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>> MAYOR JONES: GOOD AFTERNOON. THE TIME IS NOW 2:03 P.M. ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2026, AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ZONING AND LAND USE SESSION IS CALLED TO ORDER. MADAME CLERK, PLEASE CALL ROLL.
>> MAYOR JONES: GREAT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.
FOR THE RECORD, ITEM 1 HAS BEEN POSTPONED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED TODAY.
SO I KNOW WE HAVE ONE INDIVIDUAL THAT HAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THAT ITEM BUT WE WILL NOT HAVE THAT PORTION TODAY FOR THAT ITEM. NEXT ITEM IS TO CONTINUE CASES TO THE OCTOBER 15, 2026 MEETING. CASES TO CONTINUE ARE ITEMS 13 AND 14. IS THERE A MOTION TO CONTINUE THE ITEMS?
>> VIAGRAN: I MAKE A MOTION TO CONTINUE. >> SECOND.
>> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND TO CONTINUE ITEMS 13 AND 14 TO OCTOBER 15. WE HAVE ONE INDIVIDUAL THAT HAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON
THAT ITEM. JACK FINGER. >> MADAME MAYOR AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE OUR SOGGY CITY COUNCIL. FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M. FINGER. FIRST OF ALL, AS A PUBLIC SERVICE, I THOUGHT I WOULD OFFER EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU A RICOLA COUGH DROP. I NOTICED Y'ALL NEEDED THOSE THE LAST TIME I CAME UP TO SPEAK AND THE NEXT TIME YOU HAVE THE URGE TO HAVE A COUGHING FIT, HAVE ONE ON ME THERE. I KNOW Y'ALL WILL NEED IT.
CENSORSHIP. ITEM 14 AND 15. >> MAYOR JONES: WE'RE ON
ITEMS 13 AND 14. >> MY MISTAKE. THANK YOU, MADAME MAYOR.
13 AND 14 IS IN DISTRICT 9. SADLY MS. SPEARS IS NOT HERE TODAY.
I WISH SHE WERE BECAUSE THIS THING HAS BEEN CONTINUED TO DEATH.
I MEAN, IT'S A BASKET CASE. IT'S A PROPOSAL FOR A PAINT AND BODY SHOP OVER ON JONES MALTSBERGER ROAD. YOU HAVE HALF A DOZEN RED FLAGS ON THIS.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION, THE PLANNING STAFF, THE ZONING COMMISSION, THE ZONING STAFF, THEY ALL SAID NO. DON'T DO THIS. WHY? THIS PAINT AND BODY SHOP, IT HAS NO BUFFERS. NO BUFFERS BETWEEN IT AND THE RESIDENCES THAT ITS HAZARDOUS EMISSIONS ARE GOING TO BE EMITTED OUT TO.
AND THE INTENSITY WILL BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
OUTSIDE THE 200-FOOT PERIMETER, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, 19 HOMES.
6 OPPOSED IT. THAT'S 30%. THAT'S ABOUT THREE TIMES MORE THAN A MERE CONTROVERSY. THIS IS BAD STUFF.
PEOPLE DO NOT WANT THIS THING AND I WISH SOMEONE WOULD SHOW MS. SPEARS TO GO AHEAD AND -- NO, DON'T CONTINUE IT, MISTY. JUST GO RIGHT AHEAD.
WE SHOWED YOU THE EXAMPLE ON THIS ONE. SAY NO TO THE WHOLE THING RIGHT HERE AND NOW AND GET RID OF THIS PROBLEM FOR HER AND EVERYONE ELSE IN THE
SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY.
IS THERE ANY COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON THE ITEMS TO BE CONTINUED? HEARING NONE, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND TO CONTINUE ITEMS 13 AND 14 TO OCTOBER 15, 2026. PLEASE VOTE. SO LET'S DO A VOICE VOTE.
