The final plat of the Boerne Buc-ee’s has been approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission, marking a major milestone in the project's progress.

What’s happening? The preliminary plat for the project was approved in 2020, and the 2016 development agreement between the city and Buc-ee’s was updated in October.

Planning Director Nathan Crane said the development agreement is in the final steps of being updated, but nothing within the agreement has significantly changed since the October approval. Crane said the agreement is scheduled to be considered by City Council later in January.

Public input: Resident Dana Mathis spoke against the approval of the plat, citing the reason as unclear communication from the city regarding property ownership, the progress of the development agreement update, the publication of the transportation impact analysis and other factors.

“If we are going to do this project, let's do it well and let's do it right,” he said.

This volunteer fire department serving much of Kendall County is recognizing a big milestone in serving local residents.

What’s happening: The Sisterdale Volunteer Fire Department, or SVFD, is celebrating its 50th anniversary protecting the Hill Country with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Jan. 21, according to the Boerne Chamber of Commerce.

The event will take place at the SVFD headquarters, located at 1207 Sisterdale Road, approximately 13 miles north of Boerne.

The local impact: First established on April 20, 1975, SVFD covers approximately 150 square miles of land in Kendall County, according to its website.

Check out this map to learn more about where other volunteer fire departments work throughout Kendall County.

Additionally, the department’s fire apparatus fleet consists of nine vehicles, ranging from brush and rescue trucks to classic fire engines.

• 1207 Sisterdale Road, Boerne

In a move to take the Sports and Entertainment District from a vision to a reality, the San Antonio City Council voted unanimously on Jan. 15 to authorize the city manager to execute a $30 million private acquisition and escrow agreement between the city, the San Antonio Spurs Holdings, LLC and Chicago Title, who will act as the escrow agent for the federal government.

In a nutshell: According to city documents, the city is making an offer to purchase three properties owned by the federal government, including the final federal office building within Hemisfair Park and two parking lots across Cesar Chavez Boulevard. Prior to authorizing the acquisition, the city contracted Valbridge to appraise the properties to determine fair market value, resulting in an appraised value of $29.95 million for all three properties.

Stay tuned: The federal government is estimated to make a decision on the city’s offer within 90-120 days.

Some Texas film industry leaders say the state is on its way to becoming the third “media coast,” joining Los Angeles and New York as film production hubs. A recent increase in state funding is helping buoy that growth, said Chase Musslewhite, co-founder of Media for Texas, an Austin-based nonprofit that advocates for the advancement of the state’s film industry.

The details: Through 2035, $1.5 billion in state incentives will be available for movies, television shows, documentaries and related projects created in Texas.

To be eligible for the program funding under Senate Bill 22, at least 35% of a production’s cast and crew must live in Texas and at least 60% of the work must be done in-state, according to the Texas Film Commission. Grant reimbursements start at 5% and go up to 31%, depending on how much a production spends and other aspects of the project.

The local impact: After SB 22 became law Sept. 1, some local governments across Texas—including Austin, San Antonio and Houston—expanded or launched their own film incentive programs.