Alamo Heights City Zoning Code

Every part of a required side yard for main structures shall be open and unobstructed except for the ordinary projections of window sills, roof eaves or overhangs, belt courses, cornices, roofs and other architectural features projecting not to exceed four (4) feet into the required side yard but not less than five (5) feet from the property line.

Accessory structure roof eaves or overhangs are required to have a minimum two-foot side setback from the property line.

Accessory structure roof eaves or overhangs are required to have a minimum two-foot rear setback from the property line.

Bowling alley: Six (6) spaces for each lane or alley;

Churches, theatres or places of public assembly: One (1) space for each three (3) seats in the main sanctuary;

Hospitals: One (1) space for each patient bed provided;

Hotel or motel: One (1) space for each room or guest unit;

Offices, clinics, retail and business uses: One (1) space for each three hundred (300) square feet of gross floor area in the building;

Restaurant or cafeteria: One (1) space for every one hundred (100) gross square feet of area;

Schools or colleges: Two (2) spaces for each classroom, plus one (1) space for each four (4) seats in any auditorium, gymnasium or other place of assembly.

Parking stall dimensions shall be based on the following:

Drive aisle dimensions shall be based on the following:

Any reduction in the number of off-street parking spaces shall be subject to a "parking mitigation fee" in the amount of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00) per space. Such fees shall be utilized to construct additional off-street parking, parking garages, or other project, intended to increase the number of parking spaces in the city to offset the loss of the required spaces.

Only properties with frontage on Broadway along Broadway are subject to utility relocation.

College, university or accredited private school in any residential district.

Day nursery or kindergarten school in the 2F-C, MF-D, B Districts.

Hospital in the 2F-C, MF-D, B Districts.

Institutions of a religious or philanthropic nature in the 2F-C, MF-D, B Districts.

Service center municipal in the 2F-C, MF-D, B Districts.

Electrical substation in the SF-A, SF-B, 2F-C, MF-D and P Districts.

Local transit station or off-street turn-around in any residential district.

Radio, television or microwave tower in any district.

Water reservoir, well or water pumping station in the SF-A, SF-B, or 2F-C Districts.

Municipal offices or city hall in the SF-A, SF-B, 2F-C or MF-D Districts.

Off-street parking for property owned by institutions of a religious or philanthropic nature in SF-A, SF-B, 2F-C or MF-D Districts.

Single-family detached homes in multiple-family dwelling (MF-D) districts which do not otherwise satisfy the requirements of this zoning code and section 17-27 of chapter 17 of the Code of Ordinances. Each of such projects shall be considered on its individual merits, with special attention to be given to the following features, among others which may be deemed important by the planning and zoning commission and the city council, of the proposed project: (a) location and design of ingress and egress to public streets; (b) interior traffic circulation patterns; (c) off-street parking; (d) sidewalks; (e) drainage; (f) lighting; (g) landscaping; (h) fencing and other screening; (i) emergency vehicle access; (j) density; (k) lot sizes; (l) setbacks; and (m) compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood.

Office in MF-D not facing and having its main entrance on Broadway or the Austin Highway, provided such office (1) is compatible and harmonious with the surrounding neighborhood, (2) is to be located in a preexisting structure which contains no more than one thousand five hundred (1,500) square feet of enclosed area, (3) the property upon which the structure is located is contiguous to a property zoned B-1, B-2 or B-3, (4) some portion of the property across the street from the subject property must be zoned B-1, B-2 or B-3 if the property across the street from the subject property is in Alamo Heights, (5) the office is for a use authorized in the schedule of permitted uses for offices in section 3-8 of this zoning code, (6) the structure and property comply with the parking, landscape, setback and other requirements of the zoning code applicable to O-1, and (7) the specific use permit requested promotes the health, safety and general welfare of the residents of the city.

Wireless communication systems antenna support structures and antennas in the P, O-1, B-1, B-2 and B-3 Districts only.

Permitted institutions may be erected to a height exceeding the height limitations set out in this chapter in the SF-A, SF-B, 2F-C, MF-D, O-1 and P Districts. Permitted institutions shall mean the institutions categorized as special uses in the table of land uses in section 3-8 of the zoning code.

Drive-through facilities as reflected in the permitted uses table in section 3-8 of the zoning code.

Gun shops in the B-1, B-2 and B-3 Districts subject to recommendation by the police chief as to the safety of the public, security of weapons storage facilities, current licensing by appropriate federal and state authorities, compliance with federal and state laws and licensing requirements and without the sale of explosives. No specific use permit for gun shops shall be transferable or assignable and shall terminate upon any such transfer, assignment or relocation.

