Proper intent

The Unified Development Code adopted and overhauled by the Boerne City Council and staff last year has lived up to the council’s claim of being a “living, breathing” document.

Last week, council members amended requirements in the new UDC to lessen the drainage study requirements for several homeowners looking to add impervious cover.

Development Services Director Jeff Carroll said this change was made because the intent of the tiered system of drainage study requirements – ranging from Tier 1 to Tier 4 – was to ensure larger projects had larger studies and vice versa. However, he said city staff saw a majority of projects falling under the Tier 3 drainage study requirements, which could run a homeowner upwards of $5,000.