District 1 residents fear overcrowding, over-development may take over their small neighborhoods

SAN ANTONIO – District 1 residents are unhappy with the city’s current proposed future land use ordinance in their area, which is why their councilman is proposing amendments to the land use language.

“This didn’t just pop up overnight,” said Roberto Trevino, District 1 councilman. “I have been working in the planning department to deal with issues where zoning and land use can be problematic.”

The goal is to limit the possibility of large developments, such as duplexes and big multi-family complexes, from being built in small, historic neighborhoods.

“We are not against development,” said Cynthia Speilman, a District 1 resident. “We understand how developers work, and we don’t expect them to stick around. We do expect the city to be the balance to that, to neighborhood needs, to people who have been here, to people who are in danger of being displaced.”

Trevino said there is a place for larger developments.

“Tall structures like that are just out of place in the middle of the block. Those things should be pushed to commercial corridors where they can be handled, where that kind of density capacity is more compatible,” Trevino said.

Trevino’s proposal was voted down due to concerns that the changes came last minute. Trevino said this has been an issue they have been working on for a while.

“We have been working on it for quite some time, and we have been very methodical about it,” Trevino said. “We must protect the neighborhood character and look for comparable developments. We know there is no one silver bullet, but every piece is critical at how we go about establishing more thoughtful development.”

Despite being voted down, Trevino has put in a Council Consideration Request to bring the issue before governance, which he hopes will happen next week.


About the Author:

Japhanie Gray joined 10 News as an anchor in March 2022.