Unprecedented urban sprawl in Northwest Bexar County has officials pulling out their strategies for infrastructure improvements to do a better job of keeping up with the growth. The first part of the county’s plans were unveiled at a public meeting Monday evening.
The attraction of no city taxes and lower home prices has lured thousands of new residents to densely-constructed subdivisions in a short period of time. Some experts have compared the growth to a city the size of Kerrville.
“Thirty-five percent of Bexar County’s growth has been here, in this northwest part of town,” said Precinct 1 County Commissioner Chico Rodriguez.
Rodriguez said rapid growth strains roads, schools, law enforcement and infrastructure, and the county is moving forward in a series of proactive steps. That’s why the sheriff, the county public works department, and the Texas Department of Transportation joined together in the presentation to Alamo Ranch-area residents Monday night.
“We’re doing not only a fire station but the first sheriff’s substation there on Wiseman and 1604. And plus, that community’s been talking about a big increase of accidents in this area,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said the cooperative entities including the county, developers and TxDOT are about to make a $500 million investment in the area, starting with road construction to make 1604 a safer place, and a West Side sheriff’s substation to make law enforcement more visible. Construction on Bandera Road is expected to begin this fall.
Rodriguez said plans also are in the works for school growth, flood control improvements, and more traffic improvements. He’s scheduled a series of meetings in West Bexar County to unveil plans that address needs in each area.
