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Agenda No. 5.
CITY COUNCIL MEMORANDUM
| City Council Meeting: |
September 2, 2025 |
| Department: |
Planning & Community Development |
| Subject: |
Ordinance 25-S-036 – Conduct a public hearing and consider a request to rezone approximately 36.2 acres of land from Planned Development District (PDD) to Planned Development District (PDD), generally known as 13011 Lower Seguin Road, at the intersection of Lower Seguin Road and Red Bud Canyon, more specifically known as Bexar County Property Identification Numbers 310011, 1436811, 1437570, 1394925 City of Schertz, Bexar County, Texas (B.James/L.Wood/S.Haas) |
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| BACKGROUND |
The Saddlebrook Ranch development is a large Planned Development located east of FM 1518 along Lower Seguin Road. The original Planned Development District (PDD) zoning request was approved as Ordinance 21-S-06 on March 21, 2021, and consists of approximately 229 acres of mixed lot sizes, housing types, and uses, including an approximately 3.3 acre site designated for commercial uses along the frontage of Lower Seguin Road. Currently, this development is in various stages of planning, permitting, and construction.
The Saddlebrook Ranch II PDD will adhere to the requirements of the original PDD (Ord. 21-S-06) with some minor changes.
The original PDD, which was a mixture of commercial and various single-family residential lot sizes, outlines modifications for residential lots, including a single-story height restriction for 75% of lots abutting arterial roadways; modified width requirements for lots on cul-de-sacs, knuckles, or curves (39' at lot frontage line and 50' at the building setback line); and driveway location restrictions that prevent side orientation and access of lots on street corners. The original PDD also proposes to modify the regulations for subdivision entry signs and development signs by increasing the maximum area and maximum number of subdivision entry signs. Also, there are specific provisions for signage related to the builder’s Model Home, identifying the builder's name and to clearly designate that the home is a model home. These specific signs may be monument signs and may be made of wood, masonry, or metal. The original PDD also modifies UDC Sec. 21.14.1 Streets, to increase the pavement width for a 'Paved Alley' from 20 feet to 24 feet. The remainder of the thoroughfare classifications within the Saddlebrook subdivision will remain consistent with the Unified Development Code.
The applicant has requested a new Planned Development District for an approximately 36.2 acre portion of the original request to remove the commercial site from the original planned development, and create more single-family lots and rearrange drainage. Other than removing the commercial portion, the Planned Development standards are not changing. The Saddlebrook Ranch II PDD will consist of a base zoning district of Single-Family Residential (R-2). This is in the PDD design standards document as a corresponding lot code of 'SF 70'. This indicates a lot width of 70 feet. The width is the same as the base district of Single Family Residential (R-2). However, the Saddlebrook Ranch II PDD requests a reduction in the depth from 120 feet to 118 feet, a variation that is allowed through the PDD process.
In summary, the Saddlebrook Ranch II PDD will be the same as Ord. 21-S-06 with the request to remove the commercial portion of the original development and request slightly smaller Single Family Residential District (R-2) lots.
On July 25, 2025, five (5) public hearing notices were mailed to the surrounding properties within a 200-foot notification boundary of the subject property. At the time of the staff report, zero (0) response in favor, zero (0) responses neutral, and zero (0) responses in opposition were received. A public hearing notice will be published in the "San Antonio Express" prior to the City Council meeting. Additionally, one (1) sign was placed on the subject property.
The Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing on August 6, 2025 and recommended denial of the Planned Development District request with a 6-1 vote.
Subject Property:
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Zoning |
Land Use |
| Existing |
Planned Development District (PDD) |
Mixed-Use Development |
| Proposed |
Planned Development District (PDD) |
Single-Family Development |
Adjacent Properties:
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Zoning |
Land Use |
| North |
Planned Development District (PDD), Single Family Residential District (R-2), Single Family Residential District (R-6) |
Undeveloped |
| South |
Right of Way (ROW) |
Lower Seguin Road |
| East |
Single Family Residential District (R-6) |
Undeveloped |
| West |
Right of Way (ROW), Planned Development District (PDD) |
Red Bud Canyon, Single Family Residential (Under Construction) |
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| GOAL |
| The applicant has requested a new Planned Development District for an approximately 36.2 acre portion of the original request (Ord. 21-S-06) to remove the commercial site from the development, and create more single-family lots and rearrange drainage. |
| COMMUNITY BENEFIT |
| It is the City’s desire to promote safe, orderly, efficient development and ensure compliance with the City’s vision of future growth. |
| SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDED ACTION |
When evaluating Planned Development District requests, staff utilizes UDC Section 21.5.10.F Criteria for Approval.
