Posted Mar 20, 2008, 6:54 PM
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Loving SA 365 days a year
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: San Antonio
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http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/met...t.367ab12.html
Quote:
E. Side arts district eyed
Web Posted: 03/02/2008 08:53 PM CST
Elaine Ayo
Express-News
The city's Planning and Community Development Department is considering creating a zoning overlay district on the East Side aimed at cultivating arts and entertainment venues, though some community members have balked at the idea.
The district would impose design standards on new development projects and limit uses to compatible businesses such as art galleries, boutiques and multifamily housing, Senior Planner Michael Taylor said.
Boundaries for the district are not set, but the project's study area follows East Commerce Street east from near-downtown neighborhoods and the Alamodome to the area near the AT&T Center and the Willow Springs Golf Course.
Defined by legislation enacted in June, this type of arts and entertainment district also makes area businesses that promote cultural activities eligible for incentives such as grants or tax breaks, said Bobbye Hamilton, executive director for San Antonio for Growth on the East Side (SAGE), a new nonprofit organization geared toward spurring development in District 2.
"In San Antonio, some are already in place, but they are more for amusement parks; this is the other sense of what it could be," Hamilton said.
But some community members pleaded with the city to reconsider the district at a workshop to gather community input Tuesday night, saying the district would threaten the residential character of the neighborhood.
"There is a planning tool called a charrette, but this is a charade," said Nettie Hinton, a member of the Dignowity Hill Neighborhood Association.
Hinton added that the city should work toward finishing what has been started, listing several projects for the area, including the proposed hike-and-bike trail connecting Salado Creek to downtown and plans to restore historic cemeteries on East Commerce Street.
"These are plans already made that are sitting on the shelf somewhere," Hinton said, also citing a study completed by the Urban Land Institute in 2005 that she said has yet to be followed.
Others at the workshop were optimistic about the district's potential, saying they'd like to see uses in the area such as bookstores and restaurants along with wide sidewalks and design elements that complement the area's historic character.
"We have been waiting for over 21 years for some economic development in and around the Alamodome," resident David Arevalo said.
For Mark Outing, owner of Fatty's Burgers and More at 1624 E. Commerce St., the idea looked promising, but he is concerned about the city overlooking the businesses already established in the area.
"If someone moved here, they'd be willing to compensate them. ... But what about us that are already here?" Outing said, adding that the city does seem serious about taking action. "I agree that what they're doing now is more than talk."
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ZONING OVERLAY DISTRICTS
Zoning overlay districts establish strict and specific design and use standards within a designated area for the purpose of guiding future development. Overlay districts are also sometimes used to update zoning designations in areas where the zoning rules on the books don't match or aren't compatible with what is currently built around the property.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Planning and Community Development Department will present tentative plans for the district on the East Side based on community feedback March 25 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Heritage Room at St. Philip's College at 1801 Martin Luther King Drive.
Another public hearing will be held later in the year to present plans based on the first two meetings. The arts and entertainment district must be approved by both the Zoning Commission and the City Council for it to take effect.
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