DEPARTMENT: Development Services
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Roderick Sanchez
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: 8
SUBJECT:
Zoning Case Z2013198
SUMMARY:
Current Zoning: "C-2 GC-1 MSAO-1 MLOD-1" Commercial Hill Country Gateway Corridor Camp Bullis Military Sound Attenuation Overlay Camp Bullis Military Lighting Overlay District, "C-2 UC-1 GC-1 MSAO-1 MLOD-1" Commercial IH-10/FM 1604 Urban Corridor Hill Country Gateway Corridor Camp Bullis Military Sound Attenuation Overlay Camp Bullis Military Lighting Overlay District, "C-3 MSAO-1 MLOD-1" General Commercial Camp Bullis Military Sound Attenuation Overlay Camp Bullis Military Lighting Overlay District, "C-3 GC-1 MSAO-1 MLOD-1" General Commercial Hill Country Gateway Corridor Camp Bullis Military Sound Attenuation Overlay Camp Bullis Military Lighting Overlay District and "C-3 UC-1 GC-1 MSAO-1 MLOD-1" General Commercial IH-10/FM 1604 Urban Corridor Hill Country Gateway Corridor Camp Bullis Military Sound Attenuation Overlay Camp Bullis Military Lighting Overlay District
Requested Zoning: "MF-33 MSAO-1 MLOD-1" Multi-Family Camp Bullis Military Sound Attenuation Overlay Camp Bullis Military Lighting Overlay District, "MF-33 GC-1 MSAO-1 MLOD-1" Multi-Family Hill Country Gateway Corridor Camp Bullis Military Sound Attenuation Overlay Camp Bullis Military Lighting Overlay District and "MF-33 UC-1 GC-1 MSAO-1 MLOD-1" Multi-Family IH-10/FM 1604 Urban Corridor Hill Country Gateway Corridor Camp Bullis Military Sound Attenuation Overlay Camp Bullis Military Lighting Overlay District
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Zoning Commission Hearing Date: February 18, 2014
Case Manager: Trenton Robertson, Planner
Property Owner: Karta Real Estate, L.P. (by G.P. Singh, Director, Gur Parsad Management LLC, General Partner)
Applicant: Abbey Residential (by Joe Cicarello, Registered Agent)
Representative: Brown & Ortiz, P.C. (James B. Griffin)
Location: Portions of the 21500 and 21600 Blocks of Milsa Drive
Legal Description: 10.911 acres out of NCB 18335, NCB 18338 and NCB 34034
Total Acreage: 10.911
Notices Mailed
Owners of Property within 200 feet: 34
Registered Neighborhood Associations within 200 feet: Friends of Friedrich Wilderness Park
Planning Team: North Sector Plan - 41
Applicable Agencies: The Camp Bullis Military Training Site
Property Details
Property History: The subject property consists of portions of multiple parcels, which were annexed in 1998 and originally zoned "Temp-R1" Temporary Single Family Residence District. In a 1999 City-initiated large-area case, the properties were rezoned to "R-8" Large Lot Home District. Upon adoption of the 2001 Unified Development Code, the previous base zoning district converted to "R-20" Residential Single-Family District. The current "C-3" and "C-2" base zoning districts were approved in 1995 and 1996, respectively. The subject property is not platted and is currently undeveloped.
Topography: The property does not include any abnormal physical features such as significant slope. However, a majority of the site is heavily vegetated with trees and grasses.
Adjacent Zoning and Land Uses
Direction: North and East
Current Base Zoning: "C-3", "C-2" and "C-2 CD"
Current Land Uses: Undeveloped land and temporary construction staging area
Direction: South
Current Base Zoning: "C-1", "C-2 CD" and "R-6"
Current Land Uses: Vacant residence, single-family residence, undeveloped land, and outdoor storage of construction materials
Direction: West
Current Base Zoning: "PUD R-20" and "PUD C-3"
Current Land Uses: Single-family residences
Overlay and Special District Information: All surrounding properties carry the "MLOD" Military Lighting Overlay District and "MSAO" Military Sound Attenuation Overlay District, due to their proximity to Camp Bullis. The "MLOD" does not restrict permitted uses, but does regulate outdoor lighting in an effort to minimize night-time light pollution and its effects on operations at the military installation. The "MSAO-1" does not restrict permitted uses, but does enforce construction standards intended to lessen the impact of external noise from the nearby military installation. The "MSAO-1" regulations apply to new construction of habitable structures.
