DEPARTMENT: Planning & Community Development
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Bridgett White, AICP
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: 3
SUBJECT:
Direction to prepare a Service Plan for the Neal Road Area consisting of approximately 5.9 square miles in south Bexar County, generally located north of South Loop 1604 East, east of Applewhite Road, west of Pleasanton Road, and south of Mauermann Road.
SUMMARY:
This Resolution directs the Department of Planning & Community Development to prepare a Service Plan regarding the annexation of the Neal Road Area consisting of approximately 5.9 square miles in south Bexar County, generally located north of South Loop 1604 East, east of Applewhite Road, west of Pleasanton Road, and south of Mauermann Road.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On December 31, 2016, the City of San Antonio extended its city limits by approving the full purpose annexation of approximately 19.62 square miles of land known as the South San Antonio Annexation Area. The Neal Road Annexation Area, located in the City of San Antonio’s southern extraterritorial jurisdiction, is located adjacent to one of the South San Antonio Annexation Areas and consists of approximately 5.9 square miles. The area primarily consists of agricultural uses, vacant land, residential uses and a sparse number of commercial properties. It contains 163 parcels of land, of which 82 parcels contain residential uses. The proposed annexation area also contains portions of the Land Heritage Institute and is within close proximity to the Medina River, the Texas A&M University-San Antonio campus, and the Toyota manufacturing plant.
According to Chapter 43 of the Texas Local Government Code, the proposed annexation is exempt from a three-year Municipal Annexation Plan because it contains less than 100 separate tracts of land where one or more residential dwellings are located. The proposed annexation will expand San Antonio’s municipal boundaries and the public service area. The annexation will be part of City Council District 3. This annexation would become effective on June 22, 2017.
The intent of a Service Plan is to provide specifics on the services and capital improvements to be provided by the municipality after the area has been annexed for full purposes. The Service Plan will be made available to the public using various mediums and will be available for review at public facilities within, or near, the annexation area. In addition, the Service Plan along with maps, public hearing dates, and contact information, will be available on the Department of Planning & Community Development’s webpage. An interactive mapping system on the Department’s webpage will display the annexation area, and can be searched by property address, the property owner name, or by parcel identification number.
On April 20, 2017, the Department of Planning & Community Development mailed all the property owners in the annexation area a letter notifying them that their property is an area being considered for annexation by the City and provided the dates of public hearings for annexation. On April 26, 2017 the Department offered (by certified mail) a development (non-annexation) agreement to property owners of land assessed as agriculture, wildlife management or timber uses for ad valorem purposes
ISSUE:
Texas Local Government Code, Section 43.065(a) requires that prior to the publication of the notice of the first required annexation public hearing the City Council must direct its Planning Department to prepare a Service Plan for areas exempted from a Municipal Annexation Plan. This City Council resolution will authorize the Department of Planning & Community Development to prepare the Service Plan for annexation area.
State law requires that the municipality follow other annexation procedures, which includes mailing notices to the property owners, the publication of the public hearing notification, two public hearings by the governing body and the adoption of the annexation ordinance. Additionally, the City Charter requires consideration by the Planning Commission, and the publishing of the annexation ordinance 30 days prior to the final adoption. Below is a proposed schedule of actions for the annexation area.
2017 DATES REQUIRED ACTIONS
April 20 Written notice mailed to property owners
May 11 City Council’s Direction to Prepare a Service Plan
May 24 Planning Commission Hearing and Consideration
May 31 First City Council Public Hearing
June 1 Second City Council Public Hearing
June 6 Zoning Commission Hearing and Consideration
June 22 City Council Consideration and Action on the Annexation Ordinance, the Service Plan, Development Agreements, and Zoning
June 22 Effective Date of Annexation Ordinance
ALTERNATIVES:
A denial of the resolution would result in the subject property remaining within the unincorporated area of Bexar County.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with directing the Department of Planning & Community Development to prepare a Service Plan for the Neal Road Annexation Area. The City’s Management and Budget Office is currently preparing a financial impact study for this annexation area.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the Resolution directing the Department of Planning & Community Development to prepare a Service Plan regarding the Neal Road Annexation Area consisting of approximately 5.9 square miles within San Antonio’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) in southern Bexar County.