Update:
This has been pushed back yet again, a continuance. This is the second continuance. The date for hearing would have been June 18th.
Gardendale was told by the case manager Bronte:
“I wanted to let you know that I just spoke with the applicant for this case and they are requesting a continuance for this case. The voicemails submitted for this case will be heard today, and the notices will still be on file for this case. “
What doesn’t make sense to us, is why would the voicemails be disconnected from the case hearing date? Weeks go by in between cases. This doesn’t seem reasonable, as it removes public feedback from being heard at the time the Board will actually listen to the developer. Not every citizen can cut out their afternoon to sit in a Board meeting, and our feedback should be counted during the time of hearing.
What it actually looks like is, emails and forms aren’t usually brought up or noted during the hearings. Voicemails and speakers seem to be what makes an impact.
We’re awaiting the new date, but assume it will be July 2nd. In the past, we haven’t gotten update notifications, so we’re usually having to scramble to get people informed of changes.
How to Take Action
- Call in to 210-206-9664 and leave a message (maximum 3 minutes) before 10am May 21st, 2024.
- Leave your name and address during the message and the zoning case number Z-2024-10700081 CD
- Let them know you don’t want this to happen. You can go into as much detail as you can fit in 3 minutes, or simply say, “I do not support this project.”
- Show up to the actual meeting, but most of us work for a living so this option is hard to swing. If you have time, by all means do so. Address details are on the flyer below.
- Last you can email the Case Manager, but we find this to be very ineffective and seems to never have bearing during a meeting as no one has used information sent before during the meetings to reference what they read in emails.
- If you live within the red dotted area on the flyer at the bottom of the page, it’s imperative that you send in your feedback.
The Details and The Why
The developers for this property want to turn this into a room for rent or as they call it “Co-Living” based on similar models being used in Austin. The problem is, San Antonio isn’t Austin, and the Inner West Side is about as far from Austin as you can get. We’re not super liberal hippy types that sit outdoors and sing kumbaya. We have a crime epidemic in our area, centered around drugs. The owner recently shared that this property was even broken into.
The developers came to a Gardendale meeting and pitched the idea to the community, which no one was in support of, and many expressed that the developer was out of touch with what is going on here in Gardendale. Turns out of course they are, because they are from Austin by way of California.
If this follows how other zoning projects have been allowed in our area, no one will listen to the few people that call in and leave a response to the zoning commission, so we need everyone to call in and leave a voicemail that will be played during the meeting, so they can hear from YOU about what your concerns are for this project.
A couple of the residents at the meeting were from a nearby street and mentioned they had gotten out of Haven for Hope because of how it’s overcrowded and the amount of crime going on within the campus. They said this project to them just looks like another “Group Home”, which will be torn apart by addicts. Their words.
If you were at our last meeting with the city, now is your time to put see if there’s action behind the emotional words spoken during the meeting and support YOUR community by taking action, together as a community, against those that would further come in and chop up the area with terrible high-density zoning practices.
The residence would house 6-10 rooms as they want an ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) also built in the back of the property to squeeze out as much juice as they can per square foot of profit. Never mind what the repercussions would be to the area because of setting a pattern of overcrowding. Other things to keep in mind:
- Sewage amount increase, higher than planned for. Will this be adjusted by the city?
- Water pressure lowering, will this be adjusted by the city? We already have issues currently because of a couple of properties that are overbuilt on.
- Increase in cost of value for properties in the area based on the additional units. I’ve watched more than a few zoning commission processes and this question wasn’t even brought up as a concern by anyone! Yet we are known to be a low home ownership area in a low income area. Why make it more difficult for the current multigenerational home owners that are struggling with the wave of high taxes recently by allowing something like this?
- Increased density of people on one lot, and to the area.
- Additional parking from visitors of the renters, regardless of parking included.
- Removing Home Ownership as an Option as this will be all rentals.
- This absolutely changes the character of the neighborhood, in an area that has been under constant attack by allowing just about any zoning to happen.
