Zoning Commission approves Endeavors warehouse at De Zavala Road with buffer, hours and lighting conditions

The San Antonio Zoning Commission voted to recommend approval of a rezoning request to convert 6131 De Zavala Road from R6 (single-family residential) to C2 (commercial) with a conditional overlay for a warehouse use. The applicant, Endeavors, said the proposed facility would consolidate equipment currently stored in multiple locations and be used mainly to support emergency response work.

Planner Édone Gómez (staff) summarized the proposal and the recommended conditions from staff: vehicular access limited to De Zavala, a required buffer between the warehouse and adjacent residences, hours of operation limited to 8 a.m.–6 p.m. for routine activity, and reduced night-time lighting specifications to limit glare into residential yards. Commissioners heard one nearby resident ask that any new boundary fences match existing neighborhood fence heights and styles; neighbors said a consistent design and access for basic services was important.

Elizabeth Higgins (representing Endeavors) said the nonprofit has operated in San Antonio for decades and that the proposed use would primarily be storage for equipment used in disasters and emergencies; the site would not function as a high-intensity industrial yard in normal operations. A nearby resident asked that any eight-foot fence be optional and consistent with the neighborhood; staff clarified the code requires a minimum six-foot fence where commercial property abuts residential property but that an eight-foot fence must be specified in the ordinance language for the city to enforce it.

Commissioner González made the motion to approve the rezoning with the conditions described in the staff report; Commissioner Barros seconded. Commissioners voted in favor on a unanimous roll call. The staff report and recommended conditions will accompany the item to City Council for final action.

Clarifying details recorded during the hearing: the property is five acres (applicant said the site came from a church sale), neighbors requested a consistent fence design and limited hours; staff proposed conditions including vehicular access only from De Zavala, a 25-foot isolation/buffer along certain property lines, hours of operation limited to 8 a.m.–6 p.m. (with allowances for emergency response outside those hours), and reduced lighting to limit spillover into adjacent residential properties. The commission’s approval incorporated the recommended conditions but did not require an eight-foot fence by ordinance language unless explicitly written into the adopted conditions at council.

Why it matters: The vote allows Endeavors to consolidate storage and emergency-response equipment close to neighborhoods it serves while the conditions aim to reduce lighting, noise and traffic impacts on adjacent residential properties. Final zoning and any enforceable conditions will be adopted (or modified) by City Council.