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  11.       
City Council Regular Meeting
Meeting Date: 02/22/2022  

BACKGROUND
Twenty-four (24) public hearing notices were mailed to the surrounding property owners within two hundred (200) feet of the subject property on December 30, 2021, with a public hearing notice published in the "San Antonio Express", on January 19, 2022, prior to the City Council public hearing.  At the time of this report staff received three (3) responses in favor and eight (8) responses opposed to the proposed Comprehensive Land Use Plan Amendment. 

Owner of Property ID 309999 & 309997: Karen L. Dahle
Applicant: Moy Tarin Ramirez Engineers, Raymond Tarin
GOAL
The goal is to amend the Comprehensive Land Use Plan by changing approximately 15 acres of the Future Land Use Map from the Estate Neighborhood land use designation to the Mixed-Use Neighborhood land use designation. 
COMMUNITY BENEFIT
The community benefit is to promote safe, orderly, efficient development and bring about the City's vision of future growth. 
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDED ACTION
The applicant is requesting to amend the Comprehensive Land Use Plan by changing approximately 15 acres on land of the Future Land Use Map from the Estate Neighborhood land use designation to the Mixed Use Neighborhood Center land use designation.  

The Future Land Use Map for the subject area was evaluated as part of the Sector Plan Amendment to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan, adopted by City Council on July 16, 2013.  The subject properties' are currently under the Estate Neighborhood land use designation.  The Estate Neighborhood land use designation is designed to preserve the rural Southern Schertz by maintaining open space, large lots, and areas with large wooded lots.  The land use designation is intended to have large residential lots (1/2 acre min.), maintain 50% of open space, and to encourage cluster neighborhood development.  

The applicant is proposing to change the Future Land Use designation of the subject properties to Mixed Use Neighborhood Center.  This proposed future land use designation is intended to be comprised of primarily a mixture of retail, restaurant, office, and multifamily residential uses. 
FISCAL IMPACT
None.
RECOMMENDATION
The 2013 Sector Plan Amendment of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan sought to establish future development objectives that balance the traditionally rural and agricultural identity that has shaped the character of South Schertz with the opportunity for smart growth as the City continues to develop south of FM 78. The proposed development that led to the filing of this Comprehensive Land Use Plan involves the potential for a multifamily type complex.  Therefore, the applicant has moved forward with this proposed Comprehensive land Use Plan Amendment to reclassify the properties under the Mixed Use Neighborhood Center future land use designation. 

The South Schertz area, based on recently approved Future Land Use Plan amendments (Carmel Ranch and Saddlebrook both approved in 2020) has begun to see a shift from the rural, large lot, agricultural areas to more of the traditional subdivision but also a mixture of multifamily to allow open space and amenities.  Additionally, in the FY2020-2021 budget City Council approved to allocated funding for a full Comprehensive Land Use Plan Amendment.  This would allow staff the opportunity to tailor the future plans for Schertz to the evolving needs and desires of our residents.  The full amendment would enable City Staff to make modifications to the Future Land Use Map that are the more appropriate for each area within Schertz.  The subject property, like many others in the area, having the land use designation of Estate Neighborhood, were found to be more appropriate at the time the Schertz Sector Plan Amendment of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan was done in 2013.  Staff understands that the intention of the Amendment in 2013 was to maintain the character of Southern Schertz as the rural/agricultural feel and to have larger lots with the 50% open space.  However, due to the evolving needs that we are experiencing allowing this amendment to the mixed-use neighborhood land use designation, which is intended to have multifamily, would allow the opportunity for working families to live in the area and have quick access to Randolph Air Force Base and Interstate 10. At less than 20 acres in size this property is not really large enough to be able to develop using the alternative estate neighborhood cluster development. Having this option would be beneficial given that the property has such relatively shallow depth to width.  

The upcoming Comprehensive Plan amendment would allow staff to reconcile the gaps between our future plan, the residents' desires, and current market conditions.  However, this proposed Comprehensive Land Use Plan amendment for the subject tracts would allow the property owners the ability to have their property develop as desired, now, without requiring them to await the full Comprehensive Land Use Plan Amendment. 

The Planning and Zoning Commission met on January 12, 2022, where they made a recommendation of approval to the City Council with a vote of 4-3. Commissioner Odom, Commissioner Platt, and Commissioner Hector voted nay to the proposed Comprehensive Land Use Plan Amendment for the following reasons:
  • Current zoning district, Pre-Development District, would not support the intended use of multi-family
  • Changing from rural area to more city like
  • Only able to afford living in Schertz at the end of your career
  • Infrastructure waits for the development and has to catch up
  • Affect the character of FM 1518
City Council held a public hearing on February 8, 2022, where they made a recommendation of approval by a vote of 5 - 0. Councilmember Scott was absent, and Councilmember Dahle had recused himself from this item.

Staff recommends approval of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan Amendment from Estate Neighborhood land use designation to Mixed Use Neighborhood Center land use designation. 
Attachments
Ord. No. 22-S-08
Comprehensive Plan Amendment Request Letter
Exhibit A: Property Exhibit
Exhibit B: Current Comprehensive Land Use Plan
Aerial Map
Public Hearing Notice Map
Public Hearing Notice Responses

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