New Braunfels Board of Adjustment Meeting | June 25, 2026

The New Braunfels Board of Adjustment held a regular meeting on June 25, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 6:59 PM. The board elected officers for the coming year, reviewed a residential variance request, and approved an alternative sign plan for a commercial development. No members of the public spoke during Citizens' Communication.

Consent Calendar / Administrative Business

• Approval of Minutes: Minutes from the May 28, 2026 meeting were approved unanimously (5-0).
• Election of Chair: Brandon Mund was nominated by Steve Quidley and elected Chair unanimously (5-0).
• Election of Vice Chair: Jenny Jaeckle was nominated by Chair Mund and elected Vice Chair unanimously (5-0).

Discussion Items

Item A: Variance Request for 307 North Guenther Avenue

• Request: The property owner sought two variances for a detached garage on a 1920s corner lot to fully encroach into the required 25-foot corner side setback and 20-foot garage setback, resulting in a zero-foot setback from the property line.
• Staff Report: Senior Planner Mary Lovell presented the application. Staff noted the lot's unique configuration and reported two public comments in favor and one in opposition out of 20 property owners notified.
• Applicant Position: Agent Jeff Hillyer and owners Gregory and Roxanne Williams supported the request, arguing the garage fits the historic neighborhood, provides needed storage, and removes cars from the street. They acknowledged the pool and outdoor living area would occupy the rest of the yard.
• Board Discussion: Board members discussed the 30-foot right-of-way width. Member Seth Reichenau stated he opposed granting the variances based on the hardship criteria, as he believed the need was created by the choice to build a pool rather than being a hardship inherent to the land. No motion was made.
• Outcome: No motion was made to approve or deny. Chair Mund clarified this acts as a tabling; the applicant can return without the standard six-month waiting period required for denied requests.

Item B: Alternative Sign Plan for Walnut Business Center

• Request: Approval of an Alternative Sign Plan to install seven 5-foot freestanding multi-tenant monument signs for the 46-tenant development at 827-863 IH-35 to improve wayfinding and reduce visual clutter.
• Staff Report: Colton Barker recommended approval with conditions. Staff initially described the signs as externally illuminated, but the applicant corrected that the signs are fabricated without illumination capability, which the board and staff accepted as a benefit. The applicant also stated the signs would replace numerous unapproved tenant signs.
• Applicant Position: Sandy Kennedy (NB Signs & Design) and owner Fred Heimer supported the plan, arguing it creates visual uniformity, improves safety by preventing drivers from circling missed entrances, and eliminates the proliferation of unapproved, hazardous temporary signage.
• Board Discussion: Members broadly supported the plan. Member Andrea Ranft expressed concern about the existing 15-foot "Walnut Business Center" monument sign remaining. The owner stated it is essential for identifying the development from the highway since the new signs are low-profile and set far back. The board agreed to keep it subject to a condition restricting tenant signage.
• Motion & Vote: Motion by Jenny Jaeckle, seconded by Steve Quidley, to approve with conditions. Passed unanimously (5-0).

Key Outcomes

• Item 6A (Variances): Tabled. No motion made; applicant may re-apply without a six-month waiting period.
• Item 6B (Alternative Sign Plan): Approved (5-0) with conditions: (1) no additional permanent freestanding signs; (2) prohibition of specified temporary signs (inflatable, pennants, flags, beacons, wall banners); (3) removal of all existing temporary signage; (4) no additional tenant signage on the existing Walnut Business Center monument sign.
• Executive Session: The board did not convene in executive session.