Can you Helotes locals tell me about your town? (San Antonio: house, buy)

[Belle5]

My DH is over there now driving around. He is looking around a place called the Hills of Sonoma Ranch. I have read about some contraversy involving illegal annexing???? What is that all about? Is there not enough police/fire protection?

What's the down-side to life in Helotes? What do you wish you would have known before moving there? What are your favorite things about Helotes? DH mentioned that he saw a Home Depot today. What other shopping is there? Grocery stores? Healthcare?

Thank you ahead of time for your response!

[doss1]

Helotes - Lubys, Home Depot, Jims (damn good breakfast), Gold's Gym, Donuts, Whataburger, one of the best movie theaters in town, an emergency medical clinic, Taco Cabana, country music dance hall, awesome bike store, O'Connor High School, POst Office, Starbucks, Sonic, tons of little shops, Pet Resort, etc. That's what I can think of at the top of my head.

Just across the street from Helotes is HEB, BARNES AND NOBLE, TARGET, LOWES, OFFICE DEPOT, etc all that good stuff.

[Drzy]

Helotes is a suburb of San Antonio. The Hills of Sonoma Ranch are (I think) off of Kyle Seale Parkway, which is an exit off 1604. Exit at the Kyle Seale exit, head outside the 1604 loop, and you'll see it on the left.

I've never heard it referred to as "illegal," but the annexing part is because that area *was* Helotes, but was annexed by San Antonio. It's a bummer for those residents because it means they now have to pay San Antonio's higher city taxes.

Living in the Helotes down Bandera Rd. (that's where the Home Depot is) and the Helotes around Kyle Seale is very different. Which area will you be at? Both are good, they're just different.

[MichelleSG]

I have lived in Sonoma Ranch since Sept of last year and we love it. Most of the neighbors here are close, we do a lot of family things together, the club house has things for every holiday. We are not part of the City of Helotes but we are serviced by their post office so our address reads Helotes. We were annexed by the City of San Antonio late last year, illegally. They are supposed to give people notice and they didn't. So we are suing the city. It may work, it may not. If you want to know more about the community we have our own website:
http://www.hausmanunited.org/ (broken link)
All of the ranch land in front of the 1604 is still owned by the Seale family and they are trying to have it rezoned so they can put in a shopping complex that looks similar to the one at Bandera (one exit southwest of the Kyle Seale exit on 1604). There are renderings of the plan on the website above. It includes HEB, Walmart, Costco, another Home Depot, Barnes and Noble, and Bassett furniture.
As far as healthcare we use Bandera Family Health, they moved into a brand new building last month just outside of the 1604, just east of Kyle Seale, you can see it from the 1604. It now has urgent care located there too. We use Helotes Pediatrics for our dd and love it. Again just about 5 minutes away from Sonoma Ranch.
It looks like a way out there place but HEB is just 8 minutes away, Costco the same distance just the other direction. La Cantera is about 3 miles away and is right in front of Fiesta Texas.

[doss1]

You see...here we go again. Why do they want to add another shopping complex? There is already all the stuff you need right there at the intersection. This is what I don't get about Helotes. If they start rezoning everything, it will just become another city..been there done that.

[MichelleSG]

It's not Helotes, like I said San Antonio incorporated Sonoma Ranch last year. Helotes didn't want it so they don't get to choose. If they wanted to have some say as to what goes in there they should have stepped up to the plate.

[Belle5]

I'm confused! So, Sonoma Ranch is not really Helotes--it's San Antonio?

[n0vemberHAWK]

http://www.hausmanunited.org/issues/kyle_seale_rezone/kyle_seale_site_plan.pdf (broken link)

They are going to decide on April 17 if the land can be rezoned to build this proposed development?

I surely hope it passes and this development gets built.

It's their land, they own it, they should be able to sell it to anyone they want and those who buy it should develop anything they want on it.

[Steel Man]

Originally Posted by MichelleSG

It's not Helotes, like I said San Antonio incorporated Sonoma Ranch last year. Helotes didn't want it so they don't get to choose. If they wanted to have some say as to what goes in there they should have stepped up to the plate.

MichelleSG,

So, if Helotes does not want your area, and your area doesn't want San Antonio, all that leaves is becoming unincorporated in Bexar County. If you succeed, do you think one of those cities will try to annex your area in the future? Also, who would provide fire protection for that area?