City should research all aspects of proposed SMART development
Alert! A new developer has proposed to expand the original heavy-industry- zoned SMART Terminal from about 800 acres to over 2000 acres. To get a sense of this project’s size, imagine the equivalent of 80 Outlet Malls. This project is massive and if approved will not only threaten our sacred San Marcos River, it will completely transform the small towns that it borders: Martindale, Maxwell and Reedville. Please join me and other concerned citizens in opposing expansion and Heavy Industrial Zoning of this project at this time.
Before the city council makes any decisions about this project, we need fiscal accountability. Our representatives must conduct a thorough cost-benefit analysis.
Resident taxpayers need to know how and when city staff will estimate the costs vs. the revenues of this project. I’ve heard two reasons for approving this project. One is to provide tax revenue, the second is to provide good jobs, especially jobs with benefits that will allow our Rattlers to live a middle-class lifestyle, buy a home, and raise their families here in town, even without a college degree.
These are good reasons to pursue a development project, but first and foremost, the city has a fiscal responsibility to the taxpayers. We must not assume that economic developments automatically benefit us. Instead, join me in asking the council to please do the math!
Do the tax revenues really exceed the long-term burden on taxpayers? We need this information prior to approving heavy industrial zoning for this massive project.
Do we really need to double the size of the original SMART Terminal at this time? I need help understanding why the original, almost 900-acre HI Park is not big enough for this rural, eastside area, and why manufacturing businesses have not been clamoring for the opportunity to locate here.
If our council members believe San Marcos needs that much more HI zoning, please provide an evidence- based explanation of why that is the case. And why not spread the need for Heavy Industrial zones throughout the community, rather than forcing small towns and rural, marginalized, Hispanic neighborhoods to bear the brunt of industrialization?
Finally, can council members explain why the Cotton Center sold their acreage rather than develop their property? I have heard that they had problems acquiring essential infrastructure, including wastewater and fire protection.
If these are rumors, please dispel them and explain what you know about this issue.
Citizens, please join me in asking the city council to prioritize their fiscal responsibility to the taxpayers as they consider removing over 1000 acres of prime land for much-needed affordable housing, and instead double the amount of heavy-industry-zoned land for the SMART Terminal. I hope to see some San Martians at City Hall for the Public Hearing regarding the SMART Terminal on April 18 at 6 p.m.
Ana M. Juarez
