Just because you buy a piece of commercial real estate doesn’t mean that you can use it for any kind of business you want. Imagine if you could open up an oil refinery right next to a residential neighborhood. Zoning laws make San Antonio a more pleasurable and organized place to live. That said, zoning laws can represent a very serious headache for business owners — especially those who make a commercial real estate purchase before doing their zoning research.
Here are a few important business zoning laws that you should be aware of before buying a commercial property in San Antonio:
— Community homes, boarding homes and assisted living homes: Any community home must be located more than a half mile from any existing community home.
— Transitional homes: Transitional homes are for those who are recovering from drug addiction, mental health issues and other issues. If you plan to set up a transition home, it needs to be at least 1,000 feet away from daycare centers, parks and schools.
— Head shops: Head shops sell marijuana-related and smoking paraphernalia. These facilities need to be at least 1,000 feet away from churches, residential areas, museums, community centers, hospitals, schools and parks.
— Live entertainment that’s sexual in nature: Sexually oriented businesses (SOBs) need to be at least 1,000 feet away from schools, churches, parks and other property.
— Alcohol establishments: Businesses that serve or sell alcohol must be at least 300 feet away from hospitals, schools and churches.
— Bed and breakfast establishments: All bed and breakfast establishments need to be at least 300 feet away (laterally) and 150 feet away (perpendicularly) from other bed and breakfast establishments.
The above zoning guidelines are just some of the important zoning considerations that businesses need to be aware of. If you’re considering a commercial property purchase, you may want to have an experienced San Antonio real estate lawyer review the legal issues relating to the purchase before following through with the transaction.
Source: sanantonio.gov, “Commercial site considerations,” accessed May 26, 2017