Multi-million Dollar Parking Problem

In today’s Boerne Star regarding the shortage of parking spaces already creating problems at the brand new, multi-million dollar high school:

“Kelly acknowledged that BISD officials were surprised by the parking problems that have plagued Champion High School since opening day because the new school has 79 more parking spaces than Boerne High School did last year and the number of students is virtually unchanged.Kelly said he now realizes that Boerne High School has better pedestrian access than Champion High School and that the streets around BHS provide alternatives to on-campus parking. Because Champion High School is relatively isolated, Kelly said students have fewer off-campus parking alternatives, thus there is more demand for on-campus parking at Champion this year than there was at BHS last year.“I feel that I should have anticipated this different setting as we planned parking for Champion High School; thus I feel it is necessary to correct our problem now,” Kelly said.”

Are you kidding me? BISD selects a site on a major highway, outside of any residential neighborhood, continues to resist building the required sidewalks (causing students to walk on the highway shoulder) and Kelly says he was surprised that the different setting created problems?!!

In addition to this expense, a BISD newsletter reported a while back that the school district
had to purchase additional buses (more drivers and fuel) for students close in to the school who would normally have walked to the old high school but can’t walk to the new one, due to its location on a major highway.

The average Kendall County resident looked at Kelly’s choice of a location when it was announced and saw problems. Why so close to the existing high school? Why put it on a major highway that is already expected to have congestion problems, with essentially one entrance in and out?
Mr. Haberstroh, who is both the Construction Bond Manager for BISD and sits on City Council, wears two hats on theses issues, which currently include failure to build a sidewalk, addressing proper road drainage so the City can take over Charger Boulevard and enforcement of the no parking agreement. How does he avoid potential conflicts of interest?

But the really astounding thing in this ‘problem,’ is the amount of tax dollars (by far our biggest county tax hit and growing every year!) we fork over and that those who are managing it did not ‘anticipate’ such an obvious problem in their choice of location.

Remember the public outrage at the per acre cost for the BISD land and being told that it was a ‘deal’? Was part of that deal related to the fact that at the same time this school location was being considered, two nearby properties were being planned for future development- The Trails of Herff Ranch and the Hagee property (now Esperanza)? Engineer, Mike Coyle, was hired by both The Trails of Herff Ranch and Esperanza. He was also sitting on City Planning and Zoning.
Didn’t this school location become a financial enhancement for these developments and their associates?

Before dismissing this idea, remember that Dr. Kelly wrote a letter, on BISD stationary, to the State Natural Resources Committee, supporting the approval for Esperanza’s water district. Dr. Kelly later attempted to downplay this letter of support as having been written by someone else and that he simply signed it. He has apparently stated he was not representing BISD. Dr. Kelly’s letter, in which he identified himself as the BISD Superintendent and was written on stationary with the district’s letterhead, was presented and read at the State Committee hearing by Mike Coyle.
A Boerne Star column, written by Dr. Kelly in support of Esperanza, is currently being used on Marlin Atlantis’ website as a glowing endorsement for their development corporation from a school district superintendent.

Is this simply sour grapes about development or no growth rhetoric? Not hardly - this is about cold hard cash- ours! Residential development, unlike commercial or even undeveloped land, costs taxpayers more in services than it brings in. Add to that cost poor location planning and you have to ask if taxpayers are underwriting private interests. There’s a lot of that going around these days!

Dr. Kelly says it is necessary to ‘correct our problem now.’ The ‘correction’ he is going to make is to spend more of our money- we will pay for his ‘failure to anticipate’. Taxpayers should ask if the school district- who works for us- has demonstrated common sense in future planning, school placements and whose best interests have been served.

Anonymous

Water, Water Everywhere?

We have been told Kendall County is in the middle of the worst drought in many years. Well levels are at historic lows, Boerne Lake is rapidly becoming a mud puddle and Canyon Lake (the source of GBRA water) is at a historically depleted level.

Yet last week the City Council voted reduced watering restrictions, and the Cow Creek Groundwater District Board voted to disregard its own rules and permit using millions of gallons of groundwater for a golf course.

What are our elected officials telling us? We're in a serious drought, but now its OK for some to begin using massive amounts of water?

Is the drought a serious issue or not? Our elected officials should be giving us clear guidance and making fair and consistent decisions that make sense.


Jack Wilson

ANOTHER BREAK FOR DEVELOPERS TO THE DETRIMENT OF KENDALL COUNTY TAXPAYERS

By now, Kendall County residents have received their new property tax assessments and bills from the Kendall Appraisal District. There is something all taxpayers should be aware of:

Kendall County assessment rolls have literally hundreds of lots owned by developers assessed at a fraction of their true market value .

Gary Eldridge (the chief appraiser) has stated the Texas Legislature allows him to value the property less because it is "inventory" held for sale. The method of valuing "inventory" is left up to the chief appraiser, therefore it varies from one appraisal district to another. Eldridge uses a formula of 30 to 40 per cent of market value.

The question needs to be asked if people here in Kendall County realize what a huge tax break is being given to developers; and to their detriment.

We were told that once the houses are sold, the assessed value will increase and be in line with the homes held by individuals. Let us just say, the inventory homes are on the market for one year (and many have been on the market for several years) . This is lost revenue to the city, County and school districts and by all means, unfair to those individuals who own homes; lost revenue that can pay for schools, roads and bridges, fire and law enforcement protection, etc, without having to raise taxes.

I think it is time individual taxpayers make their voices heard by contacting the chief appraiser and your state representatives. Not only should the residents of Kendall County get involved, but our local elected officials have a duty and obligation to help pass new legislation to prevent developers from getting special deals at the cost of taxpayers’ detriment and loss of tax revenues to the taxing entities (BISD, City, and County). Special attention should be focused on this issue by the BISD as they are the largest taxing entity.

In a San Antonio Express News article, "Senator Jeff Wentworth plans to look into local complaints that homeowners and taxing entities are being hurt by a state law that lets developers with unsold subdivision lots seek discounted appraisals." He also stated that he was unaware of the tax code provision.

Wentworth apparently plans to review the Property Code, which gives chief appraisers wide latitude; but said, "It's too early to say whether he would seek changes."

Considering Wentworth's comment that it is "too early to say whether he would seek changes," it is imperative that the residents of Kendall County contact him and/or our representative (to be determined in November) in support of changing the aforementioned Property Code.

Karen M. Wetzel