DEPARTMENT: Planning
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Bridgett White, AICP
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Briefing on the Growth and Annexation Policy Update
SUMMARY:
Briefing on the City of San Antonio’s process to update its Growth and Annexation Policy that will provide guidance on managing growth and development issues within the City’s Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ).
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
In 2013, the City of San Antonio updated its 2002 Annexation Policy. The Policy provided a framework for annexation and addressed issues in the City’s Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ). In 2016, the San Antonio City Council adopted an amended Annexation Policy as a component of the SA Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan to ensure that the annexation evaluation criteria aligned with the goals of the SA Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan.
Since then, the Texas Legislature subsequently enacted laws that affected annexation, ETJ releases, municipal boundary adjustments and other land controls. These laws have significantly curtailed the annexation powers of Texas municipalities.
San Antonio has also seen an influx in the amount of requests for Public Improvement Districts (PIDS) or special districts, Development Agreements and annexations through requests from land owners within the City’s ETJ. Property owners and developers are requesting PIDs along with development agreements to secure land use flexibility and to minimize financial risks for their projects.
The current Annexation Policy does not reflect the changes in the state law nor does it provide the guidance necessary to evaluate requests for special districts and development agreements. Therefore, the City hired Economic & Planning Systems (EPS) to recommend an updated annexation policy and overall growth policy for the City’s ETJ. EPS has developed a White Paper to summarize and document the major issues related to growth and annexation policy for inclusion in the City’s formally adopted annexation policy.
Throughout the process the Consultant has engaged an internal Working Group and a Community Advisory Group to solicit input and feedback. The Working Group is comprised of staff members from City departments and public agencies whose services are impacted by annexation and municipal growth, including land use and fiscal policy. The Community Advisory Group consists of external stakeholders including representatives from the military installations, real estate community, special interest groups, neighborhood alliances, chamber of commerce, and economic development groups. Both groups will remain in place throughout development of the Policy and staff will also solicit additional community input prior to finalization of the Policy.
ISSUE:
This is a briefing on the City’s process to update its Growth and Annexation Policy. Once the Policy is drafted, staff will brief the full Council in a B Session before proceeding to Planning Commission and City Council for formal consideration and adoption in summer of 2020.
ALTERNATIVES:
This item is for briefing purposes only.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this briefing.
RECOMMENDATION:
This item is for briefing purposes only. Action is at the discretion of the Chair.