Petitioner (McCombs Family, LTD. C/o Kaufman & Associates) is requesting the closure, vacation and abandonment of an improved portion of Mockingbird Lane Public Right of Way located between Interstate Highway 10 West and Greatview Drive
Aug 26, 2008 - Telephone conversations:
Jesse Quesada, Management Analyst, 207-6971: He processes the application for the city. His recommendation will be based on responses. If responses are positive, the application goes to Planning Commission (with a 500' notification) and then City Council.
Mike Wiese, 4M Reality, 342-4242: He believes office building and apartment tenants on Greatview will protest. (They have had this same response when McCombs floated the proposition in the past.)
Comment: Strange. Why does McCombs and Kaufman think there would be any different outcome this time???
Dec 23, 2008 - Kaufman - Proposes to allow public access to his rear alley in place of Mockingbird (a public street) - Map
Pictures of McCombs' Rear Alley(Basically, his alley is squeezed between the back ("rear") ends of Highpoint and Grandview strip malls. Not a pretty sight.)
Dec 30, 2008 - Made an open records request for the case materials from Development Service Department
Jan 28, 2009 Helen Valkavich, Assistant City Attorney, City of San Antonio - Canvassing Replies
Jan 29, 2009 - Meeting about McCombs' petition to close Mockingbird - Meeting Notice
Synopsis - The meeting went 2+ hours under the personal guidance of CW Cibrian. The overwhelming consensus of Greatview neighbors was negative-to-hostile towards the proposed closure. At the end of the meeting, I tried to get a straw count but was cut off by CW Cibrian after only one person indicated he was favorable.
Note - Based on your connection speed, audio files could take a few minutes each to download, and your web program may not be configured to play them. As an alternative, right click the link and save to your local drive first and then play.
Summary: The Planning Commission tends to only deny a petition if it is a technical non-starter. The commission approved the petition with only one negative vote
Mar 05, 2009 - City Council heard and passed McCombs' petition to close and take Mockingbird
Our polling for the issue: Written Testimony form for Leticia M.Vacek, TRMC, CMC, City Clerk, Telephone: (210)207-7253, FAX: (210)207-7032, Email: amelia.ramirez@sanantonio.gov?subject=Office. Note - Since City Council has approved the closure, our polling is OBE'd.
"Cibrian to Mockingbird and District 8: Drop Dead"(Our synopsis of what happened)
This issue went to City Council on March 5. Cibrian disregarded solid opposition from District 8 residents, tenants, small businesses and neighborhood associations, and motioned for approval of McCombs petition to convert Mockingbird to private use. It passed.
In making the motion, Cibrian cited a private polling which Bill Kaufman, city insider and 'Pen Pal', ran for McCombs as giving "the voice of the people". BTW, this polling primarily contained signatures from District 1!
Let Cibrian know if she did the right thing on this issue during city elections on May 9.
Mar 12, 2009 - Elaine Wolff, SA Current - "Pen Pals"
"Over the last six months, Cibrian and Kaufman have also exchanged several emails about Red McCombs' petition to have the City close and abandon a portion of Mockingbird Lane between I-10 West and Greatview Drive (which would enable McCombs to purchase that part of the street, and use it to link his businesses), an effort for which Kaufman lobbied on McCombs' behalf"
Comment:We do not think there is anything wrong that CW Cibrian's Host Committee includes McCombs (gold), Kaufman (Silver) and Peveto (Gold), who are principals in this case, but we hope she does not give even a hint that 'gold' and 'silver' influence her actions.
City of San Antonio:
Image Server Website - Graphic (Show the Sugar Hill apartments on Greatview.)
Google's 'Street View' Mockingbird (Looking towards I-10 access road.)
Quick Analysis -
So specifically, Red McCombs requests closing Mockingbird Land (a public street) in order to connect his dealership (to the right of 'Street View') with a parking lot of the High Point shopping center (to the left of 'Street View').
Our understanding is that McCombs owns HighPoint and so would be able to expand his dealership.
This would be a potentially bigger deal.
How the change would benefit anyone else in San Antonio is not obvious.
Jul 2008 - Board of Adjustment - Case No. A-07-053 - 4207 Moonlight Way
Summary of Events:
The applicant is requesting a 3-foot variance from the requirement that predominantly
open fences in front yards be no taller than 4 feet, in order to erect a 7-foot tall
predominantly open fence in the front yard.
Applicant seeks rezoning of the Huebner properties from O-2 (Office) to C-2 (Commercial) and rezoning of the Sandstone properties from R-6 (Residential) to C-1 (Commercial)
Aug 14, 2008 - Michael Shackleford hosted a meeting of VJNI, neighbors, architects and developer at the D8 district office on Wurzbach.
Architects and developer appeared to be upright and had impressive plans and designs, but all neighbors were opposed to any rezoning to a Commercial designation and placement of a large parking lot in a neighborhood setting.
Applicant will request a two-week continuance at the Aug 19 zoning meeting.
Sep 02, 2008 - Application is withdrawn at Zoning Meeting - Meeting Minutes (See Item 9)
