A city built next to the base
Universal City grew up alongside Randolph, and its housing grew with the base. In 1929, three San Antonio physicians bought farmland next to the planned airfield, and developer Aubrey Milner named the town Universal City in 1931. Randolph Field opened that October. The big change came in 1957, when Air Training Command headquarters moved to Randolph and brought more officers and enlisted personnel than base housing could hold. The city incorporated in March 1960 with about 1,800 residents and had grown to 19,808 by 2021. It covers 5.7 square miles, bordered by Converse, Live Oak, Selma and Schertz.
City wells and Stage 3
Universal City pumps its own water, so its drought plan sets the rules here, not SAWS. The city draws mainly from the Edwards Aquifer through five wells, plus a share of Carrizo-Wilcox water from the Schertz-Seguin Local Government Corporation when it needs it. It has been in Stage 3 since June 25, 2024. Stage 3 holds while the J-17 index well stays below 640 feet, and it ends only after the well holds 640 feet for 15 days in a row.
Under Stage 3, sprinklers get one day a week, in a three-hour morning window and a three-hour evening window. That isn’t much water for a full lawn in August. A turfed backyard needs none of it.
Sport courts and play areas
A flat backyard can become a court or training area without pouring a slab. Our project photo for this page shows a turf court with white lines, and the same approach works for:
- Agility and speed lanes marked with yard lines.
- Small-sided soccer or a youth practice grid.
- Putting and chipping in one corner of a larger lawn.
For courts we usually suggest Tropical Flow 62, a W-blade made for sunny yards with moderate to heavy traffic.
How a project runs
We start at your home: measure, check drainage, and talk through how you’ll use the space. You get a written quote with the turf, base, edging and line work listed separately. On install day the crew removes the old grass, builds and compacts the base, then lays, seams and infills the turf.
