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Construction work is underway on a residential neighborhood\u00a0this spring\u00a0in Marion.<\/p>\n
Andrew J. Whitaker\/San Antonio Express-News<\/p>\n
A new wave of subdivisions outside Marion city limits could strain the city\u2019s school district and infrastructure.<\/p>\n
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There are an estimated 465 housing units within Marion city limits, according to 2026 data from Guadalupe Valley Economic Development<\/a>.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Yet just half a mile beyond the city limits \u2014 within Marion\u2019s extraterritorial jurisdiction, where the city has limited authority over development \u2014 more than 3,600\u00a0homes are planned across several master-planned communities. These rooftops could increase the area\u2019s housing stock seven times, tipping the scale of residential growth surrounding Marion, which historically has consisted of farmland and rural homes.\u00a0<\/p>\n READ MORE:\u00a0Before-and-after images show the San Antonio areas that changed the most since 2015<\/a><\/p>\n Precinct 4 County Commissioner Stephen Germann<\/a>, whose precinct includes the cities of Marion, Cibolo and Santa Clara, is concerned about how the boom in new residences could affect the area\u2019s resources.<\/p>\n San Antonio Express News Logo<\/p>\n Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe area simply does not have the infrastructure to support this,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have county roads that were made for a quarter of the traffic that we will be looking at. The electricity is limited. The infrastructure is not there for water, and sewage on many of those developments is three to four years out.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Bales of hay dot the landscape near Marion. Planned subdivisions could increase the area\u2019s housing stock seven times, tipping the scale of residential growth surrounding Marion, which historically has consisted of farmland and rural homes.\u00a0<\/p>\n San Antonio Express-News file photo<\/p>\n Subdivisions and their potential effect\u00a0<\/p>\n About 1 mile south of FM 78 and South Santa Clara Road, Pulte Home<\/a>s and Centex Homes<\/a> plan to build 921 residences in its Dove Song<\/a> subdivision.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lennar Homes<\/a>, one of the largest homebuilders in the U.S., plans to build 785 home lots as part of its Kayden Springs <\/a>subdivision a mile down South Santa Clara Road from Dove Song.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Multiple builders, including David Weekley Homes<\/a> and DRB Homes<\/a>, are developing 1,759 home lots in the Confluence subdivision<\/a>, a half mile down South Santa Clara Road from Kayden Springs.\u00a0<\/p>\n Meritage Homes<\/a> also plans to add 212 homes in its Stetson Ridge subdivision<\/a> off Stagecoach Road. All four neighborhoods are within Marion\u2019s extraterritorial jurisdiction zone, also known as\u00a0ETJ.<\/p>\n David Weekley and Meritage declined a request for comment, and the other developers did not respond ahead of publication.<\/p>\n RELATED:\u00a0Boerne may yield some regulatory power to county. Will that spur more development?<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n In ETJs, cities control subdivision plats, road and infrastructure standards, drainage and development rules.\u00a0Developers who build in an ETJ in Texas generally can petition to release their property from a city\u2019s ETJ under Senate Bill 2038 if they want to bypass costly or restrictive city red tape.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mitzi Delgado, a realtor for Delgado Realty Group<\/a>, said the area is drawing in more developers and interested residents because of its affordability and small-town feel.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a great place for people who want to be more in suburbia and not necessarily in the big city, but still close enough,\u201d she said. \u201cThat plus there\u2019s an influx of military retirees out here.\u201d<\/p>\n But with this new influx of potential residents on the horizon, timing is everything. If construction outpaces infrastructure, these homes could overexert Marion-area services.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The developments could require expanded water supply, storage, distribution lines and treatment capacity. When developers convert farmland into homes, it also can increase runoff and a need for drainage improvements.<\/p>\n SA INC.: Get the week\u2019s top local business stories in your inbox <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t necessarily think all growth is good growth, but if it\u2019s done responsibly, it can be good for an area,\u201d Delgado said. \u201cIf you don\u2019t have the infrastructure in place to support what\u2019s being built or the number of people, it\u2019s going to be difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n Residents in ETJs do not pay city property taxes, but they use city roads and benefit from improvements to public spaces that city taxpayers fund. They also will need access to the city\u2019s police, fire and EMS departments.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cThe growth has put pressure on our fire department, emergency responders, our sheriff\u2019s office, constables and the courts,\u201d Germann said. \u201cIt continues to add more work. In Marion, there\u2019s a volunteer fire department, and they ran 638 calls last year alone.\u201d<\/p>\n School district<\/p>\n The spurt of residential growth has prompted Marion Independent School District<\/a> to build a new elementary school in the ETJ zone.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n