TX: Controversial code change lays groundwork for denser development along rapid transit line

San Antonio has laid the ground work for denser development along VIA Metropolitan Transit's planned Green Line, despite resistance from dozens of community members who fear the changes will lead to a displacement of residents and too few places to park.

VIA's 10.4-mile "advanced rapid transit" route is set to run along San Pedro Avenue from Interstate 10 near the vacant Lone Star Brewery, south of downtown, to San Antonio International Airport north of Loop 410.

When the route launches in 2027, it will offer more frequent service, with buses stopping every 10 minutes on weekdays, doubling what's currently offered along San Pedro.

City Council voted 10-0 Thursday to amend the city zoning code to allow for transit-oriented development, a type of zoning meant to encourage construction of housing, businesses and amenities near rapid transit lines.

Council also adopted a transit-oriented policy framework that sets goals for improving housing affordability, economic development and walkability along such transit lines.

District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur, an early backer of changing the city code to foster transit-oriented development, said the goal was to eliminate barriers for residential and commercial projects around public transit in order to benefit residents who rely on bus service.

The code updates don't immediately change the zoning of properties along the $466 million Green Line. It'll be up to developers to apply to change zoning to accommodate transit-oriented development.

Once work on the Silver Line — another advanced rapid transit line that VIA plans to operate east-west through downtown — gets further along, city staff will return to council with maps outlining which areas along that route may qualify for the new zoning designation.

Construction of the Silver line, which will run from Our Lady of the Lake University on the West Side to the Frost Bank Center on the East Side, will begin in 2027.

And if VIA develops more rapid transit lines in the future, those may also be eligible for transit-oriented development zoning.

Less parking, more development

Transit-oriented development is not new to San Antonio. The zoning designation has been on the books since 2001 but has largely been ignored.

Catherine Hernandez, director of the city's Transportation Department, said only three properties have ever pursued the option, and all of them are currently under development.

Before Thursday's revamp, developers who opted for the zoning designation would be allowed to build businesses that weren't compatible with surrounding neighborhoods. A tall multi-story building, for example, could rise up next to a modest single-family house.

Hernandez said that lack of guardrails to protect neighborhoods made it tough for developers to ever get support from the surrounding neighborhoods, so the zoning option went untouched for years.

The update comes with height restrictions and mandated buffers that could make the zoning easier for neighborhoods to stomach if a developer wanted to take advantage of it.

The revamp also slashes the number of places the zoning could be used. Before Thursday's vote, 300 square miles of properties were eligible for the designation because anyone within a half-mile radius of any bus line could seek it.

Now, only about three square miles of properties along the Green Line are eligible for the special zoning.

The code changes created three districts where developers can apply for transit-oriented development zoning: one is for home- and apartment construction; another allows for a mix of retail, office and residential; and the final one mixes light industrial with other uses.

The latter two districts drop minimum parking requirements that the city has in place for development, a change that could cut construction costs, an enticement for developers.

Hernandez said parking spaces for development can range anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000 per space.

The city's minimum parking requirements — which vary based on the project — were established in 1965. Many cities have ditched minimum parking requirements all together out of concern that they can reduce walkability, raise the cost of development and housing prices, and lead to urban sprawl.

The zoning revamp will be the city's first real step toward moving away from minimum parking standards.

But Hernandez said developers will still need to provide parking. Instead of deciding how much, based on a blanket city code, the developer could propose the number of spaces they think they'll need for their TOD project.

Neighbors and city staff can weigh in, and City Council will have the final say on each project.

"The uses have evolved. The behavior has evolved. The driving has evolved," Hernandez said of changes since the parking minimums were adopted in the 1960s. "It's different."

Community backlash

Transit-oriented zoning has plenty of critics.

Last month, about 200 people spoke out against the revamp at a Zoning Commission meeting, and on nearly 40 people on Thursday recommended changes before the council took its vote.

Most were concerned the parking changes could lead to congestion on their neighborhood streets. Others feared more development could drive area property values, resulting in bigger tax bills and the displacement of lower-income homeowners.

Bianca Maldonado, vice president of the Monticello Park Neighborhood Association, said stripping out parking minimums would further strain narrow residential streets. She said many streets are already difficult for emergency vehicles and fire trucks to navigate.

"We want to support TOD, but we know that developers won't build the parking," she said. "We can't say, 'The market will park it.' We need accountability to protect neighborhoods."

Marisa Grimaldo said she believes the changes will widen the gap between rich and poor San Antonians.

"This project is not about improving the quality of life for all of us — it's about gentrification," she said. "The people calling the shots on this plan aren't the community members who will be most effected. This plan is supposed to make our city more connected, more walkable, more accessible, but the only thing it will connect is the wealthier parts of town to the places they want to meet, while leaving the rest of us in the neighborhoods we can't afford anymore."

The revisions won the support of District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo, one of council's strongest proponents of affordable housing.

Castillo said she understands the concerns about the new zoning, but believes the city's commitment to community land trusts, land banking and other affordable housing initiatives will prevent residents from being displaced.

"City staff is prioritizing mitigating risks and prioritizing anti-displacement strategy," she said.

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