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Record of Proceedings

San Antonio Zoning Session: December 18, 2025

City Council — Thursday, December 18, 2025
BodySan Antonio, Texas
SessionCity Council
DateThursday, December 18, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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0:05

The time is now 310 p.m.

0:07

on Thursday, December 18th, 2025 in the City of San Antonio zoning and land use session is called to order.

0:14

Madam Clerk, please call roll.

0:16

Councilmember Corps.

0:18

Councilmember Mickey Rodriguez.

0:20

Councilmember Via Gran.

0:21

Here.

0:22

Councilmember Mungia.

0:24

Present.

0:24

Councilmember Castillo.

0:25

Here.

0:26

Councilmember Gonvon.

0:27

Councilmember Adarita Gabito.

0:29

Here.

0:30

Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez.

0:32

Councilmember Spears.

0:33

Councilmember White.

0:35

Mayor Jones.

0:36

Here, Mayor, we have quorum.

0:37

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

0:38

Okay.

0:40

On the agenda items for continuance.

0:42

Uh there's an item to continue to the January 15th, 2026 meeting, and that is item number five.

0:48

Is there a motion to continue that item?

0:50

I make a motion to continue.

0:52

Okay.

0:54

We have several individuals signed up to speak on this item.

1:03

Okay.

1:05

Um Jane Henry, followed by Balthasar Cerna.

1:11

Okay.

1:14

Okay.

1:16

Linda's not here.

1:17

Okay.

1:17

Lewis Vetter, are you here?

1:20

No.

1:20

Okay.

1:21

Uh Jack Finger, I see you are here.

1:31

Madam Mayor, other members of our San Antonio City Council.

1:34

My name is Jack Finger, and I believe we're on number five.

1:37

Is that right, uh, Madam Mayor?

1:39

Okay.

1:40

Item number five on the zoning session today is about uh placing a uh auto body shop or giving permission for it.

1:50

Uh over in uh Ms.

1:52

Via Grant, it's in your district, dear, and uh it's over on uh Roosevelt Avenue.

1:58

Uh the reason I think you, Ms.

2:03

Regrand, you should uh say just no to this outright instead of continuing it, is because at the zoning commission's uh meeting recently, you had as many as four people speak on this item saying they opposed it.

2:19

When you know when you one is doing good to just get one or two people just to speak in opposition.

2:25

Now the question is why did they oppose it?

2:29

Well, it turns out that the auto body shop had been committing some violations on its uh previous uh zoning status, and it was asking the uh um zoning commission to give them forgiveness on on the situation.

2:49

Um yeah, well, the citizens who the residents who live around there, they don't like that.

2:56

They don't like uh somebody taking liberties liberties like that.

3:00

So uh and I I wouldn't blame them either, you know.

3:04

Uh I would just urge you to simply say say no this outright.

3:09

Thank you.

3:20

Hearing none, there's a motion and a second to continue item five to January 15th, 2026.

3:24

Please vote.

3:34

Okay, motion carries.

3:37

We'll now move on to the consent agenda.

3:38

The following items are listed for individual consideration.

3:41

Items one, two, three, four, eight, and nine.

3:44

The remaining items on today's agenda will be considered on the consent agenda.

3:48

Do any council members wish to pull an item from the consent agenda to be heard individually?

3:57

Okay.

4:01

Hearing none, um, and there are no members of the public that have signed up to speak on um on the items remaining on the consent agenda.

4:10

Is there a motion to approve the balance of the consent agenda?

4:14

Second.

4:14

Okay.

4:15

Is there any council discussion?

4:17

The items um on the consent agenda.

4:20

Okay.

4:21

Uh there being none, there's a motion and second to approve the consent agenda, which are items six and seven.

4:26

Please vote.

4:34

The motion carries.

4:36

We'll now move on to the individual items.

4:39

Um staff, please start with items one and two.

4:41

Absolutely.

4:42

Good afternoon, Mayor and Council.

4:43

Agenda items one and two are a plan amendment and change of zoning, amending the greater airport area regional center plan from low density residential to urban low density residential and rezoning the property from R4 to IDZ one with uses permitted for three dwelling units.

5:02

This is located at 11 Belfast Drive.

