Task Force Meeting #12
The New Braunfels Outer Loop Task Force held its twelfth and final meeting on Saturday, March 6, 2010, at the Landa Haus in Landa Park from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Recommendations in Ranked Order
Audio Recording (coming soon)
Recommendations for Ranking - Original recommendations which were ranked for discussion at the meeting
Recommendations Score Sheet - Scores for Ranked Recommendations
Task Force Meeting #11
The New Braunfels Outer Loop Task Force held its eleventh meeting on Monday, February 15, 2010, at the New Braunfels Civic/Conference Center from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
General Questions from Meeting #9 and Meeting #10
Screening Process & Sequence of Events Diagram
Audio Recording (coming soon)
Task Force Meeting #10
The New Braunfels Outer Loop Task Force held its tenth meeting on Monday, January 25, 2010, at the Texas Agricultural Education and Heritage Center 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
Task Force Meeting #9
The New Braunfels Outer Loop Task Force held its ninth meeting on Monday, December 21, 2009, at the New Braunfels Civic/Conference Center from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
Screening process & Sequence of Events Diagram
Guadalupe County - Subdivision Rule Book
Task Force Meeting #8
The New Braunfels Outer Loop Task Force held its eighth meeting on Monday, November 30, 2009, at the New Braunfels Civic/Conference Center from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
Screening Process & Sequence of Events Diagram
Task Force Meeting #7
The New Braunfels Outer Loop Task Force held its seventh meeting on Monday, October 19, 2009, at the New Braunfels Civic/Conference Center from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
Interview Comments on Screening
Principles of Corridor Planning
General Screening and Section A Worksheet
Task Force Meeting #6
The New Braunfels Outer Loop Task Force held its sixth meeting on Monday, September 21, 2009, at the Texas Agricultural Education and Heritage Center (also known as the "Big Red Barn") from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM.
Interview Concerns - Facility Type
Task Force Meeting #5
The New Braunfels Outer Loop Task Force held its fifth meeting on Monday, August 17, 2009, at the New Braunfels Civic/Conference Center from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
Interview Concerns - Constraints Only
Task Force Meeting #4
The New Braunfels Outer Loop Task Force held its fourth meeting on Monday, July 20, 2009, at the New Braunfels Civic/Conference Center from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
Interview Comments - Purpose and Need
Comal County Resolutions Part I
Comal County Resolutions Part II
Task Force Meeting #3
The New Braunfels Outer Loop Task Force held its third meeting on Monday, June 15, 2009, at the New Braunfels Civic/Conference Center from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
Public Involvement Small Group Recommendations
Small Group Worksheet Compilation
Information Requests on Need and Purpose and Study Process
New Braunfels Outer Loop Task Force Operating Guidelines
Task Force Meeting #2
The New Braunfels Outer Loop Study Task Force held its second meeting on Monday, May 18, 2009, at the New Braunfels Civic/Conference Center from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. The Task Force worked to finalize their Operating Procedures and began review of the Public Involvement Process conducted for the New Braunfels Outer Loop Study. A separate Information Subcommittee was formed to help guide the development of the study review.
Public Involvement Presentation
Public Involvement Efforts Handout
Task Force Meeting #1
The New Braunfels Outer Loop Study Task Force held its first meeting on Thursday, April 2, 2009, at the New Braunfels Civic/Conference Center from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. The Task Force was introduced by Mario Medina, PE, District Engineer for the TxDOT San Antonio District. The Welcome also included comments by City of New Braunfels Mayor Bruce Boyer and Comal County Judge Danny Scheel.
Roles & Responsibilities of Task Force Members, Consultants and TxDOT
Task Force Announced
The Outer Loop Task Force will be comprised of some of the members of the two previous study work groups – the Community Work Group and the Technical Work Group – as well as additional study stakeholders identified by TxDOT, the City of New Braunfels, Comal and Guadalupe Counties. The primary focus of the task force will be to review the process utilized by consultants to develop the study recommendation, to ensure the accuracy of the data collected and that the screening and evaluation tools were applied consistently throughout all parts of the study area.
Given the public nature and regional significance of this study, TxDOT has hired Linda Ximenes, an independent facilitator with no previous involvement with the study, to work with the task force throughout this effort. Once complete, the task force will present their findings to the City of New Braunfels, Comal and Guadalupe Counties. All meetings will be open to the public who is invited to attend and observe the proceedings. Comment cards will be available for you to provide us with feedback at each meeting.
Future Task Force Meetings will be posted on this website. If you would like to be added to the email list for automatic notification of upcoming meetings please send an email to info@nbolstudy.com or call the New Braunfels Outer Loop Study Hotline at 866-704-1114.
Initial Study Public Involvement Efforts
The Texas Department of Transportation conducted the New Braunfels Outer Loop Study from April 2007 to July 2008. The study is being reopened due to concerns raised by the public regarding the study’s findings. This information shows the public involvement efforts that were undertaken during the initial study proceedings.
Given the local and regional importance of the New Braunfels Outer Loop corridor, the public involvement activities for the initial study sought to involve the community that lives, works, and drives through the study area. TxDOT provided various opportunities to involve the community in the initial New Braunfels Outer Loop Study including:
Stakeholder Identification
The study team developed a list of major stakeholders from meetings with agencies, community contacts, and other research including the identification of property owners within the study area.
