Your District 7 Newsletter
VOLUME 19 | Dec. 7, 2017
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Nearly a year ago, many District 7 residents were caught off guard by major housing projects planned for their community – the result of a breakdown in government transparency.
We learned that two affordable-housing developments off Bandera Road, the Acacia and the Bristol, were going through the planning process, and we knew almost nothing about them. With little or no notice to nearby homeowners, City Council had approved Letters of Support, one of the keys to winning tax credits from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Ultimately, the department awarded tax credits for the Bristol project, but not the Acacia.
The lack of notification was a violation of public trust.
Throughout the summer, District 7 staffers and I worked hard to provide residents with the information they needed. I also vowed to push for changes to ensure that future affordable-housing projects can’t advance outside of public view.
On Tuesday, City Council’s Governance Committee will consider several policy changes, developed at my urging, that bring sunlight to the process. Council is expected to vote on the amendments Thursday.
Under the City’s new Low Income Housing Tax Credit policy, developers earn points for holding community meetings to inform the public about their planned projects before securing Letters of Support or No Objection from the City. They’re required to notify plan team members and property owners within 200 feet of the site and all neighborhood associations and community organizations within a half-mile of the planned development.
This is one of the steps we are taking to restore your trust in City government.
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P.S.: Please see the information below on the Mayor’s Housing Policy Task Force’s public meeting this Saturday.
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One of the ways Councilwoman Sandoval wants to give you the answers you need about city government is through "Ask Ana Anything", a recurring part of the weekly District 7 newsletter. Have a question for Ana? Email it to
[email protected] with the subject line "Ask Ana Anything".
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Dear Ana,
So, how about that community meeting the other night on the former Alamo Golf Course property adjacent to O.P Schnabel Park? Huge turnout!
Avid Golfer
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Dear Avid,
Absolutely. The meeting at Rudder Middle School on Tuesday demonstrated the enormous interest in the 94-acre site that the City’s has acquired as part of the 2017 bond program.
While the City did not buy the land with the intention of continuing the golf operation, the overwhelming majority of participants expressed their desire to maintain golf in some form at the site, according to the District 7 staffer I assigned to attend.
Unfortunately, I was unable to attend Tuesday night due to prior commitment.
I urge the Parks Department, which will develop a recommendation for the site over the next year, to think creatively about potential partnerships with the Municipal Golf Association-San Antonio and/or Northside ISD. I’d also ask department planners to consider multi-use scenarios for the site, each with a golf component.
To constituents, I pledge the recommendation for how we ultimately use this property will be thoroughly and publicly discussed. It will be a transparent process.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Councilwoman Ana Sandoval
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District 7 Holiday Open House
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We had a great time at the District 7 Holiday Open House last night! We appreciate everybody who joined us and generously donated to the San Antonio Food Bank. A special thank you to the Jefferson High School Mariachi for a wonderful performance!
The District 7 Office would also like to thank CPS, the Department of Arts and Culture, the San Antonio Firefighter's Union, our District 7 Code Compliance Officers, and SAPD's Prue and West SAFFE Officers for all of their support.
We'll have more photos that we'll upload to our Facebook next week.
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Mayor's Housing Policy Task Force Community Meeting this Saturday
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The Mayor’s Housing Policy Task Force will host its first public input meeting at the Our Lady of the Lake University Chapel Auditorium, located at 411 SW. 24th St., on Saturday, Dec. 9 from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Mayor Ron Nirenberg is inviting the public to attend the meeting, which will include Spanish-language translators and free parking.
“As Task Force members develop technical working groups to tackle the challenges and opportunities related to housing in our city, we welcome community input to help guide that process,” Mayor Nirenberg said. “Community engagement is critical to the success of this Task Force.”
The Mayor will open the meeting by outlining his housing vision and Task Force Chair Lourdes Castro Ramirez will follow by outlining the history, progress and goals. Community members will also share stories about their housing experiences in San Antonio before attendees break into facilitated discussion.
The task force consists of five community advisors, and is charged with developing a comprehensive and compassionate housing policy framework to address the pressing affordable housing challenges the city faces. The action-oriented policy recommendations will be informed by public input and technical working groups.