The Hill Country Gateway Corridor District ("GC-1") provides site development standards for properties within 1,000 feet of Interstate 10 between UTSA Blvd and the northern City Limits. The standards primarily address building placement, landscaping, building materials and signage to promote a coordinated development scheme for the Corridor. A Certificate of Compliance review is performed by the Zoning Section.
Properties located within 500 feet of the Interstate 10 right-of-way are located in the "UC-1" IH-10/FM 1604 Urban Corridor District. Urban Corridor districts do not regulate permitted uses, but may impose development standards related to building setbacks, screening, utilities, and signage.
Transportation
Thoroughfare: Stonewall Parkway and Milsa Drive (north/south section)
Existing Character: Secondary Arterial Type A 86'; one lane in each direction with partial medians and partial sidewalks
Proposed Changes: Adding another lane with center medians
Thoroughfare: Milsa Drive (east/west section)
Existing Character: Local Street; one lane in each direction with no sidewalks
Proposed Changes: None known
Public Transit: There are no public transit lines located within the immediate vicinity of the subject property.
Traffic Impact: A TIA report is not required. The traffic generated by the proposed development does not exceed the threshold requirements.
Parking Information: The off-street vehicle parking requirements for multi-family residential uses are determined by the total number of dwelling units.
Multi-Family Dwellings - Minimum requirement: 1.5 spaces per unit; Maximum allowance: 2 spaces per unit
ISSUE:
None.
ALTERNATIVES:
Denial of the zoning request will result in the subject property retaining the current commercial zoning; the subject property would not be able to be developed for multi-family dwelling, but rather be developed for more intense commercial purposes.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None. The applicant paid all required zoning application fees.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff and Zoning Commission (10-0) recommend approval.
Criteria for Review: According to Section 35-421, zoning amendments shall be based on the approval criteria below.
1. Consistency:
The property is located within the North Sector Plan and is currently designated as Suburban Tier in the future land use component of the plan. The requested "MF-33" Multi-Family District is not consistent with the adopted land use designation. A plan amendment has been submitted, requesting to change the future land use designation to General Urban Tier. Staff and Planning Commission recommend approval of the request.
2. Adverse Impacts on Neighboring Lands:
Staff has found no evidence of likely adverse impacts on neighboring lands in relation to the proposed zoning change. Multi-family zoning districts may provide an appropriate transition between low-density residential uses and commercial uses or major thoroughfares.
3. Suitability as Presently Zoned:
The current "C-3" base zoning district is not consistent with the adopted land use designation; however, the existing "C-2" district is consistent with the Suburban Tier designation. While the commercial districts are not entirely inappropriate for the subject property's location, they are not positioned in a way that encourages the most intense development along the expressway. Instead, the "C-3" zoned area is located away from the expressway, closer to the residential subdivision on the west side of Stonewall Parkway.
4. Health, Safety and Welfare:
Staff has found no indication of likely adverse effects on the public health, safety, or welfare. The increased levels of traffic related to multi-family development should be easily managed by the recent and ongoing improvements along Stonewall Parkway and Milsa Drive, as well as Interstate 10.
5. Public Policy:
The subject property is located within both the "MSAO-1" and "MLOD-1" overlay districts due to its proximity to Camp Bullis. Any new development within the five mile area surrounding Camp Bullis must comply with the lighting standards established by the "MLOD-1", as well as the sound attenuation measures required by the "MSAO-1".
6. Size of Tract:
The subject property is 10.911 acres in size, which should be able to reasonably accommodate the proposed multi-family dwelling complex. Given the size of the property and the requested density, the maximum number of units is 360; however, the zoning application states approximately 325 proposed dwelling units.
7. Other Factors:
The subject property is located within the Camp Bullis Awareness Zone/Military Influence Area. In accordance with the signed Memorandum of Understanding between Fort Sam Houston and the City of San Antonio, zoning staff provided the Military with a copy of the rezoning request for review and comment. No comments have been received.
Staff recognizes that much of the surrounding area is transitioning from large, rural residential uses to more of an urban/suburban setting that includes single-family residential subdivisions, multi-family development, and a wide range of retail and service uses. The subject property is located between and arterial thoroughfare to the west and Interstate 10 to the east, which is the encouraged location for increased residential density that transitions to commercial uses. Such development patterns provide appropriate transition between the lower-density single-family development to the west and the expressway to the east.