Additional parking is proposed for Govt. center

Improvements are coming to the Hays County Government Center after the commissioners court last week approved initial steps in adding a parking lot and working on accessibility.

The commissioners approved the choice of Doucet and Associates to provide plans, specifications and estimates for a new parking lot at the Government Center.

“As we all know, we continue to have parking needs at the Government Center, so we’re trying to get Doucet to submit a design for these,” Precinct 1 Commissioner Debbie Gonzales Ingalsbe said. 

Hays County resident Dan Lyon questioned the need for more parking at the center.

“I would like someone to explain what the problems are, and I would like to point out that if we spend money on another parking lot, we’re just adding impervious cover to what we already have there,” he said.

Ingalsbe replied that several officials have spoken about insufficient parking at the center, particularly during elections and jury calls. Countywide Operations chief Tammy Crumley said that on busy days, people park on the grass and all the way down Stagecoach Drive.

“They think they’re going to arrive at 8:45; they get to the building at 9,” she said.

Ingalsbe noted, “The area that we’re proposing for this parking lot will be south of the furthest parking lot from the Government Center.”

The city of San Marcos has regulations that prevent new development from worsening flooding, so construction will have to compensate for the additional impervious cover.

“It’s truly a safety issue when people are parked up and down Stagecoach,” Precinct 4 Commissioner Walt Smith said.

Crumley added that only one side of Stagecoach has a sidewalk.

Ingalsbe said that with the new parking lot, the county will add more ADA spots close to the building. 

The commissioners also approved an agreement with HDR Architecture Inc. to develop schematics for a new accessibility ramp, changes to drainage and other improvements at the Government Center.

“The ramp used to enter the Government Center during Early Voting needs to be redesigned to ensure compliance with Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),” the agenda item reads. “There is a drainage issue at the base of the ramp that needs to be alleviated. In addition, improvements will be made to better serve voter needs during elections.”