Housing plan, demolition delay on packed Council agenda

A strategic action plan aimed to address housing needs in San Marcos will be up for discussion at this week’s San Marcos City Council meeting. 

On Wednesday evening, the San Marcos City Council will discuss the proposed Workforce Housing Task Force Strategic Housing Action Plan, which was created over the past year by a 19-member task force, and provide direction to city staff.

The housing plan includes four goals, six strategies and several actions to address San Marcos’ housing needs. The plan’s four primary goals are as follows: expand opportunities for housing, preserve and enhance existing housing stock, leverage community and regional partners and quantity and meet the housing needs of current and future residents. 

San Marcos’ Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of the plan at their Sept. 24 meeting after making several amendments to the originally proposed plan. 

In other business, council will hold a public hearing and consider approval of an ordinance that  would amend the San Marcos Development Code to establish a demolition review process, including a minimum waiting period, for the issuance of permits to demolish certain historic-aged buildings, on the first of two readings.

A possible decision on the demolition review ordinance by council follows months of consideration by both the Historic Preservation Commission and P&Z. 

On Oct. 8, P&Z voted 8-1 to approve a draft alternative ordinance generated by city staff regarding demolition of certain historic-aged buildings. The ordinance will place a 90-day delay on the issuance of demolition permits to certain historic buildings or parts thereof.  

The draft ordinance supported by P&Z only applies to buildings or parts thereof located within My Historic SMTX boundaries and evaluated as high or medium preservation priority, or buildings or parts thereof located outside My Historic SMTX boundaries that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places or a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.

Additionally, council will discuss and take possible action to approve a Chapter 380 Economic Development Incentive Agreement with Katerra Construction, LLC. 

On Oct. 16, 2018, council approved a Chapter 380 agreement with Katerra for the company  to construct an approximately 600,000 square foot facility to manufacture a wide range of building components and materials, including wall panels, floor systems, roof truss assemblies, windows, cabinets and finishes at the SMART (San Marcos Air, Rail and Truck) Terminal industrial rail park.

However, Katerra — an automated building component manufacturing and distribution facility — recently announced that it will longer be located at the SMART Terminal as originally proposed. Katerra was previously slated to be the SMART Terminal’s first tenant. Instead, the facility will relocate to the proposed Whisper development located at Yarrington Road and Harris Hill.  

According to the agenda item request, “This project is located in the Loop 110 TRZ which limits the amount of real property rebate that the company can receive because 50% of the real property increment goes to the state to reimburse them for the Loop 110 infrastructure. City staff is recommending that the previous agreement percentages be reduced by 50% for real property.”

San Marcos could gain a multimillion-dollar, multi-use sportsplex should council decide to approve a purchase and sale agreement with Pursuant Ventures Development, LLC providing for the City to purchase approximately 30 acres of land in the vicinity of Centerpoint Road and South Interstate 35. The area would be improved with an indoor/outdoor sportsplex with eight fields for an estimated price of $19,875,383.51. 

According to the agenda item, the City would fund the project —  “intended to host national tournaments and showcase events that will attract visitors from across the United States” — by bonded indebtedness intended to be paid from Hotel Occupancy Tax collections and lease revenue. 

According to the agenda item, the fields would be used by the local youth baseball associations free of charge.

Council will hold the first of two public hearings to receive comments for or against Ordinance 2019-40, which would reestablish a juvenile curfew for minors.

Council will also consider approval of a resolution that would approve amendments to the Affordable/Workforce Housing Policy regarding the criteria for approval of applications relating to the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.

Council will consider, by motion, the initial authorization of text amendments to the San Marcos Land Development Code to address typographical and technical errors, Historic Preservation Commission Resolutions, and to implement changes related to the 2019 Legislative Session.

City Council will meet Wednesday at City Hall, 630 E. Hopkins. Council’s work session will begin at 3 p.m. and regular session will begin at 6 p.m.