Commission stands firm on PSA limits
After some discussion of the merits of, problems with and need for more chances for developers to submit Preferred Scenario Amendments (PSAs), the Planning and Zoning Commission decided Tuesday night that it would rather keep the current twice-a-year PSA submission schedule.
“If there can be some evidence that changing this would have a positive impact on the kinds of developments we want to see, I’m all for it,” said commissioner Angie Ramirez, “but I have yet to be shown any evidence of negative consequences of twice a year.”
P&Z had already heard arguments for and against allowing PSAs year-round. When the year-round proposal want to council, council members decided that if year-round seems excessive, perhaps allowing PSAs three or four times a year would be more amenable. The argument put forth for allowing PSAs more than twice a year is that smaller developers might miss the opportunity to put in applications for projects that the city would like to see, such as workforce housing.
“When they make an offer on property, and time is money, they can’t have an option that extends as long,” commission chair Jim Garber said, relaying what he had heard at the council meeting. “This was driving small developers away from potentially applying.”
In a statement she read at that council meeting and included in the P&Z agenda packet, Mayor (then council member) Jane Hughson explained, “With our discussions on Workforce Housing needs, I was concerned that there could be a project we would welcome, but might miss it due to the twice a year limit. There was no ulterior motive and certainly no attempt to encourage bad development.”
However, the commissioners noted, the twice-a-year schedule was only driving developers away who wanted to change the city’s Preferred Scenario Map. And Garber said he had not received an answer to the question of whether accepting PSAs more than twice a year would have a positive effect on the city.
Commissioner Betseygail Rand said that she wanted to push back against the idea that developers hold the cards in San Marcos.
“We hold the cards,” she said. “Building buildings for the sake of building … empty buildings don’t do anybody any good, especially if they’re inconsistent with what we’ve laid out.”
Rand said that the city could pay attention to the people who currently live here and the small businesses that need economic support.
“I really am not inclined to buy into this premise that the driver of economic health in San Marcos is as many developers as possible building in as many ways as possible,” she said.
A motion to keep the twice-a-year PSA schedule passed unanimously. The measure will go to council, which could still decide to expand PSA periods to three or four times a year.
