New Braunfels City Council approved the first reading of a zoning change for nearly 6 acres at the intersection of Gruene Road and Hanz Drive during a regular meeting Jan. 12.

The approval of the first reading was the next step for a proposed boutique hotel and the reopening of Tavern in the Gruene.

The overview: The request, submitted by Killen, Griffin & Farrimond PLLC on behalf of property owner Brandy Worley, seeks to rezone approximately 5.97 acres within the Billy and Ed Miles Subdivision located at 830, 832 and 870 Gruene Road. The proposed rezoning would change the lot from a combination of neighborhood commercial and multifamily districts, with a special use permit for short-term rentals, to a resort commercial district, according to agenda documents.

What's next: Council ultimately approved the rezoning request, allowing the proposal to move forward to the next phases of development review, with the second and final reading expected to be held Jan. 26, Mims said in an interview with Community Impact.

Comal County property owners have until early February to pay their 2025 property tax bills without incurring penalties or interest, according to a Jan. 12 news release from the Comal County Tax Office.

The details: The deadline to pay property taxes is Jan. 31, but because the date falls on a weekend, payments received by the next business day—Monday, Feb. 2—will be accepted without penalty or interest. Payments received after Feb. 2 will be considered delinquent and will begin accruing penalties and interest, the release states.

Property owners with pending exemption applications are still required to pay taxes at the currently billed amount before Feb. 1. If an exemption is later approved by the Comal Appraisal District, the tax office may issue a refund, the release states.

For added convenience, 24/7 drop boxes are available at four county locations in Bulverde, New Braunfels, Sattler and Garden Ridge.

Kinder Haus Pediatrics opened a third overall location within the Cibolo Medical Office building Jan. 12.

The details: The pediatric office is owned by local veteran Amy Garcia.

Kinder Haus Pediatrics offers same-day sick appointments for children, vision screenings and hearing screenings. The pediatric office also offers treatment and management services for asthma, ADHD and minor injuries, according to its website.

Kinder Haus Pediatrics has two other locations in Schertz and New Braunfels.

• 580 Cibolo Valley Drive, Ste. 221, Cibolo

Year over year, the number of homes sold increased in the 78148 and 78154 ZIP code in December according to the most recent data compiled by the San Antonio Board of Realtors.

Some details: The average prices of homes listed for sale in the Northeast San Antonio Metro area over the past six months were between $267,300-$387,700, according to the data.

In December, the majority of homes sold in the Northeast San Antonio Metrocom were in the $200,000-$399,999 price range. Homes spent significantly less time on the market in the 78148 ZIP code in December 2025 compared to December 2024, according to the data.

From the opening of new stores in Selma to the closing of a New Braunfels gift shop, check out these top stories for the week of Jan. 12-16.

• 2 retailers coming soon to The Forum at Olympia Parkway in Selma: Sierra and HomeGoods have plans to open in Selma this year.
• New coffee and taco spot set to open in New Braunfels: Lulu's Coffee y Tacos is anticipated to open this spring.
• New Braunfels City Council moves rezoning request forward for proposed boutique hotel near Gruene: New Braunfels City Council approved the first reading of a zoning change for nearly 6 acres.
• Boerne ISD hosts drone demonstration to respond to campus intruders: Boerne ISD is exploring improvements to school security and hosted a live demonstration Jan. 9 of a drone system.
• Local gift shop set to close soon near downtown New Braunfels: A locally owned antique and gift shop is shutting down after being open in New Braunfels for over 10 years.

Five Republican candidates are running for a six-year term on the Texas Railroad Commission in the upcoming March 3 primary election.

The big picture: Katherine Culbert, Hawk Dunlap, Bo French, James "Jim" Matlock and Jim Wright are vying for the Republican nomination for a seat on the railroad commission. The winning Republican candidate will face Jon Rosenthal in November, and the winner of that election will begin serving on the commission in January 2027.

Rosenthal, a state representative and oilfield mechanical engineer, is running uncontested in the Democratic primary. Community Impact runs candidate Q&As for contested races only.

The context: The railroad commission regulates Texas’ oil and gas industry, according to its website, while the state's railroads are under the control of the Texas Department of Transportation and the federal government.