Public speaks out on revamped Parks Master Plan

The public had a chance to speak on the city’s revamped Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan on Tuesday.

The San Marcos City Council held a public hearing and discussion of the plan but took no action toward approving it. Drew Wells, interim director of community services, gave the presentation on the plan.

Wells said the plan is an update of the city’s 2010 master plan and involved input from the public.

“We had extensive public participation,” he said, noting that there were meetings, surveys and other outreach to solicit ideas from the public.

Wells said the plan covers four major areas that the city’s parks and outdoor spaces are meant to benefit: environmental, social, economic and health. The plan includes parkland acquisition, improved athletic facilities, an expanded trail system, diversified amenities and beautification efforts. The Planning and Zoning Commission approved the plan on March 12.

During the public hearing, resident Roland Saucedo noted one thing missing from the parks plan.

“There’s 15 neighborhood parks,” he said. “Not a single one has a bathroom.”

Saucedo noted that at Dunbar, there is no way to access a bathroom unless someone is using the building and is willing to let someone in. At Eddie Durham Park, site of a jazz festival, “The only way you can use the bathroom anywhere near the park is if one of the Calaboose volunteers is there to open up the Calaboose.”

At Anita Reyes park, which Saucedo said is close to his neighborhood, “We like to have little birthday parties there. … It’s intimate, it’s safe. … But again, no bathrooms.”

Mayor Pro Tem Lisa Prewitt asked Wells is the bathroom issue had come up during public outreach. Wells said he did not recall hearing anyone mention it and noted that in the neighborhood parks, people are often close to their houses. Prewitt asked if staff might consider looking at adding bathrooms at some of the larger neighborhood parks where people might not be close to their houses. Council member Mark Rockeymoore mentioned that sometimes people from outside of a neighborhood will go to a park to use amenities like basketball courts, and those people are not near their houses.

Wells said the city was looking at adding bathrooms at Dunbar and at some of the larger parks on the east side. Just because something isn’t listed in the master plan, he said, “It doesn’t mean we can’t move forward and make those types of improvements or consider them.”

In other business Tuesday night, council approved changes to the city’s fire prevention and protection code. The city had heard a report on the proposed amendments during a workshop meeting two weeks prior. Many of the changes are intended to keep local standards consistent with recognized best practices. Among the changes are a requirement that the fire marshal be appointed by the fire chief, a ban on grills on multifamily patios, requirements for better gate access for emergency responders at gated multifamily properties and a requirement for fire extinguishers in both individual apartments and hallways at multifamily properties.

Because Tuesday night’s meeting grew lengthy after a public hearing on disaster relief funding reallocations, council decided to postpone votes on changes to the city’s food safety code and on amendments to the current cemetery lot fee structure.