5:05

Staff recommends denial.

5:06

Planning commission recommends approval.

5:09

Twenty-six notices were mailed, zero in favor, two opposed, and there was no response from the San Antonio District One Residence Association.

5:17

Outside of 200 feet, two notices were received in opposition.

5:22

Thank you.

5:23

Great, thank you.

5:40

I am Jack Finger, and uh on this particular zoning case, it happens to be in District One.

5:47

Uh Council Owen Carr, your district here.

5:50

It's about uh well adding uh three dwelling units, adding some more intensity to uh uh this this area over on Belfast Drive.

6:03

Um looking at the backup documents, I find out that uh the planning commission.

6:10

Uh uh the planning planning department staff thought it was a bad idea.

6:17

And so did the zoning staff.

6:22

And uh why did they say it was a bad idea?

6:25

Well, they say it quote, throws out the minimum lot sizes.

6:29

Yeah, just throws it out.

6:31

Uh it reduces the setbacks, meaning it's the residents are going to be closer and closer to the streets, right next to the traffic.

6:40

And it also waves the parking standards, throws out the uh standards for minimum parking slots for people who may not may have to live there.

6:51

So uh yeah, a lot a lot of things uh not going for this thing, and so consequently I I, for one who live in District One, I would appreciate it if you would uh simply say no to to to this case here.

7:06

Thank you.

7:10

Items uh one and two are in district one, Councilwoman Corps recognized.

7:14

Make a motion to approve.

7:15

Second.

7:19

Is there any council discussion on items one and two?

7:22

Okay.

7:23

Hearing none, there's a motion and a second to approve.

7:25

Items one and two, please vote.

7:33

Okay, the motion carries.

7:38

Uh we'll now move on to items three and four.

7:41

Staff, please.

7:42

Yes.

7:43

Agenda items three and four are a plan amendment and change of zoning, amending the Southeast Community Area Plan from neighborhood mixed use to urban mixed use, and rezoning the property from C2 with specific use authorization for a car wash to IDZ two with uses permitted in the C2 commercial district, an office warehouse to include flex space and motor vehicle sales full service located at 2830 Rigsby Avenue.

8:10

Staff recommends denial, planning and zoning commission recommend approval.

8:14

Staff mailed nine notices.

8:15

One notice was returned in favor, zero in opposition, and there is no registered neighborhood association within 200 feet.

8:22

Thank you.

8:24

Okay.

8:24

Uh we have one member of the public signed up to speak.

8:27

Jack Finger.

8:34

Madam Mayor, other members of the council.

8:36

Once again, I am Jack Finger, and uh this particular case is in District 3, Ms Ms.

8:44

Via Gran's district.

8:45

It's about uh oh, giving some uh uh help to a uh some people who want to put a uh a warehouse and a used car lot over on uh Rigsby Avenue.

9:02

And uh both the uh the planning staff and the zoning staff also thought this was a bad idea.

9:14

Why?

9:15

Because basically they said the residents and the stakeholders.

9:18

I'm just quoting from the the uh the backup documents.

9:23

Resident stakeholders do not want the intense commercial uses that the warehouse and the used car lot bring.

9:31

See, they have to live around uh these application.

9:37

Consequently, uh please uh say no to it.

9:42

Thank you.

9:44

Items three and four are in district three.

9:46

Councilman Via Grande is recognized.

9:48

Uh thank you, Mayor.

9:49

I want to thank the applicant for working with our zoning commissioner in my office on this case.

9:53

With that being said, I'll make the following motion.

9:56

Motion to approve.

9:57

Second.

10:00

And Logan, I read here that Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval.

10:05

That is correct.

10:06

That is correct.

10:07

I think Jack, you were talking about another case.

10:10

Thanks.

10:11

So I make a motion to approve.

10:14

And it was second.

10:15

Did you get the second?

10:17

Second by McKee Rodriguez.

10:20

Okay.

10:21

Good.

10:22

Is there any other council discussion on items three and four?

10:25

Okay.

10:26

There's a motion and a second to approve items three and four.

10:28

Please vote.

10:41

Motion carries.

10:44

Yeah, we'll now move on to individual items eight and nine.

10:47

Staff, please.

