by Marc Whyte
October 4, 2024
The Vista Park zoning case that was denied recently caused quite a stir around City Hall and among affordable housing advocates. As the proposed apartment complex was set to be developed on a site within District 10, it was my responsibility to vet the project and determine whether it was right for the particular tract of land. My take was that it was not, and here is why.
At the outset let me be clear: I wholeheartedly believe that we need more affordable housing in all corners of San Antonio. The project in question was a good one — one that I would be proud to have in San Antonio and in District 10. But when looking at any new development, whether an affordable or market rate project, we must never disregard basic land use principles or the day-to-day lives of the people in the neighborhoods that reside next to a proposed project.
When I ran for office, after public safety and the need for better infrastructure, the next biggest issue I heard about from District 10 residents was the improper placement of apartment complexes throughout District 10 and our city. People spoke to me about the increased traffic caused by these developments, drainage issues and the loss of privacy when a multi-story apartment complex is built right next to single-family homes.
In addition to holding multiple community meetings on the Vista Park project, over the course of the last three months, the people in the neighborhoods surrounding the proposed project site contacted my office with their concerns. The overwhelming majority of my constituents were against the project for these very same reasons.
District 10 is a big district. In the days leading up to the vote, and on the dais on the day of the vote, I suggested alternative locations within the district (like Rolling Oaks) for this particular project. The piece of land selected was one that was shallow, had limited setbacks and buffering between it and the single-family neighborhood behind it and had three large apartment complexes directly across the street. While I strongly believe that to properly serve our citizens we need more affordable housing in this city, we can’t put new multi-family developments in just any location selected by a developer.
If the neighborhoods in my district need me to stand up and fight for them, I’ll always do it and I’ll always try to gain support for their cause amongst my colleagues. So I voted “no” and gained the support necessary to prevent the project from being placed on the proposed site. My vote had nothing to do with the incomes of the people who may have lived at the proposed apartment complex, but rather was solely based on land use principles and the concerns of the neighbors. As with many of the issues we deal with at City Hall, there are multiple complexities and different angles that must be considered with each zoning case. It’s never as simple as just saying “we need more housing so let’s approve every new multi-family project.”
I’ll always fight for affordable housing in San Antonio because it’s important. I can do that and fight for my residents at the same time.