DEPARTMENT: World Heritage Office
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Colleen Swain
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: District 3
SUBJECT:
Consideration of four Ordinances authorizing the closure, vacation, abandonment, and transfer of city right of way; the transfer, or exchange of, City-owned property to the National Park Service, the execution of a memorandum of understanding; and the exchange and acceptance of property from the National Park Service for a turn lane on Napier Avenue. [Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager; Colleen Swain, Director, World Heritage Office]
SUMMARY:
This item is a consideration of four Ordinances authorizing the following:
A. An Ordinance authorizing the closure, vacation, abandonment, and transfer to the National Park Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Interior, the former road alignments of Mission Road, Napier Avenue, Woodhull Drive, and Trawalter Drive for a total of 2.1676 acres located on the current site and within the vicinity of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Visitor Center.
B. An Ordinance authorizing the transfer or exchange of ownership to the National Park Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Interior, two City-owned properties on the current site of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Visitor Center and four City-owned properties adjacent to the park for a total of 10.6852 acres.
C. An Ordinance authorizing the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Park Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Interior, for 5.5 acres of City-owned property associated with maintaining an additional landscape buffer and the view shed and scenic overlook of the existing church tower and steeple of Mission San José at the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.
D. An Ordinance authorizing the exchange and acceptance of 0.1008 acres of property from the National Park Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Interior, located at the northeast quadrant at the intersection of Napier Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue, for the construction of a right turn lane on Napier Avenue.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On April 21, 1994, City Council passed Ordinance No. 80055 authorizing the closing, vacating, abandoning, and quitclaiming of improved Napier Avenue, Mission Road, and Woodhull Drive, as requested by the U.S. Department of the Interior/National Park Service, in exchange for the relocation of Napier Avenue and Mission Road for the construction of a new San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Visitor Center located at 6735 San José Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78214. Additionally, the National Park Service has operated and maintained the former road alignment of Trawalter Drive (0.6441 acres), north of Mission San José.
Since the construction of the Visitor Center, the National Park Service has operated the center for over 20 years on the site of the former road alignments and other City-owned property south of Mission San José. These former road alignments were never conveyed to the National Park Service.
In the summer of 2016, after the creation of the World Heritage Office, the National Park Service requested from the City of San Antonio to reclose, vacate, abandon, and transfer the aformentioned former road alignments, in addition to transfer or exchange two other tracts of City-owned property on the site of the Visitor Center and four tracts of City-owned property adjacent to the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. Two of the four tracts of City-owned property are currently utilized as parks/open space and maintained by the National Park Service for visitors to the park to enjoy. The total acreage of City-owned land requested by the National Park Service is 10.6852 acres. These tracts of land are part of National Parks Service long range master plan and are necessary to enhance the visitor experience for all guests and San Antonio residents.
In June 2015, the City of San Antonio, Bexar County, and the San Antonio River Authority, with support from U.S. House of Representative Lloyd Doggett, signed a letter of intent to transfer to the National Park Service 5.5 acres of City-owned property located within the former Mission Drive-In Threatreproperty. This acreage fell within the new boundary and expanision of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park following Congress’s passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015. Under this Act, Section 3042 gave the power to the Secretary of the Interior to acquire public lands that were in the boundary expansion of the park. This property was acquired throught the 2007-2012 Bond Program and has been maintained by the City as a scenic buffer and historic view corridor for the mission. The National Park Service cannot accept this property until 2027 and will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City to continue to protect the landscape buffer and view shed of Mission San José. The MOU sets forth the intention of both parties to maintain the view from the river portal to the iconic church tower and steeple of Mission San José located within the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.
In spring 2017, the residents from the community around Mission San José requested that the City work with the National Park Service to exchange and/or accept property from the National Park Service to construct a right turn lane on Napier Avenue to head north on Roosevelt Avenue. With the anticipated increase in tourists and visitors to the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and the proposed street closure of a portion of San José Drive, the turn lane will improve traffic flow exiting the park. The City will exchange and/or accept 0.1008 acres of property from the National Park Service, pending the completion and clearance of an environmental assessment of the property, and construct the turning lane. This is a component of the River-To-Mission Connection Project that connects residents and visitors between the San Antonio River through Mission County Park to the national park, Mission Marquee Plaza, Mission Branch Library, and the new Harvey E. Najim Family YMCA.
ISSUE:
Approval of this Ordinance adheres to the City’s commitment and partnership with the National Park Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Interior, to continuously enhance and improve the resident and visitor experience for all visitors to the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park, a World Heritage Site.
ALTERNATIVES:
City Council may elect not to support action for this item as requested by the National Park Service. In doing so, this would counter local neighboring support from residents and previous local ordinance.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact. Staff recommends all fees for these transactions be waived.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of all items related to this Ordinance, including the waiver of fees.