Schertz council denies rezoning request near I‑10, citing sewer limits and land‑use plan

The Schertz City Council on May 6 denied a request to rezone roughly 3.5 acres near Interstate 10 and Trainer Hill Road from predevelopment to General Business District 2 (GB2), citing a conflict with the city’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan and concerns about sewer infrastructure.

City planner Daisy Marquez explained the staff recommendation at the public hearing, saying the property falls inside the plan’s “regional corridor” designation and that “staff recommends denial of the proposed zone change due to the allowed industrial uses within General Business District 2 not being compatible with the regional corridor land use designation of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan.”

The applicant, Jeff Saeed, owner of Bucks LLC, told the council that the tract is effectively unbuildable without sewer. “The thing that the city is not mentioning in this presentation is that there is no sewer available to the property,” Saeed said, adding that constructing a sewer extension would be costly and that on‑site septic would require so much area it would consume much of the site: “For a site that is 3 and a half acres to bring sewer at a cost of $4,000,000 basically makes no sense,” he said, and he told council a septic field could require about 1.7 acres.

Staff and the Planning & Zoning Commission identified competing priorities. Marquez noted that GB2 allows a range of industrial and commercial uses that are inconsistent with the regional corridor vision for retail, entertainment and other commercial development. The Planning & Zoning Commission held a public hearing April 2 and recommended denial by a 6‑1 vote, with the commission chairman voting no.

Council members debated whether to prioritize the short‑term reality of a vacant, sewer‑limited parcel or the long‑term land‑use vision. Mayor Pro Tem Hayward said council must consider the city’s future when voting: “When I look to the future, I have to agree with council member Macaluso that this doesn't get us where we are, and it's a regional corridor.” Council member Macaluso noted the applicant could return with a planned development (PDD) showing a specific proposal that might address council concerns.

Council member Macaluso moved to deny Ordinance 25S019; the motion was seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Hayward. The council recorded a 5‑1 vote to deny the rezoning request. The vote tally was announced as five ayes and one objection; vote-by‑name was not read into the record.

The applicant and staff repeatedly referenced the site’s annexation history and the city’s Unified Development Code review standards (UDC section 21‑5‑4(d)) during the hearing. Marquez said notices were sent to adjacent property owners and that the city’s fire department had expressed concern about allowing industrial uses in that area.

The council’s formal denial preserves the Comprehensive Land Use Plan’s regional corridor designation for the corridor along Trainer Hill Road and IH‑10. Council members said the owner may return with a more detailed PDD or an alternate zoning request that limits uses the council finds incompatible with the corridor vision.

What happens next will depend on whether the property owner pursues an alternative zoning approach, seeks sewer service or proposes a specific development that addresses council and staff concerns.