A proposed Lennar-linked commercial project near Scenic Loop and Babcock Roads faces scrutiny from the Scenic Loop-Helotes Creek Alliance, which cites traffic, road capacity, and water quality concerns tied to nearby residential and commercial development in northwest Bexar County.
A proposed commercial development near Scenic Loop and Babcock Roads in far Northwest Bexar County is drawing scrutiny from the Scenic Loop-Helotes Creek Alliance, a nonprofit that has raised ongoing concerns about development activity associated with homebuilder Lennar.
The proposal involves a nearly six-acre retail center planned to include a gas station, two fast-food outlets, and a two-story storage facility. The alliance said Lennar and two other parties purchased the property. A memo submitted to Bexar County by Lennar’s engineering firm, Pape-Dawson, estimates the commercial project would generate nearly 5,000 vehicle trips per day.
According to the alliance, those trips would add to traffic from Lennar’s Guajolote Ranch residential development, a planned 2,700-home community that the group estimates would generate more than 25,000 daily vehicle trips. Critics cited Scenic Loop Road’s two-lane design and lack of right of way for expansion, raising questions about road capacity and funding for potential improvements.
The alliance said its primary concern remains the residential development due to environmental impacts. It supports efforts by the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance and the City of Grey Forest to appeal a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality decision granting a wastewater permit for Guajolote Ranch. The permit would allow an average discharge of 1 million gallons per day into the Helotes Creek watershed, which contributes recharge to the Trinity Glen Rose Aquifer and a portion of the Edwards Aquifer.
The San Antonio Planning Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on a municipal utility district application related to the residential project on Jan. 16, followed by a City Council vote on Feb. 5. Texas Public Radio reported that Lennar had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.