San Marcos Planning & Zoning Commission Approve My Historic SMTX

Staff Reports

On Tuesday, the San Marcos Planning and Zoning Commission held a discussion and voted 6-0 to approve the My Historic SMTX, the city’s Historic Resources Survey.

According to the Alison Brake, Planner for the City of San Marcos, the My Historic SMTX Resources Survey did not require formal adoption by any board or commission; however, the San Marcos City Council requested last week in their Work Session that it be brought back to Planning and Zoning for formal adoption.  

The survey kicked off in November 2018 and included surveying of 2,080 properties within all seven of the existing historic districts and areas of high-level of development pressure, areas previously surveyed but not included in a historic district and areas platted prior to 1975.

The Texas Historical Commission helped fund the project through a 2018 Certified Local Government grant.

The purpose of My Historic SMTX was:

• To evaluate and update to the three existing historic surveys (the last was conducted in 1997)
• Identification, documentation, and prioritization of new resources that had not been surveyed, and
• Development of a survey report with valuable recommendations to assist the city with future designations, to review and assess future planning initiatives and development proposals, and to provide guidance on resources that are most threatened

Brake said the survey identifies 208 properties, which are considered high preservation priorities, and 473 properties, which are considered medium preservation priorities.

The survey also includes recommendations regarding policy changes and alternative designation options for the city to consider and proposes potential expansions of existing historic districts and the creation of new historic districts.

The San Marcos Planning and Zoning Commission received a full presentation on the My Historic SMTX in July.

Staff said the Historic Preservation Commission is currently reviewing the recommendations in the survey, and planning and zoning may see some of the recommendations presented by HPC in the future.