“The community was never invited to the table. We’re the ones who live here. We breathe the air.”
BOERNE, Texas — Nearly a decade after plans for a Buc-ee’s in Boerne were first introduced, residents continue to raise concerns over the scope of the project and the lack of public input during its early stages.
The proposed development, located along Interstate 10 and U.S. Highway 87, is expected to serve as many as 24,000 vehicles per day.
Opponents say the size and environmental impact of the project are out of scale with the small Hill Country community.
“The community was never invited to the table. We’re the ones who live here. We breathe the air,” said Boerne resident Alex Rudd, who questioned the transparency of city leaders when the project was initially proposed in 2016.
“If the community had a chance to be told Buc-ee’s wants to come to Boerne, we would have said this is bad,” she added.
At Tuesday night’s city council meeting, no official action was taken on the Buc-ee’s proposal, but concerned residents filled the public comment portion to express frustration over lingering issues.
Many of those concerns were directed at traffic impacts, compliance with city ordinances, and potential violations of Boerne’s “Dark Sky” lighting regulations.
Kristi Ackerman, who spoke during public comment, called on city officials to plan for increased demands on law enforcement and public safety.
“I ask the city to strongly consider the hiring of additional police officers,” Ackerman said. “These steps would help discourage unsavory activity and keep individuals moving along the highway rather than loitering near our neighborhoods.”
Environmental concerns remain at the forefront for many, including Rudd, who highlighted the project’s proximity to residential areas, and watershed.
“What bothers me the most is that a project of this scope, this massive, with 140 gas pumps, up to 24,000 cars per day, huge volumes of water. Huge volumes of fuel being sold sold every day. Underground storage of at least a million gallons of underground fuel,” said Rudd
Although the current city council was not in office when the original agreement was made, some residents say more dialogue is urgently needed.
“I don’t blame this council at all. They inherited a mess,” Rudd said.
Neither the city nor Buc-ee’s would comment tonight.