A Comal County court has handed Outer Loop Utility control of a strip of easement across Davenport High School, pushing forward one stretch of a planned natural gas pipeline even as the school district warns of safety and environmental risks. The order covers roughly 980 feet of the campus utility corridor and follows the company’s deposit of a court determined appraisal, setting up a legal fight the district says it is not backing away from.
Court order and what it allows
The Comal County Court at Law No. 3 granted Outer Loop Utility LLC possession of a 980 foot easement along an existing utility corridor on Davenport High School property, according to Community Impact. The outlet reports that the decision came after the company deposited court determined compensation and that the order clears Outer Loop Utility to install pipeline infrastructure within that strip while the broader legal dispute continues.
The pipeline and who is building it
Outer Loop Utility describes its Outer Loop Utility Project as an approximately 60 mile natural gas pipeline looping through parts of Bexar, Comal and Guadalupe counties to deliver locally sourced gas to power plants and other customers, according to Outer Loop Utility. Railroad Commission filings list an Outer Loop notification for roughly 63 miles of new transmission pipe across those counties, and project materials identify Howard Energy Partners as the builder, owner and operator of the system.
District officials push back
Comal ISD has publicly opposed the condemnation action and confirmed that the matter remains in court in a July 6 press release on the litigation. The district told reporters it has raised safety and environmental concerns about routing a new pipeline across school property, and a trustee at the June 25 board meeting warned the issue deserved a lot more public attention, according to Comal ISD.
What the company says
Outer Loop Utility spokesperson Meggan Morrison told Community Impact the company deposited the court determined compensation and tried to negotiate with the district but could not land on terms that would keep the larger project on schedule. “As a public utility, we have a responsibility to develop and operate critical infrastructure that serves the broader community interest,” Morrison said, as reported by Community Impact. Municipal records show San Antonio has already approved several easements and accepted payments from the company as part of wider land use approvals for the line, and San Antonio City Council documents list ordinances authorizing pipeline easements and deposits from Outer Loop Utility for city property.
Legal implications
The fight turns on condemnation and eminent domain law. Comal ISD’s release cites the case Outer Loop Utility, LLC v. Comal Independent School District, Case No. 2026CV0262, filed in County Court at Law No. 3. Outer Loop’s public materials state that utilities may use eminent domain as a last resort and that compensation and regulatory oversight are built into that process. The district, for its part, says it will keep contesting the takeover even as the company moves ahead where it already has access.
Community reaction
Residents have been pushing back since survey crews first showed up. A Change.org petition launched by David Germann in August 2025 had 865 supporters as of press time and urges the company and regulators to reroute the line away from homes and schools. The petition and the comments stacked beneath it highlight how the project has turned into a flashpoint for neighbors and landowners along the proposed route. Change.org lists the petition and signatures.
What to watch next
Where easements are already secured, Outer Loop Utility can move into construction and right of way work. Where landowners or the district keep contesting condemnation, the project will likely slog through additional hearings and filings. Comal ISD says it cannot comment further while the case is pending, so the next real developments are expected to show up in court dockets, district notices or company filings rather than on yard signs or meeting night speeches.
