BEXAR COUNTY — The Southern Edwards Plateau Habitat Conservation Plan Coordinating Committee approved an additional 134.5 acres for development at the Guajolote Ranch project in Bexar County, Texas.

The approval adds to a previously approved 229.7 acres. Lennar Homes is the developer. The project proposes 3,000 homes and a wastewater treatment plant. The company does not currently hold approval to begin residential construction.

Land clearing is underway approximately 1.5 miles north of Grey Forest. A storm between June 13 and June 15 produced over four inches of precipitation. Recent rainfall caused water levels in Helotes Creek to rise and become turbid.

The Scenic Loop-Helotes Creek Alliance reported local creeks turned a pale color and emitted an unusual odor. The alliance submitted incident reports to multiple agencies. A Bexar County clearing permit issued to Lennar Corporation waived best management practices requirements.

Randy Neumann, Chair of the alliance steering committee, requested a delay. Neumann said, "You’re now aware of ... issues that warrant pause and require additional scrutiny of this application and of the prior one." Grey Forest Councilman Michael Phillips received calls from constituents.

Phillips said, "If they can put their wastewater permit in there, that’s going to be chemicals, it’s going to be runoff, it’s going to be PFAS. It’d be these things that the wastewater treatment plant cannot treat. The insulin, the illicit drugs, the over-the-counter drugs, that’s going into our wells here." The City of Grey Forest has not hired an engineering firm to study potential environmental impacts due to budget constraints.

The Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance is leading ongoing legal proceedings.