Cibolo planning commission recommends denying waiver to alley requirement for Neal subdivision

The Cibolo City Planning & Zoning Commission on Jan. 8 recommended denial of a developer’s request to waive the UDC requirement that lots narrower than 60 feet take vehicular access from an alley.

Staff reported the request applies to the Neal Subdivision (also referred to in materials as the Veil Track subdivision), a proposed four-phase development west of the Schmeickel Road and Santa Clara Road intersection in Cibolo’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. The plan covers about 67.589 acres and 337 lots roughly 40 feet by 120 feet.

The staff report said the applicant asked to substitute 32-foot pavement-width interior streets for the required alleys; that cross-section, the applicant wrote, would leave a 20-foot clear running lane for fire apparatus and two 6-foot parking stalls to permit parking on both sides. Staff recommended denial, saying the proposed 6-foot parking stalls do not meet the UDC minimum nine-foot parking stall width and that exemptions to Section 19.4 would undermine Ordinance 1261 (April 2019) and the UDC’s intent.

Why it matters: the alley requirement in Section 19.4 of the Unified Development Code and the city’s Design Construction Manual was added to ensure rear access for service and emergency vehicles, off-street loading and reduced on-street parking congestion. Commissioners said the question was not only fire access but predictable, safe parking and maneuvering for larger service vehicles.

Commission discussion focused on safety and parking. Commissioner Diana Weimer questioned how homeowners’ use of garages and long- and short-term on-street parking patterns could affect throughput on narrower streets, saying many households have multiple vehicles and garages are often used for storage rather than parking. Commissioner Maria Fishback and others asked staff about the International Fire Code minimum of 20 feet for fire apparatus access, pavement and maneuverability, and whether 32-foot streets with parked vehicles would give adequate clearance for commercial vehicles, refuse trucks or fire apparatus.

Staff noted the DCM requires residential alleys to have a minimum right-of-way of 24 feet and 18-foot pavement width and reiterated that the waiver criteria in Section 20.1.11 were not met because the applicant did not identify site-specific hardships that would justify deviating from the alley requirement.

Motion and outcome: Commissioner Diana Weimer moved to recommend denial of the waiver request, citing inconsistency with Ordinance 1261 (April 2019) and Section 19.4 of the UDC; Commissioner Jacqueline Garcia seconded. The commission voted in favor of the recommendation (6–0), with one commissioner absent. The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to Cibolo City Council for final action.

What remains: staff and the applicant can provide additional comparisons of existing subdivisions and street widths when the council reviews the case, and the city will consider the matter alongside its ongoing UDC review. The developer may present additional engineering or design information to city council; staff indicated the council will consider the request in coming weeks.