City reconsiders parking for Amazon warehouse

The San Marcos City Council will reconsider a parking variance in the Whisper Planned Development District for a new Amazon Warehouse expected in Sept. 2021. 

On Dec. 15, the city council approved the resolution with several conditions to ensure the facility and the parking area would take environmental precautions. 

The conditions included over detention of site runoff, grass-lined channels providing water quality, 10 employee electric vehicle charging stations, 10 electric semi-truck charging stations, 100% rooftop solar panels, a hydrogen field system and a designated ride share location. 

The 1,005,000-square foot SAT6 distribution warehouse would occupy roughly 71 acres in north San Marcos in the Whisper Subdivision near Yarrington Road and Fortuna Road, across from the Hays County Transportation Center.

In other business the councilmembers will approve the purchase of a hydro-excavation system from Freightliner of Austin for use by the Public Service Department for $432,741.

They will also consider approving a developer participation agreement providing for the city to participate in the cost of extending wastewater infrastructure from the Trace Subdivision to the Posey Business Park area in the amount of $850,248.

The councilmembers will also vote to approve the award of a construction contract to Patin Construction, LLC for the Uhland Road improvement project in the estimated amount of $6.5 million.

They will later vote on a change in service to the agreement with Sigma Technology Solutions, Inc. through the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Department of Information Resources program for the purchase of Nexus equipment and support services in the estimated annual amount of $44,182 and authorizing four additional annual renewals. 

The councilmembers will also consider renewing the agreement with the San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce in the annual amount of $28,760. The item was discussed in the Dec. 15 council meeting at an annual amount of $38,100. It was reviewed by staff before coming back this meeting when Councilmember Maxfield Baker pointed out that the previous year’s rate was only $24K.

There will be two public hearings; one about the annexation of 73.412 aces of land out of the Joel Miner survey located at 2811 Harris Hill Road, and another about rezoning 72.85 acres of land located on Harris Hill Road one mile south of Yarrington Road from Future Development District to Manufactured Home District. 

Also on the non-consent agenda, the councilmembers will vote on granting an easement to the Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative for the installation of electric infrastructure to serve the City’s new Public Service Center.

The councilmembers will discuss and consider nominations to the 2021 charter review commission. They will also discuss an appointment to fill a vacancy for position five of the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) No. 5 (Downtown Board of Directors).

The Jan. 5 city council meeting will be held virtually at www.sanmarcostx.gov/videos or on the Grande channel 16 of Spectrum channel 10. Anyone wishing to participate during the Citizen Comment portion of the meeting must email citizencomment@sanmarcostx.gov prior to 12 p.m. on Tuesday.