Good afternoon.

The time is now 202 p.m.

on Thursday, January 15th, and the City of San Antonio zoning and land use session is called to order.

Madam Clerk, please call roll.

Councilmember Corr.

Councilmember Mickey Rodriguez.

Present.

Councilmember Via Gran.

Councilmember Mungia.

Present.

Councilmember Castillo.

Here.

Councilmember Galvan.

Here.

Councilmember Alerete Gavito.

Here.

Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez.

Councilmember Spears.

Councilmember White.

Mayor Jones.

Here.

Mayor, we have quorum.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Okay.

For the record, items 21 and 22 have been withdrawn and will not be considered today.

Also, item 29 has been postponed and will not be considered today.

We'll move on to the consent agenda.

The following items are listed for individual consideration.

Items 9, 10, 20, 23, 27, 30, 31, 33, 34, and 35.

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

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

Okay, hearing none.

We have several individuals signed up to speak on the consent agenda.

And back in the front.

Okay.

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

Oh, excuse me, excuse me, I'm sorry.

Um we've got several items, several folks we've got, and I will go through them.

Okay.

First individual we have, uh Jack Finger.

Each individual called up will have three minutes.

Madam Mayor, other members of our illustrious San Tony City Council.

For the record, my name is Jack M.

Finger.

Yes, madam mayor.

A few items I wish to bring your attention on the consent agenda before you just let them sail right on through.

Uh a couple of big ones I want to at least give you a fair uh warning on.

Item number four and five.

They deal with a like something of a trans transition area here.

Yeah.

Uh basically, what's it say?

Oh, from office historic landmark ultravisor neighborhood association to multi-family and multiple two TOD transit oriented development.

What does it that entail?

Well, it in mixed use, etc.

I looked at the backup documents.

TOD, transit orient development dash mx3.

I didn't have a chance to make a copy of it, so I just wrote down the uh uh some of the the wording on that.

What does it say, Mr.

Audiovisual Man?

Uh TODA MX3 transit oriented development mixed use encourages opportunities with identified light rail stations.

This is along San Pedro.

Yes, I know you're going to be putting up uh the green line there, but uh when I saw that that phrase light rail stations that uh brought back some bad memories of the big uh brew haha we had about uh ten or so years ago, and so much so we put it in our charter that there will not be any light rail established here in town and unless the voters vote for it there.

I want to alert you about that.

Uh please make sure you're not putting up any light rail stations here.

Okay, all the other things here.

Uh the um few other items I wish to bring to your attention, and they these are you have when you have 39 of them, it's uh it takes a while to get them all organized here.

Item number one is about an alcohol variance, and this is over in uh uh Mr.

Mr.

Mung uh Ms.

Via Grand's district.

Yeah, Mr.

B Ms.

Via Grant, you're going to allow alcohol to be sold in 300 feet over of a school.

The uh what's it called?

The Carroll Bell Education Center.

Yeah, right over there on Pleasanton Road.

I wish, like always, you wouldn't uh ask allow alcohol sales to be be placed right where school kids happen to walk by, Ms.

Via Grand.

Also, um number item number three in uh district district one.

Uh the uh she's not even in her chair today.

What do you know?

But she's going to I don't know who's carrying the water for number three, but you're gonna allow a tattoo parlor to be placed here like we need another one of those there.

Thank you.

Joe Mezza, followed by Christian Pesci.

Okay, hello, my name is uh Joe Messa.

I'm here for the rezoning, which is uh I guess number three for the tattoo shop on uh 1449 Kulebra Road.

Um basically uh I'm just taking over for uh a business that was there for formerly for probably like the last 30 years.

I was uh aher salon, and she since retired.

Um my uncle that owns the building uh offered me the space, so uh we began the process to to go ahead and do the rezoning and everything, and basically uh that that's about it.

Um I plan to just you know open the shop to the community eventually.

Um we'll do you know stuff like uh school drives, um, maybe in the summertime do like art projects with the with the community.

Um basically would like the opportunity to do that.

That's it.

Thank you.

Christian Pesci uh good afternoon.

My name is Christian Pesh.

Uh I'm here on uh speaking in regards to items 11 and 12, which uh entail uh rezoning um for 1510 uh East Houston Street.

And uh the zoning is going from uh residential mixed to uh urban, I'm sorry, um regional mixed to urban mixed use and from RM4 to R2.

We are my family owns the property that is directly adjacent to the rear of that property.

We have heard that there was opposition to this zoning change.

We um live at 107 Glorieta, which is directly behind that property, and we also own 316 North Mesquite, which is within about 50 feet of that property within the um notification area.

And uh in terms of uh hearing about the opposition, we wanted to uh state our uh position on it and that we um firmly uh are in line and uh support the zoning changes for these on these two items.

So that's basically it.

Thank you.

There are no other individuals that have signed up to speak on the consent agenda.

May have a mo is there a motion to approve the balance of the consent agenda.

Second.

Okay, great.

Is there any council discussion on the items on the consent agenda?

Okay.

Hearing none, there is a motion and a second to approve the consent agenda, which are items one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-eight, thirty-two, thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight, and thirty-nine.

Please vote.

Okay, the motion carries.

We'll now move on to the individual items.

Staff, uh, please start with item numbers nine and ten.

Agenda items nine and ten are a plan amendment and change of zoning, amending the near Northwest Community Plan from neighborhood commercial to regional commercial, and rezoning the property from C2 to C3NA, located at 1416 West Hill de Brand Avenue.

Staff recommends denial.

Planning commission recommends an alternate land use of community commercial and zoning commission recommends approval.

Staff mailed 36 notices, one was returned in favor, one opposed.

Staff received no response from the Keystone or the Los Angeles Heights neighborhood associations.

Thank you.

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

The first person is Majid Miraspa, followed by Jack Finger.

Each individual will have three minutes to speak.

So I'm requesting rezoning from C2 to C3NA.

As far as the neighborhood association, I had several meetings with them.

They accepted and they agreed with the rezoning.

Basically, this uh uh was a restaurant for the past 14 years.

Michael owned uh this property.

It's on point one acres.

And because it only has five parking spots, none of the tenants could make it to have a restaurant there.

So I decided to uh change that and start my own business there.

Hopefully try to sell antique and uh vintage motorcycles.

Uh for that I'm requesting a C3 uh during our last meeting.

Uh it turned out that uh uh someone opposed that because of the sales of alcohol that could become a club or a discotheque.

Uh I agreed with uh C3NA, and so that's my request.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Thank you.

Jack Finger.

Other members of the council, my name is Jack M.

Finger, and uh once again I I would like to take issue with your uh the previous speaker.

The uh the gentleman says he intends to put a oh something like a restaurant or something very light duty over there, but please understand that when you change it from uh C2 to C3, yeah.

Uh you're getting to start to get pretty intense uh commercial uses.

You could put something like a uh auto or truck uh repair shop right next to but the big thing is is that this all going up just across the street from where people, residents live.

Yeah, uh people who live in the neighborhood, neighbors, you know.

Uh and that's why folks, that's why the staff said please say no to this.

Deny it.

It's too intense.

You wouldn't like to live right across the street street from all re big all repair shop or truck repair shop, but you can put it there.

That's this this uh designation is pretty broad, and you can put anything there you want to within those parameters.

It doesn't have to be anything what that's gonna be suggested as something very light in density.

No, it's not like that at all.

So uh please you may want to I think uh this is in Ms.

Carr, your district.

These are the arguments against it, madam.

I wish you would say no to it.

Thank you.

Item numbers nine and ten are in district one.

Councilman Corr is recognized to speak.

Um I wanted just really quickly uh congratulate us on passing our first Todd vote just now for items four and five.

So transit oriented development, it's coming.

Okay, uh Jack, this is an hour district, and so I vote to approve.

Motion to approve.

Is there any council, any other council discussion on items nine and ten?

Okay.

There's a motion and a second to approve.

Okay, there's a motion and a second to approve.

Items nine and ten will take a uh voice vote.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Okay, the motion carries.

I'm sorry.

Are there any abstentions?

Okay.

Thank you.

Okay, the motion carries.

Um staff, please present the next item.

Agenda item number 20 is a change in zoning from IDZ with uses permitted in the C1 Light Commercial District and live entertainment with and without cover charge, three or more days per week of reception hall and meeting facilities, to C2NA C D with a conditional use for auto paint and body, and it is located at 3406 Roosevelt Avenue.

Staff and Zoning Commission recommend approval with the following conditions.

Hours of operation shall be limited to Monday through Friday from 7 a.m.

to 7 p.m.

And on Saturday from 10 a.m.

to 6 p.m.

And that there shall be no external sound systems or live music permitted, and lastly, solid screen fencing along Woodhole Drive.

Staff mailed 13 notices, two were returned in favor, one in opposition.

The notice received in opposition does trigger a supermajority approval requirement.

And outside of the 200 foot notification boundary, nine notices were returned in favor and one in opposition.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We have several members of the community signed up to speak on this item.

The first person is Joel Ferdinand, followed by let me make sure this is not the same person.

Joel Vonnie Ferdinand, is that the same person?

Two different people.

Okay, thank you.

So you have each of you have three minutes, please.

Hello, my name's Joel Ferdinand.

I'm the owner at 3406 Roosevelt Avenue.

And uh I want to thank you for taking the time, Mayor, and uh council people for listening to us.

Um excuse me, sir.

You're Joel, Joel Giovanni, and then Linda all together.

Okay, so nine minutes, please.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um we have a PowerPoint.

Okay.

That's exactly what it looked like.

Uh this next one is the way it currently looks right now.

So you can see that we already started doing some improvements on it.

Um this shop originally opened in 1961 as Toyota of San Antonio.

Uh it was a body shop uh when it first opened up in 1961.

Uh in the late 70s, it turned into Cavender Toyota Collision all the way up to the late 80s, and it was purchased by Reflection Collision and stayed as a reflection collision to the late 90s when it was purchased by Robert Guerra Automotive and Repair in 1999.

It continued as an automotive and collision repair for 25 years up to the last year in September when when I took over.

This is a picture of that I took when I went to visit the shop right before I purchased it.

Uh, you can see where the paint booth is, which is a 37-year-old paint booth.

You can see that there's four feet between the office and the paint booth, and there's no firewall, there's no safety or anything.

Um now this shop has two different buildings, and it had two offices, one in the automotive and one in the collision area.

This is the collision uh body shop, which is the blue one.

Um the the paint booth was 37 years old, and it was positioned four feet away from the body shop from the office, which had no safety whatsoever, so we created a firewall in between them to separate them.

That's the reason we added the 40 feet uh and created the the three-hour firewall to create that safety.

Um, and we also uh fired international uh building codes and international fire codes uh as well as putting exhaust stacks that meet the IFC and and uh the IBC codes.

This is the way the new paint booths look now.

There's a huge difference.

It's it's it's a lot more modern.

Um times have changed in the last four decades.

The paint booth that was in there was very unsafe.

Um and um it just needed uh re a new booth in there.

The one that we had in there, I took a paint booth company in there, and they said you know, we just need to tear it down.

When we got rid of the paint booth, we uh took a company in there and we actually tried to donate it to another body shop, but it was in such bad shape that we couldn't even give it away, so we had to completely tear it down.

Um I've been a small business owner that opened up back in 1999 with one employee.

Uh now I have over 25 employees, uh, skilled technicians, and on this location we plan to employ another 20 skilled technicians.

