A message to our San Marcos family

On behalf of the entire Development Services Department, we hope everyone is remaining safe amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Together we can flatten the curve. At this time, all Planning and Zoning Commission meetings are being conducted virtually online. Click here for information on how to view or participate in an upcoming meeting. Additional information and updates on COVID-19 can be found on the City's website. Our department is also offering a video call inspection service, through Skype, for all occupied home inspections, to help ensure the safety of our citizens and our staff. Please contact Michael Gleason at mgleason2@sanmarcostx.gov for more information.

Newsletter Launch

We hope to utilize this newsletter to keep our community updated on upcoming initiatives and projects. Please stay tuned for continual updates.

Downtown Design Kickoff Survey - Now Available!

The Planning Department is seeking community input on downtown design and architectural standards through an online Kickoff Survey!

In January, 2020, the City of San Marcos City Council provided direction to update the design standards and guidelines for downtown. The update to the downtown design standards is intended to address key vision topics, including architectural styles, landmarks, greening, and balancing the old and new in downtown San Marcos. This Kickoff Survey provides an opportunity for community members to weigh in on the update to the downtown design process during the initial kickoff phase. The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete and will close on Thursday, May 28, 2020.

English: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SanMarcosDowntownDesign
Spanish: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SanMarcosDowntownDesignSpanish

A public workshop will be held in person as soon as it is safe to do so. Initial outreach efforts for this project have included three stakeholder meetings in mid-April which were held virtually. Click here to learn more about the big ideas from those meetings. To learn more, visit: sanmarcostx.gov/downtowndesign.

2020 Census: We need your help!

Did you know the Census has been open since April 1, and San Marcos only has an estimated 39.4% participation rate? The Census is very important to the San Marcos community and the City’s budget, and this low participation rate is a huge concern for our future.

Census responses inform where over $675 billion is distributed each year to communities nationwide for clinics, schools, roads, and more. Unfortunately, in the last Census (2010), a mere 67% of San Marcos households self-responded to the survey. For every individual that does not participate in the Census approximately $16,000 in funding is lost. That means, for the last ten years, San Marcos missed out on eligibility for funding and representation for many of its residents.

Even though it can be completed online, by phone, and by mail this year, due to COVID-19 and a delay in deploying Census staff to the streets to count residents, we are on track to have an even lower participation rate unless our community can help us spread the word.

To help, please contact Shavon Caldwell. You can also check out the diligent efforts of the San Marcos Complete Count Committee. If you haven’t, take the 2020 Census and be sure to include everyone living in your household in your count (including children and extended family or non-relatives).

City Adopts a Temporary Parklet Program

The City has adopted a temporary parklet program in downtown San Marcos, allowing businesses to temporarily convert on-street parking spaces into outdoor seating. This program aims to reactivate downtown business engagement by providing businesses with an additional visible service area while simultaneously enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the downtown.

Interested businesses must meet certain location and design criteria and are required to follow all protocols, practices and guidelines specified in the Governor’s Report to Open Texas. In addition, each parklet shall be no more than two parking spaces in size, and no more than two parklet spaces are allowed per block face. Temporary parklet installations will be permitted through August 14, 2020.

Interested businesses can click here to learn about the program and download the application. All applications can be submitted via email to the Planning Department.

May is Historic Preservation Month

Preservation Month provides an opportunity to celebrate the diverse and unique heritage of our country’s cities and states. It began as National Preservation Week in 1973 and was extended to the entire month of May in 2005. San Marcos is home to seven local historic districts, eight beautiful and fascinating local historic landmarks, as well as numerous Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks and properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. You can find them on the Historic District and Landmark Map. Be sure to check out the City’s Facebook page this month as the eight local landmarks will be highlighted.

Contact the Planning and Development Services Department

The Planning Department's goal is to manage the growth and development of the community by carrying out adopted Council policies, and providing professional expertise. To contact us, visit our webpage or email us at planninginfo@sanmarcostx.gov.