DEPARTMENT: Department of Planning & Community Development
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Bridgett White, AICP
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Council District 1
SUBJECT:
Review and update of Section 35-335 "NCD" Neighborhood Conservation District including amendments to "NCD-2" Alta Vista Neighborhood Conservation District and "NCD-5" Beacon Hill Area Neighborhood Conservation District.
SUMMARY:
An update on Councilman Roberto Trevino’s Council Consideration Request will be provided to the Governance Committee.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
In March and December 2016, Councilman Roberto Trevino requested that the City of San Antonio review and update the "NCD-2" Alta Vista Neighborhood Conservation District and "NCD-5" Beacon Hill Area Neighborhood Conservation District.
ISSUE:
The Beacon Hill NCD was created in 2001 and the Alta Vista NCD was created in 2003. In March 2016, Councilman Roberto Trevino submitted a CCR to amend the Beacon Hill NCD language related to front setbacks for non-residential projects. Since that time, the Beacon Hill neighborhood has experienced different development patterns for multifamily residential projects that the language of the NCD does not address to ensure consistency with the character of the neighborhood. Development Services Department has met with the Beacon Hill Neighborhood Association and has been working with the neighborhood since August 2016 to identify other areas of the Beacon Hill NCD that need amendments to update the standards.
The Alta Vista neighborhood is also experiencing development patterns that the language of the NCD does not address. In December 2016, Councilman Trevino submitted a CCR to review and update the language of the Alta Vista NCD.
In addition, given the adoption of the SA Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan, staff recommends that the Department of Planning & Community Development (DPCD) and the Development Services Department (DSD) collaboratively review and update, if necessary, Section 35-335 "NCD" Neighborhood Conservation District of the Unified Development Code to ensure consistency with the Comprehensive Plan.
The current NCDs should be reviewed periodically to identify the issues of development patterns which were not anticipated in development of these NCDs, and ensure consistency with the Comprehensive Plan. Further, this will give the DSD and the DPCD an opportunity to address specific issues of concern to the neighborhood. Review of Section 35-335 will also seek to streamline future NCD updates; incorporate a more graphic framework; consider additional standards not included in current NCDs; remove redundancies; etc. Updating the NCDs will also include neighborhood input and will have a strategic outreach effort. The review and the update of the NCDs shall be coordinated with the Development Services Department to ensure that the standards are consistent with the current plan review process and other business practices.
ALTERNATIVES:
N/A
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this briefing.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends moving forward with the amendments to the Beacon Hill NCD as the work with the neighborhood association is substantially complete. The process to amend the NCD will include both residential and commercial property owner input, stakeholder meetings, Zoning Commission review and recommendation, Neighborhoods and Livability Committee discussion, and City Council approval.
Staff recommends moving forward with updating the Alta Vista. The process to amend the NCD will include both residential and commercial property owner input, stakeholder meetings, Zoning Commission review and recommendation, Neighborhoods and Livability Committee discussion, and City Council approval.
Finally, staff recommends a review and update, if necessary, of Section 35-335. The Department of Planning & Community Development (DPCD) and the Development Services Department (DSD) will collaboratively develop the update process with public input from affected neighborhoods. The departments recommend forwarding this issue to the Neighborhoods and Livability Committee for discussion and future action.