Alamo Heights council approves replacement house

The Alamo Heights City Council has given the green light to homebuilder Jack Dabney to build a larger home on his recently replatted property in the 200 block of Cloverleaf.

The council July 28 unanimously approved the design for the 3,430-square-foot house, which would replace a 2,170-square-foot structure.

Dabney got city permission in June to demolish the latter building. The new home would be two stories and have a bigger garage.

Dabney filed a request May 5 to replat the lots on his property into two 62.5-foot-by-145-foot lots. Dabney and his representatives, along with city staff, previously told the council that the five lots, individually, were not buildable.

City staff received approval from three utilities for the then-proposed plat, and notified the public, including nearby property owners, about Dabney's request. The city received 24 responses all in opposition.

Dabney's supporters have said the replat would enable his company to build two quality homes on the replatted lot. Opponents had said changing the lot could lead to a change in the character of their neighborhood.

Because the council did not act on the proposed replat in the time allotted by state laws for local government, Dabney's replat request was effectively approved.

The city's architectural review board (ARB), in separate meetings, reviewed the significance of demolishing the old house and the design of the replacement. The board's recommended both actions.

However, for the new house design the ARB requested that Dabney replace the siding of the main structure with stucco, and the garage's siding with stone.

The city urged Dabney to meet with his neighbor, Dr. Thomas Spalten, about plans for his property. They did meet but Spalten still has concerns.

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Alamo Heights council approves replacement house