Board of Adjustment rejects request for additional short-term rental at 8231 Titan Belt

The San Antonio Board of Adjustment voted 7–4 to deny a special exception that would have allowed an additional Type 2 short‑term rental at 8231 Titan Belt in Council District 4.

Staff presented the case as BOA‑25‑10300068, saying the Unified Development Code (section 30‑5‑374.01) limits Type 2 short‑term rentals to no more than 12.5% of single‑family units on a block face. Planner Joseph Leos told the board the block face (from 8203 to 8239 Titan Belt) contains 10 qualifying units and currently has one active Type 2 permit at 8211; approving the application would raise the density to 20%, exceeding the code limit. Leos also reported a code investigation opened on Jan. 7, 2025, for operating without a permit and that the unit remained listed online as of the morning of the hearing, with a minimum‑stay setting of 30 days.

Applicant Veronica Valerio said she and her husband purchased the home late last year after military retirement and began advertising in August 2024 to serve families visiting the nearby training base. Valerio said she applied for a permit when notified and suspended active bookings; she told the board she had not been contacted by the Solana Ridge homeowners association before the city notice and that the property has had no neighbor complaints. "We obtained the property shortly after we retired… we found what better way to cater to the families of the basic military trainee," Valerio said.

Board members discussed the density cap, unpaid hotel occupancy tax (staff said the active unit at 8211 had reported hotel occupancy taxes but was missing March), and whether homeowners associations could bar STRs. City Attorney Joseph Varney advised the board the HOA enforcement is a private matter and not before the Board of Adjustment.

Commissioner Iris Benavides moved to grant the special exception and Commissioner Manner seconded. The motion failed on roll call, 7 no to 4 yes. Yes votes: Commissioners Benavides, Vasquez, Bonillas and Chair Ozuna. No votes: Commissioners Manner, Barrington, Stevens, Ybanez, Dean, Cruz and Orian. Chair Ozuna told the applicant to consult staff about options and compliance steps following the vote.

Why it matters: The decision enforces the city’s block‑face density limit for Type 2 rentals, a recurring policy tool San Antonio uses to limit clustering of short‑term rentals in residential neighborhoods. For this block face, denial preserves the code cap established by City Council and staff.

Next steps: The applicant may work with Development Services staff on permitting compliance and any outstanding tax reporting; the board noted the city can revoke a permit if tax compliance is not met.