OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

San Antonio Board of Adjustments Meeting - August 17, 2026

Boards & Commissions — Monday, August 17, 2026
BodySan Antonio, Texas
SessionBoards & Commissions
DateMonday, August 17, 2026
StatusNEW · FILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:54:50
Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

I believe we are.

0:02

All right.

0:03

It is one o'clock.

0:04

I hereby called this meeting of the Board of Adjustments into session.

0:08

Let's have the if we have the Spanish interpreter come out, please.

0:38

Gracias.

0:39

Thank you very much.

0:40

Staff, if you could please call roll.

0:44

Commissioner Reed.

0:45

Present.

0:46

Commissioner Stevens.

0:47

Present.

0:48

Commissioner Ivanis.

0:49

Present.

0:50

Commissioner Dean.

0:51

Present.

0:52

Commissioner Cruz.

0:54

Here.

0:55

Commissioner Gomez.

0:57

Commissioner Mana.

0:59

Present.

0:59

Commissioner Bregman.

1:01

Present.

1:01

Commissioner Benavides.

1:03

Present.

1:03

Commissioner Ozuna.

1:05

Commissioner Vasquez.

1:07

Present.

1:07

Chair Orion.

1:08

And I am present.

1:09

If everyone could please join me in the pledge.

1:15

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

1:19

And it's a republic which stands one nation.

1:27

Honor Texas flags.

1:29

I quite related to the Texas one state.

1:32

Under one indivisible.

1:42

Okay.

1:50

All right.

1:50

So before we proceed with today's cases, I'd like to offer a few words of an explanation.

1:55

This board follows an agenda which is available online.

1:58

The cases are listed by number with the names of the applicant and street address.

2:01

Following the conclusion of the cases, the board will consider the minutes from the previous meeting, followed by a director's report.

2:07

Lastly, as chair as chair, I will make announcements such as community calendar events.

2:11

I ask that the board member submit these announcements to me as chair, and I will read them at the appropriate time in the meeting.

2:16

So we are private citizens appointed to this board by the city council.

2:19

The board is supported by members of the city staff competent in the rules and regulations governing the city's only codes and other codes and aspects pertaining to this area.

2:27

This is an administrative body and not a court of law.

2:30

We only examine the facts pertaining to the relief sought, and we do not get involved in disputes or legal claims between parties.

2:36

Specific powers have been granted to us by the Texas legislature and the San Antonio City Council.

2:41

They're clearly defined in Chapter 211 of the Texas Local Government Code, Chapter 35 of the City Code, and other ordinances passed by the City Council.

2:49

We have the authority to hear and decide appeals from a decision or determination made by an administrative official in the enforcement of Chapter 32 to hear and decide special exceptions under Chapter 35 and to authorize variances from the zoning regulations required in Chapter 35.

3:03

We also serve in an advisory and appellate capacity to the Director of Development Services regarding requests for variances and regulations within Chapter 28, Article 1, Section 28-5.

3:13

In addition, we have powers to hear out cases and other matters authorized by City Council under Chapter 211 of the Texas Local Government Code.

3:20

Every decision or recommendation to the board must be based upon findings of fact, and every finding of fact must be supported in the record of the board's proceedings.

3:27

The applicant or his representative will present the petition.

3:39

Each member will be asked to vote on the motion in order for a motion to carry, it requires a concurring vote of 75% of the total board members, whether present or not, which is nine votes.

3:50

The burden approved in granting the release sought rests with the applicant.

3:53

The applicant must present facts in which the requested relief can be legally granted and supported.

3:57

Appeals from the decision of this board regarding appeals from administrative officials, special exceptions or variances, are made to the district or county court at law based on the record of these proceedings.

4:07

Appeals from the board's decisions regarding Chapter 28 are made to the City Council.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning and Land Use█████████████████████████████████████████████63%
Signage Regulations██████9%
Telecommunications Infrastructure█████7%
Procedural████6%
Short-Term Rental Regulation████6%
Public Safety███4%
Public Comment█2%
Code Enforcement█1%
Fire Safety█1%
Summary of Proceedings

San Antonio Board of Adjustments Meeting - August 17, 2026

The City of San Antonio Board of Adjustments convened on August 17, 2026, at 1:00 PM to hear 11 cases involving requests for variances and special exceptions related to zoning and land use. The meeting concluded with the approval of several items, denials, and partial approvals, with two cases carried over due to loss of quorum.

Consent Calendar

  • [No consent calendar items were noted; all cases were discussed individually.]

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Item 7 (1102 Julia Ross Street): Leticia Sanchez, co-chair of the Historic West Side Residence Association, spoke in support of the applicant, noting that the neighborhood's houses were built without garages and many carports already exist. She confirmed the applicant agreed to install gutters to mitigate runoff.
  • Item 9 (5403 Port Townsend Drive): Two neighbors spoke in opposition to the corner clear vision variance, citing safety concerns for children using a nearby bus stop and obstruction of view due to parked trucks. One neighbor expressed support for the carport location if it did not block visibility.
  • Other items: No public comments were registered for other cases.

