San Marcos City Council Postpones Rezoning Vote, Amends FY 2019 Budget

The meeting opened with a moment of silence for Officer Ken Copeland, who was killed in the line of duty on December 4, 2017.

By, Terra Rivers, Managing Editor

On Tuesday, December 4, the San Marcos City Council held a public hearing for a potential rezoning of a Single-Family Residential District (SF-6) to Neighborhood Density District 3 (ND-3), the amendment of the 2018-2019 Fiscal Year Budget and the creation of a Parking Advisory Board.

The meeting opened with a moment of silence for Officer Ken Copeland, who was killed in the line of duty on December 4, 2017.

The Heritage Association and the City of San Marcos marked Officer Copeland’s 59th birthday on November 26 with the dedication of a tree in memorial at the San Marcos Activity Center.

Council Member Scott Gregson was absence from the meeting for medical reasons.

Several residents spoke against a request from a property owner/developer to rezone a 1.206-acre tract of land located at Eagle Street and Baylor Avenue. The property owner is requesting a zoning change from SF-6 to ND-3.

See a side-by-side comparison chart of SF-6 and ND-3 below.

Residents expressed concerns over increased traffic in the area, the current lack of parking and how the potential new development could make the traffic and parking issue worse. Additionally, the residents mentioned the rise of impervious cover the new development will create.

According to staff, the request proposed for ND-3 zoning allows for various single-family building types of 12 Single-family lots.

Staff also stated the streets near the property are considered narrow and would have to be expanded, sidewalks would have to be added, and the proposed rezoning to “ND-3 is consistent with surrounding residential uses.”

City staff has recommended the approval of the zoning change request; however, staff stated ANY deviations from the current Existing Neighborhood Regulating Plan would require Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council approval.

Included in the agenda packet were documents stating “the request does meet the intent of the Preferred Scenario Map and the Land Use Intensity Matrix.”

Staff also notes the current watershed already has a high impervious cover value. However, it is still important to identify potential pollution from redevelopment as construction runoff and debris can wash into the creek during storm events.”

At their November 13 meeting, the Planning & Zoning Commission voted 7-1 to deny this zoning change request. Adoption of a motion to approve this zoning change request would require affirmative votes from at least six members of the City Council.

As an ND-3, the property owner would be able to subdivide the property into a maximum of 12 lots and construct zero lot line houses.

According to staff, the lot is currently vacant; the homes would be for sale, but the houses would have an occupancy restriction.

With Councilmember Gregson’s absence and the current runoff election for two new councilmembers, the property owner requested the item be postponed.

Mayor Jane Hughson said she was aware of the postponement request; however, she wanted the residents in attendance to have an opportunity to speak during the public hearing.

Staff said the city would send a courtesy meeting reminder notice to residents within 400 feet of the property.

The postponement request passed 5-0, which will allow the rezoning request to return to the city council meeting on January 15, 2019.

NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER: The City of San Marcos has NOT released the current APPROVED budget that started on October 1, 2018. Corridor News has submitted two Public Information Requests to receive a copy and were told it would be released and published on the city’s website in November 2018. However, it has not. As soon as Corridor News receives a copy we will share the city’s current budget with the San Marcos taxpayers.

Council members discussed amending the 2018-2019 budget to create the Parking Management Fund and allow the hiring of a full-time employment position for a parking manager.

The item related to the Parking Program Framework Plan approved by City Council in June 2018 for the development of a comprehensive and strategic approach to managing parking in the downtown area of San Marcos.

The Parking Management Program will integrate with the responsibilities of managing on-street parking, managing city-owned off-street parking, coordination with privately-owned off-street parking, parking enforcement and citation management and adjudication, parking planning and development and transportation demand management, according to the agenda.

Staff proposed amending the budget to allow for expenditures in the sum of $134,411 to create the Parking Management Fund. During the discussion, the council made changes to the proposed budget amendment.

The motion to amend the FY 2019 Budget by the sum of $87,258 passed with a 5-0 vote.

Finally, City Council members voted on the amendment of Chapter 2, Article 3, regarding Boards, Committees and Commissions, of the San Marcos City Code.

The amendment replaced the Division 6 board to establish a parking advisory board to address parking issues and solutions in Downtown San Marcos.

City council proposed two amendments to the original Ordinance to allow up to seven voting members and two non-voting city council members to the board. The amendments passed with a 5-0 vote.

In other news, City Council considered the approval of ordinance 2018-53 on the first of two readings; the item addressed the potential raising of the speed limit from 30 miles per hour to 35 miles per hour along the section of Hunter Road between Wonder World Drive and West San Antonio Street.

Chase Stapp, Chief of Police for the San Marcos Police Department, said that raising the speed limit to 35 miles per hour would make the road safer for travel; drivers would experience less tailgating, which could prevent accidents.

The proposed ordinance passed with a vote of 5-0, and the meeting adjourned around 8:30 PM.