The final recommendations will need to be approved by City Council. The Mayor’s Housing Policy Task Force will work in tandem with City and agency staff to develop policy recommendations, and connect its recommendations to the City’s SA2020 and SA Tomorrow comprehensive plans. This will be the first of several public input meetings.
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A medida que los miembros del Grupo de Trabajo desarrollen equipos de trabajo técnicos para abordar los desafíos y las oportunidades relacionadas con la vivienda en nuestra ciudad, agradecemos las aportaciones de la comunidad para ayudar a guiar ese proceso", dijo el Alcalde Nirenberg. "El compromiso de la comunidad es fundamental para el éxito de este Grupo de Trabajo.”
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8 Days Left in
ACA Enrollment Period
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ACA Enrollment Is Now Open. What Do San Antonians Need...
ACA enrollment is currently underway for Bexar County residents. To schedule an appointment for enrollment, call 211 or 311 or visit the EnrollSA website here: http://enrollsa.com/ Enrollment will continue until December 15th.
Read more
tpr.org
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Construction Project Updates
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SAWS C12 Sewer Project -- Donaldson Ave. Closure & Water Interruptions
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The intersection at
Donaldson Ave. and St. Cloud will be closed until approximately December 9th. The detour route is identified with on street signage.
Questions or concerns can be addressed with S.J. Louis at 210-863-0062 or Cecilia Picazo with SAWS at 210-233-3750.
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Emory St from Bandera Rd. to Mistletoe
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Transportation & Capital Improvements (TCI) will be working to improve the road surface of Emory St. from Bandera Rd. to Mistletoe in your area. This project will consist of partial street reclamation and partial mill & overlay that includes new asphalt pavement, partial curb, and partial driveway approach replacements.
Vehicles should not be parked on the street from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. If vehicles are parked along the path of construction improvements and no one is available to move it, it will be towed to one of the following streets in your area:
- Waverly Ave., Texas Ave., W. Ashby Pl., W. French Pl., or W. Craig Pl.
If you have any questions, concerns, or need special accommodations, please contact Warren Kahn, Capital Project Officer at TCI, at either 210-207-4019 or [email protected]
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Seeling Channel Phase II Project
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According to TCI, the project is substantially complete with all streets open. The City did a final walk-thru last week and Contractor will be given a list of items to correct which should begin in the upcoming weeks.
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This online survey is your opportunity to share your ideas for San Antonio's parks and recreation system.
The SA Parks System Plan will guide future planning decisions on the expansion, capital improvements, and programming of the more than 240 City-owned parks and recreational facilities, 15,000 plus acres of green space, and over 181 miles of trails. The plan is updated every 10 years with the last plan being adopted in 2006.
The entire update process will take approximately 18 months and we want your input at the start. This survey contains 30 questions about how you use parks, trails, recreation facilities and programs in San Antonio. It should take no more than 10 minutes of your time and will have opportunities for you to add new ideas as well as answer quick multiple choice questions.
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ACS's Cold Weather Pet Tips and Zero Tolerance
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With the forecast calling for freezing, wet conditions over the next several days, Animal Care Services will have
ZERO TOLERANCE for weather related violations. Local pet owners who do not provide adequate shelter and/or who use inappropriate tethers for their outdoor pets face criminal citations from patrolling Animal Care Officers. Remember, it is illegal to use chains as tethers for pets in San Antonio. ACS strongly urges all pet owners to take these simple precautions during foul weather conditions:
- The best way to protect your pets during bad weather? Bring them inside! Pets (especially cats) are safer indoors. Can’t have your pet inside the house? Purchase an insulated dog house or build a protective enclosure that shields your pet from the elements and gives them a safe, warm place to rest.
- Certain pets are more vulnerable to the rain and damp than others but no pet likes being outside in a storm. Shorthaired dogs, very young or old dogs and all cats should be brought inside during rainy weather.
- Always provide fresh, clean water regardless of the season. Check water daily.
- Be mindful of your pet’s curiosity when bringing them into the garage to ride out the stormy weather. Store all chemicals, paints and other potentially harmful substances out of reach. Antifreeze especially can be deadly to pets.
Residents can report possible animal ordinance violations by calling 3-1-1.
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Construction Begins on Four Vision Zero Roadway Safety Projects
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Construction of four Vision Zero roadway safety projects is slated to begin this month, one of which has already begun on Wurzbach Road. The need for roadway safety improvements were identified through pedestrian crash analyses. The projects are anticipated to be complete by February 2018.
