Mayor Neal Linnartz

Later this month, the 2024 City of New Braunfels Strategic Plan will be presented to City Council. This plan will set the foundation for the next phase of our city's growth and development, serving as a roadmap that outlines the City’s priorities and goals as well as the steps required to achieve them.

As the Mayor and a member of City Council, I understand that you have placed your trust in City leaders to carefully guide our community through decisions that will have a lasting impact on the lives of both current and future residents. This new Strategic Plan will help us build a New Braunfels that is innovative and sustainable while preserving our unique heritage and community identity. By implementing this plan, we hope to address current challenges, capitalize on opportunities, and ensure that our community thrives for generations to come.

Everyone is aware of the challenges associated with rapid growth and the Strategic Plan is just the latest in a series of proactive steps taken by City Council and City Staff. In fact, the City has been working for years to make policies, investments, and initiatives that address these challenges.

In 2018, after a two-year process that included a tremendous amount of public input and participation, the City adopted Envision New Braunfels, a long-range comprehensive plan that now guides decision making by staff, boards, commissions, and City Council. Residents at the time spoke up for issues that remain major priorities today, in particular, protecting the character and uniqueness of New Braunfels.

Since adopting Envision New Braunfels, a total of 78% of all action items have been completed, are ongoing, or in process. While we will continue to work on those items, we recognize that it’s time for an update to address the changing needs of our community. The first phase of that update is already underway with a study that will show the fiscal impact of different land uses in various locations by identifying where development will have the healthiest fiscal impact based on factors like the type and density of the development.

One major success from Envision New Braunfels was the initiation of the Land Development Ordinance (LDO). New developments in the City are required to meet adopted codes, which generally fall into two categories: International Building and Fire codes (which are designed to ensure public health and safety), and development-related ordinances (which are generally crafted locally, like zoning and subdivision platting). The City has control over the development-related ordinances and uses those as a way to apply the standards and preferences of residents that are laid out in Envision New Braunfels. However, the current codes are outdated, difficult to understand, and ineffective in response to rapid change and new development trends. So, the LDO will help ensure the new code provides more predictable development, is easier to understand, and adds flexible alternatives while implementing Envision New Braunfels. I strongly encourage residents to participate in this process by following the LDO project online at www.newbraunfels.gov/LDO.

In addition to the LDO updates, the City has taken other steps to address development:

• Drainage design requirements and fees ensure that new development provides adequate drainage based on their impact and the City has the revenue needed to address future drainage improvements.
• The floodplain ordinance helps prevent irresponsible development in flood hazard areas.
• There are additional requirements for developments to contribute to infrastructure solutions for the traffic they generate.
• New developments pay roadway impact fees which help pay for street repairs and upgrades.
• New developments pay park fees and are required to dedicate land for open space, allowing for more natural spaces and areas where future parks and trails can be offered.

As you can see, it’s the new developments that build much of the City’s new infrastructure, from roads to drainage, and new development also provides or supports housing, schools, hospitals, clinics, grocery stores, and retail shops to serve the growing community, all of which leads to long term health, safety, and economic well-being for residents.

City leadership understands and appreciates the concerns about growth and how it impacts the future of our community. Adoption of the Strategic Plan, the Land Development Ordinance, and updating Envision New Braunfels, along with already established requirements, reflects the City’s commitment to having New Braunfels grow responsibly, practically, and strategically.

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Mayor Neal Linnartz