An Irving developer, whose proposed 350-unit apartment complex had caused outrage among neighbors in a Northwest San Antonio community, has withdrawn its request to rezone a tract of land.
After receiving multiple phone calls and emails from residents of the Cresta Bella neighborhood over the last few days, City Councilman Manny Pelaez (D8) attempted to soothe tensions and assuage the fears of about 40 residents who attended a meeting Monday night at Carnahan Elementary School.
But many residents of Cresta Bella, located along Interstate 10 north of The Rim and La Cantera, remained skeptical despite Pelaez announcing that Heatley Capital had pulled its rezoning request. Some called into question their communication with the councilman’s office as well as the objectivity of City staff and commissions that consider these and other development proposals.
The City’s Planning Commission on Jan. 9 reviewed Heatley Capital’s request to change the future land use of a 14-acre property on Cresta Bella Drive from rural estate tier to general urban tier.
The developer, through its local legal representatives from the law firm Kaufman and Killen, requested a continuance of the case, which drew criticism from several area neighbors at the Planning Commission meeting. Residents said the proposed apartment complex was too dense and would negatively affect traffic, drainage, and infrastructure in the community.
The Zoning Commission was scheduled to consider the rezoning request Tuesday. But Pelaez told the crowd at Monday’s meeting that the current proposal wasn’t going anywhere.
Pelaez said he and his staff found the proposed apartment project incompatible with the neighborhood, which already is home to two other complexes totaling 700 units. He also expressed concern that Heatley Capital had yet to reach any type of compromise with a growing opposition. The developer was not represented at Monday’s meeting.
“There’s nothing that gives me confidence that this would pass at City Hall, period, full stop,” Pelaez said.
Pelaez spent much of the meeting explaining the City process a development proposal goes through, including how staff in the planning and zoning departments study each case before making recommendations to their respective advisory commissions.
A few people asserted that City staff at the Planning Commission meeting presented inaccurate information about the neighborhood and how it fit into the City’s land-use planning scheme. City staff had recommended approving the proposed land use change and rezoning.
Other residents said they felt Pelaez was more supportive of the developer’s interests than those of the neighborhood, and a few criticized the process that requires the City to inform only property owners within 200 feet of a proposed project site.
Homeowner Elyse Ault said she and her neighbors want to hear directly from the City about the proposal even though they do not live within the 200-foot radius.
“For all we know, if [the proposal] comes back next month, but there’s no sign telling us about it, I feel like it’s going to be our responsibility to check the [meeting] agenda each time to see if we’re on there,” Ault said.
The presence of three homeowners associations covering the neighborhood complicates communications about the proposed development, residents added.
“It’s why we put the onus not on City staff, but on developers [to inform the community],” Pelaez said.
Pelaez pledged to be in closer touch with residents if anything were to happen with this or other developable properties in the immediate area.
“It’s amazing how much power the Zoning Commission has over our City, that is scary,” homeowner Pam Fuller remarked. “Like [Pelaez’s aides] said: once something is zoned for apartments, it’s a done deal.”
When will the city stop listening to regressive home owners who constantly oppose density in housing? We’re facing an environmental catastrophe and study after study shows that dense housing is exponentially less harmful to the environment than single family housing.
Those neighborhood members should be ashamed for their part in further damaging the environment and the councilman should likewise be ashamed for cowtowing to them.
John,
Have you been in the Cresta Bella development?
I looked at buying a house there and with two huge apartment complexes already in the development there is plenty of density. Most of the single family homes there have tiny lots similar to new developments in California…almost zero lot lines.
I believe if you toured the neighborhood and looked around the Rim and nearby areas you would be amazed at the number of apartments. Those looking to live in an dense, urban environment can choose to live downtown. Those who want a single family development should be able to purchaser that lifestyle without the developer pulling a fast one and trying to rezone. Just my opinion.
BTW, I bought a home further out from Cresta Bella so I have no dog in this hunt.
John. I dare say you don’t live in this neighborhood and therefore you do not know the impact of this project. Perhaps you missed the part about there already being two very large complexes in this neighborhood…that is certainly our fair share. Within 3 miles of this proposed complex there are already 27 other fully operational apartment complexes, with at least another 2000 units currently under construction. So to say that the residents oppose apartments in their area is totally inaccurate.
They aren’t building single family homes. It is currently land only. So which is more harmful to the environment, *NO* building or dense housing? As stated, there are already two other high density developments in the immediate area.
This is a great example of the city listening to EVERYONE about the proposed change, and slowing down the process to examine how it will affect current residents. Who already pay taxes. Who already VOTE in elections. Who already live here. Who already contribute.
This “build the highest density, unintended consequences be damned” approach to every project in the city needs to stop, as does the misleading description of “a million more people moving to SA”. Half that growth is from current population expansion, and there is no crisis. Stamping “density is best for everyone” on every single project is getting old.
Thank you Matt!. Agree.
@John: Have you been anywhere near 1604 and I-10 north towards Boerne at afternoon rush hour? There is already a serious lack of transportation infrastructure in San Antonio, and building high density projects which feed into an already over-stressed system only adds to the problem. I can only imagine how much CO2 is being emitted by traffic crawling along at 10 mph for a few miles, every work day.
Please provide the references for the studies which you cite as showing that high density housing is “exponentially” less damaging to the environment, since that makes little sense to me.
John, you have no idea what this is all about and you are commenting on issue. It’s about traffic, about infrastructure stress, about ramming apartments in an area that has over 8000 apartments in operation or under construction. So tour the area, before commenting on the issues. Ignorance is not an excuse
The 200ft radius should be changed, the entire neighborhood its affecting should be notified…the elections are coming up. Let’s see what happens after elections…it will be revisited… don’t bring it to the Southside when it’s not wanted in the north, It comes south…..we have enough subsidized apartments…
The 200ft radius should be changed, the entire neighborhood its affecting should be notified…the elections are coming up. Let’s see what happens after elections…it will be revisited… don’t bring it to the Southside when it’s not wanted in the north, It comes south…..we have enough subsidized apartments…
The Councilman’s office staff that oversees all proposed development in their district, usually keeps the Councilperson informed and updated on all planning and zoning issues~~~~
PEOPLE… Go VOTE
For whom?
The Planning Commission does not make DECISIONS. They give RECOMMENDATIONS to the City Council for their DECISION. Same for the Zoning Commission.
Unfortunately this is an area where nothing should have been built at all.
Maybe true, but now only a hindsight. Should we not preserve what is left of it, or destroy its beauty for ever??
Thank God someone is standing up to greedy developers who only want to make money and exploit our community! They come to San Antonio, ruin our environment and then go home and buy another Bentley. How does this benefit us? The answer is it only benefits them. They aren’t the ones who will be stuck in traffic and have to deal with the noise and pollution. I hope the message gets out to these greedy folks that San Antonio is not open to exploitation!
So what is happening now ? I. see scaping happening there … what is being built does anyone one know? Maybe I should look else where for home .