SAN ANTONIO – After a previous denial in August, the City of Grey Forest earned a victory Thursday when the state allowed the city to contest a homebuilder’s wastewater permit.
According to a news release, the permit belongs to Florida-based homebuilder Lennar. The developer plans to construct a 2,900-home Guajolote Ranch development located north of Grey Forest and west of the Scenic Loop Road-Babcock Road intersection in Northwest Bexar County.
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Grey Forest city officials and residents appeared virtually before the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) on Thursday. They discussed the potential effects Lennar’s project could create for the groundwater quality and recreational spaces.
“I’m so excited to announce that we do have standing in this case, and it was a concerted effort – all citizens, friends of the City of Grey Forest, and those who care about our natural environment and the water system,” Grey Forest Mayor Paul Garro said in the release.
In addition to the city’s victory, the hearing dates for the contest were set.
Grey Forest, San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, and northwest Bexar County landowner Ann Toepperwein will contest the development starting on Feb. 18, 2025, and wrap up their arguments on Feb. 21, 2025.
After the hearing, a proposed ruling for the development will be sent to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). A final decision will be made in May.
Background
The development project was a major issue repeatedly brought up by those living in the proposed area during KSAT’s Know My Neighborhood: Scenic Loop/Helotes Creek episode in May.
The case centers around Florida-based homebuilder Lennar’s plan to build the Guajolote Ranch development.
The development calls for building thousands of homes on the property, owned by the Huntress family, in northwest Bexar County.
In addition to the homes, Lennar wants to build a wastewater treatment plant two miles north of Grey Forest.
Residents, landowners, and environmental groups were pushing back on the development because of the treatment plant. They fear that the plant will dump millions of gallons of treated wastewater into Helotes Creek and pollute the Trinity Glen Rose and Edwards aquifers.
Before the project can begin, developers need the TCEQ to grant a permit to build the water treatment plant.
The SOAH is an independent state agency that employs administrative law judges and manages hearings in contested cases. The GEAA wanted the SOAH to address issues such as who will be the wastewater plant operator, the details regarding compliance with the odor control and abatement requirement, and the developer’s compliance plan with the state’s regionalization policy.
An exact date has yet to be set for the contested case hearing. When the SOAH receives a case, it has six months to set a hearing date. This hearing will ultimately determine whether or not the permit is approved.
