DEPARTMENT: Planning
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Bridgett White, AICP
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City-wide
SUBJECT:
A Municipal Boundary Agreement with the City of Terrell Hills
SUMMARY:
An ordinance recommending the approval of a municipal boundary agreement with the City of Terrell Hills for the transfer of 2.520 acres of land from the city limits of Terrell Hills to San Antonio. The subject property is located south of Austin Highway and east of North New Braunfels Avenue, in City Council District 10.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On March 12, 2018, the City Council of the City of Terrell Hills approved a resolution to request a municipal boundary agreement with the City of San Antonio for the release of total of 2.520 acres, consisting of the 0.657 acre McNay Art Museum-owned parcel and a segment of Austin Highway, with adjoining right-of- way (ROW). The Terrell Hills resolution is attached as Exhibit A. The proposed agreement is attached as Exhibit B and the subject area is described in Exhibits C and D.
The Cities of San Antonio and Terrell Hills share a common municipal boundary along Austin Highway to the east of North New Braunfels Avenue. The McNay Art Museum is situated within the City of San Antonio, at the intersection of Austin Highway and North New Braunfels Avenue. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has agreed to add a right-turn lane and other traffic safety and aesthetic improvements at the intersection of Austin Highway and North New Braunfels Avenue. In 2015, the City of San Antonio agreed to close Old Rittman Road at no cost upon completion of TxDOT’s improvements at this intersection. The McNay Art Museum agreed to pay for associated engineering services and donate small amounts of their property to the City of San Antonio. Previously, the McNay purchased a 0.657 acre parcel across from their campus to incorporate into their outdoor exhibit area. The alignment of the right-lane turn goes through the 0.657 acre parcel that falls within the boundaries of Terrell Hills.
TxDOT requires that only public land be used in their construction projects. For this reason, the McNay has agreed to convey ownership of 0.471 acres of their land to the City of San Antonio. The McNay desires to retain landscaping and maintenance responsibilities of the right-turn channelization island. Furthermore, the McNay supports the boundary adjustment to bring all of the McNay properties into the city limits of San Antonio.
State law authorizes adjacent municipalities to make mutually agreeable changes in municipal boundaries as long as the areas are less than 1,000 feet in width [Sec.43.015 of the Texas Local Government Code]. The dimensions of the subject area, which are approximately 500 feet wide and 790 feet long, meet the legal width requirements for a municipal boundary adjustment.
The City of Terrell Hills approved the MBA with the City of San Antonio on March 12.
ISSUE:
This is consideration of an ordinance recommending approval of a municipal boundary agreement with the City of Terrell Hills for the transfer of 2.520 acres from the City limits of Terrell Hills to San Antonio. The subject property is located south of Austin Highway and east of North New Braunfels Avenue.
The Annexation Policy recommends clear and logical boundaries in order to prevent confusion between multiple jurisdictions and provide efficient service delivery. The subject area is contiguous to the city limits of San Antonio. By San Antonio accepting the subject area, TxDOT now can apply its funding mechanism to the proposed traffic safety improvement and aesthetic enhancement along the Austin Highway corridor. The subject area would be located in City Council District 10.
The subject area falls within the Austin Highway Corridor as designated on the SA Corridors Framework Plan. The Austin Highway corridor is the gateway to the northeast, connecting Downtown San Antonio with Brackenridge Park, the Museums of San Antonio and Alamo Heights and Rolling Oaks Mall. The City of San Antonio Major Thoroughfare Plan has designated Austin Highway and North New Braunfels Avenues as Secondary Arterials Type B with 70 feet to 86 feet of right-of-way. Generally, Secondary Arterials are four lane roadways divided by medians with right and left turn lanes at major intersections. Currently, Austin Highway is a four lane road divided by a median.
The City of Terrell Hill currently provides public safety services on this segment of Austin Highway. City of San Antonio Departments and service providers including the Fire Department, Police Department, Transportation and Capital Improvements (TCI), Development Services Department, San Antonio Water Systems, Solid Waste Management, and Animal Care Services were canvassed regarding the provision of future service by San Antonio. The public safety providers for the City of San Antonio already respond within the subject area. Previously TCI and TxDOT had agreed to designate Austin Highway as a turn-back state highway, in which TxDOT would transfer road ownership and maintenance to San Antonio. Upon the transfer of the subject property, San Antonio would provide public safety services, road maintenance and traffic controls along this segment of Austin Highway.
In addition to state requirements for municipal boundary adjustments, the City Charter of San Antonio requires consideration by the Planning Commission and the publication of the ordinance 30 days prior to the final adoption. The ordinance was published in the San Antonio Express Newspaper on March 18, 2018. This item was considered and recommended for City Council approval by the Planning Commission on March 28, 2018.
There is no existing base zoning designated for the subject property as it is currently located within the City of Terrell Hills. On April 17, 2018, the Zoning Commission will hear the zoning request for “C-1 MC-3” Light Commercial Austin Highway/Harry Wurzbach Metropolitan Overlay District to apply to the subject property once it is transferred into the City of San Antonio.
At the April 19, 2018 City Council meeting, Council will consider the a) municipal boundary adjustment with the City of Terrell Hills; b) the application of zoning to the subject area; and c) the acceptance of a land dedication by the McNay Art Museum of three unimproved parcels totaling 0.471 of an acre (20,515 square feet) located at the intersection of New Braunfels Avenue North, Austin Highway and Old Rittiman Road in City Council District 10.
ALTERNATIVES:
The denial of the resolution would result in the subject property remaining within the city limits of Terrell Hills.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Since the properties in the subject area are exempted from paying property and sales taxes, no revenue will be generated from the transferred properties. The City of San Antonio will absorb the costs for the delivery of city services to the subject area.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of a municipal boundary adjustment with the City of Terrell Hills for the release of 2.520 acres from the city limits of Terrell Hills to San Antonio.
On March 28, 2018, Planning Commission recommended approval of the proposed municipal boundary adjustment with the City of Terrell Hills.
On April 17, 2018, the Zoning Commission will hear the associated zoning case for the subject area.