AGENDA CAPTION:
Title
Hold discussion regarding Area Plans and Neighborhood Character Studies planned in 2013 and provide direction to the City Manager.
Body
Meeting date: August 2, 2022
Department: Requested by Mayor Hughson
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Background Information:
Mayor Hughson placed this on the agenda because Neighborhood Character Studies should have been initiated immediately after the last Comprehensive Plan was completed and before the Land Development Code was initiated. That did not happen and Mayor Hughson hopes to have those plans initiated by the end of 2022.
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Our current comprehensive plan, Vision San Marcos - A RIVER RUNS THROUGH US, was adopted by the San Marcos City Council on April 16, 2013 as Ordinance 2013-16
Neighborhood Character Studies were to be the next step. On page 79 of the Plan we find this: “As a next step, Neighborhood Character Studies will be conducted to determine the types of projects that would be supported within the areas of stability.” This was to happen BEFORE the Land Development Code was written.
Additional excerpts from the Plan are below:
Areas of Stability pg 79
The areas of stability are indicated on the preferred scenario map as “yellow areas” inside the city limits which are not included in an intensity zone and “white areas” in the ETJ that are also not included in an intensity zone. The preferred scenario anticipates that these areas will generally maintain their existing character. The areas of stability include established neighborhoods, undeveloped or agricultural land, and the majority of the City’s ETJ. Being located in an area of stability does not mean that these areas should not or will not change. It means that any changes, whether new developments, zoning requests, or public improvements, should be carefully planned and implemented so that the character of the area remains.
As a next step, Neighborhood Character Studies will be conducted to determine the types of projects that would be supported within the areas of stability. These studies will include considerable public input and involvement.
Pg 81 under LAND USE INTENSITY MATRIX
In the matrix, general land use categories, building types, and street types are recommended for each of the nine development type / intensity pairs listed above. Proposed intensity zones from the preferred scenario are listed in the matrix, for the pairs, where applicable. Additional areas or neighborhoods may be added, where appropriate, as neighborhood character studies are completed and the plan is amended.
Pg 84 under ZONING
… It is recommended that finely grained neighborhood character studies drawn at a scale not possible in this comprehensive planning process be conducted. The neighborhood character studies can also be used to identify those areas that will require specialized site development standards….
Pg 90 under NEIGHBORHOODS AND HOUSING
Neighborhood Character Studies
Neighborhood character studies will be conducted to ensure that each neighborhood maintains its existing character, and follows development and redevelopment patterns desired by the residents. These studies will result in specific guidelines for each neighborhood, which are created by the public with technical and professional input from city staff.
The DNA of the neighborhoods will be analyzed and recoded back into the regulations for each neighborhood. A standard methodology will be utilized within each neighborhood and all results will be community driven. City staff will first reach out to residents and property owners within predefined neighborhood boundaries. Discussions will begin with verifying or reestablishing those boundaries to suit conditions as they currently exist. The participants will then be involved in a “walk through” of their neighborhood followed by a caucus to discuss how Vision San Marcos: A River Runs Through Us will be applied. The caucus will address various applicable objectives from the plan as well as how the preferred scenario and intensity matrix will guide the future of the area.
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The Land Development Code (known then as “Code SMTX”) was adopted on April 7, 2018 as Ordinance 2018-02. Neighborhood Character Studies had not been completed prior to creation of the new code.
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There has been some work done, but the Neighborhood Character Studies were never completed to the expected level and not for the entire city.
In the years since, staff and council determined that Area Plans would be a better use of staff and consultant time and be a better us of funding. Instead of studying ALL neighborhoods, we would study those with vacant land and other potential development areas in/near neighborhoods to determine the best use of that land for that particular area.
The purpose was to PROACTIVELY PLAN for our neighborhoods, seeking positive growth, and likely fewer zoning cases being denied. It would require getting the residents, landowners (especially those owning vacant parcels of land) to work together.
Neighborhood Character Studies are a checkbox for every rezoning, but since we don’t have any, that data remains unknown and cannot be used for zoning decisions.
The last time this was discussed by the City Council the solution was to include these studies as part of the Comprehensive Plan process and we agreed. It has now become clear that there are many areas to be studied in many locations of our ever-growing city as part of the plan. The growth areas should be studied also. Therefore, there are not enough plans in our current Comp Plan contract.
This may be resolved at our Work Session that will happen at 3:00 the same day of this meeting. If so, this item may not be needed. But if a solution is not found, we have this agenda item for that discussion.
It’s been 9 years since these studies were promised.
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