At long last, Buc-ee's is coming to Boerne.
Boerne City Council Monday approved an amended development agreement with Buc-ee's that includes a limit on the number of fueling stations, the height of signage, a 9-acre buffer zone and security fencing, a 350-foot deceleration lane, and dark-sky compliance among other concessions.
“I have lived with this project for a decade,” said Joe Macaluso, District 5 city councilman. “Every item on this list are things I have repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly brought up to city administration, staff, city management, city attorneys, other city council members, and directly to Buc-ee’s,” Macaluso said before council’s 4-0 vote to allow City Manager Ben Thatcher to continue to finalize the negotiations with the convenience store chain, well known for its dozens of gas pumps and exceptionally lean restrooms.
“Buc-ee’s is owned by one person, there’s no board of directors or shareholders. There’s ‘Mr. Bucee,’ (Arch) Aplin,” Macaluso said. “He and he alone decides what he will and will not agree to do. In that context is how we’ve had to work this agreement.”
For months, Boerne residents have hammered the council with their objections to the project — many of which were dealt with in constant Facetime negotiations over the past six months.
Points of the amended agreement include:
* Buc-ee’s will have no more than 100 fueling stations, which means 50 pumps, as each pump has two points to pump gas. There will be at least 26 EV charging stations as well.
* A reduction of primary signage to 60 feet, from 75 feet agreed to in the original 2017 agreement.
* At least nine acres of dedicated open space and an 8-foot security fence along the rear of the property line.
* 18-wheelers will be prohibited, except for those servicing Buc-ee’s.
* Sight lighting plan with dark-sky compliant fixtures, also alleviating light trespass from surrounding properties.
* No more than 54,000 square-feet of building space.
* HVAC condensate recovery and irrigation system, expected to supply all of Buc-ee’s irrigation needs for the site.
“The amended development agreement ... these updates, they strengthen the design standards,” said Kristy Stark, assistant city manager who ran through the list for council. She thanked the Buc-ee’s team for its willingness to negotiate and amend several of the sticking points over the years.
“The manner in which they have worked on this, there was never a ‘no.’ It was always, ‘Let’s see what we can figure out,’” Stark said.
Mayor Frank Ritchie spoke to the negotiation process and concerns expressed by residents during the course of the negotiation.
“We sit up here twice a month and listen to the public comments. We take those to heart,” Ritchie said. “But we listened, and we went to Bucee’s ... and did a lot of negotiating, which they really didn’t have to do for us.”
From the original agreement which began in 2016 and 2017 to where the city stands now, Ritchie said, “I think its heads and tails an improvement for our community. I just want to thank everybody, Dr. Mac especially, and thank everybody involved — and thank Buc-ee’s for coming to the table, willingly — for being there and doing that.”
Other items added to the agreement include a confirmation of 200 jobs, about 30 more than previously committed; enhanced landscaping and planting areas; an addition of up to five more acres of green space; and Buc-ee’s being responsible for expense to install underground electric along Buc-ee’s Way, the name of the street that will feed off South Main Street into the property once it crosses the bridge over Interstate 10.
District 4 Councilman Bret Bunker doubled down on council’s listening to the public and expressed his surprise at the level of concessions Bucee’s eventually approved.
“We’ve been listening to every single person who’s come up to our council meetings,” Bunker said.
“Buc-ee’s had an agreement; they didn’t come to us with anything," Bunker said. “They did not have to give us any of these concessions. I think it’s due to the diligent work of the mayor and Dr. Mac (Macaluso), whose put pressure on them for 10 years.”
He acknowledged Buc-ee’s wanting to be a good partner with the city in agreeing to the concessions.
“We got the sign lowered which, honestly, if you would have asked me two weeks ago if that was ever going to happen, I would’ve said, ‘No way, they have their permit. There’s nothing we can do about it, That ship sailed,’” he added.
Even though the council approved the amended development agreement, there’s still more work to do. Buc-ee’s still has to submit it traffic study
The resolution approved between Boerne and Buc-ee’s “limited and authorized the city manager to continue negotiations to finalize the document to be signed between the city and Buc-ee’s, and to come back to the city council if there are other areas of concern that need to be addressed prior to that signing.”
One of the issues still under negotiation is a traffic impact analysis (TIA). Jeff Carroll, city engineering and mobility director, said the city is expecting to hear back from Buc-ee’s on additional comments provided by the city last week.
“On their TIA, they’re getting very close, they have some minor modifications to model,” Carroll said. “Most of the major improvements for the project have already been built ... TxDOT improved this bridge location, knowing Buc-ee’s was coming.”
Of the four lanes of I-10 access road, the two U-turn lanes and the widened bridge, "this location has significantly more capacity for roadway and travel than even the Bandera and I-10 location," he said. "If you drive it today, for the most part, it’s pretty empty. That has to do with that excess capacity needed at this location.”
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