San Antonio council approves multiple rezoning and conditional-use requests, continues several items

SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio City Council approved a slate of rezoning and conditional-use requests at a Jan. 16 zoning session and continued several agenda items to future meetings.

The council continued items 34, 35 and 36 to Feb. 6 and continued item 1 to Feb. 20 after motions from the dais. The consent agenda, which bundled numerous zoning items, passed unanimously. Council members also approved five items taken up individually after staff and neighborhood discussion and public comment.

Why it matters: Several approvals change how specific parcels may be used and include conditions intended to limit neighborhood impacts — for example, fences, restricted hours and limits on alcohol sales. The actions affect neighborhoods across council districts, and some items drew opposition from planning staff or neighborhood speakers.

Item highlights

• Item 20 (rezoning and conditional use, auto/light-truck repair at 11709 and 11785 Dunnup Road): Council member Villagran moved to approve the request with the conditions recommended by staff and the Zoning Commission. The conditions recorded in the staff report include an eight-foot solid screening fence where the property abuts single-family residential uses, a single ingress/egress point from Dunnup Road and other standard conditions. The agenda packet showed 13 mailed notices with three in favor and one opposed. The motion carried.

• Item 28 (rezoning from R4 to R4-CD with conditional use for four dwelling units at 2607 Waverly Avenue): Staff recommended denial while the Zoning Commission recommended approval; the University Park Neighborhood Association supported the proposal. After brief public comment urging denial, the council voted to approve the rezoning with conditions as moved from the dais.

• Item 30 (plan amendment for Camp Bullis ETJ Military Protection Land Use Plan, 8489 Buckskin Drive): The council approved a plan amendment changing the designation from low-density residential to neighborhood commercial after members and the applicant reported they had worked with a neighbor to resolve concerns. Planning staff had recommended denial; the Planning Commission recommended approval. The staff packet showed seven mailed notices and two in favor.

• Item 31 (rezoning at 6563 Babcock Road to permit a tattoo parlor): The council approved the rezoning with conditions read into the record. The conditions include days and hours of operation (Monday–Saturday; closed Sunday) and specified hours (noon–10 p.m.) and requirements such as keeping rear doors closed during business hours. The Tanglewood Neighborhood Association registered support with conditions.

• Item 33 (rezoning at 427 West Nakoma Street from I-1 to C-3 as amended): Council member Kurage moved to approve the rezoning as amended to prohibit alcohol sales; the motion carried. The applicant amended the request to C-3 NA to exclude alcohol sales. Notices mailed were listed as 13; one outside the 200-foot boundary registered opposition.

Public comment and neighborhood notes

Several residents addressed the council during public comment. Jack M. Finger, a frequent meeting commenter, urged the council to deny multiple alcohol-variance items and opposed higher-density infill and certain manufactured-home proposals, saying such proposals are “uncharacteristic of the single-family uses in the area.” Sarah Olivarez, a District 2 resident who identified herself as owner and cofounder of Don’s Harvest, thanked the council and staff after reporting her small business received a $20,000 grant from the Office of Sustainability’s Climate Ready Community Action Fund to support an urban farm and farm stand in the Denver Heights neighborhood. Alex Horner spoke in support of an item in the record.

Consent agenda and continuances

The council approved the consent agenda, which included many zoning items (items 2–19, 21–26, 29–38 as listed on the meeting agenda). Items 34, 35 and 36 were continued to the Feb. 6 meeting; item 1 was continued to Feb. 20.

Process and next steps

Most individual rezoning approvals were accompanied by site-specific conditions and neighborhood agreements documented in the staff reports and by the Zoning and Planning commission recommendations cited during the meeting. Where staff recommended denial but the commission recommended approval, the council majority voted to approve after applicant concessions or neighborhood agreements were noted on the record.

The meeting adjourned at approximately 2:26 p.m.; council members sang belated birthday greetings for Council member Castillo near adjournment.

(See “Votes at a glance” below for itemized outcomes.)