1. Whether the proposed PDD implements the policies of the adopted Comprehensive Land Plan.
The Comprehensive Plan designates this area as Complete Neighborhood. The Complete Neighborhood Land Use Designation is intended for a mix of residential housing types with complimentary neighborhood commercial to create a complete neighborhood. The proposed request to remove the commercial portions of the Saddlebrook Ranch Development, a small 3.3 acre tract in an overall development of 229 acres, does not meet the policies of the adopted Comprehensive Plan and is less appropriate than what was originally approved.
2. Whether the proposed PDD promotes the health, safety, or general welfare of the City and the safe, orderly, efficient and healthful development of the City.
The Lower Seguin Corridor is quickly becoming a dense stretch of the city with several developments being planned, built, or recently approved:
- Rhine Valley - 447 lots
- Carmel Ranch - 131 lots
- Monterey Meadows - Ord. 24-S-148 - Approx. 174 lots, R-2 and R-6 zoning districts
- Judah Ranch - Ord. 25-S-029 - 173 acre tract with R-1,R-2, and R-6 zoning districts.
The original Saddlebrook Ranch PDD calls for 633 lots of various widths and sizes. By removing the commercial portion and rearranging the detention pond, this new PDD request effectively increases the lot count of the development to 657. While adding more residential lots might not work against promoting health, safety, and general welfare per se, staff must also consider orderly, efficient and healthful development as well as the aspirations for Southern Schertz. When the corridor is fully built out, there will be thousands of homes in this area. South Schertz residents, City Council, and the Planning and Zoning Commission, have all expressly desired to see commercial services in this area to serve existing and future residents. The potential loss of the commercial portion of the Saddlebrook Ranch Development works against expressly stated goals and policy decisions and is not an orderly, efficient, or healthful development for South Schertz.
3. Whether the uses permitted by the proposed change in zoning district classification and the standards applicable to such uses will be appropriate in the immediate area of the land to be reclassified.
The immediate area consists of undeveloped land, rural residences, and several single-family subdivisions currently being developed. The uses permitted in the requested base district of Single-Family Residential Districts (R-1) are as follows:
| UDC Section 21.5.8 Permitted Uses |
| Single-Family Residential Districts (R-1) |
| Permitted by Right |
Permitted with SUP |
Accessory Building, Residential
Family or Group Home
Gated Community
Golf Course and/or Country Club
Municipal Uses Operated by the City of Schertz
One-Family Dwelling Detached
Park/Playground/Similar Public Site
School, Public or Private |
Bed and Breakfast Inn
Church, Temple, Synagogue, Mosque, or Other Place of Worship
In-Home Day Care
New and Unlisted Uses |
The uses allowed by right and by Specific Use Permit are consistent with the current immediate area and consistent with the trajectory of the Lower Seguin Corridor. However, having commercial uses at the corner of two major thoroughfares identified in our Master Thoroughfare Plan, Red Bud Canyon and Lower Seguin, is more appropriate.
4. Whether the proposed change is in accord with any existing or proposed plans for providing public schools, streets, water supply, sanitary sewers or other public services and utilities to the area.
SCUCISD has been notified of the zone change request and the Saddlebrook Ranch project has been under development for several years. This project has already made improvements to water and wastewater infrastructure, as well as improvements to Lower Seguin Road and constructed a portion of the FM 3009 extension identified in the Master Thoroughfare Plan which is identified as Redbud Canyon. The development is required to continue these improvements regardless of the outcome of this zoning request.
5. The extent to which the proposed PDD will result in a superior development than could be achieved through conventional zoning.
This request is not superior to conventional zoning. What this request effectively does is reduce the lot depth of the Single-Family Residential District (R-2) from 120-feet to 118-feet. The original request that included a commercial portion was considered superior and is evident from Staff's City Council Memorandum from the March 5, 2021 City Council meeting. In this memorandum, Staff originally recommended approval for the Saddlebrook Ranch PDD explicitly because of "limited commercial development at the intersection of two arterial roadways on our Master Thoroughfare Plan in order to support the surrounding neighborhood".
6. Whether all of the applicant's back taxed owed to the City have been paid in full (no application will receive final approval until all back taxes are paid in full).
This did not affect the recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission nor does this affect City Council's decision.
7. Whether other criteria are met which, at the discretion of the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council, are deemed relevant and important in the consideration of the amendment.
All UDC requirements have been met for the proposed zone change. City of Schertz Fire, EMS, and Police Departments have been notified of the zone change and have provided no objections to the request.
SCUC ISD has also been notified of the zone change request.
The scheduled public hearing provides the opportunity to introduce additional considerations. |
| RECOMMENDATION |
The request does not implement the policies of the Comprehensive Plan, does not promote orderly and efficient development, and removes the unique and superior element of the original PDD request.
Therefore, Staff is recommending denial of Ord. 25-S-036.
The Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing on August 6, 2025 and recommended denial of the Planned Development District request with a 6-1 vote. |
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