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Planning committee approves realignment of proposed Nelson/McDonald’s arterial, requires more outreach and studies
Summary
The San Antonio planning advisory committee approved an amendment to place a proposed Major Thoroughfare alignment north of the Union Pacific rail line, while directing Transportation staff to continue outreach to adjacent property owners and to complete additional technical studies before construction.
The Planning Advisory Committee on Nov. 5 approved an amendment to the city’s Major Thoroughfare Plan to move a proposed arterial near Nelson Road (the McDonald’s/Lacoste area) to the north side of the Union Pacific tracks and required Transportation staff to increase outreach to adjacent property owners and complete outstanding technical work.
Staff planner Icey Libes presented the amendment and said the measure is intended to improve east–west regional connectivity while avoiding new vehicle–rail conflicts. "Nuestra recomendación inicial fue quitarlo del principal plan," Libes told the committee, explaining staff’s review of alignment alternatives and the city’s preference to avoid at‑grade railroad crossings.
An engineering presenter warned of significant physical constraints on the site, including steep topography, ponding and a broad 100‑year floodplain that overlaps the corridor. The presenter summarized the technical challenges bluntly: "Creo que hay demasiadas dificultades acá para poder construir esto," and said any new alignment likely would require grade separation or very large bridges and further geotechnical and flood studies.
During public comment, resident Allen Janica, who lives on Nelson Road, urged caution and criticized the plan as unworkable. "Este plan aquí es un mal diseño," Janica said, citing drainage, the potential need to rebuild an existing rail bridge, and increased truck traffic as immediate concerns.
Committee members pressed staff on who would pay for major infrastructure, how long construction might take and whether the draft digital maps faithfully reflect on‑the‑ground conditions. Staff said they had mailed roughly 80 notices to adjacent property owners and held a recent public information meeting with six attendees (five property owners), and they committed to additional outreach.
After questions and discussion, a motion to approve the amendment as notified — to place the thoroughfare on the north side of the tracks and to require continued Transportation Department engagement with adjacent owners — was moved, seconded and carried by the committee. The committee’s action sends the amendment forward to the planning commission and later a city council public hearing.
The committee also recorded that the 1978 paper map historically underpins the thoroughfare network and that TxDOT and Union Pacific have been involved in prior conversations; staff said the digital conversion of older maps produced alignment discrepancies that require field verification. Staff said further technical studies (floodplain modeling, drainage and engineering alignment work) remain necessary before any design or construction could proceed.
Next steps: the amendment will go to the planning commission on Nov. 19 and later to a city council public hearing, with staff continuing owner outreach and preparing additional technical analyses.
