DEPARTMENT: Development Services Department
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Michael Shannon
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Council District 1
SUBJECT:
Consideration and Recommendation of an amendment to the Unified Development Code to update Section 35-335 "NCD" Neighborhood Conservation District including amendments to "NCD-5" Beacon Hill Area Neighborhood Conservation District.
SUMMARY:
Councilmember Trevino initiated a Council Consideration Request (CCR) for Development Services staff to update the Beacon Hill Neighborhood Conservation District.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
In March 2016, Councilman Roberto Trevino requested that the City of San Antonio review and update the "NCD-5" Beacon Hill Area Neighborhood Conservation District. The Governance Committee was briefed on this item on February 8, 2017 and recommended that staff move forward with the community input process to amend the Beacon Hill NCD. As this is a UDC amendment, staff provided a briefing of the proposed changes to the Planning Commission Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) on March 27, 2017 and the TAC had no objection to staff moving forward with the amendment process. On April 17, 2017, the item was presented to Neighborhoods and Livability Committee and recommended to continue with public input on the proposed revisions.
ISSUE:
The Beacon Hill NCD was created in 2005. 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 adequately address to ensure consistency with the character of the neighborhood. Development Services Department has met with a working group formed by the Beacon Hill Neighborhood Association, comprised of property owners within the neighborhood, since August 2016 to identify other areas of the Beacon Hill NCD that need amendments to update the standards.
DSD staff and the Beacon Hill neighborhood working group met 8 times between August 2016 thru February 2017 and developed revisions to the NCD and presented a draft of the revisions to the Beacon Hill Neighborhood Association on March 20, 2017. In addition, four community meetings were held on April 3, April 5, May 24, and May 25, 2017, to present the proposed changes to property owners within the Beacon Hill NCD as well as two work group meetings with commercial property owners on April 25 and May 10, 2017. Below is a recap of the meetings:
• A meeting with residential property owners was held on April 3, 2017, to receive input and feedback on the proposed changes. At the meeting, there was no opposition to the proposed standards related to height and building massing for all residential structures to address the development patterns that have been occurring and have concerned the neighborhood. However, a number of standards related to elevation features, building materials and accessory structures and its applicability to developed homes versus vacant lots or new construction needs additional discussion. Owners were invited to send in their comments and feedback to staff by April 14.
• Staff consolidated input received by the April 14th deadline and presented revised language at another community meeting on May 25, 2017. The community agreed with the proposed revisions for residential standards.
• A meeting with commercial property owners was held on April 5, 2017, to receive input and feedback on the proposed changes. Many of the current standards remain the same, however, major changes include defining a building for the purposes of meeting the maximum front setback, no longer exempting the industrial zoned properties by IH 10 and the railroad, aggregating lots more than a half-acre, and signage to allow more flexibility for primary signage and lit signs. There was no objection to the proposed definition of a building, however, several of the commercial property owners were concerned that the working group did not include commercial owners and would like to review the standards and its applicability to redeveloped properties or new construction versus additions or minor changes to exterior buildings. The owners asked to form a committee to review the district standards with staff and propose revised language. Two working group meetings were held with commercial property owners on April 25 and May 10, 2017, to revise the NCD proposed standards.
• The revisions for commercial standards were presented on May 24, 2017, and the commercial property owners agreed to the proposed revisions.
ALTERNATIVES:
Denial of the proposed amendments will result in the current standards remaining in place.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this briefing.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the proposed changes to the Beacon Hill Neighborhood Conservation District.
On March 27, 2017, staff provided a briefing of the proposed changes to the Planning Commission Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and the TAC had no objection to staff moving forward with the amendment process.
Council consideration is scheduled for June 22, 2017.