DEPARTMENT: Development Services
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Roderick Sanchez
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Council District 8
SUBJECT:
Zoning Case Z2014087
SUMMARY:
Current Zoning: "C-3 GC-1 MLOD-1" General Commercial Hill Country Gateway Corridor Camp Bullis Military Lighting Overlay District, "C-3 H HS GC-1 MLOD-1" Historic Significant General Commercial Leon Springs Historic Hill Country Gateway Corridor Camp Bullis Military Lighting Overlay District, "C-3 H HS UC-1 GC-1 MLOD-1" Historic Significant General Commercial Leon Springs Historic IH-10/FM 1604 Urban Corridor Hill Country Gateway Corridor Camp Bullis Military Lighting Overlay District, "C-3 H GC-1 MLOD-1" General Commercial Leon Springs Historic Hill Country Gateway Corridor Camp Bullis Military Lighting Overlay District, "C-3 H UC-1 GC-1 MLOD-1" General Commercial Leon Springs Historic IH-10/FM 1604 Urban Corridor Hill Country Gateway Corridor Camp Bullis Military Lighting Overlay District, "C-2 PUD GC-1 MLOD-1" Commercial Planned Unit Development Hill Country Gateway Corridor Camp Bullis Military Lighting Overlay District and "C-2 PUD UC-1 GC-1 MLOD-1" Commercial Planned Unit Development IH-10/FM 1604 Urban Corridor Hill Country Gateway Corridor Camp Bullis Military Lighting Overlay District
Requested Zoning: "C-2 GC-1 MLOD-1" Commercial Hill Country Gateway Corridor Camp Bullis Military Lighting Overlay District and "C-2 UC-1 GC-1 MLOD-1" Commercial IH-10/FM 1604 Urban Corridor Hill Country Gateway Corridor Camp Bullis Military Lighting Overlay District
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Zoning Commission Hearing Date: February 18, 2014
Case Manager: Pedro Vega, Planner
Property Owner: Financial Resources, Ltd. (by Richard H Luders, Manager, FRI Management LLC, General Partner)
Applicant: Susan Wright
Representative: Susan Wright
Location: A portion of the 23900, 24000 and 24100 Blocks of Interstate Highway 10 West
Legal Description: 4.687 acres out of NCB 34732 and NCB 34752
Total Acreage: 4.687
Notices Mailed
Owners of Property within 200 feet: 21
Registered Neighborhood Associations within 200 feet: Dominion Homeowners Association is located within 200 feet.
Planning Team: North Sector Plan - 41
Applicable Agencies: The Camp Bullis Military Training Site and the City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation
Property Details
Property History: The subject property consists of former railroad and street right-of-way. The current zoning districts were applied to the property when the rights-of-way were vacated. The property took on the zoning of the surrounding properties. The property is currently being platted; however, the current split-zoning and many overlay districts have complicated the platting process.
Topography: A significant amount of the northern portion of the 4.687- acre site is located within the 100-year floodplain.
Adjacent Base Zoning and Land Uses
Direction: North and West
Current Base Zoning: "C-3"
Current Land Uses: Gas station, restaurants, retail stores, bank, dance hall, carwash, offices, church and elementary school
Direction: South and East
Current Base Zoning: "MF-18" and "C-2"
Current Land Uses: Undeveloped land
Overlay and Special District Information: 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 zoning review is performed by the Zoning Section of the Development Services Department.
All surrounding properties carry the "MLOD-1" Military Lighting Overlay District, due to their proximity to Camp Bullis. The "MLOD-1" 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 Urban Corridor District overlay strengthens the urban corridor district provisions (originally enacted in 1993) to promote the aesthetic and scenic qualities of the IH-10 West gateway to San Antonio. The standards primarily address signage, landscaping, lighting, setbacks, tree preservation, front natural buffers, building materials, utilities, fencing and screening along the corridor. Urban Corridor District designation does not require a property owner to rehabilitate an existing building or sign to conform to the standards.
Located at Interstate 10 and Boerne Stage Road near the northwestern edge of the San Antonio city limits, the Leon Springs Historic District contains three buildings that have had a significant impact on the architectural and cultural history of San Antonio's surrounding hill country communities.
Transportation
Thoroughfare: Interstate Highway 10 West Access Road
Existing Character: Access Road; one lane in each direction without curbs or sidewalks
Proposed Changes: None known
Public Transit: There are no public transit lines in the immediate vicinity of the subject property.
Traffic Impact: A Traffic Impact Analysis is not required. The traffic generated by the proposed development does not exceed the threshold requirements.
Parking Information: The zoning application refers to a proposed noncommercial parking lot. Parking lots do not carry minimum or maximum parking requirements.
ISSUE:
None.
ALTERNATIVES:
Denial of the request will result in the subject property retaining the current split commercial zoning classifications and various overlay districts prohibiting the proposed single zoning district.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None. The applicant has paid the required zoning 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 subject 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 "C-2" base zoning district is consistent with the adopted future land use designation.
2. Adverse Impacts on Neighboring Lands:
Staff finds no evidence of likely adverse impacts on neighboring lands in relation to this zoning change request.
3. Suitability as Presently Zoned:
The existing split zoning is not appropriate for the subject property. The multiple base zoning districts and slivers of various overlay districts were created when the railroad and Old Fredericksburg Road rights-of-way were vacated. This rezoning request is meant to restore the original boundaries of the Dominion Planned Unit Development and the Leon Springs Historic District, while applying a single zoning district and a uniform set of development standards for the subject property.
4. Health, Safety and Welfare:
Staff has found no indication of likely adverse effects on the public health, safety or welfare. The proposed rezoning request will allow development of a parking lot meant to serve the adjacent businesses, which have insufficient on-site parking.
5. Public Policy:
Should the request be approved, the request does not appear to conflict with any public policy objective. The subject property is located within the boundaries of the Camp Bullis Military Lighting Overlay District, which is a five-mile area surrounding Camp Bullis and located only within the City of San Antonio municipal boundaries. Any new development within the five mile area surrounding Camp Bullis must comply with the lighting standards established within this zoning overlay district.
6. Size of Tract:
The subject property is 4.687 acres in size, and should reasonably accommodate the uses permitted in the "C-2" district.
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, the Military did not review the request because the property is less than 10 acres in size and does not directly abut the installation.