Council hears options to limit vehicle parking on lawns and define acceptable gravel/paver surfaces

City staff presented proposed amendments to the New Braunfels code on Sept. 30 aimed at reducing vehicle parking and storage on unimproved surfaces and clarifying permitted materials and construction standards.

Gary Ford, director of transportation and construction services, told council that current code language is fragmented and leaves enforcement unclear. Staff proposed a new section to prohibit outside storage of vehicles on vacant lots, require defined edge containment for gravel or paver surfaces, and set minimum construction standards and drainage criteria for residential and commercial parking surfaces.

Council members pressed staff for data on complaint volumes and whether complaints cluster by property or repeat against the same addresses; staff reported about six residential complaints per month on average over recent fiscal years and said they would return with location breakdowns and several policy options (allow with standards, require improvements, or ban). Several council members noted affordability concerns for homeowners and asked staff to provide tiered scenarios that consider older neighborhoods, rental concentrations and the effects of strict enforcement on low-income residents.

No ordinance vote was taken; staff said they would draft specific code language and bring back options with neighborhood-level complaint data and suggested enforcement approaches.