Multiple-family dwelling with retail/restaurant uses on the first floor in the MF-D District at a location within a radius of five hundred (500) feet of the northeast corner of Broadway and Austin Highway on a tract of land containing at least 1.4 acres of land. The main entrance of the retail/restaurant uses shall be on Broadway and the main entrance of the dwelling units shall be on Ellwood Avenue. The number of dwelling units shall not exceed one hundred fifty (150) units. There shall be no required setbacks and the maximum lot coverage of the structure shall not exceed eighty (80) percent. There may be a maximum of four (4) occupied stories and the maximum height shall be fifty-six (56) feet, both to be measured in accordance with zoning code standards. The off-street parking ratio for the multi-family dwellings may not be less than 1.5 spaces per unit and the number of retail/restaurant parking spaces shall comply with the zoning code requirements. Parking spaces shall be at least nine (9) feet by eighteen (18) feet except that one (1) smaller compact space may be installed for each nine (9) feet by twenty (20) feet larger parking space installed. The areas between the structure and the property lines must be fully landscaped along each street, with not more than forty (40) percent of such areas to receive impervious cover. No alley or service easement shall be required. All new utilities shall be buried and existing utilities must be removed and/or relocated. The project must employ "dark sky" lighting fixtures. The developer of the project must pay for the installation of any infrastructure such as water, sewer and stormwater enhancements which are required to support the project. The city may require the project developer to purchase additional, unrestricted, perpetual Edward's Aquifer water rights to provide for the estimated usage of the project. Approval of a SUP which complies with the above requirements shall not set a precedent for any other SUP in the future.

Multi-family condominium project consisting of ten (10) single-family detached residences at a location within a radius of five hundred (500) feet of the northeast corner of Broadway and Terrell Road on a tract of land containing at least 0.7 acres of land. There shall be a twenty-foot front yard setback rather than twenty-five (25) feet, a ten-foot rear yard setback rather than twenty-five (25) feet, a 7.5 foot side yard setback to property lines rather than fifteen (15) feet, a six-foot setback between buildings rather than ten (10) feet or thirty (30) feet, forty (40) percent lot coverage rather than thirty-five (35) percent, thirty (30) percent of front yard contiguous landscaping rather than fifty (50) percent, a six-foot fence height limitation in the front yard setbacks for Units 1, 8, 9 and 10 rather than three (3) feet, access via a private drive and no more than ten (10) single-family detached residences. All new utilities shall be buried and existing utilities must be removed and/or relocated. The developer of the project must pay for the installation of any infrastructure such as water, sewer and stormwater enhancements which are required to support the project. The city may require the project developer to purchase additional, unrestricted, perpetual Edward's Aquifer water rights to provide for the estimated usage of the project. Approval of a SUP which complies with the above requirements shall not set a precedent for any other SUP in the future.

Public school facilities within the property at 6900 Broadway may be developed without regard to SF-A zoning district requirements applicable to building setbacks, articulation, lot coverage, looming and floor to area ratios, except that height and public street setback requirements shall require SUP approval. In addition to the foregoing, Alamo Heights Independent School District shall:

Public school facilities within the property at 6900 Broadway is authorized per this SUP to do the following:

The city planning and zoning commission in considering and determining its recommendation, or the city council in considering any request for a specific use permit, may require from the applicant, plans, information, operating data and expert evaluation concerning the location, function and characteristics of any building or use proposed. The city council may, in the interest of the public welfare and to assure compliance with this ordinance establish special conditions of operation, location, arrangement and construction of any use for which a specific use permit is authorized.

In authorizing the location of any of the uses listed as specific use permits, the city council may impose such development standards and safeguards as the conditions and location indicate important to the welfare and protection of adjacent property and the community.

Every specific use permit approved under the provisions of this ordinance shall be considered as an amendment to the ordinance as applicable to the property involved. The process of giving notice and holding public hearings on specific use permits shall be the same as that provided for amending the ordinance.

Such conditions, safeguards and standards specified by the city council for compliance relative to any specific use permit shall not be construed as conditions precedent to the approval of the zoning amendment but shall be construed as conditions precedent to the granting of a building permit.

The landscaping section of this ordinance shall apply to all land located in the city, except as otherwise noted below. Such landscaping requirements shall become applicable as to each individual lot or tract of land at such time as an application for building permit on such lot or tract of land is made.

A common development which includes more than one (1) lot shall be treated as one (1) lot for the purposes of satisfying the landscaping requirements of this section. Split ownership, planning in phases, construction in phases, and/or multiple building permits for a project shall not prevent it from being a common development as referred to above. A project planned in phases must have each phase in compliance with the ordinance.

The requirements of this section shall not apply to the following:

When an application is made for a building permit on any land where the landscaping requirements of this section are applicable, such building permit application shall be accompanied by a site plan(s) containing the information listed below:

Landscaping shall not obstruct the view between the street and the access drives and parking aisles near the front yard entries and exits, nor shall any landscaping which creates an obstruction of view be located within the radius of any curb return.

All landscaping materials shall be appropriately contained within the property so as to prevent run-off of materials into the right-of-way or adjoining properties.

Single-family structures, that do not have the required two (2) covered parking spaces, may be expanded without a requirement to add or construct additional covered parking provided that: