0:00 If my colleagues could please join us at the dais, so we may get our zoning meeting.
0:08 The time is now 4 31 p.m.
0:11 If my colleagues can join us, please expeditiously make your way to your seat.
0:27 Councilman White, your seat is up here.
0:43 The time is now 4 31 p.m.
0:44 on Thursday, May 7, 2026, and the City of San Antonio zoning and land use session is called to order.
0:49 Madam Clerk, please call roll.
0:56 Councilmember Viewer.
0:58 Councilmember Mungia.
1:00 Councilmember Castillo.
1:02 Councilmember Galhan.
1:03 Councilmember Alareta Gabito.
1:06 Council Member Mesa Gonzalez.
1:08 Councilmember Spears.
1:11 Councilmember White.
1:13 Mayor Pro Tim McKee Rodriguez.
1:15 Mayor Pro Tim, we have quorum.
1:18 We have several items to continue today, including items one, six, and seven.
1:24 We'll start off with items to continue to the May 21st agenda.
1:28 Those are item six and seven.
1:29 Is there a motion to continue?
1:32 Okay, we have a motion and second.
1:33 We have a few, we have one citizen sign up to speak.
1:36 Um we'll take all discussion on the continued items, including items one, six, and seven at one time.
1:45 You have three minutes.
1:53 Other members of our San Antonio City Council.
1:56 My name is Jack Finger.
1:57 A few items I wish to bring to your attention to this portion of the agenda.
2:00 Yeah, item uh once you're going to continue later on.
2:05 Item six and seven, they're almost identical, I guess, in the nature of what's happening and uh what the uh city uh zoning staff thought uh was bad about them.
2:18 Yeah, um item six is simply about uh oh amending the zoning district boundary from the AHOD residential single family airport has it to infield development zone, in field development zone, limited intensity with with users permitted and neighborhood commercial for two dwelling units, two dwelling units.
2:45 This is over in uh the district one, miss carried district.
2:50 That's where you are, miss carr.
2:52 And uh two dwelling units there, excuse me.
3:00 In fact, the very next one, item seven is almost identical.
3:04 Once again, it must put two dwelling units.
3:06 This one over on East Myrtle, just maybe less than a mile away from each other.
3:11 The reason uh the uh zoning staff thought this these are bad ideas is because the it allows the uh the resulting commercial encroachment, encroachment to to this residential area, and it will throw out their stability, eventually causing the the uh detriment of these two these two areas.
3:34 So uh, yeah, uh that's why these things are bad.
3:38 And you may why instead of your judge just continuing, why not just say no to them all together, you know?
3:45 Uh the other item you're going to uh continue to to uh a later date is item number one, and this is this item is in the Ms.
3:57 Gonzalez, it's about an alcohol variance.
3:59 The idea of uh oh allowing a uh alcohol to be sold either either in a bar or in a store or whatever within 300 feet of an educational institution, and that's why the the uh this one this time it's over at the at the UT University of Texas over on UT Boulevard.
4:21 Um do we really need to mix education and alcohol within 300 feet of each other, Ms.
4:30 Um I think any reasonable person would say no, you shouldn't do that.
4:36 Uh but who am I to say anything about this in front of our our illustrious city council here?
4:43 You know, you could though uh say put this on on the uh the the pull it and say no, we don't want to do this.
4:52 Good old Jack Finger says here, you see, so thank you.
4:58 There's a motion and a second.
4:59 Do we have any discussion?
5:21 Motion carries, thank you.
5:22 Next item to continue to the June 18th, 2026 meeting is item one.
5:26 Is there a motion to continue?
5:29 We have a motion to second.
5:46 We'll now move on to the consent agenda.
5:48 The following items are listed for individual consideration.
5:53 Do you have a new list for me for consent items?
6:06 Items three, four, five, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, twenty, and twenty-two are all listed under consent.
6:13 Um do we have any other items we would like to pull from the consent agenda?
6:19 We have a few, we have one resident signed to speak.
6:29 Mayor Potem, I uh sign up for number 11.
6:31 I believe that's the one on consent.
6:35 Yes, well, very good.
6:39 Is about uh, well, uh, you'd have to find the difference on this one.
6:47 Mayor Pro Tim, you are so lucky to have me here, by God, because I was able to to pick through this entire paragraph here and find the one difference in the and the change here.
6:59 The uh, and the one difference is the well, maybe one and a half.
7:06 Yeah, they want to add a tattoo parlor to the uh uh the bar and tavern alcohol, etc.
7:14 The that's being uh offered here, sir.
7:18 Yeah, over there on Coca Coca-Cola Place.
7:20 You know, uh what you could do, sir, is instead of in league with a lot of people who really think we have far too many tattoo parlors here in town.
7:35 You could simply say, no, I think we should put pull this and say say no to to the uh another uh tattoo parlor.
7:44 Do you I mean and to just really throw a wrench into everything and and have them have to come back and say what do we do now?
7:51 So yeah, uh, but yeah, like I say, do we really need another tattoo parlor here on the east side?
7:59 You know, I mean, in view of what uh uh kids have to go through once they grow up and find out what what maybe put that on my arm there, and they they have uh heck of a time to try to try to get it removed, you know.
8:13 Uh why not say no to one of these things, you know.
8:20 Do we have a motion for the consent agenda?
8:26 Councilmember Corps made a motion, Councilmember Mungia second.
8:34 I'll just say I'm a big fan of tattoo studios, and so I can't wait to approve today's consent agenda.
8:56 Motion carries unanimously.
8:57 We'll now move on to individual items.
8:59 Please start with item two.
9:01 Agenda item number two is a change of zoning from C2 to ID Z one with uses permitted in the C One Light Commercial District and is located at 2520 McCullough Avenue.
9:11 Staff and Zoning Commission recommend approval.
9:13 84 notices were mailed.
9:15 Two were received in favor, 12 opposed, uh, totaling 22.64% of the land area within 200 feet opposed, and thus requiring a supermajority.
9:26 The Mona Vista Neighborhood Association is opposed.
9:29 The Tobin Hill Community Neighborhood Association is neutral to the request, and we received no written response from the San Antonio District One resident association outside of the 200 foot boundary, five notices were received opposed.
9:44 We have one resident signed signed up to speak, Mr.
9:51 Item number two is in district one.
9:53 Councilman Councilwoman Corps recognized the speaker.
9:56 If anybody recognize the location on the map, it's uh one of my favorite athletes spots in the city, and absolutely in district one, it's called Rise Up.
10:05 And since they submitted this, they are no longer gonna do a wine boutique, which is initially what was requested.
10:10 So this is really just right changing their zoning for parking restriction, but nothing is changing about what they are actually doing inside.
10:18 So we were we feel comfortable that um with these changes, the folks that had initially opposed would be more comfortable with this decision.
10:25 But um, because it's such a great community business, we're gonna go ahead and motion to approve.
10:33 Motion from Councilmember Corps, second from Councilwoman Via Grand.
10:44 Next item is item eight.
10:45 Item isn't changes on it.
10:47 From C3 to C1 CDS with conditional and specific use authorization to permit a tobacco store, uh or retail slash hookah lounge or smoking room, vape shop or consumable hemp products retailer within 1,000 feet of a public or private school, daycare, or institution of higher learning.
11:07 The property is located at 3109 North St.
11:11 Staff and Zoning Commission recommend denial.
11:14 13 notices were mailed.
11:15 Two were received in favor, but outside of the 200 foot notification boundary.
11:21 No response was received from the Tobin Hill Community Neighborhood Association or the San Antonio District 1 resident association.
11:31 We do have a resident time to speak.
11:32 Finger, would you mind speaking on items 8, 18, and 19 altogether?
11:38 Please repeat that, Mr.
11:40 Mind speaking on items 8, 18, and 19 altogether.
11:44 Well, if you think uh I mean, I could will you give me nine minutes?
11:54 I I'll uh as a uh as a courtesy to you to all of you, I I'll uh I'll help you out on this one because they are uh pretty they all very are very similar.
12:05 They're all doggone bad.
12:08 Why are they doggone bad?
12:10 Because, well, remember, all of you are going to be voting on each one of these.
12:14 Each one of you are going to have to be responsible for your decision on what is going in there?
12:20 A tobacco store, retail slash hookah lounge or smoking room, vape shop, consumable hemp products, retailer.
12:30 And and this is one of these on item number eight is within 1,000 feet of the Mark Twain Academy.
12:38 This is why the not just the zoning staff, but the zoning commission said it was a bad idea.
12:46 They don't want to see this happening to our kids any more than anybody else does.
12:50 Now the question is do you want to see this happening uh with it to our kids?
12:55 Like the the uh wiser heads over at the uh zoning commission and staff says say.
13:06 Let me just check my notes here.
13:08 It's a long agenda.
13:10 Yeah, the uh 18 and 19.
13:14 Yeah, same similar situations.
13:18 Over on uh this one, uh, Ms.
13:22 Gabito, uh District 7, item number 18.
13:25 Same situation, tobacco store, hookah lounge, vape shop, consumable hemp.
13:31 This one is right next to uh uh on Babcock Road, right next to a thousand within a thousand feet of the international school.
13:43 I mean, do you really want to do this?
13:48 Do any of you really want to do this?
13:50 You know, I mean, gee.
13:52 In fact, one interesting note here is that of the um all the notices sent out within 300 feet.
13:58 Well, uh over 20 percent said no to this.
14:02 You're doing good if you get five or ten percent saying no.
14:04 These people understand what's going on and they don't want it sold there.
14:09 Yeah, they don't want it sold there.
14:11 All the adverse effects that we mentioned earlier, same thing.
14:15 Same thing was item number 19.
14:19 Well, this should once again, Miss Uh Gabito.
14:23 This one's over on the street of Callahan Road, yeah.
14:30 The staff keeps saying please don't do this with 100 and this one's what within a thousand feet of the the vocational school that is right over there, thousand feet within uh, we're sometimes in case some cases here, school kids walk home to and from.
14:48 They see the vapes.
14:49 Why shouldn't they try it?
14:51 Why do you why do you want to give them the temptation to do so?
14:56 Why does anybody be wanting to please please say no to one of these things, okay?
15:05 Um item eight is in District One.
15:09 Councilmember Corps.
15:10 Jack, it must be your motion.
15:11 It must be your lucky day and your happy happy birthday.
15:14 I think councilwoman on the Dicovito and I are gonna surprise you today.
15:21 Councilmember Corps, second from Councilmember, please vote.
15:26 A yes vote is to deny.
15:43 Item 18 is a change of zoning from C2 to C2S with a specific use authorization for the same uh use mentioned in the previous case, located at 1739 Babcock Road.
15:54 Staff and zoning commission recommend denial.
15:56 Nine notices were mailed, zero in favor, two opposed, and we received no response from the Oak Hills Citizens' Neighborhood Association.
16:04 Item 18 is in District 7.
16:09 First, I want to thank the International School of San Antonio for meeting with me and my staff to share their concerns about the vape shop potentially opening up so close to their campus.
16:18 They also submitted a formal letter to our office and to the city expressing their strong opposition of this item.
16:24 Fifth grade students should not be exposed to visible marketing of vape or hemp products so close to their school.
16:30 Parents picking up their children from school would potentially pass by a storefront, typically displaying displaying signage like free weed and other attention-grabbing images that are not appropriate near a school.
16:41 I am proud to have supported the breath ordinance alongside my colleagues last year, and I intend to uphold its purpose here with this item, item number 18, as well as the next one.
16:50 I motion to deny this item.
16:54 Motion from Councilman Alder De Rito, second from Councilmember White, please vote.
17:01 And I vote is a mo is a vote to deny.
17:36 Also in District 7.
17:38 Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem.
17:39 This proposed vape shop is located very close to the is located very close to the previous item we just considered.
17:46 While it's close to a different school, the School of Health Care, the School of Health Care Professions, my concerns remain the same.
17:51 Vape shops have no place in close proximity to schools, period.
17:55 My motion to deny this item.
17:58 Motion from Councilwoman Albert DeGrito.
18:13 Item 21 is a change of zoning from C3R and I-1 to C3R located at 12719 Spectrum Drive.
18:21 Staff and Zoning Commission recommend approval.
18:23 Twenty-four notices were mailed, zero returned in favor, five opposed, totaling 30.45% opposition, and thus requiring a supermajority to approve.
18:34 There is no registered neighborhood association.
18:37 Item 21 is in District 8.
18:38 Councilwoman Messi Gonzalez.
18:40 Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem.
18:41 I'd like to thank all the residents of Hart Ranch for sharing their concerns.
18:45 The property is currently zoned industrial, which I do not believe is an appropriate zoning since it's located adjacent to single-family homes.
18:51 Most residents we spoke to had concerns with the potential of alcohol sales on the property, and the applicant has amended their application to restrict on-premise consumption.
19:02 I'd also like to thank the Gazer family, the property owners, and applicant.
19:05 They are local long-term small business owners, and I'm hopeful that this rezoning will allow them to further realize their long-term investment in our community and continue to be good neighbors.
19:15 A motion to approve.
19:18 Motion from Councilwoman Messi Gonzalez, second from Councilwoman Viegron.
19:37 The time is now 4 50 p.m.
19:39 And that oh, yes, Councilmember Wyatt.
19:46 We do have a birthday today, and we didn't sing earlier at the end of A session, but I thought maybe we could uh sing to the councilwoman at this point.
19:56 Kick it off, please.
20:00 Happy birthday to you.
20:20 A joyous way to end our zoning commission, our zoning meeting.
20:23 That concludes today's zoning and land use session.
20:25 The time is 4 51 p.m.
20:26 and the meeting is now adjourned.
20:29 Thank you so much to the patience of Saw's leadership and staff.
20:31 I know y'all have been here for a very long time.
20:33 I know many of us have had to make arrangements for child care and family and whatnot.
20:37 Uh staff has to come by and adjust our machines one more time for the appropriate meeting, and then we'll come back ideally before five.
20:44 As soon as we can start, we'll get started.