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Koontz McCombs eyes condo project
By Creighton A. Welch
A San Antonio developer is hoping to build its second condo project on Hildebrand Avenue — this time on undeveloped hilltop land right across from Trinity University.
Koontz McCombs goes before the city’s Zoning Commission today requesting a change from single-family residential to multifamily zoning that would allow about 160 units on the 3.22-acre land at Hildebrand and Devine Road. The commission recommends approval of the change.
Koontz McCombs currently is building The Broadway San Antonio, a 20-story condo tower at Hildebrand and Broadway. The company has been eyeing the land near Trinity for some time.
“In the back of my mind, it was always a phenomenal residential midrise or high-rise location,” said Bart Koontz, president and CEO of Koontz McCombs. “It’s a one-of-a-kind tract. I mean who wouldn’t want to develop there?”
The land sits on top of a hill that overlooks downtown San Antonio and offers easy access to U.S. 281.
The land is kitty-cornered to a project of similar use, the Olmos Tower Condominiums. Other corners of the intersection include the University of the Incarnate Word’s Feik School of Pharmacy and Trinity’s campus.
“The subject property’s easy access to major thoroughfares, institutional and commercial uses, as well as the existence of a similar structure in the immediate area makes this request acceptable. High-density residential is an appropriate use for this undeveloped lot as an infill project,” according to the zoning case statement.
The site gained attention in July 2006 when Koontz McCombs outbid Trinity and UIW at auction to buy the land for $4 million from the San Antonio Independent School District.
But even though Trinity lost the bid, they still had some bargaining power: Deed restrictions decreed that if the land was used for anything other than a park or parking lot, ownership reverted to the university. The restrictions were put in place in 1945 when Trinity sold the land to the city of San Antonio for $10,000.
In 1968, the city donated the site to SAISD for overflow parking for Alamo Stadium events.
In order to help with the sale to Koontz McCombs, SAISD negotiated a deal with Trinity to allow the university access to Alamo Stadium parking. Trinity signed a 25-year parking agreement with SAISD.
With all parties agreeing, the restrictions were modified in July 2007 to allow for a “Permitted Residential Project” on the land.
Though about 160 units would be allowed if the city makes the city’s zoning change, the new deed restrictions limit the site to 120 residential units, all in one building that is no taller than 300 feet. The only other structures allowed on the land are a four-storyÖ parking garage with 280 spaces and buildings such as fitness or pool centers.
Part of what persuaded Trinity to allow the change in deed restrictions was the willingness of Koontz McCombs to abide by design restrictions, such as not allowing antennas or satellite dishes on the roof.
But despite the city and university support of the condo project, some neighborhood residents are wary of the plans.
“We’re very concerned and the potential for having a looming structure that looks right down into our backyard,” said Michael Dennis, whose home of 12 years is directly north of the land in Olmos Park.
Dennis’ biggest concern is the traffic from all the new development at that intersection, not just from the condo development.
The Feik School of Pharmacy has opened but is not yet at full capacity, and the Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children is building a campus northwest of the condo site.
“When you add all those together, you can make a messy situation horrible,” Dennis said. “What we’re going to be telling the zoning commissioner is it would be great if we could get the city traffic engineers involved on the front end.”
Currently, during peak driving hours, there is not enough traffic at the intersection for the city to require a traffic impact analysis, and Koontz says the condo tower is one of the least traffic-generating uses available for the site.
“I knew from years ago talking to Trinity that they did not want a commercial use at that corner of their campus,” he said. “That would be a bigger traffic generator. When you look at all the uses, the one with the least traffic is residential multifamily.”
Koontz McCombs owns part of the Old Hildebrand Road that runs along the northern boundary of the site. Koontz said the company will keep that road open.
Construction on the site is still years away, Koontz said, and won’t begin until The Broadway condos are complete.
“Our hands are still tied with that,” he said. “We’re working on the project we already have, and we still have 18 months until we complete that. We’re a ways off from this building.”
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Let's just say, his guest house is almost the size of my home. 
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