Um so far we've invested 1.5 million dollars into the Roosevelt location um with equipment and property and improvements.

Um and you can see the that we are trying to revitalize the the area.

Uh when we met with uh with zoning commission with the zoning commission, um we we did uh agree to follow certain concessions of the downward facing lighting, the no temporary signs uh hours Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.

to 7 p.m.

Saturday only from 10 to 6.

Uh nurks no external uh sound system or live music permitted.

Um screen fencing along Woodward Drive.

Um other concerns uh that the neighborhood association we attempted to meet with the neighborhood association president in September, but she was unavailable.

In October, we were unavailable, and we finally had a Zoom meeting in November.

Uh we agreed to lower the exhaust stacks.

Um when we got approved for zoning.

Uh we cannot work on them because um we have to wait till zoning gets approved.

Um and we agreed to get rid of the corrugated fencing and add uh stone center block fencing as long as it was permitted by uh historical preservation society.

Uh other concerns.

Um I think one of their big concerns is the towins.

Um so at our other existing shop, which is three times larger than this shop.

Uh we only receive five to seven toes a um uh a week.

So uh and and they don't get brought in in 18 wheelers, they got they get brought in in a 3500 flatbed pickup.

Uh but all our all our uh work that we get in uh we're schedule based.

So they they have to schedule it in through the insurance company and then it gets sent to us, and we schedule times when it gets brought in.

So it's not like we have a congestion of cars that gets brought and dumped into our area.

Uh in closing, um this request does not seek to introduce a new uh income.

I'm sorry I'm sorry, we're not we're not trying to to change what was going on uh at this location.

Uh it's been a body shop for six decades, and um and we're just trying to keep it a body shop.

Uh however, we are um we do want it to look a little bit nicer.

Nobody's everybody's worked out of there.

They made money out of the this area, but nobody's put any money into the building or the location.

We just want to improve the look and the appearance of the building.

Uh we want to put new equipment and modernize the shop.

Um so um what we're asking is for your approval.

Um that's that's about it.

Do you guys have any questions for me?

That's it, sir.

Thank you for your comments.

Okay, thank you.

Uh the next person is Balthasar uh Cerna, followed by Lewis Vetter.

Good afternoon, Mayor, uh City Council.

Uh, just to reiterate, I represent uh for the record Baltazar Cerna 237 West Travis, uh, San Antonio, Texas.

I represent the uh the applicant in this case, which is Joel Ferdinand from Joel's uh uh collision.

Just to reiterate some of the finer points, uh as he said, there we met with the neighborhood association uh I think before you have uh several support letters from the area, including I think the one that's most important, then there's a Lacklud Lackland Neighborhood Association, which I believe is in your district, uh Councilman Gia, uh where he has an existing location that backs up into a neighborhood, and there's they are in support of Joel's collision because they know what he does and how he operates and how he works with the neighborhoods.

Uh my client is looking forward to to working with this neighborhood as he's told you he understands it's a historical uh area.

Uh the only reason he's here is because in the name of safety, he improved his building by 60 feet.

He expanded, he had grandfather rights, uh, expanded by 60 feet to to make it a safe to a safer uh facility.

Uh and he's here asking uh for you to approve his zoning today.

Uh again, um he's just trying to come and uh come into compliance.

Uh this this facility has been in existence for 65 years as a body shop.

He's just trying to get back into compliance and uh he's gonna do all he can to do to beautify that area and do what he can uh to make sure it improves there.

So again, we we're here to ask for your support.

Thank you.

Lewis Vetter, followed by Jane Henry.

Good afternoon, Mayor and City Council.

I'm Louis Vedder, president of the Conservation Society of San Antonio, and I come today to oppose the rezoning of the 3406 Roosevelt Avenue, because it does not comply with the zoning and other requirements.

In 2018, City Council adopted additional zoning and development requirements at the request of ICOMOS and UNESCO to protect the World Heritage Site and its buffer zone.

This property, oh, can you all display the photo, please?

Thank you.

This property was developed into new non-compliant and development requirements.

Uh non-compliant and without the use or following any of the city's established procedures and processes, and the city has failed to require the property owners to comply with existing zoning.

What you see here is a picture of the view shed of what members and uh individual will come to see this marvelous heritage site.

There's a historic zone around this to protect view shed and the capabilities and what can encroach upon this.

Looking across Roosevelt, as you approach this UNESCO site, you're gonna see telephone poles, you're gonna see vent stacks, all of which is not supposed to be there any longer.

Ten years ago was agreed that uh telephone poles and utilities by CPS were to be removed and placed underground.

And so this site itself has continued to expand uh without permit, but by habit of doing so.

So what we're asking is that you not approve this rezoning, as it's gonna establish a precedent that will enable future noncompliant uses and development that violates the codes that the council has already adopted.

So this is an important measure.

By passing this zoning, you're basically stating the fact that we're fine with uh bringing these kinds of elements into this protected area for again what's gonna occur.

Now, the society welcomes really does welcome the opportunity to work with the city council, council member for district three, the owners, CPS, on finding solutions that will help address these problems and opportunities for growth, but while still protecting the view shed of our queen of the missions.

Thank you.

You're giving your time to Jane Henry.

Okay, thank you.

You have six minutes.

You have nine minutes, Ms.

Henry.

Yes.

Hello, Mayor Jones and uh City Council persons.

Um I'm glad for the opportunity to go over this issue with you today.

In the umose neighborhood and in the World Heritage Buffer Zone.

Uh I will I'll read my statement.

Mission San Jose Neighborhood Association opposes the zoning rezoning request for this property.

We cannot condone the applicant's additions to the existing building made without building permits or inspection or approval from the HDRC or his intended use as a paint and body shop.

Mr.

Ferdinand has ignored every citation issued him by the code enforcement.

