San Antonio Zoning Commission Meeting – July 1, 2025
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San Antonio Zoning Commission Meeting – July 1, 2025
The San Antonio Zoning Commission met on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, at 1:05 PM, chaired by Commissioner John Bustamante. The commission considered consent agenda items, postponed cases, a continuance request, and four individual zoning cases. Staff presentations, public testimony, and commissioner deliberations led to votes on each item, with recommendations forwarded to City Council.
Consent Calendar
- Items 5, 10, 11, 12, 13 were approved unanimously by voice vote (11–0). No public comment was offered. Item 5: rezoning of 5959 San Pedro Avenue from R‑4 to L. Item 10: rezoning and major site plan amendment at 20280 Carrie Louis Street. Item 11: rezoning of 17830 Judson Road to I‑1. Item 12: rezoning of 1324 and 1702 South Florida Street to various industrial districts. Item 13: rezoning of 951 Avant Avenue to R‑4 CD with a conditional use for three dwelling units.
Postponed & Continued Items
- Items 1 and 2 (West Evergreen and Young Road) were postponed; new public hearing notices will be mailed.
- Item 3 was continued to the July 15, 2025 meeting without opposition (motion by Commissioner Watson, second by Commissioner Barros; vote 11–0).
Discussion Items
Item 4 – Assisted Living Facility (146–18 Santa Gertrudis Street)
- Request: Rezone from R‑6 to R‑6 CD for an assisted living facility with up to 16 residents.
- Staff recommendation: Approval; noted large lot sizes and existing permitted use (up to 6 residents).
- Public testimony: Applicant Mario San Roman reported gathering three support signatures and addressing concerns about noise/traffic. Opponent Kevin Clark argued the facility would depress property values and is inappropriate for a quiet residential neighborhood. Four voicemails were played opposing the facility due to noise, ambulance traffic, and impact on children.
- Commissioner discussion: Questions about current rights (6 residents allowed), applicant's willingness to buy the neighbor's house, and the nature of the use.
- Outcome: Motion to approve by Commissioner Witsett, second by Commissioner Barros; vote 11–0. Case forwarded to City Council.
Item 6 – Oversized Vehicle Storage (8802 Troy Drive)
- Request: Rezone from R‑4 to C‑2 CD with a conditional use for oversized vehicle storage.
- Staff recommendation: Denial – finds likely adverse impacts, commercial encroachment, and inconsistency with surrounding residential pattern.
- Applicant testimony: Daniel Pitalua stated he bought the lot for storing two tractors (bobcat/excavator) for landscaping use, and that the lot is at the end of a residential street with only one adjacent neighbor.
- Commissioner questions: Confirmed the lot is in a 100‑year floodplain, C‑2 is the lowest zoning allowing the use, and that any new construction would be reviewed for floodplain compliance.
- Public comment: None.
- Outcome: Motion to deny by Commissioner Inojosa, second by Commissioner Kellum; vote 11–0. Case may be taken to City Council within six months.
Item 7 – Duplex Conversion (1511 Burnett Street)
- Request: Rezone from R‑4 to RM‑4 to convert an existing structure into a duplex.
- Staff recommendation: No adverse impacts; property is near a premium transit corridor and consistent with housing goals.
- Applicant testimony: Alex Cruz plans to rehabilitate the existing building and add a shared‑wall unit; he will hold the property as rentals. He cited safety issues with the currently vacant property.
- Community engagement concerns: Commissioner Watson noted the neighborhood association reported a missed meeting and lack of block‑walking; applicant acknowledged no outreach beyond email.
- Neighborhood association: Opposed (Harvard‑Place East Lawn Neighborhood Association).
- Outcome: Motion to continue for two weeks (to July 15) by Commissioner Watson, second by Commissioner Witsett; vote 11–0. Commissioner Watson urged the applicant to attend the August neighborhood association meeting and document outreach.
Item 8 – Two Dwelling Units (1602 Lone Oak Avenue)
- Request: Rezone from R‑4 to R‑4 CD with a conditional use for two dwelling units on a corner lot.
- Staff recommendation: Approval – no adverse impacts, consistent with adjacent R‑4, and supports alternative housing types.
- Applicant testimony: Property manager Bonnie Davis Biggs explained the property was purchased as a two‑unit rental; a compliance issue arose when the front unit was re‑rented. Both units are currently occupied with 12‑month leases. She had not conducted block‑walking.
