Schertz relaxes pool and paver rules for homeowners
Schertz has changed its lot coverage rules so pools no longer count against impervious coverage, and decorative pavers are allowed in landscaping areas.
SCHERTZ — Schertz homeowners just got two meaningful rule changes on lot coverage.
City council voted March 3 to approve Ordinance 26-S-008, which removes swimming pool water surface area from a property's impervious coverage calculation and allows decorative pavers in residential landscaping areas without counting them toward that limit.
The practical effect is straightforward. Pool owners no longer need to deal with overflow-device requirements that had been tied to the old coverage calculation. Homeowners who want pavers in patios, walkways or landscaped areas now have more flexibility too.
There is still one major limit: pavers are not allowed for vehicular travel under the version council approved. That means no paver driveways, at least for now.
Senior Planner Daisy Marquez said the changes grew out of a September 2024 council workshop. The Planning and Zoning Commission later recommended a different version that would have allowed driveway pavers with a cap on how much paver area could be excluded. Council chose staff's version instead.
Marquez used a standard 70-by-120-foot lot as an example during the meeting. Under that scenario, a typical home and driveway already use most of the allowable impervious coverage, leaving homeowners with limited room for additional features unless the code changes.
The driveway issue drew its own debate. Planning and Zoning Commissioner Glenn Outlaw told council he had tried to replace his own damaged driveway with pavers and ran into a code barrier requiring concrete or asphalt.
Several council members said they want staff to come back later with more research on whether paver driveways should be allowed under a separate ordinance.
For now, Schertz homeowners get more room for pools and decorative landscaping, but the driveway fight is still ahead.
