This was the second reading of the ordinance, following citizen concern and a petition.
Council members voted unanimously to approve the rezoning, which will change the Camp Doublecreek property from C-1 commercial and SF-2 single family residential to a planned use development, which has the potential capacity to add 300 more residential units to the city.
In the discussion leading up to the vote, a presentation of home styles which would be included in the development was given by Land Manager Evan Caso, who said the project from purchase of property to completion of the final home would take six to eight years.
Caso said development of the property would not begin until 2022, with Camp Doublecreek remaining in operation through next summer.
Three home types will be included in the development per plans of David Weekley: single family detached homes, “paired villa” duplexes, and “row homes,” which are three and fourplexes. The heights of these homes will be limited to two-and-a-half stories, although a resident of the area, Anthony Smith, said the uneven elevation of the area would effectively give these homes a vantage point into his own home, infringing on his privacy.
“I’m going to wind up landlocked, and I’ve talked to several people of different professions, real estate attorneys, etc.,” Smith said. “And I have been told that no one's going to want to buy a house when you have units that are three stories tall and people can see over a wall into your living room.”
Smith said the camp’s presence, with its horses and undeveloped areas, are important to maintaining what he calls his “way of life.”
“I really don’t want to see my way of life go away,” Smith said.
Smith expressed concern that the development would have investor-owned properties which would become occupied by Airbnbs.
Mayor Craid Morgan said the Texas Supreme Court does not allow cities to restrict the activities of Airbnbs. In 2018, the TSC sided with a San Antonio property owner who had been renting out their home while living in another city, according to the Texas Tribune.
