DEPARTMENT: Transportation & Capital Improvements
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Mike Frisbie
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Major Thoroughfare Plan Amendment - Mechler Road, North/South Connector, Marbach Road, and Potranco Road
SUMMARY:
Consideration of a request to amend the Major Thoroughfare Plan, a component of the City of San Antonio Master Plan, by:
1) Realigning a proposed segment of Mechler Road, a Secondary Arterial Type A requiring 86 feet of right-of-way, between Galm Road on the Major Thoroughfare Plan and the existing Mechler Road just north of Highway 90;
2) Realigning a proposed segment of the North/South Connector also known as Stevens Parkway, a Secondary Arterial Type A requiring 86 feet of right-of-way, between Potranco Road and Galm Road on the Major Thoroughfare Plan;
3) Realigning a proposed segment of Marbach Road also known as West Grosenbacher, a Secondary Arterial Type A requiring 86 feet of right-of-way, on the Major Thoroughfare Plan approximately 6,169 feet to the west between Highway 211 and the adopted extension of Marbach on the Major Thoroughfare Plan; and
4) Designating a segment of Potranco Road as a Primary Arterial requiring 120 feet of right-of-way between Hollimon Parkway and County Road 381.
The Department recommends approval.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The Major Thoroughfare Plan (MTP) adopted as a component of the City’s Comprehensive Master Plan generally identifies the location for major roads within San Antonio and its extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ). The MTP assures an adequate transportation network that works to move people, goods, and services in an optimal and efficient manner through right-of-way dedication for future roads. The MTP was adopted by City Council through Ordinance No. 49818 on September 21, 1978. The MTP has been amended several times through the years to calibrate and realign the thoroughfares along with development of the greater San Antonio metropolitan area. The MTP is generally built as development occurs.
Potranco Road from Loop 1604 to the county line was designated on the MTP in 1983 through Ordinance No. 57906. Marbach from Loop 1604 to the Bexar County line was designated in 1985 through Ordinance No. 6132. The North/South Connection (later known as Mechler Road) was designated in 1987 through Ordinance No. 64707. It is noted in the ordinance that the alignment went through Texas Research Park and was subject to further refinement by landowners. The North/South Connector (now known as Stevens Parkway) from Galm Road to Marbach Road was designated in 2006 through Ordinance No. 2006-03-23-398. In 2014, the City of San Antonio amended the Major Thoroughfare Plan through Ordinance No. 2014-01-16-0033 to realign the North/South Connector with the built portion of Stevens Parkway.
Alignments within the Major Thoroughfare Plan were reviewed as part of SA Tomorrow Multimodal Transportation Plan. The SA Tomorrow Multimodal Transportation Plan was adopted by Ordinance No. 2016-08-11-0590. The recommendation to realign Mechler Road, the North/South Connector, and Marbach Road are identified in the plan.
ISSUE:
The first part of the request is to realign Mechler Road with CR 381. Several developments have been approved and built such that the adopted Major Thoroughfare Plan alignment can no longer be implemented. North of Potranco Road, Redbird Ranch, Master Development Plan (MDP) 842, was accepted in 2005 and amended in 2007 and 2010. It shows the future alignment of Mechler Road on the western boundary following CR 381. In Redbird Ranch, Mechler Road would connect to Galm Road instead of ending at the future Highway 211.
South of Potranco Road, the Potranco Subdivision, MDP 030-06, accepted in 2006 and amended in 2009 does not provide the future alignment of Mechler Road. More recently, Potranco Elementary School was platted in 2004 and contains the extension of CR 381. Additionally, Texas Research Park, MDP 276, accepted in 1987 shows an 86-foot arterial within Medina County. The alignment does not follow exactly what is shown as Mechler Road in the adopted MTP. In a proposed amendment to Texas Research Park, Hunters Ranch, MDP 16-00027, shows the extension of CR 381 acting as the desired Mechler Road alignment.
The second part of the request is to realign the North/South Connector with Stevens Parkway. Stevens Parkway was identified in Stevens Ranch, MDP 777, accepted in 2004, as accommodating the MTP right-of-way dedication for the North/South Connector. Plat 050366 was approved and recorded with the right-of-way dedication for Stevens Parkway in accordance with the approved MDP 777 in 2007. Plats related to MDP 777 and subsequent amendments to the MDP were approved without amending the MTP. In 2014, the North/South Connector was amended by Ordinance No. 2014-01-16-0033 south of Potranco to align with Stevens Parkway. The current alignment of the North/South Connector as adopted does not recognize the developed portion of Stevens Parkway as the North/South Connector. Therefore, the alignment north of Potranco Road must be amended to recognize the shift of the thoroughfare alignment as Stevens Parkway.
The third part of the request is to realign a segment of Marbach Road on the MTP that has been constructed and named West Grosenbacher Road. The construction of West Grosenbacher Road is part of the Felder Tract, MDP 803, accepted in 2005 and amended in 2006 and in 2015 as MDP 14-00029. The MTP amendment request is to realign the thoroughfare to follow what has been built and shown in the accepted MDP.
The fourth part of the request is to designate a portion of Potranco Road. The right-of-way for Potranco Road varies depending on where dedication has already occurred. Potranco Road is part of the State highway system under Texas Department of Transportation. The minimum existing right-of-way is 80-feet wide and where dedication has occurred on one side the right-of-way measures 100- feet wide. The final desired right-of-way width is 120-feet as indicated in the MTP. The extension of Potranco Road ensures the connectivity of Potranco Road to Mechler Road.
ALTERNATIVES:
A. Denial of all parts of the request;
B. Approval of part of the request and denial of part of the request; or
C. Removal of Mechler Road from the Major Thoroughfare Plan, approval of parts 2 and 3, and denial of part 4.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None. There is no fiscal impact associated with this amendment.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Department recommends approval as presented.