Planning commission approves rezoning for 3‑acre mixed‑use project on N. St. Mary’s Street over neighborhood objection

SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Planning Commission voted to approve a rezoning request on May 14, 2025, that reclassifies about three acres along North St. Mary’s Street to a Mixed‑Use Regional designation, a change the applicant says will allow greater housing density and flexibility for office or multifamily uses.

The applicant’s representative, Ashley Ferman of Killin Griffin & Ferman, PLLC, told the commission the site spans roughly three acres and the developer plans two phases: structured parking with residential or office space above and optional later conversion to multifamily housing. Ferman said the request would change the property’s current designations — described in the application as Mixed‑Use Employment Flexible and Mixed‑Use Urban — to Mixed‑Use Regional to align allowed uses and density with the proposed redevelopment.

The proposal covers multiple parcels on and near North St. Mary’s Street and East Park (addresses listed in the application). The city mailed 62 notices; the staff report recorded seven responses in favor within the 200‑foot notification area and none listed as opposed within 200 feet. The Tobin Hill Neighborhood Association submitted a voicemail opposing the application; four additional responses outside the 200‑foot radius were recorded in favor.

In a recorded voicemail read into the record, the Tobin Hill Neighborhood Association argued the application, as presented, would increase the number of units dramatically and said the case would need amendment or resubmittal if certain parcels were not included. The voicemail said, in part, “This case has to be amended to show the parcel is part of the project or the proposal needs to be restarted,” and raised concerns about height and scale relative to existing single‑family blocks.

Commissioners questioned project height, density and pedestrian access. Commissioner López asked for a map and perspective on height; staff and the applicant said the IDZ overlay that applies to parts of the area does not specify a maximum building height but noted airport overlays and other overlay standards influence allowable heights. Ferman described a reduction in floor count during negotiations and said the design team had lowered the proposed building height from an earlier, taller iteration. She also said the project would provide sidewalks and on‑site access across phases.

Commissioner Sánchez asked about maximum height allowances in the district and was told the IDZ overlay lacks a fixed cap, so allowable height depends on overlay and airport setback rules. Tobin Hill’s voicemail preserved neighborhood objections about a possible 100‑foot building height adjacent to single‑family homes; the voicemail writer said the association supported a lower, stepped approach that ramps from higher buildings toward smaller adjacent lots.

After discussion, a commissioner made a motion to approve the rezoning request; the motion was seconded and the commission approved the item on a roll‑call vote. Staff noted the zoning and site plan will be reviewed further by planning staff and the item will be on the planning division agenda for May 28 for additional technical review.

Separately, the commission approved a two‑week postponement on agenda item 11 to allow the applicant and neighbors additional time to continue discussions. The postponement passed on a separate roll‑call vote.

What happens next: the rezoning approval advances for planning staff review and the related zoning map amendment process; the record shows additional technical review on May 28. The developer and neighborhood representatives will continue outreach during the two‑week postponement period for the other item.