A century-and-a-half-old family ranch in northern San Antonio became the focus of a major conservation effort in June 2016, when the Classen-Steubing family agreed to sell 204 acres of largely undeveloped land to the city for a future park and protection of the Edwards Aquifer.
The proposal, reported by Texas Public Radio and the San Antonio Express-News, offered an alternative to a residential development that could have brought as many as 3,500 homes and apartments to the site. The planned acquisition covered part of the historic Classen-Steubing Ranch in the Stone Oak area, one of the remaining large undeveloped tracts on San Antonio’s North Side. City officials viewed the deal as an opportunity to preserve open space while safeguarding an important source of drinking water.
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A family decision shaped by conservation
The ranch had been in the Classen-Steubing family since 1858. As development expanded across northern San Antonio, the future of the property became a question of whether to retain its natural character or allow housing to transform the landscape.The family ultimately supported a plan that balanced preservation with limited recreational development. Rather than permitting the entire tract to be built over, the agreement would place most of the land under public ownership and protect it from conventional residential construction.
San Antonio officials said the proposed purchase would prevent thousands of potential housing units from being built on the property. The decision also offered a way to preserve the landscape for future generations as residential growth put increasing pressure on open land in the region.
Protecting the Edwards Aquifer
A central reason for the acquisition was the property’s location over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone. Rainwater entering this area can replenish the underground water system, which supplies drinking water to San Antonio and surrounding communities.Conserving land above the recharge zone helps limit the effects of development, including the construction of roads, roofs and other surfaces that can reduce the amount of rainfall entering the ground. The city’s conservation strategy therefore extended beyond creating a public park.Officials considered the purchase an investment in water protection, with the undeveloped portion of the ranch offering an opportunity to retain natural ground cover in a rapidly urbanising area.
The proposal also received support from local conservation advocates, who viewed the property as particularly valuable because of its recharge potential.
A two-stage plan for a 204-acre park
The city structured the proposed acquisition in two parts, separating the land intended primarily for conservation from the portion planned for active recreation. Under the arrangement presented to the City Council, San Antonio would purchase approximately 165 acres for about $6.35 million, plus closing costs.
Funding would largely come from a voter-approved Edwards Aquifer protection programme, alongside redirected municipal funds.The remaining 39 acres would be covered by an option to purchase for approximately $3.79 million, with the possibility of using funding from the city’s 2017 bond programme. The overall acquisition was expected to cost close to $10 million. While the larger section would remain predominantly natural open space, the smaller recreational area could accommodate sports fields, walking and cycling trails, and other park facilities.
City Council approves the initial purchase
On June 16, 2016, San Antonio’s City Council approved the initial 165-acre acquisition and the option covering the additional 39 acres. The arrangement also included provisions for a conservation easement and related infrastructure improvements.The phased approach allowed the city to begin protecting the most environmentally sensitive land while leaving the remaining purchase subject to a separate funding decision. The deal illustrated how local governments can use land acquisition to address several pressures at once: preserving a historic landscape, expanding public recreational space and protecting a vital water source as cities grow.