New Braunfels, TX Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)

274-acre tract at Lots 36, 40, 41 and 42, City Block 1005, at the northeast corner of Main Plaza fronting Seguin Avenue, Main Plaza and East San Antonio Street. Development there must meet both the base C-2 zoning and these additional MP-1 standards, whichever is more restrictive. Setbacks are zero feet, and the first floor of any building must be built to the front property line along San Antonio Street, Seguin Avenue and Main Plaza, though patios, courtyards and outdoor dining areas incorporated into the building design are allowed.

Maximum height for mixed-use buildings is 75 feet, with parapets above that line exempt only if needed to screen rooftop equipment and meet the district's articulation rules; no part of any structure, including parapets, elevator housings or mechanical screens, may exceed the height of the Comal County Courthouse. Massing rules require buildings to break into smaller volumes with varied parapet heights, flat or low-pitched roofs (1/12 maximum pitch), and vertical facade articulation into 25-to-100-foot segments on street-facing walls. At least 80 percent of primary facades (excluding windows) must be clad in brick or stone, mirrored or dark-tinted glass and cinder block are prohibited, and primary exterior colors must be earth tones such as tan, ochre, cream or deep red.

Ground-floor uses are limited to retail, restaurant, bar, office, multifamily residential and hotel, with a minimum 50 percent of street-level frontage devoted to retail. The historic preservation officer reviews building permit applications for conformance; projects that do not clearly demonstrate conformance go to the historic landmark commission, with appeals running to city council and variance requests heard by the zoning board of adjustment.