Plan for homes may be closer to approval
21 are proposed near Brackenridge Park
An Austin developer’s hardfought efforts to build a townhome complex on the edge of the River Road Historic District near Brackenridge Park fell just short of approval by the Historic and Design Review Commission, amid continued neighborhood opposition.
But commissioners said last week that they would likely give the project called the Oaks at River Road a green light in the future — if the height of two planned three-story structures is reduced.
Before it could even consider approval of the project at 335 Trail St., which has been in the planning stage for more than two years, the commission had to rule on a request by MNO Partners for a waiver on a one-year wait period required under the city’s Unified Development Code on plans that had previously been denied.
The commission had supported a site design for 24 units in December. But its ruling was reversed by the Board of Adjustment in February.
After denying waiver requests in June and July, the commission approved a waiver in a 6-4 vote during a virtual meeting Wednesday, allowing the case to be heard.
In response to concerns from the commission and River Road residents, MNOreduced the number of units to 21, cut back the number of townhomes fronting Trail Street from eight to five, reduced the height of three of those units from three to two stories, and lowered the overall building area from 58,740 square feet to less than 50,000 square feet.
The commission heard written and voicemail comments from more than 30 people, most opposed to the project and raising concerns about emergency vehicle access, parking, stormwater runoff and preservation of the Upper Labor Acequia, a mission
era archaeological feature.
Landscape architect Larry Clark, who lives near the site, said there hasn’t been enough compromise on front yard setbacks, fire lane access, density and parking to give the plan another chance.
“The applicant is simply trying to wear down the commission and the neighborhood. We have seen this plan many times. It has not changed enough,” Clark said.
Others spoke in favor of the complex as a means to add life to the area and credited MNO for scaling back the plan under intense scrutiny. MNO partner David Morin said he would increase the depth of front porches on the units facing Trail from 3 feet to 5 feet to allay criticism from
the neighborhood.
Residents also voiced concern about the project’s effect on a 58-inch-wide heritage oak and its roots. Morin said he’s presented letters from an arborist that endorse the plan.
“We believe that our
project will be a massive improvement to Trail Street, and really to San Antonio,” Morin said.
The commissioners’ primary concerns were building height, which had been a sticking point with the Board of Adjustment, and
neighbors worried about three-story structures towering above the neighborhood’s prevailing low-profile cottages and bungalows.
A motion to approve the plan failed on a 5-5 vote.
The commission granted
a continuance on the case and asked Morin to study ways to reduce the size of two proposed three-story buildings between Trail and Huisache streets that remain in the plan.
HDRC Commissioner Gabriel Velasquez said there had been “mean-spirited” or “rough comments” made as the case has unfolded that in some ways were “out of place.” But he said the commission has offered guidance to help MNO make a “really honest effort” to secure future approval for a successful project.
In other action Wednesday, the commission gave conceptual approval to a 26-house development in the Mission Historic District along the Mission Reach of the San Antonio River at 326 Riverside Drive, just south of the Riverside Golf Course. A staff memo noted the property is in an area along the east bank of the river, between Roosevelt Avenue and Southcross Boulevard, that is mostly industrial, with some small houses nearby.
The new houses would be two-story structures with rear driveways.
Also approved as part of a consent agenda was a new monument to families of fallen military personnel, to be placed in Veterans Memorial Plaza, by the Tobin Center. The plaza, part of the Auditorium Circle Historic District, includes monuments honoring Vietnam and Korean war veterans.
Several people spoke in favor of the planned San Antonio Gold Star Families Memorial Monument, to be composed of four black granite panels. Its images will include symbols of San Antonio and a silhouette of a saluting service member to represent “the void created by the loss and legacy of the loved ones who have paid the ultimate sacrifice,” according to a project proposal letter.
The monument is a project of the city, local businesses and private nonprofit groups, and the Kentucky-based Woody Williams Foundation, named after World War II Medal of Honor recipient Hershel “Woody” Williams.