0:03 Let's call the Wednesday, June 24th, 2026 Planning Commission meeting to order.
0:07 Would staff please do a roll call?
0:09 Commissioner Dezucke.
0:14 Commissioner Cooper?
0:17 Commissioner Wallerstead?
0:19 Commissioner Bustamante.
0:22 Commissioner Siegel.
0:24 Commissioner Prophet.
0:31 Can we give the Spanish English interpreter, please?
0:41 Si alguno de los presentes quiere seguir esta junta in su idioma.
0:54 Alright, today we're gonna have two agendas.
0:56 We're gonna have the consent agenda.
0:58 Uh cases on the consent agenda are cases where staff recommends approval.
1:02 The planning commission does not require any further detailed discussion, and nobody in the audience is signed up to speak on the items.
1:08 All cases will be read into the record in one uniform motion.
1:11 If someone is signed up to speak, the item will be moved to individual hearing agenda.
1:15 Second agenda is individual hearing agenda.
1:17 Those cases will be heard individually before any action is taken by the commission.
1:22 So right now the way I have it is uh consent agenda consists of everything except for items 10 and 16 and uh 13, which has been removed.
1:35 All right, uh it is 202.
1:37 Commissioner Bustamante is going to recuse himself from the consent agenda.
1:40 This time we will entertain any further discussion or motion on consent agenda.
1:45 Move to approve consent agenda.
1:47 Motion for approval by Commissioner Prophet.
1:49 Sanction, second by Commissioner Cooper.
1:53 Roll call vote, please.
1:55 Commissioner Prophet.
1:56 Commissioner Cooper?
1:58 Commissioner Dezucci.
2:02 Commissioner Wallerstead?
2:05 Commissioner Siegel.
2:10 Motion passes for approval.
2:14 We are going to do item 16 first.
2:21 And Commissioner Bustamante has reentered the meeting.
2:25 And also Commissioner Sanchez has entered the meeting.
2:33 For item number sixteen, they're requesting a two-month continuance to the August 26th meeting.
2:41 Alright, we're getting a request for a two-month continuance on item 16.
2:45 Any discussion or a motion?
2:47 No, there is somebody signed up to speak on it.
2:50 Thank you, Commissioner Prophet.
2:51 Uh Cynthia Walker, are you signed up to speak against this item?
2:54 Do you want to speak now or wait till it comes back in a couple of months?
2:59 All right, we will uh either entertain a discuss a motion or more discussion.
3:04 I move to grant a continuance to August 26th.
3:07 We have a motion by Commissioner Siegel, and a second by Commissioner DeSucci.
3:11 All those in favor say aye.
3:13 I mean roll call vote, please.
3:16 Commissioner Siegel?
3:18 Commissioner DeSucci?
3:20 Commissioner Sanchez.
3:24 Commissioner Cooper.
3:26 Commissioner Wallerstead.
3:28 Commissioner Bustamante.
3:30 Commissioner Prophet.
3:34 Motion passes for continuance.
3:58 Well, good afternoon, everybody.
4:00 Uh Clayton Walsh Interim Principal Planner with Development Services.
4:03 Uh, here with the Cesar Chavez uh street name change.
4:07 So just to give you some context, this is the extent of the street name change.
4:12 This is an application to change Cesar Chavez Boulevard to Durango Boulevard.
4:16 This runs from uh Southwest 36th Street in Council District 6 all the way to South Hackbury Street in Council District 2.
4:25 This was a CCR submitted by District 5 on April 13th.
4:30 Uh we're getting the request for a name uh Cesar Chavez Boulevard to Durango Boulevard, and it's located in one, two, and five and six.
4:38 So as a part of this process, two hundred and ninety-five addresses will need to be changed.
4:42 Uh we've sent four hundred and twelve notices to property owners along this segment.
4:46 Not every property needs to have their address changed, that's why that number is different.
4:50 Um, and then we've also notified eight neighborhood associations.
4:54 We've notified Lavaca, Denver Heights, Downtown, King William, Historic West Side Residence, Prospect Hill, uh Las Palmas, and Los Hardinas as part of this process.
5:04 So just to give you a timeline of where we are in the application on April 8th and 11th, we had community listening sessions in the districts.
5:13 Um those happened before the CCR was filed on uh April 13th.
5:18 We did our technical technical review with all of the city departments that were notified right here in the score box.
5:24 So it's all city departments, all of our regional planning partners, um, any local school districts that are affected.
5:30 So they were all notified and given that window to uh reply with commentary, support, um, opposition, and um so far we've only received support.
5:40 Uh we went to HDRC last week where we got a recommendation for approval.
5:44 We are here today for your recommendation, and we are tentatively um gonna appear in August at city council for a final decision.
5:53 The current estimated cost of the project is three hundred and five thousand two hundred dollars.