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THE MOTION PASSES. THE NEXT ITEM IS TO CONTINUE CASES TO NOVEMBER 5, 2026.AND THE CASE TO CONTINUE IS ITEM 7. IS THERE A MOTION TO
CONTINUE THE ITEM? >> VIAGRAN: I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
>> SECOND. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. ON ITEM 7 WE DON'T HAVE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM.
IS THERE ANY COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON ITEM 7 TO BE CONTINUED.
IS THERE? >> VIAGRAN: I MAKE A MOTION TO CONTINUE.
>> MAYOR JONES: WHO WOULD LIKE TO SECOND? OKAY.
GOT IT. OKAY. IS THERE ANY COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON THE ITEM TO BE CONTINUED? OKAY.
HEARING NONE, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND TO CONTINUE ITEM 7 TO NOVEMBER 5, 2026. PLEASE VOTE. WE'LL DO THE VOICE VOTE
AGAIN, PLEASE. >> MAYOR, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THE RECORD IS CLEAR IN THE SYSTEM THAT THIS IS A MOTION TO CONTINUE, NOT APPROVE.
I THINK THE SYSTEM MIGHT SAY SOMETHING DIFFERENT. FOR THE RECORD.
>> MAYOR JONES: ARE YOU OKAY, DEBBIE? MOTION IS TO CONTINUE.
OKAY. WE'LL DO THE VOICE VOTE, PLEASE.
THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE SYSTEM.
>> CLERK: MOTION CARRIES. >> MAYOR JONES: THE MOTION CARRIES.
THANK YOU. WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.
THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE LISTED FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
THAT'S ITEMS 9 AND 12. THE REMAINING ITEMS ON TODAY'S AGENDA WILL BE CONSIDERED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. DO ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS WISH TO PULL AN ITEM FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA TO BE HEARD INDIVIDUALLY? HEARING NONE, WE HAVE ONE PERSON SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON MANY ITEMS.
JACK FINGER, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, SIR. >> YES, MADAME MAYOR, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. MY NAME IS JACK M. FINGER AND ITEMS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO JUST SAIL RIGHT ON THROUGH WITH CONSENT, ITEMS NO. 2 THROUGH 6 AND PLUS ANYTHING ELSE THERE. I PRESUME THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
I HAVE A FEW COMMENTS TO MAKE ABOUT THOSE. YOU KNOW, THESE ARE ZONING CASES DEALING WITH ALCOHOL VARIANCES. WHAT ARE THOSE? WELL, THOSE ARE THE OCCASIONS WHERE A COMPANY WANTS TO SELL ALCOHOL.
THESE ARE ON PREMISES OR BY DRINKING OR WHATEVER. AND BECAUSE ALCOHOL IS A PRETTY POWERFUL -- CAN BE A VERY POWERFUL DRUG AT TIMES. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE LAWS CONTROLLING IT. WE EVEN HAVE TEXAS ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE COMMISSION SAID DO NOT SELL ALCOHOL WITHIN 300 FEET OF A SCHOOL. WE ROUTINELY SEE THAT AND Y'ALL ROUTINELY BYPASS THAT. GIVING A VARIANCE IS ONE THING BUT WHEN THE PERSON'S OFFERING -- THE PERSON PROPOSING THAT VARIANCE IS ANOTHER.
THIS IS TWO AND THREE -- TOTAL OF FIVE ARE IN COUNCIL DISTRICTS WHOSE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF DRIVING WHILE BEING INTOXICATED.
YES. MS. SUKH KAUR IN YOUR DISTRICT, MS. GONZALES, IN YOUR DISTRICT. MS. KAUR, A PERSON BROUGHT IT UP DURING YOUR CAMPAIGN AND SAID WE SHOULD ONLY BE DISCUSSING CAMPAIGN CITY COUNCIL ISSUES.
WELL, BY GOLLY, MS. KAUR, IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT THE PAST WAS BEING WEAPONIZED RATHER
THAN FOCUSING ON CURRENT DISTRICT 1 ISSUES . >> MAYOR JONES: SIR, SIR, SIR. WE NEED YOU TO SPEAK TO THE ITEM.
