On Feb. 23, the Shavano Park City Council unanimously approved the creation of three additional public improvement district, or PID, funds, which will be used to handle the money for the Shavano Park 1604 Public Improvement District. 

The gist: Assistant City Manager Curtis Leeth said the new funds will each have its own role in managing the finances of the development. As part of the agreement, Bitterblue formed a new legal entity, known as PID LTD.
 
Additionally, Leeth said future property owners within the PID will pay a special assessment, which will repay the public infrastructure costs and will either service the PID bonds or reimburse the developer on a cash-flow basis from annual assessments.

Stay tuned: Development on the PID’s public infrastructure is estimated to begin in the spring.

Previously a dual-branded KFC and Taco Bell, this fast food spot in North San Antonio is planning to reopen soon.

What’s happening? The restaurant will officially reopen sometime in 2026 as a standalone Taco Bell, located at 12050 Blanco Road—near Churchill High School.

No opening timeframe has been announced by Taco Bell for the new location.

Most recently, a dual-branded KFC and Taco Bell on the Northeast side of the city closed its doors rather than reopening as a single eatery, according to official signage posted at the restaurant. It was situated at 14076 Nacogdoches Road and officially closed on Oct. 1.

On the menu: The restaurant offers specialities like the Crunchwrap Supreme, Mexican pizzas and grilled cheese burritos, according to their menu.

There are 38 total Taco Bell locations throughout the greater San Antonio area, according to the store locator.

• 12050 Blanco Road, San Antonio

A new coffee shop is set to open soon in the Alamo City, this time on the Northside.

Latest update: PJ’s Coffee is set to debut another location in North San Antonio, this time at 25219 N. Hwy 281 near the Stone Oak neighborhood.

While no opening timeframe has been announced by the business, the new location is expected to open in 2026, according to their website.

It will be the ninth overall location in the greater San Antonio area, and one of 20 cities in Texas with a PJ’s Coffee, their website states. The company was founded in 1978 by Phyllis Jordan in New Orleans.

According to previous reporting from Community Impact, another location in the Stone Oak area off of Bulverde Road opened last March.

Craving coffee? PJ’s Coffee baristas serve up a full espresso bar menu featuring iced and hot proprietary coffee, teas, refreshments and more.

• 25219 N. Hwy. 281, San Antonio

The focus of a national initiative to build climate resilience at the local level in Central Texas will focus on three specific climate hazards, the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions announced in February.

What you need to know: The Feb. 18 announcement states that the triple threat of extreme heat, wildfires and flooding in the area will be the focus of the Climate Resilient Communities Accelerator hub in the area.

This comes after months of meetings with area leaders, assessments of area disasters and other information-gathering.

What they're saying: This accelerator program will be the first through the CCES to include flooding, according to the news release.  

"Although the harmful impacts of any of these hazards alone can be very significant, the compounding impacts when they overlap can be devastating," the release states. "Extreme heat can amplify wildfire risk, and heavy rainfall immediately following wildfire can increase erosion and flooding due to soil and vegetation changes."

With a few days left to vote early in the March primaries, more Texans have turned out to the polls this year than in recent primary elections.

The gist: The increase is particularly pronounced among Democratic primary voters, state data shows, with more than twice as many Democratic votes cast by Feb. 24 than in Texas’ last gubernatorial primary.

Zooming in: Statewide, nearly 1.3 million Texans, or about 7% of the state’s 18.7 million registered voters, cast early ballots through Feb. 24, the eighth day of the 11-day early voting period. This is up from about 6% turnout at the same point in 2024 and about 4% turnout in 2022.

In interviews with Community Impact, election analysts attributed Texas’ rising primary voter turnout in part to a slate of competitive, high-profile races on each party’s primary ballot.

At the polls: Early voting in Texas’ Republican and Democratic primaries runs through Feb. 27, and primary election day is March 3. During early voting, registered voters can visit any polling location within their county of residence.