A.

Purpose. The purpose of the Heritage Corridor Overlay District is to:

1.

Preserve those hill country design elements that have historically characterized Boerne;

2.

Connect people with the natural environment, in a physical and visual way;

3.

Celebrate and protect the natural landscape of the city, particularly through tree preservation, streetscape enhancements, drainageway protection and dark sky lighting design for new development.

4.

Allow contextually appropriate development, in terms of heights, setbacks and density.

B.

Applicability. These requirements shall be applicable for all property located within the boundaries of the Heritage Corridor Overlay District, unless otherwise indicated.

C.

Uses.

1.

Additional uses allowed. The following uses shall be permitted within the Heritage Corridor Overlay District, regardless of base zoning:

a.

Single family detached residences shall be permitted by right on lots that are at least one (1) acre in size, regardless of base zoning.

b.

Urban agriculture uses shall be permitted by right, regardless of base zoning, provided they conform to the standards of the property's base zoning, and to those of the respective urban agricultural use, as indicated in the UDC.

2.

Special use permit required.

a.

Assisted living facilities.

b.

Mixed-use building.

c.

Multi-family.

d.

Nursing/residential care facility.

3.

Additional use restrictions. Multi-family, mixed-use buildings and assisted living facilities:

a.

The particular use must be permitted by right under the property's base zoning in order to be eligible for a special use permit in this overlay district.

b.

The gross residential density, does not exceed eighteen (18) units per acre.

c.

The design of the buildings and of the site complies with Boerne's architectural design standards.

4.

Prohibited uses. The landscape, topography and drainage attributes are such that large-scale impervious surfaces are inappropriate in this overlay district. Uses that require large, paved surfaces, such as automobile lots, and building which typically require large footprints, such as warehouse facilities, are also inappropriate for this overlay district. Therefore, the following uses are also prohibited, regardless of property base zoning:

a.

Automobile sales.

b.

Car wash.

c.

Gas station.

d.

Mini warehouse.

e.

Industrial warehouses.

f.

Outdoor sales yard.

g.

Oversize vehicle or machine rental, sales or service.

h.

Pawn shop.

i.

Portable building sales.

j.

RV park.

k.

Thrift store.

l.

Warehouse retail.

m.

Warehousing.

D.

Dimensions.

1.

No building within this district shall be greater than thirty (30) feet in height.

2.

The minimum lot area is one-half (½) acre.

3.

The minimum front setback from Herff Road is forty (40) feet or the setback requirement of the property's base zoning, whichever is greater.

4.

The minimum front setback from Old San Antonio Road is forty (40) feet or the setback requirement of the property's base zoning, whichever is greater.

5.

All other setbacks shall be in accordance with the property's base zoning.

E.

Building orientation. For properties with frontage along Old San Antonio Road, building siting shall be grade responsive.

F.

Parking. For properties fronting Old San Antonio Road and/or Herff Road, parking areas shall not be located within the minimum setback from that road.

G.

Fences and walls. The following are prohibited for fences and walls within this overlay district:

1.

Wooden privacy fencing is prohibited along the Old San Antonio Road, Herff Road, and River Road frontage.

2.

Stone walls greater than three (3) feet in height are prohibited within ten (10) feet of Old San Antonio Road. Stone walls greater than three (3) feet in height that are set back ten (10) feet or more from Old San Antonio Road shall require natural landscape screening in front of the wall. The natural landscape screening shall fully screen at least fifty (50) percent of the total area of the wall face.

3.

Stone walls greater than three (3) feet in height which are within ten (10) feet of Herff Road shall require natural landscape screening in front of the wall. The natural landscape screening shall fully screen at least fifty (50) percent of the total area of the wall face.

H.

Landscaping and screening.

1.

Parking areas shall be screened from view from the designated roadway, and from the public right of way of all cross streets within thirty-five (35) feet of the designated roadway.

2.

Materials. Parking lot screening may be achieved with any of the following combinations, provided that they meet the dimensional standards:

a.

Live landscape screening.

b.

