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Leon Valley approves Sawyer Road planned development after heated public comment and multiple variances
Summary
After more than three hours of public comment and technical review, the City Council voted to rezone roughly 6.8 acres on Sawyer Road to a Planned Development with an R-3 multifamily base, and approved multiple variances allowing greater density and four-story building envelopes.
Leon Valley City Council on April 15 approved a request to rezone about 6.8 acres along Sawyer Road from R-1 single-family to a Planned Development (PDD) with an R-3 multifamily base zoning, after extended public comment and multiple separate votes on requested variances.
The rezoning, which the Planning & Zoning Commission had recommended denying, drew a large turnout of nearby residents who raised traffic, drainage, tree preservation and safety concerns during the council’s public hearing. Council members approved the rezoning motion on a 4-1 roll call vote (Yes: Councilmembers Bradshaw, Roscoe, Martinez, Heil; No: Councilmember Campos). The developer, represented in the meeting by Mohammad (last name spelled variably in the record as Shahai/Shahidi) presented revisions to the project on the dais the afternoon of the meeting; staff said the late revisions had not been fully reviewed by engineering and fire.
Why it mattered: The application would allow a townhouse/condominium-style development with optional four-story elements and higher unit counts than allowed under current R-1 rules. Neighbors said Sawyer Road’s narrow, curving alignment and limited sight lines make higher density and reduced setbacks risky for…
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