Amazon To Build Second Distribution Center In San Marcos

Terra Rivers | Managing Editor

Amazon plans to build a large warehouse distribution center in North San Marcos at Fortuna and Yarrington Roads.

On Tuesday, the San Marcos City Council considered two variances for a project in the Whisper Planned Development District with a proposed use of ‘Amazon Distribution Warehouse.’

The variances will allow fill of up to 15 feet and for 12 rows of parking within the first layer along Fortuna Road for an approximately 71-acre portion of the Development bounded by Yarrington Road, Fortuna Road, and Opportunity Boulevard.

According to the agenda, the warehouse, identified as SAT6, is slated to be 1,005,000 square feet. The applicant is proposing a large detention pond between the parking lot area and the street.

As Fortuna Drive is angled along the property line, the proposed parking lot is located between 150-360 feet away from Fortuna Drive. Additionally, the PDD has parking lot screening and landscaping requirements that the applicant is not requesting to vary from.

The employee parking lot will be located between the front of the building and Fortuna Drive; the lot will help separate employees from the facility’s truck traffic.

The council expressed interest in adding sustainable features to the facility, such as rain gardens and solar panels.

The council approved both the variances unanimously; the parking variance was approved with an amendment to part 1, which added seven conditions.

1. Over Detention of Site Runoff
2. Grass-lined channels providing water quality
3. 10 employee electric vehicle charging stations
4. 10 electric semi-truck charging stations
5. 100% of rooftop solar panels
6. Hydrogen fuel system
7. Designated rideshare location

The decision was made based on the council’s interest in making the facility as environmentally friendly as possible.

Mayor Jane Hughson thanked the developers for working with the city.

The developer is slated to break ground on the project after the new year.

The property is subject to the former Land Development code but will go “above and beyond” the watershed quality requirements to reduce runoff. No other variances have been requested.

According to Shannon Mattingly, Director of Planning and Development, the developer has already begun the permitting process.

The project is zoned as an employment center; while it hasn’t been released how many new jobs the facility will bring, Jim Welch, VP of Pape-Dawson Engineers Inc. stated there would 557 parking spots.

“I will say, you know, in our packet, it’s pretty publicly clear who the end-user is, and it’s an Amazon warehouse distribution center,” Maxfield Baker, Place 1 City Council Member said.