He failed twice to gain approval for non-conforming use of the property.

Unfortunately, the zoning commission decided to reward Mr.

Ferdan's defiance of city ordinances by issuing the zoning that would fit his additions and intended use.

Um of the property, his application for that, they uh the board of ad the Board of Adjustments zoning board of adjustments recommended that he um tried he could uh try to rezone as an L zone, which is light industrial.

His current place, um Joel's collision out at 2424 West uh loop 410, Southwest Loop 410, um is a C3, surrounded by other C3s and L's and I's uh and other similar shops, gun shops, uh uh budget motels, things like that.

It's right on the access road of a freeway.

That is where something like this belongs.

Um his business is fine.

He does well, the place looks good at the uh west side location, but it absolutely is totally out of place right across from Mission San Jose and in the World Heritage Buffer Zone.

It's totally out of place.

And the smokestacks that he put up on that property are just nothing short of blasphemous, right in front of Mission San Jose.

It's appalling.

Uh there are other smokes uh ventilation systems that he could have used, but he chose to choose the cheapest one.

He says he didn't know it was in a historic district.

Right across the street from him from Woodhull, where it uh angles off of Roosevelt.

Uh that little parcel triangular parcel of land is national park land.

It is the beginning of 15 acres going north of the Mission San Jose portion of the Mission District's National Historic Parks.

Okay, um Mr.

Ferdinand shows absolutely no regard for city ordinances, the Mission San Jose, the Mission National Parks, Mission Historic District, or the World Heritage Door Designation, or the World Heritage Buffer Zone.

He shows no regards for his neighbors in Mission San Jose neighborhood.

Um at the other, now let's get back to the other place.

He has electrified fencing, 7,000 volts on the west side.

The place is lit up like a football stadium at night.

Um then at the end of this um zoning thing, sorry, the memorandum, the the recommendations from the zoning commission.

Um they they talk about compatibility with the neighborhood.

This absolutely does does not work.

Something like this electrified fencing.

Um neighbors, this is supposed to be a walkable, welcoming area, as uh Mr.

Vetter pointed out.

Um with the 2017 bond improvement um Roosevelt Improvement Project, those lines, the telephone lines, the utility lines are supposed to be buried to uh clear up the clutter.

The smokestacks do not clear up the clutter.

Uh paint and body shop, super sized uh without permission, um, just does not uh make a beautiful walkable bikeable neighborhood, welcoming to tourists and San Antins alike.

Um as a matter of fact, his um his facility there is a poison pill for all the vacant lots around there that have been bought by other property loaners from with uh property owners from within the neighborhood, hoping to build planning to build better things.

Beautiful new Nietzsche restaurant right across the street.

Uh he had to tear down an old Lufkin um boat repair shop.

It was a giant warehouse kind of thing.

He tore it down and an old gas station, getting ready for new development right behind this Joel's collision.

Um that's also vacant property now property now because the current landowner cleared it of an old meat packing plant that was there.

So this land is ready for good development that can benefit the the city, the missions, the historic district, the World Heritage Site.

Um we need restaurants.

We could even have a hotel in that area down Mission Road, there's vacant land.

That would be great for this, but to have a paint and body shop there with smokestacks and tow trucks going in on uh the tow trucks anyway.

You can see it's not a good fit.

Nobody is going to want to put anything nice next to this place.

Um classic collision on Roosevelt at the river was built in uh in the 1980s.

I stopped in with Elm to talk about their ventilation system.

Their stacks are only three feet high, and they're uh um hidden behind some facades that they built.

The man when I told the man we were concerned that the tow trucks might be coming, taking shortcuts down Padre Drive through the county park, and then through the national park on Napier, and down Mission Road.

He said, Oh, well, it's not only the tow trucks, there we only get about five to six tow trucks per day carrying crumpled cars, which will not be nice to see either.

Uh he said, in addition to that, we have 15 to 30 delivery trucks every day, big ones like the two bedroom sizes from U-Hall, from each of the different car manufacturers delivering parts, body parts, uh, and um that if 15 to 30 trucks coming in at 3 a.m., 9 a.m.

and 2 p.m.

daily.

That is way too much traffic for this area for this tourist destination for our neighborhood, for the uh park roads that are all around there, way too much.

This is absolutely not a good idea.

I think that Mr.

Fidan needs to just realize that he has made a mistake in choosing this location, and um he needs to move it to a place that is more appropriate with an L or C3 um zoning already in place, and one that will be closer to um also close to uh enterprise car rental.

Um the Mission San Jose Neighborhood Association is recommending that he just take down everything that he's built illegally, those paint booths can be they're modular, they can be taken apart and moved elsewhere.

Uh it can take down everything that he has built and take it to um one of the other um locations, and there are 24 other enterprise car rental locations in San Antonio.

That was the one the location he chose now is very close to the car rent enterprise on um on military, and it's also close to Stenson where they get a lot of business from the car rental place does.

Um the main attraction Mr.

Fredan found to this location uh is proximity proximity to the car rental place.

Um there are 24 other enterprise car locations in San Antonio, and surely you can find a more appropriate one a location near one of those.

And as for the story on the timeline, he bought this place.

Uh Mr.

Gare was my mechanic.

He hardly did any um paint and body uh work at his place, maybe because the ventilation the the facility was outdated for that.

I think his ventilation form was uh turbines and open windows and open doors.

If he did any.

Ma'am, if you have additional comments, you can submit those for the record.

Thank you.

If you have additional comments beyond your time, you can submit those for the record.

I'm sorry, additional what?

Comments.

Do you have additional uh just a few about um sorry uh in a written form?

Oh, in a written form, because your time has expired, ma'am.

Uh yes, I can provide that.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you for listening.

Brady Alexander, followed by Brenda Penchecko.

Six minutes.

Could I have a timer?