Discussion Items

  • Item 1 (430 Montana Street, Unit 101) – Special Exception for Type 2 Short-Term Rental: Applicant Nolan Sconyers and Danielle Miller requested an additional short-term rental permit on a block already at 11.1% density (22.2% if approved). Staff recommended denial. The board heard arguments about existing off-street parking, proximity to Alamo Dome, and the applicant's clean operating record. The motion to grant failed 7-3 (needs 9 votes).
  • Item 3 (255 Tesla Drive) – Variances for Carport: Miriam Moreno sought variances for a carport built without permits. Staff recommended denial due to fire and water runoff concerns. The board granted all three variances (side setback, front setback, driveway clear vision) unanimously (10-0) after the applicant amended to include gutters.
  • Item 4 (1110 Brooklyn Avenue) – Sign Height and Area Variances: Initially tabled, later brought back. Applicant Eric Lowitz (Panic Coffee Bakery) requested a 6-foot height variance and 300 sq ft area variance (to 450 sq ft). Staff recommended denial of both. After discussion, a 6-foot height variance and 100 sq ft area variance (to 250 sq ft) were approved 9-1 (one abstention).
  • Item 5 (3510 North Main Avenue) – Landscape Buffer Reduction/Elimination: Raymond Aguilar sought variances for a 5-ft north buffer and elimination of south buffer due to existing building and driveways. Staff recommended denial. The board granted both variances unanimously (10-0).
  • Item 6 (4524 Sinclair Road) – Barbed Wire Fence Setback Variances: Applicant Ray Catad (Charter Spectrum) requested variances to allow a fence with 1-inch setbacks for security. Staff recommended denial. The board granted both variances unanimously (10-0).
  • Item 7 (1102 Julia Ross Street) – Multiple Variances: Margarita Rodriguez sought variances for a carport, porch, corner clear vision, and driveway clear vision. Staff recommended approval only for driveway clear vision. After public comment, the board granted all variances with conditions (gutters, fire mitigation) unanimously (10-0).
  • Item 8 (630 East Carson Street) – Variances Related to Address Change: Jose Sanchez requested variances to change property address from Carson Street to Palmetto Avenue due to a bus stop blocking access. Staff recommended denial. After debate, only a partial motion to reduce the west side setback to 1 inch passed (10-0); other variances were not approved.
  • Item 9 (5403 Port Townsend Drive) – Variances for Carport and Clear Vision: Alexander Banda sought variances for a carport and clear vision areas. Staff recommended denial. The board bifurcated: items 1 (front setback) and 2 (driveway clear vision) passed unanimously; item 3 (corner clear vision) failed 6-3 with one abstention.
  • Item 10 (9646 Marbok Road) – Landscape Buffer Elimination: Jason Lochty (McDonald's) requested elimination of a 15-ft buffer due to a pipeline easement. Staff recommended denial. The board granted elimination unanimously.
  • Item 11 (11670 Interstate 10 East) – Landscape Buffer Elimination: Ashley Fairman (JCB) requested elimination of a 15-ft buffer along I-10 due to multiple easements. Staff recommended denial. The board granted elimination unanimously.

Key Outcomes

  • Denied: Item 1 (special exception for short-term rental) – motion failed 7-3.
  • Approved (unanimous, 10-0): Items 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11.
  • Approved with modifications: Item 4 (9-1); Item 9 (items 1&2 only, 10-0).
  • Partial approval: Item 8 (only side setback variance granted).
  • Carried over: Items not reached due to loss of quorum at 5:02 PM. The meeting adjourned early; remaining cases will be rescheduled for September 14, 2026.
  • Minutes: Approved with a correction for a misspelled name.
  • Next meeting: Scheduled for September 14, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

I believe we are. All right. It is one o'clock. I hereby called this meeting of the Board of Adjustments into session. Let's have the if we have the Spanish interpreter come out, please. Gracias. Thank you very much. Staff, if you could please call roll. Commissioner Reed. Present. Commissioner Stevens. Present. Commissioner Ivanis. Present. Commissioner Dean. Present. Commissioner Cruz. Here. Commissioner Gomez. Commissioner Mana. Present. Commissioner Bregman. Present. Commissioner Benavides. Present. Commissioner Ozuna. Commissioner Vasquez. Present. Chair Orion. And I am present. If everyone could please join me in the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And it's a republic which stands one nation. Honor Texas flags. I quite related to the Texas one state. Under one indivisible. Okay. All right. So before we proceed with today's cases, I'd like to offer a few words of an explanation. This board follows an agenda which is available online. The cases are listed by number with the names of the applicant and street address. Following the conclusion of the cases, the board will consider the minutes from the previous meeting, followed by a director's report. Lastly, as chair as chair, I will make announcements such as community calendar events. I ask that the board member submit these announcements to me as chair, and I will read them at the appropriate time in the meeting. So we are private citizens appointed to this board by the city council. The board is supported by members of the city staff competent in the rules and regulations governing the city's only codes and other codes and aspects pertaining to this area. This is an administrative body and not a court of law. We only examine the facts pertaining to the relief sought, and we do not get involved in disputes or legal claims between parties. Specific powers have been granted to us by the Texas legislature and the San Antonio City Council. They're clearly defined in Chapter 211 of the Texas Local Government Code, Chapter 35 of the City Code, and other ordinances passed by the City Council.

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