San Antonio Zoning Commission Meeting – August 4, 2026
San Antonio Zoning Commission Meeting – August 4, 2026
The San Antonio Zoning Commission met on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at 1:00 PM, chaired by John Bustamante. The meeting was adjourned at 2:09 PM. Commissioners present: Rob Sipes (D7), John Kelly (D8), Danny Kellum (D1), John Witsett (D10), Moses Duvel (D9), Mia LSF (D2), Ken Hui (D6), George Inohosa (D3), Eddie Peter Ligas (D4), Moshgan Pana (Mayor's appointee), and Chair Bustamante (D5). A quorum was present.
Consent Calendar
- Items 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13 were approved en bloc on a motion by Commissioner Hui, seconded by Commissioner Kellum, by a unanimous roll‑call vote. These items included zoning changes for properties at 829 West Harlan Avenue, 3759/3791 Pleasanton Road and 11 West Petaluma Boulevard, 2000 South Preso Street, 171 Heimer Road, 4200 block of Nacoperin Boulevard, 16000 block of Apple White Road, and 2113 Lamb Road. Notable: Item 5 received support from the Harlandale McCullum Neighborhood Association; Item 8 was supported by the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association with a condition that alcohol distillation storage be used for consumption only. No public comments were received on consent items.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Item 6 (Blanco Road Large Area Rezoning): April Maldonado (825 Westwood) spoke in opposition. She stated that the blanket rezoning did not allow property owners on the east side of Blanco Road to opt out of the proposed RM4 (residential mixed) designation, and that the change from existing industrial to C2 commercial and R4 to RM4 increased intensity contrary to the 2002 Edison neighborhood plan. She requested a smaller‑scale approach and more time for neighbors to understand the proposal. She presented a petition with signatures from one street. Commissioner Kellum questioned her, and she confirmed she had met with District 1 staff and had received an exemption for her own property. She spoke on behalf of residents, noting the Edison Neighborhood Association is not currently registered.
- Item 9 (15234 Classen Road rezoning): Umberto Salman (16835 Winding Oak Drive) spoke in opposition, stating that his Mystic Lake HOA opposed the change from R6 to R6C (though this comment appeared to refer to a different, unrelated zoning; he opposed the proposed volleyball facility). Doug Welch (Vice President/Acting President, Briarwick Neighborhood Association) spoke neither supporting nor opposing, but asked for time to negotiate a restrictive covenant to address noise, traffic safety, and overflow parking concerns. He noted the property is near a new city park, a railroad crossing, and a floodplain/wetlands area.
Discussion Items
- Item 6 – Blanco Road Large Area Rezoning (Z2026-107-00060): Staff recommended approval of 118 zoning and land use changes along the Blanco Road corridor between Fresno Street and West Hildebrand Avenue, extending 300 feet east and west. The proposal rezoned industrial and commercial parcels to commercial and residential mixed districts, and changed some single‑family (R4) to residential mixed (RM4) to allow up to four dwelling units. City Council initiated the LAR via a resolution on April 30, 2026. Staff held two community meetings and posted signs. 306 notices were mailed: 1 in favor, 12 opposed; outside 200 feet, 0 in favor, 2 opposed. The North Central and Beacon Hill Alliance neighborhood associations did not respond. Commissioner Kellum, the district commissioner, moved approval, citing overall benefits and the opportunity for property owners to seek exemptions before the City Council hearing on September 3, 2026. Commissioners discussed the increase in density from R4 to RM4 (100% increase) and noted that the industrial‑to‑C2 change was a downzoning. The motion passed 11–0.
- Item 9 – Zoning from C3NA to C2S with Specific Use Authorization for fitness center/health club, gymnasium, natatorium, sport court with outdoor uses (15234 Classen Road): The applicant, Caroline McDonald (Brown & McDonald), proposed a volleyball facility (D’s Sandbar) with indoor and outdoor sand courts. Current zoning C3NA allows intense uses like bars and auto repair; the proposed C2S is a downzoning that eliminates those uses. The site is near a new city park and a railroad crossing. 12 notices mailed: 0 in favor, 0 opposed; no registered neighborhood association within 200 feet. The applicant presented a site plan with 56 parking spaces and a detention pond for floodplain management. Operational hours: Monday–Friday 3:30 PM–11 PM, Saturday 9 AM–6 PM, Sunday 10:30 AM–7:30 PM. Outdoor lighting and music would be directed away from the neighborhood. Overflow parking would be arranged with adjacent properties south of the railroad tracks, with a shuttle service. The Briarwick Neighborhood Association asked for a restrictive covenant to address noise and traffic safety. Commissioner Witsett moved approval with a condition of downward‑facing outdoor lighting. The motion passed 10–1 (Commissioner Hui voted no, citing pedestrian safety concerns near the railroad crossing).
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda: Approved unanimously (11–0).
- Continuances: Items 2 and 7 were continued to the August 18, 2026, meeting on a motion by Commissioner Hui, seconded by Commissioner Duvel, approved unanimously.
- Item 6 (Blanco Road LAR): Approved 11–0. The recommendation will go to City Council on September 3, 2026. Property owners may seek exemptions from the RM4 designation before that hearing.
- Item 9 (15234 Classen Road): Approved 10–1, with a condition of downward‑facing lighting. The case is scheduled for City Council on September 3, 2026. The applicant agreed to continue discussions with the neighborhood on restrictive covenants, pedestrian access, and shuttle service.
- Minutes of July 21, 2026: Approved by acclamation.
- Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 2:09 PM.
Meeting Transcript
All right. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. If we could please have our Spanish translation, I'm sorry, Spanish interpretation services statement. Good afternoon, everyone. Buenas tardes a those. Las personas que requieran escuchar esta junta in espanhol. Thank you so much. All right, thank you so much. 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. The time is one o'clock, and I hereby call this regularly noticed meeting of the City of San Antonio Zoning Commission in the session. I like to do roll call by allowing the zoning commissioners to introduce themselves, starting with the commissioners on my far left. Thank you, Chair. My name is Rob Sipes, and I represent District 7. Thank you. John Kelly representing District 8. Danny Kellum, District 1. John Witsett, District 10. Moses Duvel, District 9. Mia LSF, District 2. Ken Hui, District 6. George Inohosa, District 3. Eddie Peter Ligas, District 4. Moshgan Pana, Mayor's appointee. All right, very good. Do we have a quorum? Yes, the quorum is present. Thank you. Would everyone please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flight of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which stands. Okay, before we begin, I would like staff to please review our meeting format for the benefit of those in the audience. Staff, if you would. 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 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 area. 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 that signed up to speak for or against the proposed rezoning, you will be called in the order that you signed up to speak. Those in support and opposition will be allowed a maximum of three minutes for 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 up to speak and must yield the time when the speaker goes to the podium. The applicant will then be given an opportunity for rebuttal limited to one speaker with a three-minute time limit, along with an opportunity to address the commission questions. Thank you, Chair. All right, thank you so much. Uh do we have any withdrawn or postponed items? We have two items that are postponed.
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