Six minutes.

It's not working.

We're we're uh keeping it here though.

My name is Brady Alexander.

I represent the Hot Wells Mission Reach Neighborhood Association, and we support Mission San Jose in opposing this project within our area.

This project is about as authentic as it gets.

Authentic meaning San Antonio degrades historical features, and that is very unfortunate.

From the stage stop at UTSA and I-10, which is now a Honda dealer, lookout point, and many others.

It's really sad that that this happens, but it truly is authentic.

So if you're looking for something to do authentic, this fits right in with things in the past.

We can start at the Alamo.

Look at uh past photos, uh, Jordan Ford used the long uh barracks as a car lot back in the 20s.

And other things that have happened.

Thank God the state oversight is controlling the Alamo, or it would be destroyed like a slowly happening to the other missions.

And they are trying to undo the damage that has been allowed by this city over the past 60 to 80 years, and it's really gotten bad about the last 20.

Mission Concepcion.

Who would put a juvenile detention facility next to that mission?

City of San Antonio.

How authentic.

Who would put apartments in close proximity to that?

Once again, City of San Antonio.

Mission San Jose area, and not just the mission, but the surrounding areas that are historically significant, a saquias, river, etc., have been degraded by many inappropriate projects.

Gambling is not appropriate in proximity to the structure.

Convenience store.

Other um vape shop, CBD, et cetera, though maybe appropriate in other areas, not in this.

This is a poor area with less.

Recently, we've gotten rid of some businesses, um, the corral, the horsing around, got rid of that.

So basically, we got rid of the topless, and now we have the homeless.

And I don't know which is worse.

Uh, but with their argument of this was a paint booth or paint shop, and now it should continue.

Well, the same argument is valid for the horsing around in the corral.

So I'm sure if they brought up they wanted to do a strip club.

I wonder if you're uh you'd want to be authentic on that too.

The area is interesting because it's basically a dump ground.

When anybody is acting up a little bit, indigent, mentally ill, they go to the state hospital.

But he's homeless, well, send them over to Haven for Dope.

Down on pressa.

Why not?

What else are they gonna do?

I mean, this sets the catalyst for some very bad things, and you would not be seeing this body shop or a body shop on Brooks campus.

More care is taken there than it's taken around historically significant areas of the South Side.

But we used to get the city to care about us once a year during the um San Antonio Marathon.

It's kind of like the MLK march.

They clean up the east side a week a year, and the other 51 weeks, it all goes back to where it was.

So we really don't get a lot of attention down there that we should.

The city could incentivize and a catalyst for proper and meaningful development that benefits all, not just the tourist, but the locals also.

In July 2025, a thousand dollar donation was made by Joel to our district three council rep.

This kind of action reminds me of the school boards on the South Side where they don't even cover themselves.

At least it looks bad.

It looks it doesn't look like a campaign donation since it's reported after the campaign.

So I wish it would at least cover it up.

These border town politics are authentic San Antonio, unfortunately.

So if you want to perpetuate the wrongs of the past and continue them in the future, approve this, and we can hardly wait to see what else we get dumped on at San Jose.

The state recognizes the city is the greatest threat to the mission historic areas, the National Park Service recognizes it, the conservation society recognizes it, and the community recognizes it.

It's about time the city of San Antonio recognizes that they are the threat to our community.

Susan Strong, followed by Jack Finger.

Hi, good afternoon, Council Mayor.

Um I'm here.

My name is Susan Strong.

I'm a resident of River Road in District One.

Um, but I am here to support my fellow historic neighborhoods down south, and to urge you to consider this as a full council.

That I know the tradition is that you would give deference to the councilwoman who's in whose district the zoning request is, but the missions is a World Heritage site.

It is important internationally, it is the only one in Texas, and it had 1.3 million visitors in 2024, which is about four times as many as the Frostbank Center gets.

171 million dollars in local economic benefit.

Um, and this site is on the direct route to the new National Visitor Center, as well as visible from Mission San Jose.

So this is an area this where this zoning would go in is an area that is very, very important to the entire site, to the buffer zone, to the redevelopment of that area, as has been planned since at least since as long as I lived here, um, along Roosevelt Avenue and around the mission.

So as my friend Jane Henry pointed out, um this is an area that is and the conservation society as well.

This is an area that has had plans for quite some time that are incompatible with an expansion of a body shop and the imposition of new smokes tax and all the environmental concerns uh that that environmental traffic all of that is just not compatible with the site.

So I would urge you to please um reconsider this this recommendation from the zoning commission and vote to deny this or at least have further study of the impact that this will have on the on the city's economy and the development of that area around our prime one of our prime tourist sites.

Thank you.

Jack Finger.

Madam Mayor, other members of our city council, my name is Jack Finger.

Uh Ms.

Via Grand, this uh case takes place in your district.

I believe uh I think you know the definition of justice.

I think you and practically everybody else on this council also knows the definition of injustice.

Well for far too long.

The people in this area have been subject to a lot of injustice.

They have been dumped on by this auto body and paint shop.

The uh the noise, the smells, the uh traffic, uh and the the previous owners of this location, they always got away with it.

Nobody ever seemed to want to enforce any any laws that were on the books on this one.

So now there is a chance for this to change, Ms.

Via Gran.

Why the uh and the facts are out there for anybody to see.

Just look at the look at the record for what happened at the zoning commission meeting.

I mean uh I mentioned that the San Jose Neighborhood Association opposes us.

I mean, when you get a neighborhood association opposing something, that's a big deal.

You have people you had as many as four people speak out against it at the zoning hearing.

If you get anything more than one or two, you're doing that that's a controversy.

Having them anybody who comes all the way across town to come to uh a zoning commission hearing in the downtown area.

No, um that's why it's time, the time has come to say no to the yes injustice.

