Lennar Homes has withdrawn its application for a wastewater treatment facility permit that was essential for its planned Comfort 590 residential development near San Antonio. The Miami-based company’s decision to pull the application from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality removes a critical infrastructure component for the project in Comfort, an unincorporated area in Kendall County about 45 miles northwest of downtown San Antonio.
The Comfort 590 project called for around 1,100 homes on approximately 600 acres along Highway 87, with entitlements that could allow up to 1,300 additional units. Due to the absence of centralized sewer service in the area, the development depended on a standalone wastewater system capable of handling up to 600,000 gallons per day.
Lennar formally withdrew its permit request on December 22 and declined to comment on whether it will continue pursuing the development.
Local residents and members of Comfort Neighbors, a group formed to oppose the project, have been vocal about their concerns regarding water supply, wastewater management, and pressure on local infrastructure. They argue that such a large-scale development would negatively affect air and water quality and alter the rural character of Comfort. Over the past year, Comfort Neighbors organized town halls, community meetings, and a rally to protest the plan.
“This is a major win after more than a year of organizing against what we described as an outsized, high-density development for our town,” said representatives from Comfort Neighbors.
Lennar has faced similar challenges with other developments in the region. In Comal County north of San Antonio, another Lennar proposal—Broken Cedar Ranch—seeks approval for an identical-sized wastewater permit to support an 850-home project discharging treated water into Canyon Lake. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has scheduled a public meeting regarding this application for February 10 at Canyon Lake High School.
A separate Lennar project called Guajolote Ranch received permission to discharge up to one million gallons daily into Helotes Creek despite opposition from local groups. Helotes Creek is part of the Edwards Aquifer system, which supplies drinking water to over 2.5 million people across 13 counties according to information from the Edwards Aquifer Authority (https://www.edwardsaquifer.org/).