Applicant asks Board of Adjustment to waive 200-foot buffer for proposed mobile food court; hearing continued

The San Antonio Board of Adjustment continued a request to waive the Unified Development Code's 200-foot separation requirement so an applicant could operate a mobile food court on three contiguous lots at or near 1513 Dawson Street. Staff told the board the request would eliminate a separation intended to protect single-family residents from noise and light impacts.

During the staff presentation, board members were told 26 property owners within the notice area were contacted; staff received six in support and two in opposition and neighborhood associations submitted formal denials. Applicant Iskander Sakel told commissioners he had met with neighbors and said he would be willing to start with a smaller number of trucks. "I did reach out to [the neighborhood association] and we spoke several times," Sakel said, and he told the board he would "start with 4 and see how that goes." He also said he would meet with Dignowity Hills leaders to try to address concerns.

A voicemail played for the board, recorded by Valerie Cortez of the Dignowity Hills Historic Neighborhood Review Committee, urged denial of the request to remove the 200-foot barrier. "We agree with staff's recommendation for denial of the elimination of the 200-foot separation," Cortez said, listing concerns about traffic, dumpsters, porta-potty maintenance and the possibility that a successful food court could spill parking onto residential streets.

Commissioners pressed the applicant on operational details including hours (Sakel said midweek service would be about 11 a.m. to about 10 p.m., with weekend nights possibly later), whether alcohol would be sold (Sakel said no), trash and restroom plans, and whether a condition limiting the number of food trucks could be imposed (staff told the board the board could not impose a binding condition limiting the number of trucks). Several commissioners noted that, as-is, the applicant could achieve up to six food trucks by treating parcels as separate lots, or up to 30 if the lots were replatted and county rules allowed more trucks per lot.

Given the unresolved details and repeated requests from the neighborhood association for more information and assurances, the applicant asked for time to meet with neighborhood leaders and provide additional materials. The board voted to continue the case to the Jan. 26 meeting so the applicant can follow up with neighbors and supply more detail for the board to consider.

Next steps: the applicant is expected to meet with Dignowity Hills representatives and return with more specific plans, after which the board will rehear the item on Jan. 26.

Reporting notes: quotes and attributions are taken from the meeting transcript and the recorded voicemail; the board record shows the motion to continue was made and passed during the meeting.