Finally, a chance, a chance to change things.

You heard the people mention how the previous owners continually broke broke the rules.

Well that I didn't you didn't see that mentioned in any in any of the proponents uh uh commentary up here.

I'd say why not uh go ahead and say no to this.

Any conditions he puts on this, is it really going to be make a difference?

These are the people who have to live next to it.

Thank you.

Item 20 is uh in district three.

Councilman Vigadana is recognized to speak.

I thank you.

Uh I I before we begin discussion, I think a motion to approve.

Second.

Thank you.

Um just because I I need to get started on this conversation, and it'll be with conditions, and I'll I'll state that.

Um for those of you who are sitting in my diet, my my council colleagues, those of you all here, you understand that most of the time I want to take care of district three business in district three, but as you can tell after the few uh cases that we've had here in the pack of letters you got that along Roosevelt, what I have is an issue between the business community and a neighborhood association.

That's what I have currently right now.

Now I appreciate the conservation coming society coming out, but I have up to 10 sites, existing automotive and auto repair retail related businesses in this corridor already, and this one has been there as was mentioned too since the 60s, and as was mentioned by the applicant, he has been the one that has um has made improvements on that and has agreed with the conditions to what once getting the zoning to re take care of those smokestacks that the neighborhood association uh has brought up.

Uh we adopted the UNESCO City of World Heritage, and when we did, there was a lot of conversation, and one dangerous one that was had was a moratorium for this area, and we did not want that.

We knew we needed a tax base, we needed knew we needed to improve that area.

I was not on the council at the time, and we had this plan, this great bond project coming with Roosevelt and World Heritage.

And if you guys have been there, you know what this is.

This is a thriving living South Side community.

I have got auto repair shops, I have got a pizza hut, I have got a bar called Mustang Sally's.

So this is all along Roosevelt, and we got the designation with all of this there.

So as we continue to grow, as I know, Mike Shannon and his team will be working on the um the construction in it, and it will impact these businesses.

I currently have an existing business that is trying to come into compliance, and with staff approval and zoning approval, we are here today, and I ask that you and and I am working on it, and I asked that for your vote, but I do have some questions for city staff.

Staff, can you please advise who oversees the permitting of this equipment in this under the purview of is it state, TCEQ, or DSD COSA?

Development Services Department would be responsible for permitting.

Okay, and does this business still have to go undergo further review by HDRC for uh C of O?

Yes, nothing about the change of zoning supersedes or waives that requirement.

Thank you.

And uh I want to thank the zoning commission for their work in vetting this case and for including conditions that address signage, lighting, hours of operation.

Um as you know, this growing with legacy and having a World Heritage site is difficult.

However, I have been to Cordova in Spain.

I have been to Amsterdam, and if we don't allow the community to grow organically and support the businesses that are that are already there, what's going to come in is nothing but corporate.

So I ask that um that motion to approve with conditions as read.

Is there any other council discussion on item 20?

Okay.

There's a motion and a second to approve with conditions as read.

Please vote.

The motion carries and this.

Staff please present the next item.

And it's located at 627 Southwest Loop 410.

Staff and zoning commission recommend approval with the following condition.

Only downward facing lighting is to be installed.

Ten notices were mailed, zero were returned in favor and zero opposed, and there is no registered neighborhood association within 200 feet.

Thank you.

No members of the community have signed up to speak on this item.

Item number 23 is in district four.

Councilman Mungea is recognized.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, at this moment, I'd like to motion to approve with conditions as read.

Second.

Is there any other we had a second?

Yeah, okay.

Um is there any other council discussion on this item?

Okay.

Hearing none, there's a motion and a second to approve with conditions as read.

Please vote.

Motion passes.

Go ahead, please.

Agenda item 27 is a change of zoning from R5 to RM5S with a specific use authorization for a wireless communication system with a reduced setback from residential property of 196.5 feet.

The property is located at 603 Pruitt Avenue.

Staff recommends denial.

Zoning Commission recommends approval.

Fourteen notices were mailed.

Zero were returned in favor and zero in opposition.

The Collins Garden Neighborhood Association is in favor.

Thank you.

We have two individuals from the community signed up to speak.

Vincent Hubinger, followed by Jack Finger.

You each have three minutes.

Vincent Hubinger.

Oh, okay.

Thanks.

Sorry, Mayor.

Uh Vince Hey Mayer, uh, thank you for uh hearing me today.

Um agreeing with the uh continuance for three weeks.

We've got a lot of options to look at for councilmember Castillo's district.

So um let me know if you have any questions.

Jack Finger.

Madam Mayor, other members of the council.

My name is Jack Pinger.

Well, let's uh see what other scandals we can fathom through today.

The uh Ms.

uh Castillo.

This uh case is in your district.

It's about uh placing a wireless communication system.

Otherwise, in my words, a monstrosity.

About a 200 foot tall monstrosity here.

Yeah, uh we all uh have seen cell phone towers.

We we do need them to continue our communications with our cell phones, etc.

Uh but I dare say you would not want to live right next to a yes, monstrosity like this.

But uh that's what uh uh is going to take place uh next to residents in this area here, Ms.

Castillo.

Yeah, uh over on Pruitt Avenue and uh and the uh zoning staff to their credit, they say that uh uh you shouldn't be doing this.

Why?

Well, it's because very essentially you're gonna be allowing quote allowing potential high-rise commercial building encroachment.

Encroachment within the neighborhood.

So the question is, do you want to continue having uh high-rise commercial encroachment uh in your neighborhood?

Do you want the neighborhood to go downhill because of it?

Do you want people to have who have to live next to it?

Try try to say, how on earth can I get out of this neighborhood?

How much money do I have to raise to to leave this place?

Since on living right next to this thing.

No, uh I suggest you say uh uh deny it.

And uh give everybody a break on this one.

