DEPARTMENT: Planning
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Bridgett White, AICP
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: 8
SUBJECT:
Public hearing regarding the annexation of the IH 10 West Commercial Corridor in Bexar County.
SUMMARY:
Public hearing regarding the annexation of the IH 10 West Commercial Corridor adjacent to the City limits of San Antonio within the City of San Antonio’s Extraterritorial Jurisdiction in Bexar County.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On December 4, 2014, the City of San Antonio (COSA) approved a two-year plan to initiate annexation of IH 10 West, U.S. Highway 281 North, and IH 10 East in Phase 1; and the Lackland Air Force Base (AFB) and Alamo Ranch Annexation Areas in Phase 2. In October 2015, the proposed annexations were postponed to assess the full purpose annexation areas’ financial and growth assumptions and conformance with the SA Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan’s annexation policies.
On September 8, 2016, City Council adopted a Municipal Annexation Plan, which included the IH 10 West Area. This proposed annexation was scheduled to be completed by 2019. On May 25, 2017, City staff presented alternate scenarios for the IH 10 West, Lackland AFB and Alamo Ranch Annexation Areas based on the feedback received from the SA Tomorrow process and discussions with City Council. The alternate scenario proposes full purpose annexation of the commercial corridors along IH 10 West, Babcock Road, Culebra Road, Alamo Ranch Parkway, Wiseman Boulevard, Potranco Road, and West Loop 1604.
On June 8, 2017, City staff presented to City Council the proposed annexation of corridors and other unincorporated ETJ areas, or “enclaves,” bounded by the COSA limits. These include parcels of land bisected by COSA limits, which are partially located inside and outside of COSA’s jurisdiction. Residents and businesses located within split parcels and enclaves may experience uncertainty with jurisdictional regulations, public safety response times and service delivery. These proposed annexations would provide more logical planning boundaries, uniform regulations and consistent service delivery to the entire tracts of land and the property owners. On June 29, 2017, through a resolution, the San Antonio City Council directed the Department of City & Regional Planning (Department) to prepare a Service Plan for these annexation areas.
The proposed IH 10 West Corridor Annexation Area, totals 0.89 square miles, is contiguous to the COSA limits, within the San Antonio ETJ in Bexar County. The annexation area will be part of City Council District 8. [A Map of the proposed annexation area is attached as Exhibit A.]
The Department conducted extensive public outreach to increase land owners awareness about the proposed annexation by using various methods including mailing of notices, publishing in newspaper, providing access to the City’s annexation hotline, and annexation information online on the Department’s webpage, and holding a series of community open houses throughout the annexation areas. The Department’s webpage also displays an interactive mapping system of the annexation areas, which can be searched by property address, property owner name, or by parcel identification number. On July 3, 2017, the Department mailed all the property owners in the annexation area a letter notifying them that their property was being considered for annexation by the City and provided the dates of the annexation public hearings. All of the notices to property owners were provided in both English and Spanish.
On July 5, 2017, the Department offered via certified mail 141 development (non-annexation) agreements to the property owners of land assessed as agriculture, wildlife management or timber uses for ad valorem purposes. The agreements have to be postmarked no later than July 26, 2017, or hand delivered by the close of business of July 28, 2017. The Department held extended hours for property owners with proposed development agreements on June 20, 2017. The Department’s staff was available from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., by telephone, and from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for appointments or walk-ins. Staff consists of bilingual personnel and a notary public to notarize the development agreement at no charge to residents.
A series of community annexation open houses were held at City branch libraries, including the Schafer Branch Library on July 17, 2017, the Great Northwest Branch Library on July 19, and the Igo Branch Library on July 24, 2017. The purpose of the open houses was to provide residents and property owners with an opportunity to learn about and ask questions on the proposed annexation of their area. Representatives from various City departments and external agencies also were available to provide information about City services. The postcard notices for the open houses were mailed on July 7, 2017. In addition, notices for plan amendments and zoning public hearing were published in the newspaper and mailed to the property owners. Lastly, in August the Solid Waste Management Department will mail residents about information and signing up for the City’s Solid Waste services.
ISSUE:
This is a public hearing regarding the annexation of the IH 10 West Commercial Corridor adjacent to the City limits of San Antonio within the City of San Antonio’s Extraterritorial Jurisdiction in Bexar County. In response to a written petition pursuant to Section 43.063 (b) of the Texas Local Government Code, the City of San Antonio will hold a public hearing for the IH 10 West Commercial Corridor, on August 10, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. at the Fair Oaks Ranch City Hall in Fair Oaks Ranch. Two additional City Council public hearings, for all of the areas including the IH 10 West area will be held on August 2, 2017 and on August 9, 2017.
Texas cities must follow the annexation procedures designated for areas exempted from the municipal annexation plan in Subchapter C-1 of the Local Government Code, Chapter 43. State law requires that prior to the publication of the notice of the first required public hearing, the governing body of the municipality must direct its Planning Department to prepare a Service Plan for the annexation area. On June 29, 2017 through a resolution, the San Antonio City Council directed the Department to prepare a Service Plan for the annexation area.
Each Service Plan will address City services to be implemented and necessary capital improvements to be provided by the municipality after the areas have been annexed. All of the Service Plans will be made available to the public using various mediums and will be available for review at public facilities within, or near, the annexation areas. Areas may be reduced and/or removed from consideration of annexation based on the continued planning and analysis that is being done to complete the Service Plan.
State law requires municipalities to follow other annexation procedures, which include the publication of the public hearing notification, two public hearings by the governing body, and the adoption of the annexation ordinance. In addition, the City Charter of San Antonio requires consideration by the Planning Commission, and the publication of the annexation ordinance 30 days prior to the final adoption. Below is a proposed schedule of all required actions for the Annexation Area.
|
2017 Dates |
Required Actions |
|
June 29 |
− City Council’s Direction to Prepare Service Plan |
|
July 3 |
− Written Notification to Property Owners |
|
July 31 |
− Publish Annexation Ordinance |
|
August 1 |
− Written Notification to Property Owners in the IH 10 West Area |
|
August 2 |
− First City Council Public Hearing |
|
August 9 |
− Planning Commission Hearing and Consideration |
|
August 9 |
− Second City Council Public Hearing |
|
August 10 |
− IH 10 West Commercial Corridor City Council Public Hearing |
|
August 15 |
− Zoning Commission Hearing and Consideration |
|
August 31 |
− City Council Consideration and Action on the Annexation Ordinance, Adoption of the Service Plan, Development Agreements, and Zoning |
ALTERNATIVES:
There is no alternative associated with this public hearing.
FISCAL IMPACT:
City staff is currently preparing a financial impact study for this Annexation Area prior to future City Council consideration.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is a Public Hearing with future City Council consideration.