DEPARTMENT: Planning and Community Development
DEPARTMENT HEAD: John M. Dugan, AICP
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: 8
SUBJECT:
Public hearing for the limited purpose annexation of the IH-10 West Area.
SUMMARY:
Public hearing for the limited purpose annexation of the IH-10 West Area, consisting of 14.94 square miles (9,560 acres), generally located north of NW Loop 1604, extending to areas on the east and west sides of IH 10 West, and south of the Kendall County line.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On December 4, 2014, the City of San Antonio directed the Department of Planning and Community Development to initiate limited purpose annexation and prepare a regulatory plan for five annexation priority areas in 2015 and 2016, which are contiguous to the city limits and within the San Antonio Extraterritorial Jurisdiction and Bexar County. Five priority areas were identified based on the evaluation criteria established by the City’s annexation policy adopted in 2013. The areas encompass 66.47 square miles and have a population of approximately 117,517. The IH-10 West annexation area, consisting of 9,560 acres is one of the five priority areas.
The IH-10 West Area consists of approximately 9,560 acres (14.94 square miles) in Bexar County located along IH-10 West adjacent to Camp Bullis from the San Antonio City limits to Boerne’s extraterritorial jurisdiction line and is located within the City’s Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ). The IH-10 West study area primarily consists of single family uses, with some multi-family, commercial, and agricultural uses. The boundary for the study area is based on the fire travel response time in order to ensure that public safety services would be equivalent to the areas within the corporate boundaries of San Antonio and would not reduce by a negligible amount the level of fire and police protection and emergency medical services provided within the corporate boundaries of the municipality before annexation.
The proposed annexation would protect the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone and the quality of development through the extension of zoning and city codes, include emerging residential developments and commercial centers, expand the city’s economic vitality as a regional center by providing certainty and predictability, preserve the U.S. military missions through land use controls, facilitate long range planning in environmentally sensitive areas and growth centers, and enhance the City’s overall regional economic position in bringing new jobs, population, and investment to the region.
The City of San Antonio Department of Planning and Community Development held three public limited purpose annexation meetings on March, April, and May 2015. An open house meeting was held in the IH-10 West/Camp Bullis area on August 8, 2015. At the IH-10 West Open House, exhibits and brochures included Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), the proposed zoning, land use plans, examples of uses permitted in zoning districts, and the limited purpose annexation timeline. City staff provided the materials in both English and Spanish.
The Department of Planning and Community Development’s webpage provides individuals access to the IH-10 West Planning Study and Regulatory Plan, an expanded Frequently Asked Questions section, static maps, public hearing dates, and contact information. Also, the Department coordinated with the Information Technology Services Department to create an interactive mapping system which displays information at the parcel level. The interactive mapping system displays the limited purpose annexation area, zoning, future land use, and overlay districts. Individuals can search by property address or property owner name. The map has been available to the public since August 1, 2015 and is located on the Department of Planning and Community Development webpage.
The proposed limited purpose annexation has received coverage from local and national media outlets, such as the Wall Street Journal, the Economist, the Express News, Univision, KSAT 12, Kens 5, Fox 29, WOAI 4, Texas Public Radio, Time Warner News, and community newspapers.
ISSUE:
Limited purpose annexation allows the City to extend regulatory authority for the limited purposes of applying its planning, zoning, health, and safety ordinances without the provisions of full services. The City may not assess property taxes in the area until the property is annexed for full purposes, usually within three years. Limited purpose annexation will help ensure quality development in the area and will protect property values by ensuring that all development meets consistently high standards. The three-year limited purpose annexation period will give the City additional time to plan for the orderly extension of full municipal services to the area. It will provide a framework for capital improvements project planning for the area. By the end of the third year of limited purpose annexation, the City Council may annex the area for full purposes.
The IH-10 West Planning Study and Regulatory Plan for Limited Purpose Annexation -As a requirement of Texas Local Government Code Sec. 43-123, the City is publishing the availability of a planning study and regulatory plan regarding the proposed annexation areas. The planning study contains projected levels of development in the next ten (10) years with and without annexation, issues and the public benefits of annexation, economic and environmental impact of annexation and proposed zoning for the area. The regulatory plan outlines development regulations and states that the areas will be fully annexed within three years as required by the limited purpose state statutes.
Beginning September 19, 2015 the IH-10 West Planning Study and Regulatory Plan are available for public viewing at several locations and will be posted on the Department of Planning and Community Development web page.
State law requires that a municipality follow certain provisions, which includes public hearings notification in the newspaper; two public hearings held by the governing body; and adoption of the annexation ordinance and regulatory plan. Below is the schedule for the IH-10 West proposed limited purpose annexation.
Sept. 2015: 10th - Publish 1st mandated notice for limited purpose annexation
17th - Publish 2nd mandated notice for limited purpose annexation
18th - Zoning Commission hearing and consideration
19th - Release Planning Study and Regulatory Plan to the public
30th - 1st City Council Public Hearing (citizens to be heard)
Oct. 2015: 2nd - Planning Commission hearing and consideration
7th - 2nd City Council Public Hearing (citizens to be heard)
29th - City Council Consideration of:
§ Planning Studies and Regulatory Plan
§ Limited Purpose Annexation
§ Land Use Plan amendments
§ Zoning Changes
Nov. 2015: 27th - Effective date of the IH-10 West Limited Purpose Annexation
ALTERNATIVES:
1. Recommend denial of the IH-10 West proposed limited purpose annexation area.
2. Make an alternate recommendation.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The projected twenty year operating impact for the IH-10 West Annexation Area is $135 million.
RECOMMENDATION:
Approval of the IH-10 West Limited Purpose Annexation area.