Thank you.

Item 27 is in district five.

Councilman Castillo is recognized to speak.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Logan, for the uh presentation.

I appreciate the commitment of of Vincent to be in agreement with the continuance, but if I may, if Ken, if you can make your way up to the podium.

Yes, I think you guys uh can you share um that you are representing uh the applicant of this case and you are also in agreement with uh continuance.

Yes, I am representing the applicant, and we are in agreement with the continuance.

Great.

I I appreciate that, Ken.

And my expectation uh uh from here to the February 5th date is that there is language drafted in terms of covenant as well as a letter of intent.

Uh so I look forward to discussing that with both you and the applicant as well uh and the Collins Garden Neighborhood Association.

Okay, that's fine.

Thank you, Ken.

Uh with that I motion to continue item 27 till February 5th.

Second.

Is there any other council discussion on this item?

Okay.

There's a motion and a second to continue this item to February 5th.

Please vote.

Okay.

The motion carries the next item, please.

Agenda items 30 and 31 are a plan amendment and change of zoning, amending the downtown area regional center plan from urban low density residential to medium density residential and rezoning the property from R4 to IDZ2 with uses permitted for six dwelling units.

The property is located at 141 Castillo Avenue.

Staff recommends denial with an alternate recommendation of IDZ1 with uses permitted for four dwelling units.

Planning commission and zoning commission recommend approval.

Forty-two notices were mailed.

Zero were returned in favor, two returned in opposition, and the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association is in support of this request.

Thank you.

Zoning staff thought that this idea of well placing six dwelling units into one little spot was a little bit of an overkill.

Yeah.

They they even made the recommendation of going to just four units.

They'll grant you that, but they maybe they are human beings who sympathize with those who have to live around the density of this stuff, and they say, no, uh, let's not start looking like New York tenement buildings.

Let's uh kind of reduce this and uh say no to six units on one little property.

Oh, what's the what's the name of the street there?

Castillo Avenue.

I hope that doesn't sussu uh Ms.

Castillo about the uh uh the attributes on this one.

Yeah.

Um so I suggest if you would uh please uh say say no to this one, Ms.

Castillo Item numbers 30 and 31 are in District 5.

Council and Castillo is recognized to speak.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh thank you again, Logan.

I want to thank the applicant for working with the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association to come into agreement to support this item uh with that.

I motion to approve as submitted.

Second.

Is there any other council discussion on this item?

There's a motion and a second to approve.

As submitted, please vote.

Okay, the motion carries.

Next item, please.

Staff recommends denial with an alternate recommendation of C1.

Zoning Commission recommends approval.

Staff mailed 50 notices, zero were returned in favor, zero opposed.

The historic West Side Residents Neighborhood Association supports the rezoning request.

Thank you.

We have several folks recognized signed up to speak.

Leticia Sanchez.

Followed by Jack Finger.

Hi, I'm the co-chairperson of the historic West Site Residence Association, and this is the owner, Mr.

Iscamilla.

Uh the property at 725 Montezuma is within our boundaries.

Our association has been working with uh Mr.

Scamilla to ensure that the zoning that we've worked together is the best option for him and for our community.

Uh he's the owner of the Colonial Tortilla Factory, which is a legacy business in our community.

Their business is on the property.

This their business uh is on the property directly behind 725 Montezuma, uh, which is the property that faces Guadalupe Street.

Um their goal is to expand the business onto the back property on Montezuma.

And our association supports their zoning request for a C2PA zoning.

Although our association would not typically support this type of zoning on Montezuma, we do support this request because the Colonial Tortilla factory is a lekazi business and has been always been a positive impact in our community.

Um the parking for this business is on Guadalupe Street, so it will not uh affect the residential area on Montezuma.

And finally, Mr.

Escamilla uh submitted a covenant restriction letter to our association ensuring that if the property would ever be sold, which he says as long as he's alive, it won't be um it would not uh be sold to anyone wishing to start businesses listed on the C2 zoning that our association has indicated.

Um it does not want on the property.

So we therefore ask that you vote to support Mr.

Escumia's request.

Thank you very much.

Jack Finger.

Well, Madam Mayor and other members of the council.

I Jack Finger would tend to disagree with uh some of the speakers that come up here.

Uh today seems to be the uh the day for the word encroachment.

Yeah, see that that was the uh the words of the persons whom we hire, they call the professional zoning staff to ascertain uh these cases and make their recommendations to us since they are supposedly the professionals on these uh situations.

And uh they their words were about uh all this one was encroachment as well, as we heard earlier in this meeting.

Yeah, they mentioned that the uh over here in Montezuma Street, the commercial commercial butts right up against the residences, the you know, the people who have to live right next to these things.

At least the and now at least the C1 recommendation is easier on the neighbors.

C1, it's not as intense.

C2 crosses the line.

It's in their words, it's too encroaching.

More commercial encroachment, more people who have to live next to the uh the the businesses, the commerce, the the inconvenience of having to live next to uh undesirable well on just businesses.

Instead of being next to it's one more business next to them, is one less neighbor they could be living next to yeah.

People who who they want to live next to, but no uh someone said, Hey, I think we can get away with this one.

Let us go ahead and see see if the council will uh say yes to it.

So anyway, Ms.

Castillo, let's uh this this one's uh street name is not Castillo this time, but uh just the same.

I wish you would uh say no to this at least one of these things.

Thank you.

This item is a district five.

Councilman Castillo is recognized.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

I want to thank uh Mr.

Escamilla and the Historic West Side Neighborhood Association for working together on a resolution uh where folks feel comfortable with the approval of this item.

Uh with that, I motion to approve as submitted.

Is there any other council discussion on this item?

Okay, there's a motion, a second to approve as submitted.

Please vote.

Okay, the motion carries staff for the final presentation.