Vision Zero, a City-wide initiative, is managed by the City’s Transportation & Capital Improvements (TCI) department. The roadway safety projects are located near the following locations:
- 9000 block of Wurzbach Road (Construction began December 4, 2017)
- 21000 block of Culebra Road
- 4900 block of W. Commerce Street
- 300 block of N. Austin Street
“Vision Zero San Antonio is mindful of the fact that many of our residents do not have the option to travel by car,” stated District 5 Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales. “These projects are an example of how we are working on designing streets that give pedestrians and other forms of transportation safe and equal access to our roadways."
The projects on Wurzbach, W. Commerce, and N. Austin will provide new pedestrian crossings with raised concrete pedestrian refuge islands, pavement markings and signs, as well as sidewalk improvements. On Culebra, the project will include improvements to the existing pedestrian crossing and sidewalk, as well as installation of a raised center median.
Portions of Wurzbach, Culebra, and W. Commerce that will be improved have been identified as Severe Pedestrian Injury Areas (SPIA) in a recently released Vision Zero San Antonio report. The first project to break ground, on Wurzbach Road near Fernglen, is where 8-year old Jesus Ortega was killed while crossing the street on Christmas Day last year.
“From traffic-related crashes, we have lost 134 friends and family members this year through the month of November,” stated TCI Assistant Director Art Reinhardt. “Vision Zero San Antonio continues to be dedicated to eliminating all roadway fatalities. Providing more opportunities for people to cross the road safely is a key component of Vision Zero, and is helping to enhance safety for our community.”
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Short-term Rental Task Force's Draft Ordinance Now Available
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In February 2017 Councilman Mike Gallagher issued a City Council Consideration Request (CCR) for city staff to explore the emerging short term rental trend and other cities best practices that have been implemented to address the trend. Review elements include:
- Research if short term rentals impact property values and neighborhood safety statistics.
- Review how cities have updated municipal codes or ordinances to allow this industry to operate.
- Review options for registering hosts with the City and if a permit should be required.
- Research if short term rentals should be required to remit hotel occupancy taxes
- Determine policies and procedures to enhance public safety in the short term rental industry.
The Task Force's draft ordinance is now available. To review it, click
here.
The next steps for the draft ordinance are as follows:
- December 15, 2017 - Zoning Commission Consideration
- December 18, 2017 - Board of Adjustment Consideration
- January 25, 2018 - Community Health & Equity
- February 1, 2018 - City Council for consideration
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To view more events, visit the calendar on the Your District 7 website
here.
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SA Climate Ready: Planning for All, Now and Tomorrow
Date: December 7
Time: 4 PM - 6:30 PM
Location: UTSA Downtown Campus, 501 W. Cesar E Chavez
Share your thoughts as SA Climate Ready kickoffs San Antonio's first Climate Action and Adaptation Plan and hear from an internationally-recognized climate scientist.
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Mayor's Housing Task Force: Public Meeting
Date: December 9
Time: 8:30 AM - 12 PM
Location: Our Lady of the Lake University
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Holiday Ornaments at Maverick Library
Date: December 9
Time: 12:30 PM - 1 PM
Location: Maverick Library, 8700 Mystic Park
Join Maverick Library staff and patrons and help decorate the holiday tree.
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Mayor's Housing Task Force Working Meeting
Date: December 12
Time: 5:30 PM - 7 PM
Location: Municipal Plaza B Room
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OP Schnabel Trailhead Tour & Bike Rodeo
Date: January 6
Time: 10:00 AM - 12 PM
Location: OP Schnabel Park
Enjoy a fun kid's bike rodeo and a guided trail walk that will highlight points along the Leon Creek Greenway Trail System. Come cheer on the kids and learn about the many ways to enjoy your trail green space.
Learn more about the system plan and how you can get involved at: www.saparksandrec.com
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- Joseph Bravo
- Chief of Constituent Services & Administration
- 210.207.2727
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Brass Professional Center
4414 Centerview Dr #160
Monday - Friday:
9am - 5pm
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Maury Maverick Library
8700 Mystic Park
By appointment only.
Please call 210-207-2727.
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