Sub-Regional ETJ Plans

Bexar County is projected to add over one million residents by 2040, and if not properly prepared for this growth, the impacts could have significant consequences. For example, traffic congestion and commute times could increase, which would in turn affect our air quality and overall quality of life. Having a vision is critical to the long-term success of our area.

The SA Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan is currently a guiding document that City departments, partner agencies, residents, employers, developers, and other stakeholders use to ensure a high quality of life for residents and visitors within the City of San Antonio. An extension of the comprehensive plan is growth management in the City’s Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ).

Currently, the City has approximately 50 different adopted land use plans, many of which are outdated and contain inconsistent future land use categories. In some areas, no future land use map exists at all. To address this issue, the City will align the future land use categories in the ETJ Sub-Regional Plans with SA Tomorrow Sub-Area Plans. The result will be a comprehensive and unified future land use map for the entire city and its ETJ.

Sub-Region ETJ Plan Process

The Planning Department has secured the assistance of TXP, Inc., a consultant, to create a framework that identifies and prioritizes seven sub-regions in the ETJ. The sub-regions were identified using data related to:

• existing land use
• infrastructure
• cultural assets and environmental features
• population
• employment forecasts

The consultants will also support the ETJ sub-regional planning process by collecting data, facilitating meetings, and through document creation. Starting with the Northeast Sub-Region, specific plans will be created as part of implementing the Annexation & Growth Management Policy over the next five years. The expected timeframe for the development of each plan is approximately one year.

Northeast Sub-Region ETJ Plan

The Northeast Sub-Region ETJ Plan will serve as a strategic planning document to guide future development within the Northeast ETJ Region. It will replace the North Sector Plan, which is over 15 years old. The Planning Department recognizes that nuances exist between various regions and the Sub-Regional plan will address specific characteristics and geography of the region it encompasses.

Each sub-region plan will contain future land use map(s), which identify land uses and development patterns based on area data. Future land use is important because it helps determine where people will live, work, and play in San Antonio area. Future land use categories outline the desired land use and development pattern based on several potential factors, such as:

• proximity to major arterials
• proximity to transit facilities
• topographic restraints
• presence of floodplains