SPEAK TO THE ITEM. ANY OF THE ITEMS ON CONSENT. 2, 3, 4, 5, OR 6.
>> THAT'S RIGHT. MS. KAUR, SOME OF THESE ARE PART OF HERS, 2 AND 3 AND SO FORTH. MS. KAUR, IT REALLY LOOKS INAPPROPRIATE FOR A PERSON
WHO HAS BEEN CONVICTED. >> MAYOR JONES: YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS THE CHAIR AND YOU HAVE TO SPEAK TO THE SUBSTANCE OF THE ZONING ISSUE.
>> MADAME MAYOR, MS. KAUR, ALL THE REST OF THE COUNCIL, I THINK IT'S DARN RIGHT
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INAPPROPRIATE FOR A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF DWI TO PROPOSE TO PROMOTE ALCOHOL IN HER RESPECTIVE DISTRICT. ESPECIALLY JUST 300 FEET WHERE SCHOOL KIDS PLAY. YOU KNOW? MS. GONZALES, YOU HAVE THE THREE CASES UNDER THIS GROUP RIGHT HERE, 4, 5, AND 6 THAT ARE 300 FEET WITHIN UTSA, THE NORTH SIDE . LIKE COLLEGE KIDS, THEY AREN'T TEMPTED BY ALCOHOL AT TIMES? WHY ARE WE DOING THIS, HUH? THANK YOU.>> MAYOR JONES: IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT
AGENDA? >> VIAGRAN: MOTION TO APPROVE.
>> MAYOR JONES: IS THERE ANY COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON THE ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? HEARING NONE. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA, WHICH ARE ITEMS 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, AND 11. PLEASE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES.
OKAY. WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS.
STAFF, PLEASE. >> AGENDA ITEM NO. 9.
AT 5050 HEMPHILL DRIVE. STAFF RECOMMENDS DENIAL. ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDS APPROVAL. 34 NOTICES WERE MAILED, ZERO WERE RETURNED IN FAVOR, THREE IN OPPOSITION, AND THE CULEBRA PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IS OPPOSED.
THANK YOU. . >> MAYOR JONES: WE HAVE ONE -- TWO PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM. THE FIRST PERSON IS DAN RIOS. DAN RIOS? NO? DON. EXCUSE ME. THANK YOU.
FOLLOWED BY JACK FINGER. FOLLOWED BY. >> ALL RIGHT.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAME MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
MY NAME IS DON RIOS AND I AM THE PROUD AND PROTECTIVE PRESIDENT OF THE CULEBRA PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. I HAVE TAKEN THIS DAY OFF FROM WORK TODAY TO ASK YOU TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITY BY VOTING NO ON THIS PROPOSED ZONING CHANGE FOR 5050 HEMPHILL DRIVE. THE PROPOSAL TO SPLIT THIS NARROW AND COMPACT LOT INTO TWO SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES IS COMPLETELY UNREASONABLE AND IRRESPONSIBLE FOR THE SIZE. IT DIRECTLY CONFLICTS WITH CULEBRA PARK ZONING CHARACTER AND ADDS UNNECESSARY CONGESTION TO AN OVERBURDENED SECTION.
AS THE SEVENTH LARGEST CITY IN AMERICA WE MUST DO BETTER.
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD FULLY SUPPORTS RESPONSIBLE AND APPROPRIATE INFILL DEVELOPMENT BUT THE CURRENT R-5 DESIGNATION ALREADY ALLOWS FOR IT WITHOUT DESTABILIZING OUR COMMUNITY. RESIDENTS HAVE FOUGHT THIS REQUEST FOR NEARLY A YEAR FROM OUR INITIAL OBJECTIONS TO THE DEVELOPER IN DECEMBER 20L OPPOSITIONS FILED WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES IN MARCH AND AGAIN IN AUGUST OF THIS YEAR.