Newsletters
The study team produced three newsletters throughout the course of the study. The newsletters also informed the public of upcoming meetings including times and locations. More than 4,500 newsletters were mailed throughout the study area.
Hotline
A dedicated phone line staffed by a member of the study team was available. The toll-free hotline provided the community with direct access to New Braunfels Outer Loop Study information.
Agency Coordination Conference
The Agency Coordination Conference was held May 23, 2007, with staff from TxDOT’s San Antonio District, Design Division, Environmental Division, the City of New Braunfels and the counties of Comal and Guadalupe. This meeting also included the Federal Highway Administration and other environmental, regulatory, and local agencies. There were 58 participants at the Agency Coordination Conference. The purpose of the conference was to provide for a brainstorming session to identify potential regulatory, permitting, and or environmentally sensitive issues that would need to be addressed as the study progressed.
Study Report with Appendices (Draft)
Community Work Group
The New Braunfels Outer Loop Study Community Work Group (CWG) provided an opportunity for community members to actively participate in the public involvement process for this study. CWG members provided input and feedback to identify constraints, develop alternatives, and evaluate the impacts of the various alternatives developed. The CWG gave the local community a voice in the planning process to ultimately identify a recommended corridor for the proposed New Braunfels Outer Loop. The role of this committee was to ensure that local interests were reflected in the study recommendation.
The 45 members of the CWG were a balance of representatives from both the east and west side of IH 35. The CWG members included representatives from Comal and Guadalupe Counties in the areas of farming and ranching, historical interests, economic development, multimodal interests, school districts and other representatives from communities that could benefit from the proposed outer loop such as the City of Marion, the City of Seguin and the City of Santa Clara.
Technical Work Group
The New Braunfels Outer Loop Study Technical Work Group (TWG) provided feedback on public involvement activities, reviewed citizen input, and provided direction for the public involvement efforts when necessary. The TWG also provided feedback to the study team on potential technical problems, provided input and feedback on the assessment of alternatives, and served as an agency coordinating body for projects that may affect or be affected by the New Braunfels Outer Loop Study. The role of this committee was to ensure design standards were followed and technical issues resolved. They also ensured the efforts of this study complied with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
These 33 members were identified for their technical experience and knowledge of the study area. The TWG was made up of representatives from the City of New Braunfels, the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce, the Federal Highway Administration, Comal County, and Guadalupe County.
Stakeholder Meetings
Individual stakeholder meetings were held throughout the study to gather information from individual entities and individual property owners. Eleven stakeholder meetings took place over a period of six months. Three of these eleven stakeholder meetings were with homeowner associations.
Public Meetings
TxDOT conducted two rounds of public meetings. Each round consisted of two public meetings for a total of four public meetings. In order to capture the audience within the large geographic area covered by this study, each round consisted of one public meeting east of IH 35 and one public meeting west of IH 35. More than 1,000 people participated in the two rounds of public meetings.
First Round of Public Meetings
The first round of public meetings was held in June 2007, primarily for data collection and to receive feedback on the need and purpose, initial constraints identified by the study team, and initial corridors. During this round, participants were also encouraged to identify additional corridors for inclusion in the 'Universe of Options' to be evaluated by the study team.
Comment Card
Handouts
PowerPoint Presentation
Second Round of Public Meetings
The second round of public meetings was held in October 2007. Participants had the opportunity to learn more about and comment on the study's need and purpose, identified environmental constraints, the Universe of Options, and the options remaining after the initial screening of the 'Universe of Options' .
Comment Card
PowerPoint Presentation
Open House
The open house was held in January 2008. More than 520 attendees had the opportunity to view the study's need and purpose, environmental constraints, the alternative screening process and the recommended corridor for the proposed New Braunfels Outer Loop.
Town Hall Meeting
On April 2, 2008, the City of New Braunfels and Comal County held a Town Hall Meeting at the New Braunfels Civic Center. After introductions and a presentation of the study overview by TxDOT, city and county officials answered pre-submitted questions. Then residents were allotted three minutes to speak or ask questions that had not been asked during the pre-submitted questions. Approximately 400 people attended the four-and-a-half hour meeting.
Meetings of Affected Property Owners (MAPO)
Given the nature of the study and in accordance with the TxDOT Environmental Manual, TxDOT held a total of three meetings with affected property owners (MAPOs) to present proposed modifications not presented at the public meetings or the open house. Only property owners directly impacted by the proposed modifications were invited to these meetings and the general public was welcome to attend and observe the proceedings. At the MAPOs, affected property owners were given the opportunity view maps of the modifications and provide their feedback on the alternatives.
Final New Braunfels Outer Loop Study Report
The Final New Braunfels Outer Loop Study Report is now available for download. The Final New Braunfels Outer Loop Study Report details the efforts of the study. The purpose of the study was to conduct the necessary planning and analysis needed to identify a corridor for the possible development of a New Braunfels Outer Loop.
New Braunfels Outer Loop Final Study Report