34 and 35 are a plan amendment and change of zoning, amending the near northwest community plan from medium density residential to neighborhood commercial and rezoning the property from R4 to NC.

The property is located at 302 East Sunshine Drive.

Staff Planning Commission and Zoning Commission recommend approval.

Staff mailed 18 notices, three were returned in favor, zero in opposition.

The Jefferson Neighborhood Association is opposed, and staff received no response from the Sunshine Estates Neighborhood Association.

Outside of 200 feet, 91 notices were returned in favor and three in opposition.

Thank you.

Okay, uh the first person signed up to speak on these items.

Uh Bianca Baron, followed by Andy Garcia.

Actually, are you a group?

Andrew and okay.

So nine minutes total.

Thank you.

Like you guys to use as a visual.

Good afternoon, uh, Mayor Gina Ortiz and um City Council members.

Thank you for allowing me the time and opportunity to speak today.

I want to begin by acknowledging the responsibility City Council carries in balancing neighborhood character, public safety, and responsible investment.

I respect that role, and I also respect that not every resident will share the same perspective.

My goal today is to clearly explain our intent, our business plan, and good faith efforts we have made to engage the community so this request can be evaluated based on facts, process, and compatibility.

At our previous city council meeting, council granted us a continuance specifically to engage with Jefferson Neighborhood Association so that we can better understand any concerns related to our rezoning request.

We took that direction seriously and acted promptly.

In December, we reached out to Jefferson Neighborhood Association to request a meeting, and we were advised that it may be may be possible to meet with JM members at their scheduled meeting on January 5th, 2026.

We followed up in advance to confirm whether we could attend that meeting, which we addressed, which we understood to be members, a members only meeting.

We also paid our association dues as a business owner to demonstrate good faith, participation, and our intention to engage respectfully and transparently.

Ultimately, we were not invited to participate.

On Monday, January 12th, 2026, the day of the Jefferson Neighborhood Association's community meeting, we received an email earlier that earlier that same morning before the meeting took place, informing us that the association would not be supporting our rezoning request.

The reason provided to us was concerned that approving this request would set a precedent for the surrounding area and could lead to additional businesses along the west side of St.

Cloud Road, gradually converting a fully residential area into a commercial corridor.

After receiving that communication, we responded respectfully.

We acknowledge the concern and clarified that our request is site-specific and limited in nature and asked for clarification regarding how the decision was reached, specifically whether there was a formal vote, how many active members participated, whether community members were involved, and whether the feedback relied upon came from residents in close proximity to the property.

The clarification was not provided.

We spoke directly with neighbors, clarified misinformation, and explained our operating plan.

We gathered additional petition signatures, bringing the total to a little over 90 supporters, several of whom are neighbors within approximately 200 feet of the property, including the church that sits directly across this property.

These materials were submitted to our zoning case manager along with the map identifying petition petition supporters.

This is not a franchise.

We are not seeking large or intrusive signage.

Our regular business operations are appointment-based and not event-driven.

An occasional community-focused activity would be limited, infrequent, and conducted in compliance with all the city permitting and regulations.

We are open to reasonable and enforceable conditions related to hours of operation, signage, and overall operations to ensure compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood.

When we purchased this home, it was in poor condition and visually distracting from the surrounding area.

Since then, we have invested time and resources into cleaning, repairing, and maintaining the property so that it is safe, well kept, and visually consistent with the neighborhood.

Through our outreach, neighbors share that these improvements have made the site feel more welcoming and less of an eyesore.

Our intent is to continue that level of care and responsibility moving forward.

We understand concerns about precedent.

Respectfully, zoning decisions are evaluated on a case by case basis.

Approval of a site specific request does not automatically establish a commercial corridor.

Safeguards exist through professional staff reviewing, zoning regulations, and the city council's discretion.

And this request does not alter those protections.

We fully respect that some residents oppose this request.

For clarity on the record, we received oppositions from two individuals and from the JNA.

At the same time, we collected a little over 90 signatures of support, several of which are residents from residents and institutional neighbors within approximately 200 feet of the property of which we've already submitted to the city.

What we are asking the council to consider today is whether we acted in good faith, whether we attempted to engage transparently, whether we continued outreach even when access was limited, and whether this request on its own merits meets the standards for the rezoning approval.

We are committed to operating responsibly, maintaining the property and being accountable owners, owners.

Our intent is for this location to remain positive, well maintained, and neighborhood compatible presence.

Before I conclude, I would like to sincerely thank our zoning case manager, Alexa Ratana for her guidance, professionalism, and support throughout this process, which has been a meaningful learning experience for us.

I also thank the council members for your diligence for allowing us the opportunity to be heard and for the respect shown throughout this process.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you.

This item is in district seven.

Councilwoman Alderta Gavito is recognized.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you for uh the presentation.

And first I do want to thank the public speakers who took their time uh to be here today to make sure that their voices were heard.

Our zoning policies call for a healthy dialogue between neighbors and applicants in order to discuss the pros and cons of each case before coming to council.

I've received information from neighbors and from the Jefferson Neighborhood Association that there are significant concerns introducing commercial uses onto a corridor that is primarily residential.

These concerns have yielded a letter of opposition from the Jefferson Neighborhood Association, which represents around 3,000 homes in district seven.

While I understand this decision may not be what the property owner is hoping for, I'm accountable to the constituents of my district, especially those in the proximity who look to me to represent their position.

We look for for the support of our district seven neighbors and associations when moving forward with the case, and unfortunately we did not see that here.

With this in mind, I motion for denial of the item.

Second.

Okay.

There's a motion and a second to deny this item.

Please vote.

For clarification, a yes means you will deny.

Okay.

The motion carries.

Okay.

That concludes today's uh zoning and land use session.

The time is now 3 21, and this meeting is adjourned.