A wrought iron fence, split rail fence or masonry wall, provided it is not more than three (3) feet in height, combined with live landscape screening facing the street.

3.

Live landscape screening shall be capable of providing a solid thirty-six (36) inch screen (eighteen (18) inch within easement areas) within two (2) years, as determined by a registered landscape architect, certified nurseryman, or master gardener, and shall be planted in a prepared bed at least three (3) feet in width.

4.

Grass areas, swales and areas subject to erosion shall be solid sodded.

I.

Sidewalks. Along Old San Antonio Road, sidewalks shall be responsive to the natural grade of the property, to drainage patterns and to the existing landscape of the property.

J.

Encroachment of public right of way prohibited. Encroachment of balconies, awnings, canopies and signs in the public right of way shall be prohibited in this overlay district.

K.

Conservation subdivisions. For conservation subdivisions, lots shall be aggregated near Old San Antonio Road, Herff Road and/or River Road, with conservation space aggregated near and oriented toward the creek, the park, and/or the nature preserve.

L.

Drainage.

1.

Any stormwater detention or retention system that requires a fence is prohibited in the minimum setback from Herff Road or Old San Antonio Road.

2.

Impervious cover. To ensure that lot configuration and building footprints are scaled appropriately for this overlay district, the following maximum impervious coverage values shall be maintained, regardless of base zoning:

a.

For multi-dwelling structures, including triplexes and quadplexes, the maximum impervious cover shall be fifty (50) percent of the lot area.

b.

Multi-family, mixed-use buildings and nursing/residential care facilities shall not exceed seventy (70) percent impervious coverage of the site.

c.

Nonresidential properties shall not exceed seventy (70) percent impervious coverage of the site.

3.

Contiguous areas of disturbance.

a.

Contiguous areas of disturbance are areas of a site that are covered with anything other than the natural landscape of the site.

b.

Contiguous areas of disturbance shall be separated by natural areas which are each at least twenty (20) feet wide at the narrowest point. These separations shall be maintained at natural grade and retain existing, mature vegetative cover.

c.

Landscape restoration through onsite mitigation of tree removal is an approved alteration to a contiguous area of disturbance.

d.

Any contiguous area of disturbance, excluding a roadway, driveway or utility, shall not exceed the following maximums:

i.

Fifteen hundred (15,000) square feet for a multi-dwelling structure (triplex or quadplex);

ii.

Thirty thousand (30,000) sf for nonresidential or multi-family development.

4.

Bioretention and alternative surfaces. Because of the existing drainage patterns and rural character of this overlay district:

a.

Alternative, pervious paving surfaces may be used to satisfy on-site parking and pedestrian connectivity requirements, pending approval of the director of engineering and mobility.

b.

At least one (1) BMP shall be incorporated into the site plan, in accordance with the LID selection of structural BMPs in chapter 3 of the City of Boerne in addition to the SARA Low Impact Development Manual.

c.

Non-living groundcover, including but not limited to mulch, river rock and crushed granite, shall not be used for more than twenty (20) percent of total landscaped area of the property.

M.

Signage.

1.

Prohibited signs.

a.

Detached canopy signs.

b.

Portable changeable message board signs.

c.

Manual changeable copy signs.

d.

Illuminated signs where the illumination is not static.

e.

Electronic message boards.

f.

Internally illuminated channel letter sign faces.

g.

Freestanding tube letter signs.

h.

Digital signs.

i.

Pole signs.

j.

Freeway pylon signs.

2.

Signs with additional requirements.

a.

Entry feature signs.

i.

Entry feature signs shall not exceed eight (8) feet in height above ground, regardless of the height of the structure to which the sign is affixed.

ii.

Entry feature signs shall not be internally illuminated.

b.

Roof signs. Signs mounted onto the roof shall be no taller than the height of the highest roof line of the building.

3.

All other signs. For all other sign types, the requirements of chapter 9: Signage shall apply.

(Ord. No. 2024-10, § 1(Exh. A), 8-27-2024)