5:59 That is split between our application fee, notification fees for all those letters, and then the estimated sign costs, which are split between the COSA signs for the street, and then the uh highway signs that will also need to be replaced.
6:12 So that's the general rundown of the process.
6:15 Um, I know we have some folks here to speak as well.
6:17 Sorry, happy to answer questions.
6:21 Okay, we have two people signed up to speak.
6:24 First is Maria Cardenas, please state your name and address for the record.
6:33 You'll have three minutes.
6:36 Oh, yeah, if you want that'd be perfect.
6:57 Um I oppose the changing of the street back to Dulango or whatever.
7:06 I opposed it when they changed it to Cesar Chavez.
7:10 And um that's a lot of money.
7:13 We could do a lot of things with $300,000 in District 5.
7:19 If indeed the man did what the woman alleges, she should have come up way before.
7:33 He's no longer around to defend himself, but we have to remember Cesar Chavez did a lot of good for the farm workers for the unions.
7:47 And on those reasons and rationales, I oppose changing it back to whatever you all decide.
7:58 He merits being honored for what he did in his lifetime.
8:08 I don't think any of us can.
8:11 So I oppose taking his name off of the streets and spending three hundred thousand dollars.
8:28 Next is Elva Flores.
8:39 Okay, name and address for the record.
8:45 And um, did you say it again about it?
8:50 I was gonna say, when you change this, uh, my she's my kind, I'm a provider.
8:56 Uh the hassle of her ID, she's gonna have to change her ID, her all her bank accounts, all of uh what do you call it?
9:06 She's got you know direct uh withdrawals.
9:09 Do you know the the hassle we went through for her to get withdrawals from the CPS from everywhere to withdraws?
9:17 She's gonna have to redo all of that, you know, and she she's uh, you know, we have we take via.
9:24 So she has to go in person to every one of these things, CPS, the waterboard, uh, the driver's license, everything to have all that changed to Durango.
9:29 And do you she is disabled, and like I said, we do travel via do you know the hassle it would be for us to go to each one of these departments just to get all that change because then it because of the change, nothing will be uh accepted, everything has to be changed back to Durango, the driver's license.
10:03 We would have to go take via, go stand in line, get a driver's license renewed, get it changed.
10:09 I don't know if we can do it online or whatever, they can do that.
10:12 But the CPS I know for sure she has to go in because we had a big hassle.
10:19 The bank, she has to go in for sure.
10:21 The water, we she has to go in person for sure to get all of this change when she gets her new ID to Durango.
10:31 She is gonna have to change her the hospitals, the insurance, everything is the social security, everything has to be in person and changed to another street.
10:43 That's all I wanted to say.
10:44 And that that's a big hassle for and not just her, everybody on that street is gonna have to do this.
10:51 So it's not just the money, but there's a lot of senior citizens on that street, and this, you know, and it's a big hassle for them to get out of their homes and do all of these things because their family has them, you know, on direct withdrawal.
11:07 She didn't know anything about withdrawal, you know, direct withdrawal.
11:10 I had to go actually, you know, they're not computer, you know, literate.
11:15 So they I you know everybody has to go in and help them.
11:19 They one, they don't have computers, you know, in their homes.
11:22 So we would have to either on the phone or would go to the biblioteca or go somewhere to get all of this changed, you know, and that is a big hassle for some of these people that don't have cars and don't have uh any way to go.
11:39 This is a low-income district, so there's not people that can just get on their car and go.
11:45 They have to actually take via or or walk or or whatever because this is, you know, the way it is on that neighborhood, low income.
11:55 You know, that's all I wanted to say.
11:59 Okay, that is everybody that signed up to speak.
12:02 So we'll move to Commissioner questions.
12:03 We'll start on the left with Commissioner Boostamante.
12:07 Chair, just for a second.
12:09 Um we do have some folks who miss the sign and sheet.
12:12 I don't know if you give them an opportunity, I believe we have two people.
12:20 I tried to do in English.
12:22 Um I miss my first language is in Spanish.
12:25 Can you say your name and address for the record, please?
12:27 My name is Gabriela Hernandez Martinez for Service and God and Lady Guadalupe and use.
12:33 And my address is 40 7 5 2 6 Cesar Chavez.
12:41 Um I try to uh try to firma have firmas, signs for my neighborhoods about soliciting soliciting fine num new name for the street.
12:58 With about the we is holding we are renewing new the faith in this place.
13:49 I want to show you that I went around in my neighborhood with some of my neighbors that we want to request that change of name to the virgin of the Perpetuo Socorro.
14:05 Because we want the protection for what the times we are living right now.
14:11 So I have some of the signatures that my neighbors would like to change the name to.
14:18 And I have other neighbors that they will sign the petition, but they couldn't, I couldn't wait for them to give me their signatures because I needed to come here.
14:33 Thanks and appreciate your opportunity for talk.
14:37 And we want to do for this, for this time is so very difficult for all.