ON SEPTEMBER 1ST, CITY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES' STAFF REVIEWED THIS CASE AND RECOMMENDED DENIAL. NOT A SINGLE NEIGHBOR SPOKE IN FAVOR OF THIS UNNECESSARY CHANGE. YET, DESPITE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS AND CLEAR NEIGHBORHOOD OPPOSITION, THE ZONING COMMISSION MYSTERIOUSLY APPROVED IT.
MYSTERIOUSLY INDEED. THE TREND OF TINY HOMES IS OVER.
THE PROPOSED FOOTPRINT OF THESE HOMES SIMILAR IN SIZE TO THE DAIS UPON WHICH THIS CITY COUNCIL IS CURRENTLY SEATED. BELIEVE ME, YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO LIVE ON A DAIS. I HAVE PROVIDED HANDOUTS TO COUNCIL AND MAYOR DEMONSTRATING THAT AT LEAST ONE OF THE PROPOSED HOMES IS GOING TO BE 30 FEET FRONT WIDTH. THE DAIS FROM THE COUNCILWOMAN TO COUNCILMAN WHYTE. LESS THAN THAT. WHAT WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE IS A SINGLE-FAMILY HOME WITH AN ADU, WHICH IS POSSIBLE GIVEN ZONING STANDARDS. NEIGHBORHOODS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO REQUEST FOR CITY HALL TO DO THE RIGHT THING. DOING THE RIGHT THING IS IMPORTANT AND SOMETIMES TAKES COURAGE. NEIGHBORHOODS MATTER. MY NEIGHBORHOOD MATTERS.
IF A QUIET ESTABLISHED SINGLE-FAMILY NEIGHBORHOOD CAN BE CARVED UP BIT BY BIT
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AGAINST THE EXPLICIT ADVICE OF CITY STAFF AND THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE THERE, NO NEIGHBORHOOD IN THIS CITY IS SAFE FROM PREDATORY REZONING.PROTECT OUR RESIDENTIAL INTEGRITY. VOTE NO.
NO ON THIS DANGEROUS ZONING CHANGE. I URGE YOU TO DO THE RIGHT
THING AND THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. JACK FINGER, PLEASE.
>> MADAME MAYOR, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M. FINGER. ITEM NO. 9 IS ABOUT, OH, CHANGING THE ZONING FROM AN R-5 TO AN R-3, MAKING THINGS A LITTLE BIT MORE DENSE THERE.
ZONING STAFF THOUGHT IT WAS A BAD IDEA. WHY? WELL, IN THEIR OWN WORDS THEY SAID THAT IT WOULD DISRUPT, DISRUPT THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, MS. GAVITO AND IT IS IN YOUR DISTRICT.
CONSEQUENTLY, ALSO I NOTICE THAT OF THE 34 NOTICES THAT WERE DEALT OUT THERE, AS MUCH AS 9% -- THAT'S GETTING CLOSE TO 10% OF THEM SAYING THEY DON'T WANT IT.
WELL, I MEAN, YOU HAVE -- IT MAY SEEM LIKE JUST A FEW BUT THEY SADLY REPRESENT THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHEN IT COMES TO THESE THINGS. I MEAN, HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL BE AFRAID TO EVEN SAY THEIR COMMENTS TO YOU, THE ELECTED OFFICIAL ON THIS STUFF.
BUT THEY ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT SO CONSEQUENTLY -- I MEAN, WHEN THE CULEBRA PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION ALSO OPPOSES IT, MAYBE, MS. GAVITO, WHY DON'T WE SAY NO TO SOMETHING THAT'S JUST GOING TO CREEP UPON THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND MAKE IT WORSE AS TIME GOES BY. THANK YOU.
>> MAYOR JONES: ITEM NO. 9 IS IN DISTRICT 7. COUNCILMEMBER ALDERETE
GAVITO IS RECOGNIZED. >> GAVITO: FIRST, I WANT TO THANK THE APPLICANT FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND HIS WILLINGNESS TO COLLABORATE WITH OUR OFFICE AND HIS NEIGHBORS IN THIS PROCESS. I ALSO DO WANT TO THANK DON -- THERE YOU ARE.
