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Viewshed Protection District
The purpose of this district is to establish regulations to protect, preserve
and enhance of views and vistas by authorizing and establishing viewshed
protection districts. The City of San Antonio has many views and vistas of
historic places, landmark buildings, and other sites of cultural importance
which have always been important to the city. These views will continue to be
amenities and assets of great value to the city, its people and its economy.
New development in the vicinity of these important places is usually
beneficial, but when construction becomes too tall and begins to overwhelm or
intrude, in scale and mass, the main view or vista of a smaller place of
significance, then the viewshed located behind the significant property should
be protected. Viewshed protection districts are overlay districts that will be
used primarily for unique situations regarding views and vistas that are not
adequately covered by the standard zoning districts. Limitation on construction
No part of a new structure, sign, tower, roof top equipment or other
appurtenance shall be permitted to encroach into any designated viewshed as set
forth in this ordinance unless an encroachment was approved legally before the
effective date of the viewshed protection ordinance. If the maximum height
allowed in any zoning district within the city differs from the height
permitted by a protection district, the more restrictive height limitation
shall apply.
Alamo Viewshed (VP-1) The viewshed protection district lies behind the
major entrance to the front door of the Mission San Antonio de Valero (The
Alamo), a local Exceptional Landmark and a National Historic Landmark. A brass
disc monument named VP-1, Alamo Viewshed, has been set to mark the viewpoint
origination in Alamo Plaza in front of the Alamo Chapel.
Boundaries The area above a plane described by the following boundary is
designated as the Alamo Viewshed Protection District (VP-1): beginning at a
point at elevation 663.22 feet above disk VP-1, Alamo Viewshed and extending
through a point of the plane of the façade that is level with and six inches
northwest from the topmost northern corner of the Alamo façade at a vertical
angle of 9°34’38” and at a distance of 109.23 feet to the east right of way
line of Interstate Highway 37 for the northern boundary of the viewshed (see
Ch. 35-337 of the Unified Development Code for full boundary description). The
images below display the geometry of VP-1.
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