- Public comment: None.
- Neighborhood association: Opposed (Artisha Guild Neighborhood Association).
- Outcome: Motion to approve by Commissioner Watson, second by Commissioner Kellum; vote 11–0. Case forwarded to City Council; commissioner advised applicant to engage with neighbors and the council office.
Item 9 – Oversized Vehicle Service & Storage (422 Heartline Drive)
- Request: Rezone from R‑5 residential and C‑3NA commercial to C‑2NA CD with a conditional use for oversized vehicle service and storage.
- Staff recommendation: Denial – inconsistent with airport vicinity land use plan and located on a local street in a residential area.
- Applicant testimony: Aldo Uribe and his father (30‑year property owners) stated the current tenant is a mechanic working on oversized vehicles; a temporary construction company (city‑hired for the Zarzamora project) caused the complaints but is leaving in two months. They secured 8 support signatures from neighbors and built a large fence/buffer.
- Public comment: None.
- Commissioner discussion: Questions about duration of use (one year for current tenant) and access from Northgate (none).
- Outcome: Motion to approve by Commissioner Watson, second by Commissioner Reyes; vote 11–0. Case forwarded to City Council; commissioner stressed documenting community support and the construction company’s departure timeline.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar (Items 5,10,11,12,13): Approved unanimously.
- Item 3: Continued to July 15, 2025.
- Item 4: Approved (11–0).
- Item 6: Denied (11–0).
- Item 7: Continued two weeks (11–0).
- Item 8: Approved (11–0).
- Item 9: Approved (11–0).
- Minutes of June 17, 2025 meeting: Approved unanimously.
- All approved items will be forwarded to City Council; applicants have six months to take their cases to Council.
- Meeting adjourned at 2:19 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Camera on. All right. Ladies and gentlemen, the time is 104. Uh good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. If we could please have our Spanish language interpretation services statement. Good afternoon. Buenas tardes. Las personas que requieren escuchar esta junta in espanhol, por favor passen a la cabina de atrás al lado derecho para que les proporcionamos un dispositivo de interpretación. Muchas gracias. Thank you so much. Thank you. All right. My name is John Bustamante, and I am the chair of the zoning commission of the City of San Antonio as well as the District 5 zoning commissioner. I hereby call this regularly noticed meeting of the City of San Antonio Zo uh City of San Antonio Zoning Commission in this session. The time is 105. Um if we could please do roll call by having the zoning commissioners introduce themselves, starting with the commissioners on my far left. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Marco Barrosa District 9. Rob Sipes, District 7. Daniel Kellum, District 1. My turn. Uh John Witsit, District 10. Taylor Watson, District 2. George Inojosa, District 3. Eddie Reyes, District 4. Kinhoet, District 6. And Commissioner Chase. All right. Staff, do we have a quorum? Yes, the quorum is present. Very good. All right. Would everyone please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Prior to beginning our hearing, I would like staff to please review the meeting format for the benefit of those in the audience. If you would, staff. Before I begin, please turn your phones on vibrate or turn them off. The zoning commission is an 11-member body appointed by the city council to make recommendations on zoning cases. Upon receiving a recommendation from the commission, you will have six months from the date of the commission's recommendation to forward your case to City Council. If you have any questions regarding this procedure, please contact your case manager. Staff will begin each case with a short presentation of the request. Part of the presentation includes a map that shows the area to be considered for rezoning and property within 200 feet of the subject property. Check marks indicate those property owners in favor of the request, and an X indicates those property owners in opposition. Following this presentation and any questions by the Commission, the applicant will present their request. For those who have signed up to speak for or against the proposed rezoning, you will be called in the order that you have signed up to speak. Those in support and opposition will be a m allowed a maximum of three minutes per speaker, and you are not obligated to utilize the maximum time limitation. You will be informed that the three minutes are up. For those that would like to give their time to a speaker, that speaker will be allowed a maximum of two people giving their time for a total of nine minutes. Those giving up their time must be present and signed in to speak and must announce when that there's when that speaker is going up to the podium that they are yielding their time. The applicant then will be given an opportunity for rebuttal limited to one speaker with a three-minute time limit, along with an opportunity to address Commissioner questions.
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