10:48

Agenda items eight and nine are a plan amendment and change zoning, amending the San Antonio International Airport Vicinity Land U Plan from high density residential to community commercial and rezoning the property from MF 33 to C2 with conditional use for an office warehouse to include flex space.

11:07

Properties located at 4400 stall road.

11:10

Staff recommends denial.

11:12

Planning and zoning commission recommend approval with the following condition installation of downward facing lighting.

11:18

Staff mailed 24 notices.

11:20

One was returned in favor, one was returned in opposition, and the Northern Hills Neighborhood Association is in support of the rezoning.

11:28

Thank you.

11:40

Other members of the council.

12:01

Now, on this particular item, item uh eight and items number eight and nine.

12:09

It's about uh oh placing uh well exactly what is it here?

12:17

I'll just everything it's on different pages.

12:19

Yeah.

12:20

Uh from uh multifamily to uh commercial multifamily, maybe in a meaning in apartment complex on on this area on uh stall road.

12:33

And this is in Mr.

12:35

White your district there.

12:37

Yeah.

12:38

Uh well here, sir.

12:43

The planning staff said they deny this, and the uh zoning staff suggests you deny it as well.

12:53

Yeah, other people have different opinions on this, but the reason reasons the uh these guys say don't do this is because the uh the warehouse allows for commercial encroachment, commercial encroachment.

13:09

We've uh we've seen that all throughout the city for for many many years there.

13:14

Commercial encroachment into areas where residents live and uh eventually they they get discouraged and they tend to move out and and the neighborhood just goes downhill from there.

13:26

Commercial encroachment and uh it's it sits it also sits well, it sits in it's obvious it sits amid the existing uh neighborhood residences.

13:38

It's very uh inappropriate.

13:41

Yeah, a lot of uh what's the word uh bad circumstances as from is the best way I can say it.

13:54

So anyway, yeah.

13:56

Um stall room.

13:58

Just maybe uh we should say no to to what is going to be a future long-term problem for the people who who live over there.

14:08

Thank you.

14:10

Item numbers uh eight and nine are in district ten.

14:13

Councilman White's recognized.

14:15

Thanks, Mayor.

14:15

I want to thank the Northern Hills Neighborhood Association, especially Councilman Gallagher for working on us on this one.

14:20

Uh actually, planning and zoning recommended approval with conditions, and so I want to move, which is the downward face it facing lighting.

14:28

Uh so I want to make a motion to approve um with those conditions.

14:32

Second.

14:34

Any other is there any other council discussion on items eight and nine?

14:40

Okay, there's a motion and a second to approve with conditions, items eight and nine.

14:44

Please vote.

14:54

Okay, the motion carries.

14:56

That concludes today's zoning and land use session.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning and Land Use█████████████████████████████████████████████74%
Procedural████████████████26%
Summary of Proceedings

San Antonio Zoning Session: December 18, 2025

The City of San Antonio City Council held its zoning and land use session on Thursday, December 18, 2025, at 3:10 p.m., establishing a quorum with Mayor Jones presiding. The session focused on approving or denying a series of plan amendments and zoning changes, with significant opposition from Jack Finger regarding neighborhood impacts and a continuation of Item 5 to a future meeting. Council members generally followed Planning and Zoning Commission recommendations to approve three separate commercial/intensity rezoning requests, despite staff recommendations for denial in all three cases.

Consent Calendar

  • Items 6 and 7: Approved unanimously. No council members requested to pull items from the consent agenda, and no members of the public signed up to speak on these items.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Jack Finger (District 1 Resident):
    • Position: Expressed full opposition to moving forward with Item 5 (auto body shop on Roosevelt Avenue) and urged the council to deny Item 5 outright rather than continuing it, citing prior zoning violations and community opposition at the zoning commission level.
    • Position: Expressed full opposition to Items 1 and 2 (3 dwelling units on Belfast Drive, District 1), arguing that the proposal violates minimum lot sizes, reduces setbacks causing proximity to traffic, and waives parking standards.
    • Position: Expressed full opposition to Items 3 and 4 (warehouse and used car lot on Rigsby Avenue, District 3), stating that residents and stakeholders do not want intense commercial uses brought by these applications.
    • Position: Expressed full opposition to Items 8 and 9 (office warehouse on Stall Road, District 10), warning that commercial encroachment into existing neighborhoods discourages residents and causes neighborhoods to decline; described the siting as inappropriate.

