Developer asks to connect Saint Leo Commons to San Antonio water; commission asks that project seek annexation

At the Jan. 20 City Commission meeting, Matt O’Brian, owner of the Saint Leo Commons project, asked the commission for permission to connect the development to San Antonio water. Mayor John Vogel II and Water Commissioner Sasha Madden both disclosed they had held ex-parte conversations with the developer, and commissioners said annexation into the city would be the appropriate route for providing water service.

The commission did not take a formal vote on granting a connection at the meeting. Instead, members advised O’Brian to pursue annexation to bring the property into the city’s service area, a step commissioners indicated is typically required before the city provides utility service outside incorporated limits. City Attorney Gerald T. Buhr was not directed to draft a specific agreement at the meeting; the commission requested the developer explore annexation options.

During public comment period Olga Rodriguez of Michigan Avenue urged the commission to consider the long-term implications of providing water services to developers located outside the city limits, framing the issue as a planning and policy concern rather than a single project decision. No additional votes or binding directions were recorded on the connection request at the Jan. 20 meeting. The meeting adjourned at 7:08 p.m.