helotes Creek Alliance for more information.
New financing model draws criticism
Guajolote Ranch is a proposed residential development helmed by Florida-based developer Lennar Holmes. it would build around 2,900 and discharge, on average, an estimated one million gallons per day of treated wastewater into the Helotes Creek watershed.
Lennar needed state approval for the discharge permit to move the project forward. On Oct. 22, it got that support after the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) approved the permit.
The protest from members of the Scenic Loop-Helotes Creek Alliance, who largely oppose the project, comes as they say Lennar has “stepped away” from pursuing a Public Improvement District (PID) through Bexar County and instead is focusing on a Municipal Utility District (MUD) model.
>> Understanding the potential impact of Municipal Utility Districts on Guajolote Ranch development
MUD is a different type of financing and governance structure that, if approved, would shape how the neighborhood’s infrastructure is built and funded.
Furthermore, a MUD is a separate political entity that can issue bonds and levy taxes to fund utility infrastructure — commonly water, wastewater and drainage — particularly in areas not served by a city’s utility system.
Because Guajolote Ranch is technically outside of San Antonio’s extraterritorial district, the city must formally consent before a MUD can be created.
“The MUD not only would poison our drinking water, it could strain local governments, result in higher taxes for residents outside the development and shatter the illusion of affordable housing – possibly saddling new homebuyers with property taxes double or triple those of the county or neighboring cities," a news release from the alliance on Wednesday morning said.
A Dec. 9 news release from the Scenic Loop-Helotes Creek Alliance said that following the Dec. 17 meeting and a second Planning Commission hearing, it would go before San Antonio City Council for consideration. The item would then move back to TCEQ for approval.
A rehearing request for TCEQ’s October approval for the wastewater permit remains open and up to a court challenge, according to the Dec. 9 release.
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