The San Antonio Board of Adjustment voted to deny a set of variance requests by applicant Mateo (Matteo) Rodríguez for a vacant lot at 724 Saint Mayer (case BOA-25-10300006) that sought to allow corrugated-metal fence material and increased fence heights up to 10 feet in some locations.

Staff recommended denial, concluding the requested materials and dimensions would alter the essential character of the residential Government Hill neighborhood and that there were no unique circumstances justifying departing from the fence‑material and height standards. Staff reported 24 mailed notices with nine responses in opposition; the Government Hill neighborhood association and several nearby residents submitted opposition citing traffic visibility and neighborhood character concerns.

The applicant described plans to build a community-oriented garden space and to use fencing for security and to protect equipment and art he said he would install. Several public speakers and a recorded series of voicemail messages from neighborhood association leaders and nearby homeowners opposed the corrugated-metal fence, saying it created a safety hazard by blocking sight lines at a busy corner near a school bus route and Starbucks and that the material did not match the historic residential character.

Commissioners said the applicant’s community-garden goals were laudable but that the BOA process was not the right path to authorize a material this different from neighborhood norms; several commissioners suggested the applicant pursue a zoning change and more neighborhood outreach to build support and to address sight-line and safety concerns. A motion to approve the variances failed on roll-call vote, 0–11.