DEPARTMENT: Planning Department
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Bridgett White, Director
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Zoning Commission consideration of the SA Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan proposed land use categories.
SUMMARY:
Consideration of amendments to Chapter 35, Unified Development Code, of the City Code of San Antonio, Texas, Section 35-420 (e) (5) Comprehensive Land Use Categories, and Section Sec. 35-A101. - Definitions and Rules of Interpretation: Comprehensive land use category.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Future land use is important because it helps determine where people will live, work, and play in the City of San Antonio, and is the basis for zoning and other land use and development decisions. The City of San Antonio has no single governing regulatory future land use palette, which has resulted in a lack of equity and fairness in several neighborhoods and communities throughout the City. The 16 adopted Unified Development Code land use categories are intended to be the designated comprehensive land use categories for neighborhood, community, sector, perimeter plans and any other element of the comprehensive plan. However, collectively, there are a total of 39 future land use categories within the adopted neighborhood and community plans. Many plans have land use categories that are inconsistent with each other and have variations in description, density and intensity allowances, development requirements, and permitted zoning districts.
ISSUE:
Currently, there are over 40 community and neighborhood plans that have been adopted by City Council between 1988 and 2013. Of those plans, only 12 have been updated since adoption. Some neighborhood and community plans do not include future land use or a map. There are remaining neighborhoods and areas within the City that are not covered by a neighborhood, community, or sector plan and also have no land use designation to regulate zoning and development patterns. Having communities with no plan or plans that are nearly 30 years old, some with no updates, does not create a favorable environment for existing or future development in San Antonio.
As part of the implementation of the SA Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan over the next five years, thirteen (13) Regional Center and seventeen (17) Community Plans will be initiated throughout the City, with the goal of having a comprehensive land use map for the entire City of San Antonio. To absorb and leverage the City’s projected growth successfully, and to provide strategic approaches for transitions between incompatible land uses and densities, coordinated land use plans are needed for each sub-area of the City. In order to develop land use plans that have uniform standards and vernacular for residents, stakeholders, industry representatives, and City departments, the Planning Department conducted a series of focus group meetings to gain feedback to improve the adopted land use categories. Those groups were:
1. Community groups (including not-for-profit organizations);
2. Neighborhood coalitions;
3. External governmental stakeholders;
4. Development industry representatives; and,
5. Affected City departments
Additionally, the Planning Department met with the City Council offices; launched a project-specific webpage; and conducted a community meeting on January 30, 2018 to present the new categories and to get additional community feedback.
The proposed land use category updates/revisions include:
1. Expansion of the Mixed-Use land use category into five discrete categories to allow more flexibility and varying intensities of mixed-use development.
2. Addition of a City/State/Federal Government category, which will replace Public/Institutional and is intended for properties owned and operated by municipal, state, or federal agencies.
3. Replacement of the Office, Business/office park, and Very high density residential land use categories. These categories are proposed to be replaced with new categories that better address the desired types of development as recommended by the Comprehensive Plan.
a. The exclusive Office category is redundant; said uses would continue to be permitted in commercial and mixed-use categories.
b. Update to the High Density Residential category includes additional flexibility in the recommended density (up to 50 d/u per acre). Higher densities would be permitted in the Regional Mixed-Use category to ensure that residents of dense residential developments have access to necessary goods and services within walking distance.
c. Business/office park would be replaced with Business/Innovation Mixed-Use and would include live/work housing options.
4. The balance of land use category revisions include minor updates to the description or the addition, or removal, of permitted zoning districts.
The table below highlights the proposed changes to the land use categories:
|
Existing UDC Land Use Categories |
PROPOSED UDC Land Use Categories |
|
Low Density Residential Estate |
Residential Estate |
|
Low Density Residential |
Low Density Residential |
|
|
Urban Low Density Residential |
|
Medium Density Residential |
Medium Density Residential |
|
High Density Residential |
High Density Residential |
|
Very high density residential |
|
|
Office |
|
|
Neighborhood Commercial |
Neighborhood Commercial |
|
Community Commercial |
Community Commercial |
|
Regional Commercial |
Regional Commercial |
|
Mixed use |
Neighborhood Mixed-Use |
|
|
Urban Center Mixed-Use |
|
|
Regional Center Mixed-Use |
|
|
Employment/Flex Mixed-Use |
|
Business/office park |
Business/Innovation Mixed-Use |
|
Light Industrial |
Light Industrial |
|
Heavy Industrial |
Heavy Industrial |
|
Agricultural |
Agricultural |
|
Public/Institutional |
City/State/Federal Government |
|
Parks/Open Space |
Parks/Open Space |
ALTERNATIVES:
This is the Zoning Commission’s consideration of the proposed land use category updates.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact related to this briefing.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Planning Department has previously briefed the Zoning Commission on the proposed land uses. Both the Planning Commission’s Technical Advisory Committee and the Planning Commission have been briefed and recommended approval. The Department will follow the adoption process, which includes the following schedule:
1. Planning Commission Technical Advisory Committee Consideration: June 11, 2018 (Recommended Approval)
2. Zoning Commission Briefing: May 15, 2018
3. Planning Commission Consideration: May 23, 2018 (Recommended Approval)
4. Zoning Commission Consideration: June 5, 2018
5. City Council Consideration: June 14, 2018