14:43 And we needed the pace, the piece, and those we need the the teacher on the piece in the teacher and the piece is the lady.
14:53 In the lady, we needed protection.
15:12 And we we do have together all America.
15:21 And we want the unity.
15:22 We won the unity is that what she was looking for.
15:41 I live at 1717 West Caesar E.
16:00 And we rented until 12 years on El Paso Street.
16:07 We're a parishioners and I'm a catechist there.
16:15 And we all grew up there.
16:17 My dad worked really hard, my dad Atanasio Garcia, and he was just honored to change the name of the narratorium in his name for all the work that he did to bring the notatorium to our west side, our beautiful West Side of San Antonio.
16:33 And um it's unfortunate that what has happened with Mr.
16:38 Cesary Chavez' allegations and we have the opportunity to change the street name back to Durango Boulevard.
16:48 Durango is a beautiful state in Mexico, and uh in our neighborhood we are surrounded by by names like San Jacinto, well um Las Moras, um, Saunders, Buena Vista, and it would be beautiful to have Durango again.
17:11 It is a long street and it goes through beautiful downtown San Antonio, and thank you for the opportunity to have us speak and vote and other neighbors in our surrounding areas to to speak to to voice their concern or whether it's for or against.
17:41 Okay, that is everybody that signed up to speak.
17:44 So we will now go to Commissioner questions, start with Commissioner Bustamante.
17:47 Uh I guess I do have one question for staff.
17:53 Wallace, will there be uh city resources for those who need assistance, city or other governmental resources for those who need assistance and changing their address as part of this project?
18:05 I know it was listed in the um city council request.
18:08 Our current estimate does not include those funds as it's not part of this process.
18:13 Um if there's any money made available for that, it would come from the council offices.
18:17 So it'll be up to that.
18:18 So District Five for Ms.
18:20 Cardanas, uh, would be a good contact to reach out to have assistance with any city via CPS or SAWS uh change of address?
18:32 Yes, I I would tell folks to reach out to their council ones.
18:35 And so Miss Flotis and Ms.
18:37 Cotterinus, that's a good uh point of contact.
18:41 If you need my number, I'll help you with that.
18:43 All right, thank you.
18:45 No further questions.
18:47 No questions, no questions, no questions, no questions.
18:54 No question, just maybe some through food for thought.
18:58 Um, and this is not a reflection of Cesar Chavez or anybody, but uh the process of name changing, and you know we have options of memorial designations that may be more apt to be done because we I mean this is a lot of money, and I don't know what it costs to change it from Durango to Cesar Chavez ten years ago, but it's half a million dollars.
19:25 And so I think that you know, for on the political side that we're just aware of that, and maybe look at different options for recognizing individuals that don't create such a hardship.
19:40 Um, question to staff.
19:42 Um I know we talked about it in the work session meeting.
19:47 Uh $300,000 is a lot of money, and the applicant here is the city.
19:53 And yes, I agree with the comment that this should be spent on district five and other needed issues.
20:00 How the city is going to bring this money and what would be the revenue in the future that would be offset the cost of making this change.
20:08 So the the conversation around funding from the council offices has been to use funds that were previously set aside for a Cesar Chavez event towards this and then coming up with the difference in terms of where the difference would come from.
20:25 There isn't a confirmed um source of funds yet.
20:28 So I I'm not sure if that that's quite the answer you're looking for, but I at this point we don't know where the rest of the money would come from.
20:39 No questions, I don't have any other questions other than to echo uh Commissioner Profit's statement about you know maybe in the future we entertain memorial designations for some of these, especially the more expensive ones to prevent situations like this from happening.
21:00 Can you make one more comment?
21:02 Kind of echoing Commissioner De Suckey.
21:04 You know, maybe these things need to be discussed, you know, the cost.
21:07 I understand the political part of that and and why it may be appropriate to rename a street, but just and again, that's probably on the council side and the council offices, but how are we gonna pay for this?
21:20 You know, this work as a community, so it's not taking away tax dollars or being inconvenience to those residents, but just uh just my opinion.
21:32 Any further questions from the commission?
21:34 If not, we'll entertain a motion.
21:38 Motion to approve uh street name change.
21:42 We have a motion to approve the street name change to Durango Boulevard by Commissioner Prophet and a second by Commissioner Siegel.
21:50 Staff, please do a roll call vote.
21:52 Commissioner Profit?
21:53 Yes, Commissioner Siegel, yes.
21:56 Commissioner Sanchez, no.
21:59 Commissioner Dezucki?
22:01 Commissioner Lopez?
22:04 Commissioner Cooper?
22:06 Commissioner Wallerstead, yes, Commissioner Bistramonti?
22:13 Motion passes for approval.
22:16 Well, that is everything except is there a director's report?
22:23 Well, that being all the business today, it is two twenty two and we are adjourned.