DON AND THE CULEBRA PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION FOR CONTRIBUTING THIS PROCESS AND PROVIDING INPUT. DON, I DO HAVE TO GIVE YOU A SHOUT OUT.
HE WAS TO PATIENT WITH ME WHEN WE TALKED THE OTHER EVENING AND I'M AT H-E-B SHOPPING WITH TWO GIRLS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. I HAVE STOOD BY THE INPUT PROVIDED BY THE COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORS DURING THIS REZONING PROCESS.
WHILE THIS REQUEST DOES NOT HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND SEVERAL NEIGHBORS, I DO SUPPORT THE ADDITIONAL SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSING IN AN AREA THAT IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED FOR NEW HOUSING. HISTORICALLY THIS LOCATION IS AN EMPTY LOT THAT HAS ALLOWED FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING. I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT WE'RE ACTIVELY INVESTING IN THIS COMMUNITY TO ATTRACT NEW FAMILIES.
WE JUST ARE WORKING TO INSTALL NEW SIDEWALKS ON THIS BLOCK WITH FUNDING FROM THE 2022 BOND. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS PROPOSAL SUBMITTED BY THE APPLICANT MATCHES THE SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSING THAT ALREADY EXISTS.
I ALSO COMMEND THE APPLICANT ON WORKING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND AMENDING THEIR SITE PLAN WITH FEEDBACK FROM THEM. WITH ALL THIS IN MIND, I
MOTION TO APPROVE THIS ITEM. >> MAYOR JONES: THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE ITEM. PLEASE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES.
MOVE ON TO ITEM 12, PLEASE. >> ITEM 12.
AT 26410 TEPEE LANE. STAFF RECOMMENDS DENIAL. PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDS APPROVAL. 14 NOTICES WERE MAILED, ONE WAS RETURNED IN FAVOR, ONE OPPOSED. AND THERE IS NO REGISTERED NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
WITHIN 200 FEET. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: WE HAVE ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK . JACK FINGER, PLEASE.
>> MADAME MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, MY NAME IS JACK FINGER AND HERE YOU HAVE AN OCCASION WHERE YOU HAVE JUST A MERE PLAN AMENDMENT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO VOTE ON.
IT SETS THE TONE FOR ANY OTHER ZONING THAT'S GOING TO TAKE PLACE IN THAT GENERAL AREA. THIS IS OVER IN -- I MEAN, JUST TO VERIFY WE ARE ON
ITEM 12, IS THAT RIGHT, MADAME MAYOR? >> MAYOR JONES: THAT'S
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CORRECT. >> IT'S ABOUT CHANGING IT TO URBAN LOW-DENSITY, RESIDENTIAL. THE REASON THE PLANNING STAFF THOUGHT YOU SHOULDN'T BE DOING THIS IS BECAUSE, WELL, THE PROPOSED ASSISTED LIVING.
WHAT KIND OF ASSISTED LIVING IS IT? FOR ELDERLY FOLKS OR IS IT FOR EX-OFFENDERS? THE PEOPLE MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW WHO THEY'RE GOING TO BE LIVING NEXT TO. BUT ALSO THE FACT THAT YOU'RE HAVING MORE PEOPLE, MORE DENSITY. ACCORDING TO THE STAFF, IT MISALIGNS ITSELF WITH THE CURRENT PLAN. YES, THIS IS IN DISTRICT 8, MS. GONZALEZ.
WE WOULD ASK YOU, MS. GONZALEZ, SAY NO TO THIS ONE.
THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. ITEM 12 IS IN DISTRICT 8.
COUNCILWOMAN MEZA GONZALEZ IS RECOGNIZED. >> GONZALEZ: THANK YOU.
MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 12. >> SECOND. >> MAYOR JONES: IS THERE ANY COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON ITEM 12? OKAY.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM 12. PLEASE VOTE.
THE MOTION CARRIES. THAT CONCLUDES TODAY'S ZONING AND LAND USE SESSION.
THE TIME IS NOW 2:25. THE MEETING
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.