West Lake Hills strikes down rezoning on Reveille; may take on all multifamily zoning

Although a portion of Reveille Road is zoned two-family residential, West Lake Hills' master plan designates the neighborhood as single-family residential.

Several duplex owners and residents also spoke at the meeting, citing that they had bought the properties under a certain zoning for a reason.

Duplex owner Pat Smith lives in one side of the home and rents out the other as part of his retirement income strategy.

"You're saying these [duplexes] are a blight, and that's ludicrous," he said. "I pay good taxes, my mortgage, I'm not a vagrant, nor is anyone around me. What's going to happen to my taxes? My property value?"

The council needed a super-majority vote, meaning four of the five members would have had to vote for the change, and it fell one vote short.

Councilman Stan Graham said he voted against the rezoning, not because he disagrees with what would be done but with the process being used to accomplish the council's goal.

"Zoning is the wrong way to go about this. Why not [rezone] the whole city instead of just singling out [one area]?" Graham said.

Councilman Andrew Schwartz agreed.

"I, too, am against downzoning on Reveille [Road]. But I do believe all of the city should become single-family homes at some point."

After the rezoning did not pass, the council agreed to consider the entire city for rezoning of two-family residential to single-family residential, which will take place at a future meeting.