Discussion Items

  • Item 5 (Auto Body Shop/Roosevelt Avenue): Staff and Council Member Mickey Rodriguez discussed the history of zoning violations and community opposition. A motion was made to continue the item to the January 15, 2026 meeting to allow for further deliberation or reconsideration of the auto body shop request. Council Member Mickey Rodriguez noted the zoning commission had heard four people speak in opposition.
  • Items 1 & 2 (3 Dwelling Units/Belfast Drive): Staff recommended denial citing minimum lot size reduction and waived parking standards. The Planning Commission recommended approval. Council Member Mickey Rodriguez (District 1) noted staff thought it was a bad idea. Council Member Mickey Rodriguez (District 1) recommended denial based on impact to residents. Despite staff opposition, the Council voted to approve.
  • Items 3 & 4 (Warehouse/Car Lot/Rigsby Avenue): Staff recommended denial based on resident/stakeholder opposition to intense commercial uses. The Planning Commission recommended approval. Council Member Mickey Rodriguez (District 1) and Jack Finger (District 3 public comment) opposed. Council Member Via Gran moved to approve, citing work with the zoning commissioner.
  • Items 8 & 9 (Office Warehouse/Stall Road): Staff recommended denial due to commercial encroachment and inappropriate siting amid residences. The Northern Hills Neighborhood Association (District 10) supported the request. The Planning Commission recommended approval with a condition for downward-facing lighting. Jack Finger publicly argued against the commercial encroachment. Council Member White (District 10) noted the neighborhood association's support and advocated for approval with the lighting condition.

Key Outcomes

  • Item 5 Continued: The motion to continue Item 5 to January 15, 2026, carried.
  • Items 1 & 2 Approved: Motion to approve plan amendment and zoning change (R4 to IDZ One) for three dwelling units carried.
  • Items 3 & 4 Approved: Motion to approve plan amendment and zoning change (C2 to IDZ Two) for office warehouse and car sales carried.
  • Items 8 & 9 Approved with Conditions: Motion to approve plan amendment and zoning change (MF 33 to C2) for office warehouse carried with the specific condition of installing downward-facing lighting.

Meeting Transcript

The time is now 310 p.m. on Thursday, December 18th, 2025 in the City of San Antonio zoning and land use session is called to order. Madam Clerk, please call roll. Councilmember Corps. Councilmember Mickey Rodriguez. Councilmember Via Gran. Here. Councilmember Mungia. Present. Councilmember Castillo. Here. Councilmember Gonvon. Councilmember Adarita Gabito. Here. Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez. Councilmember Spears. Councilmember White. Mayor Jones. Here, Mayor, we have quorum. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Okay. On the agenda items for continuance. Uh there's an item to continue to the January 15th, 2026 meeting, and that is item number five. Is there a motion to continue that item? I make a motion to continue. Okay. We have several individuals signed up to speak on this item. Okay. Um Jane Henry, followed by Balthasar Cerna. Okay. Okay. Linda's not here. Okay. Lewis Vetter, are you here? No. Okay. Uh Jack Finger, I see you are here. Madam Mayor, other members of our San Antonio City Council. My name is Jack Finger, and I believe we're on number five. Is that right, uh, Madam Mayor? Okay. Item number five on the zoning session today is about uh placing a uh auto body shop or giving permission for it. Uh over in uh Ms. Via Grant, it's in your district, dear, and uh it's over on uh Roosevelt Avenue. Uh the reason I think you, Ms. Regrand, you should uh say just no to this outright instead of continuing it, is because at the zoning commission's uh meeting recently, you had as many as four people speak on this item saying they opposed it. When you know when you one is doing good to just get one or two people just to speak in opposition. Now the question is why did they oppose it? Well, it turns out that the auto body shop had been committing some violations on its uh previous uh zoning status, and it was asking the uh um zoning commission to give them forgiveness on on the situation. Um yeah, well, the citizens who the residents who live around there, they don't like that.

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