Daily Record file photo by Toy Mendez
City to host Downtown Community Workshop
San Marcos residents are invited to a community workshop to share their vision for the downtown area.
The City of San Marcos will host the Downtown Community Workshop on Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the creation of a Downtown Area Plan. The meeting is set to take place at the Price Center, 222 W. San Antonio St.
“We know downtown San Marcos is an important part of our community’s identity,” Planning Manager Andrea Villalobos said in a statement. “That’s why we’re kicking off a Downtown Area Plan to take a closer look at the community’s vision for its future.”
Wednesday’s workshop begins at 5:30 p.m. with a social gathering followed by a presentation at 6 p.m. The event concludes with interactive activities between 6:15-8 p.m. During the Downtown Community Workshop, community members can provide feedback about what they like about downtown and what they want to see differently in downtown San Marcos. The event will discuss multiple topics including historic and cultural character, multimodal connectivity, public spaces, streetscapes, housing, small businesses, and building design.
“Essentially what it is, is it’s a time to stop and pause as a community and really think about the downtown area,” Villalobos said during a recent Downtown Association meeting. “So, the last time we actually talked about downtown in a real way was 2008. We did a downtown master plan at that time so it’s really old. We’ve seen a lot of changes happen since then.”
The city said the new Downtown Area Plan, which is a component of the larger Vision SMTX Comprehensive Plan project being developed, will help shape downtown San Marcos’ future.
“We want to know what the community loves about downtown and how we can make it a desirable and inclusive place to live, work, shop, and play into the future,” Villalobos said in a statement. “We invite you to participate in this important project by attending our upcoming community workshop to let us know what you envision for the future of the heart of our community.”
The event will feature interactive activities, refreshments, games, and giveaways for attendees. A virtual survey will be available after the event at www.visionsmtx.com for community members who cannot attend the open house.
