Northeast Neighborhood Alliance General Meeting Minutes
January 23, 2023
Northeast Service Center
Meeting was called to order at 7 p.m. by President Mike Gallagher.
Attendees recited the Pledge of Allegiance and the Texas Pledge.
Several reports and announcements were presented:
1. Interstate 35 NEX project: TxDOT project manager Daniel Warden gave details on this
major expansion project for I-35, which eventually will encompass 20 miles, from
Walters Street north to FM 1103. It will have three phases, South, Central and North,
and will include sections in Bexar, Guadalupe and Comal counties. The Central phase,
from Walters to Highway 3009, kicked off last July and is expected to last until late 2027
and cost $1.5 billion. It will have elevated lanes to add capacity and reduce commuting
times. Mr. Warden said the elevated lanes were the only way to expand because the
rights of way along I-35 are completely built up with commercial properties. The
elevated portions will include two full-access lanes and one High Occupancy Vehicle
(HOV) lane in each direction. The upper level will have limited access points to keep
traffic moving more smoothly. The new lanes are expected to cut commuting time
significantly. For example, a typical commute from Loop 3009 south to Walters Street
now takes 29 minutes. Once the elevated lanes are completed, estimates are that it will
take 15.5 minutes, Mr. Warden said. Construction has begun at Lookout Road and Loop
1604, and the I-35 interchanges with Loop 410 and Loop 1604 will be significantly
enlarged. More information is available at.
https://www.txdot.gov/35nexcentral
Residents can also call (726) 800-4809.
2. Short-term rentals: Mike Shannon, the city’s Director of Development, gave a
presentation on the issue of short-term residential rentals (STRs) such as VRBO and Air
B&B, which have caused complaints about noise and parking in some neighborhoods. In
response to residents’ concerns, City Council passed an ordinance in 2018 that places
requirements and restrictions on the owners of these short-stay properties. It limits the
number of them that can exist in any neighborhood and requires the purchase of a $100
permit every three years to operate one. There are two types of short-term rentals, Mr.
Shannon said. Type 1 is owner-occupied, where a person rents out a room or “granny
flat” in their own home. This is about one-third of all STRs. Type 2 is non-owner
occupied, where someone lives elsewhere and owns a home that they rent out. This is
the type that has generated the most complaints, Mr. Shannon said. Complaints are
investigated by Code Compliance officers, who can issue citations. If a property gets
three citations in a six-month period, the permit can be revoked. About 200 have been
revoked so far, most of them for non-payment of lodging taxes by the owners. It’s
estimated that one in every eight homes in San Antonio is an STR, he said, for a total of
3,093 units. District 1, which includes the downtown area, has the most at 811. District
10 has the least at 174. For more information on STR regulations and requirements, go
to .
https://www.sanantonio.gov/DSD/Resources/Short-Term-Rental
3. Hometown Heroes: A report on the Hometown Heroes Outdoors program was
presented by founder Preston Wall. Wall said the nonprofit program, established in
2017, is open to military service members, veterans, and first responders. It provides
free hunting and fishing trips in the U.S. to allow participants to bond and discuss issues
such as PTSD during “fireside chats.” Some 1,300 people went on the trips last year, Mr.
Wall said. Their annual fundraiser is scheduled for March 16. For more information, go
to .
https://hometownherooutdoors.org/
4. Councilman’s update: District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry addressed the crowd. He
apologized for recent personal issues that caused him to step down from Council late
last year. He returned to the council on January 12. He also announced that the
interchange at Austin Highway and Harry Wurzbach Road has been completed and
urged residents to check it out.
5. NEISD program: Linda Comeaux with the NEISD’s Academy of Learning in Retirement
(ALIR) announced that registration is open for more than 80 spring classes, which are
open to anyone 50 or older. Some are in person and some are on Zoom, she said. For
information, go to .
6. Cub Scouts BBQ: Donna Dozier announced that Cub Scout Pack 506, which serves
Scouts from kindergarten through fifth grade, is holding a barbecue fundraiser on
February 18 at the Woodstone community pool. For more information, call Donna at
(210) 317-2872.
Upcoming meetings:
April 17: NNA Candidates Forum
May 15: District 10 Meeting
After the awarding of door prizes, the meeting adjourned at 8 p.m.